Syrian opposition attack on Aleppo.. How did Russia, Iran and Turkey comment?

For its part, Turkey called for an "end to attacks" on the city of Idlib and its surroundings, after a series of airstrikes by Russian and Syrian regime forces. The Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman said via X platform: "We called for an end to the attacks. The recent clashes have led to an unwanted escalation of tensions in the border area," referring to "developments in Idlib and its border surroundings."

This is Turkey's first official reaction since the start of the lightning offensive by Syrian opposition factions against the Syrian regime, which reached Aleppo, the country's second largest city, within two days. The ministry said: "It is extremely important for Turkey to avoid a new phase of greater destabilization and not to affect civilians," stressing that "maintaining calm in Idlib and the border region (...) is a priority for Turkey."

Ankara considered that "the recent attacks on Idlib have reached a level that undermines the spirit and implementation mechanisms of the Astana agreements" of 2017. The Astana track, which includes Russia, Iran and Turkey, aims to end the conflict in Syria by establishing four demilitarized zones. However, the Syrian regime government has not signed this agreement. Turkey, which hosts three million Syrian refugees, has begun a reconciliation process with the Syrian regime under the auspices of Russia, but this rapprochement has not yet borne fruit.

The Salvation Government (the civilian arm of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham) had previously called on Russia to be a potential partner in the future of a free Syria, denouncing the bombing of Idlib and Aleppo provinces in northwestern Syria. In a statement, the Political Affairs Department called on "Russia not to link interests with the Assad regime or Bashar himself, but rather with the Syrian people, their history, civilization and future," stressing that "the Syrian people seek to build positive relations based on mutual respect and common interests with all countries of the world, including Russia, which we consider a potential partner in building a bright future for a free Syria."

On Friday evening, the factions of the "Deterrence of Aggression" operations room were able to enter most of the neighborhoods of Aleppo city, after a mass withdrawal of regime forces and Iranian-backed militias. "Al-Araby Al-Jadeed" obtained information from media sources within the military operations department of the "Deterrence of Aggression" operations room confirming that the Syrian opposition factions entered, on Friday evening, Saadallah Al-Jaberi Square, Al-Furqan neighborhood, Al-A'dhamiyah neighborhood, Saif Al-Dawla neighborhood, Salah Al-Din neighborhood, Al-Mashhad neighborhood, and Al-Assad suburb in the heart of Aleppo city, as well as Al-Ramouseh Bridge and Al-Basel roundabout on the western side of the city, amid continuous advances to the eastern neighborhoods, after a mass withdrawal of regime forces and militias supported by Russia and Iran, after taking control of the New Aleppo neighborhood, Al-Rashidin neighborhood, and Al-Hamdaniyah neighborhood inside Aleppo city from the western side.

The sources confirmed that the factions of the "Deterrence of Aggression" operations room took control of the villages of Islamin and Sheikh Mansour on the eastern side of the city of Saraqib, east of Idlib Governorate, and seized six tanks of different models, in conjunction with seizing weapons warehouses, shells, missiles, tanks and tracked vehicles from the industrial neighborhood after combing it in the city of Saraqib at the intersection of the two international roads "M5" that connects Damascus and Aleppo, and "M4" that connects Aleppo and Latakia, east of Idlib Governorate, northwest of Syria.

(AFP, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed)