Syria.. Opposition factions announce control over central Aleppo and Assad authorities close the airport

Within 48 hours, the Syrian armed opposition factions were able to control areas in central Aleppo and others in the Idlib countryside in northwestern Syria, in an attack that is the first of its kind in 5 years, while the Syrian authorities closed Aleppo airport and cancelled all flights.

In its latest announcements, the opposition said it had taken control of the Aleppo Citadel and the Umayyad Mosque in the province after entering the city and many of its neighborhoods.

The opposition imposed a curfew in the city until Saturday morning to preserve the safety of civilians.

The opposition said that within a few hours, the city of Aleppo will be secured militarily and security-wise, after which the city will be completely liberated.

This development comes on the third day of the "deterrence of aggression" battle launched by the armed Syrian opposition, in response to what it said were escalating attacks and regime crowds attacking its strongholds.

The armed opposition had previously announced its control over the Aleppo Governorate building, the municipal palace, the police headquarters, the Aleppo Citadel, and the University of Aleppo in the city center.

The armed opposition said that its fighters had taken control of most of Aleppo's western neighborhoods and a large number of its southern, eastern and central neighborhoods.

The opposition forces also took control of the Scientific Research Center, the Military and Artillery Colleges, the Military Security Building, and other military sites.

In other details, the Syrian armed opposition confirmed that the total number of villages it had taken control of in the western and southern countryside of Aleppo amounted to 70 towns, villages and military sites.

The Syrian armed opposition announced that its fighters had taken control of the main square in the center of Aleppo, 14 neighborhoods, and the city's police headquarters.

The opposition announced that it had also taken control of the strategic city of Saraqib in Idlib, where the Aleppo-Damascus international road and the Latakia-Aleppo international road intersect.

Pictures showed the celebrations of the people of Idlib city after the Syrian opposition forces took control of Aleppo city and large parts of its countryside.

 The other party

 In contrast, Al Jazeera's correspondent reported that regime fighters bombed the New Aleppo neighborhood in Aleppo city.

Reuters quoted three Syrian army sources as saying that the army closed the main roads leading to and from the city of Aleppo after the forces were instructed to follow orders for a "safe withdrawal" from the neighborhoods that were overrun by the militants.

The sources said the move effectively closed off the city after the army issued instructions at checkpoints outside the city to allow only army forces to pass and enter.

The Syrian Ministry of Defense said earlier that its forces had regained control of points they had lost earlier, adding that they were continuing to confront an attack by what they described as terrorist groups, inflicting heavy losses on them.

Two Syrian military sources confirmed to Reuters that Damascus expects new Russian military equipment to arrive at the Russian Hmeimim air base in Syria within 72 hours.

The Russian Ministry of Defense said that its air forces eliminated 200 militants in the provinces of Aleppo and Idlib in one day.

She added that the situation in the two provinces is deteriorating and that Russian forces are providing support to the Syrian army in confronting these formations.

Reactions

In regional reactions to the battles in northern Syria, Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Oncu Kağıtlü said that Turkey is concerned that there is no further instability and that civilians among the Syrian people are not harmed.

The Turkish official added that the recent attacks by the Syrian regime on Idlib have reached a level that harms the implementation of what was agreed upon in the Astana meetings.

Kağlıtuğlu also said that his country is closely monitoring the attacks targeting Turkish civilians and Turkey by terrorist organizations in Tal Rifaat and Manbij that are trying to take advantage of the current environment of instability.

For his part, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi commented on the developments by saying that the activation of terrorist groups in Syria is an "American-Zionist plot following the entity's defeats in Lebanon and Palestine," as he put it.

In turn, the Iranian ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani, said that Iran, Russia and the axis of resistance will not allow the repetition of the events of the past years in Syria. He explained during an interview with Iranian television that what he described as terrorist groups will not achieve any victory in Syria.

While he stressed that "the Syrian government is stronger than before, and Tehran will provide it with support," he also stressed that "the armed groups in Syria will not achieve any victory."

It is noteworthy that Moscow and Tehran are allies of Damascus and have provided it with military and political support since the outbreak of the revolution in Syria in 2011, enabling it to regain large parts of the lands that the factions controlled at the beginning of the conflict.

Source: Al Jazeera