Russian jets pound Idlib after Syrian rebels’ Aleppo gains
Russian and Syrian government jets reportedly hit the rebel-held northwest Syrian city of Idlib Monday, as rebel groups appeared to hold large parts of the city of Aleppo following a quick assault on government territory that began last week.
The rebels, led by the group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) began their biggest offensive in years on 27 November, progressing quickly to take the key Damascus-Aleppo highway and heading for the city.
President Bashar al-Assad has said his government is capable of “defeating and eliminating” who he referred to as “terrorists and their supporters”, with the help of Syria’s allies and friends. Various international powers are taking sides, although many are already embroiled in other conflicts including Gaza, Lebanon, and Ukraine.
While the situation remains in flux, people have been fleeing their homes in western Aleppo province and the city itself, and hundreds of people, including dozens of civilians, have already been reported killed. The UN reports that new admissions to hospitals have been suspended in Aleppo, and one airstrikereportedly hit outside the entrance of Aleppo University Hospital.
The Syria Civil Defence, better known as the White Helmets, have reported airstrikes on displacement camps and multiple healthcare facilities in Idlib. The UN says that most humanitarian operations in Aleppo, Idlib, and Hama provinces have been suspended, with the exception of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent.
While the front lines of Syria’s long war have been mostly frozen for several years, late 2019 and early 2020 saw a major government offensive in Idlib, and mass destruction and civilian displacement. Here’s what it was like for the healthcare workers who insisted on staying put, even as their workplaces were bombed.
