Centrum Stosunków Międzynarodowych - 01 August 2016: Rebel counteroffensive in Aleppo

On Saturday, July 31, Syrian rebels have launched a counteroffensive in Aleppo region aimed at breaking the siege of the city. The military operations are spearheaded by a Salafi group Ahrar al-Sham and Jabhat Fatah al-Sham, which recently has broken formal ties with al-Qa’idah and changed its name from Jabhat al-Nusra. The offensive is concentrated south and south-east of the city, and the rebel territorial advances remain precarious in the face of Russian air strikes.

In mid-July, the government forces, aided by Iranian armed units, Hezbollah and Russian air force, cut off the last route to rebel-held parts of the city, which are inhabited by an estimated 300,000 people. On July 28, Russia announced the establishment of humanitarian corridors for the inhabitants of the city, but only a handful of civilians have used them so far. Aleppo was the largest city in Syria before the civil war and it would be a heavy blow to the opposition were the government to take control of the city. The fighting has been raging in Aleppo since 2012 and the humanitarian situation has deteriorated significantly since the government offensive in July. Artillery barrage and air strikes in urban areas have resulted in many civilian casualties and have impeded the functioning of medical services. Over a span of a single weekend, July 23-24, four hospitals and one blood bank were hit by air strikes.