Syria and Russia intensify strikes on rebels

Air strikes carried out as Iran's foreign minister visits Damascus to convey support for government

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  People inspects a camp for internally displaced people destroyed during an air strike near the village of Harbnush, north of Idlib, Syria. AP

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  People mourn relatives killed in a reported Syrian regime air strike on Wadi Khaled camp at the SAMS Hospital in Maarat Misrin, a town in Syria's northern Idlib governorate. AFP

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  Displaced Syrian Kurds ride in the back of a vehicle loaded with belongings on the Aleppo-Raqqa motorway to flee areas on the outskirts of the northern city of Aleppo after they were seized by Islamist-led rebels. AFP

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  Medics inspect the damaged Ibn Sina Hospital following a Russian air strike, in Idlib, northern Syria. EPA

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  Militants gather at the Nayrab military airport, in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo. AFP

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  Syrian military aircraft are among the equipment at the airport. Militants have taken control of large parts of Aleppo. AFP

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  A militant patrols outside the airport. The offensive has resulted in Russian air strikes on Syria. AFP

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  Fighters stand guard outside the northern Syrian town of Tal Rifat. AFP

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  A member of the Syrian White Helmet civil defence helps carry a victim of Syrian government attacks on Idlib city. AP

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  Anti-government fighters reach the motorway near the northern Syrian town of Azaz. AFP

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  Anti-government fighters celebrate as they take over the northern Syrian town of Tal Rifaat. AFP

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  Anti-government fighters swept into the city of Aleppo, east of Idlib province. AFP

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  The Syrian army said dozens of its soldiers had been killed in the attack on Aleppo. AFP

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  Smoke billows in the aftermath of what the White Helmets say is a strike, in Idlib, Syria. Reuters

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  Syria's President Bashar Al Assad meets Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, in Damascus. Reuters

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  A nurse attends to an injured woman in Idlib, Syria. Government air strikes in Idlib killed at least three civilians, including two children, and wounded 11 others, said the Syrian Civil Defence. AP

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  Anti-government fighters take a position near the northern Syrian town of Tal Rifaat. AFP

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  Anti-government fighters ride a motorcycle in the northern Syrian town of Tal Rifaat. AFP

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  People cross an anti-government checkpoint as they return to the town of Saraqib in the eastern part of Idlib province. AFP

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  Syrian opposition fighters seize abandoned Syrian army ammunition in the town of Khan Assubul, Syria, southwest of Aleppo. AP

Syrian and Russian jets carried out air strikes on the rebel-held city of Idlib on Sunday in the second day of intensive bombing aimed at pushing back insurgents who launched a shock offensive in the north this week, the Syrian army said.

The Syrian army said it had intensified strikes, carried out in co-ordination with Russian jets, on Idlib, claiming to have killed and wounded dozens of insurgents. Russian state media also reported on the increase in bombings targeting Syrian rebels.

Russia and Iran have been the main supporters of Syrian President Bashar Al Assad since 2011 when civil war broke out after the suppression of protests against his rule.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met Mr Assad in Damascus on Sunday in a trip he said was aimed at conveying Tehran's support for the Syrian government and army as it confronts the largest offensive by rebel troops in recent years.

“I am going to Damascus to convey the message of the Islamic Republic to the Syrian government,” Mr Araghchi said. Iran will “firmly support the Syrian government and army,” he added, according to Iran's Irna state news agency. “The Syrian army will once again win over these terrorist groups as in the past,” he said.

Iran's Foreign Ministry on Saturday said its consulate in Aleppo had come under attack but that all staff members were safe. The ministry's spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Mr Araghchi would visit Ankara after his trip to Syria.

Syrian opposition groups led by Hayat Tahrir continued to advance towards government-held areas in the north of the country. Authorities closed Aleppo International Airport and central roads after several districts were stormed.

Idlib has been subject to a truce brokered by Turkey and Russia since 2020 which had been holding despite violations.

Syrian troops leave Aleppo as rebels take control and Assad vows to defend territory

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Insurgents launched a shock offensive in Aleppo on Wednesday, just after a fragile ceasefire took effect in neighbouring Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah – which has supported the Syrian army throughout the civil war. The Syrian government regained control of Aleppo city in 2016 with the support of its Russian and Iranian allies.

There were also reports of rebels advancing on Hama – a town 140km south of Aleppo and 213km north of Damascus. By Saturday evening, the rebels said they had seized at least four towns in the central Hama province and claimed to have entered the provincial capital.

On Sunday, the Syrian army said military reinforcements had arrived in Hama “to support and back up the advance of our armed forces on this axis, amidst a state of mass escape by elements of armed terrorist organisations”.

The UN envoy for Syria on Sunday called for urgent and serious political engagement among Syrian and international stakeholders, stressing the need to prioritise a political solution to prevent further bloodshed in the country.

“I have repeatedly warned of the risks of escalation in Syria, of the dangers of mere conflict management rather than conflict resolution, and the reality that no Syrian party or existing grouping of actors can resolve the Syrian conflict via military means,” Geir Pederson said.

Hayat Tahrir Al Sham, designated a terrorist organisation by the UN Security Council, and a wide range of opposition factions, have gained ground amid intensified clashes, Mr Pedersen said.

“In a country torn by nearly 14 years of war and conflict, the latest developments pose severe risks to civilians and have serious implications for regional and international peace and security,” he warned, calling on resuming diplomatic efforts to end the conflict.