In one of the most severe outbreaks of violence in recent years, rebel forces in Syria have captured an army base and seized control of at least 13 villages in the northern province of Aleppo.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that a surprise attack on the Syrian army led to fierce clashes, resulting in the deaths of 130 combatants and civilians.

Iran's SNN news agency announced the death of Brig Gen Kioumars Pourhashemi, a senior adviser in the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, amidst the fighting, though details remain sparse.

The offensive, launched late Wednesday by the extremist group Hayat Tahrir, was named "Deterring the Aggression." The group moved towards Aleppo city from Idlib, which is home to roughly two million people displaced by the ongoing civil war that began in 2011. Idlib has been under Hayat Tahrir's control since 2019, following the ousting of other rebel factions.

According to Charles Lister, a US-based analyst monitoring the situation, the rebels are now only 6 kilometers from Aleppo, a city that experienced significant destruction between 2012 and 2016.

Hayat Tahrir, which was previously linked to Al Qaeda, claims to have distanced itself from the organization since 2016, although experts like Mackenzie Holtz suggest this shift is more about rebranding than a fundamental change in ideology.

In response to the rebel advances, Russian and Syrian forces reportedly conducted extensive air strikes against the militias. Reports also indicated the presence of Iran-backed Hezbollah fighters in some of the contested regions during the offensive.

Footage circulating on opposition channels purportedly shows militants seizing anti-tank missiles known as Kornets from a Syrian military base. These weapons played a crucial role in earlier rebel advancements before Russia's military intervention in 2015 shifted the balance of power.

Other regions in northern Syria remain outside government control, including areas along the Turkish border now occupied by the Syrian National Army, which is largely composed of former Syrian rebels backed by Turkey. Meanwhile, parts of eastern Syria, particularly along the Iraqi border and the Euphrates River, are under the control of US-backed Kurdish militias within the Syrian Democratic Forces coalition.

Rebels captured from pro-Assad forces an Iranian-made Safir jeep during their offensive in Western Aleppo countryside. They also show the flag of the Zaynabioun Brigade, an IRGC-affiliated group made up of Pakistani fighters.

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