The rebels’ surprise offensive this weekend reignited the conflict in Syria after a five-year truce.
The United States, Germany, France and the United Kingdom issued a joint statement on Sunday calling for de-escalation in Syria, where rebel forces launched their biggest offensive against Bashar al-Assad’s government in years.
NATO countries have declared that they “were closely following developments in the situation in Syria”where 255 people, mostly activists, have died since last Wednesday, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (OSDH).
In their joint statement, the four governments called for de-escalation to “protect civilians and infrastructure in order to avoid further displacement and allow access for humanitarian aid”.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs states that more than 14,000 people, including children, have been displaced by the violence in recent days.
On Wednesday, rebels from various opposition forces formed a new coalition called the Military Operations Command, which marched on several villages before reaching the country’s second largest city, Aleppo.
Rebel fighters seized most of Aleppo on Saturdaytaking control of the city’s airport and extending their offensive to a neighboring province.
They have encountered little resistance from Al-Assad’s government, which said Saturday through the country’s official news agency that Syria “would defend its stability and territorial integrity against terrorists and those who support them”.
Counterattack by government forces
The Syrian armed forces said on Saturday thatthey had redeployed troops and were preparing for a counterattackacknowledging that the insurgents had entered several areas of the city, but denying reports that they had established bases.
It is the first time insurgents have occupied Aleppo since 2016, when Al-Assad’s forces waged a long military campaign with support from Russia, Iran and their other allies.
The 2016 fighting marked a turning point in the long-running war between the Syrian government and rebel fighters, after 2011 protests against Bashar al-Assad’s regime sparked all-out war.
Before last week’s surprise offensive, the war had been at a stalemate for several years. However, the offensive on Aleppo followed weeks of intermittent violence, including government attacks on rebel-held areas.
In November 2023, a French court issued an arrest warrant for Bashar al-Assad for his role in war crimes and crimes against humanity, including chemical weapons attacks against civilians.
