Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Monday branded an Islamist-led offensive that has captured swathes of territory an attempt to redraw the regional map in line with US interests.

His comments in a phone call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian came as Syria and its ally Russia launched deadly air raids on areas under Islamist rebel control.

Assad is supported by Russia and Iran, both of which have said they will help his forces fight back after Aleppo, Syria’s second city, fell out of government control.

Syria has been at war since Assad cracked down on democracy protests in 2011, and the conflict has since drawn in foreign powers and Islamists and left 500,000 people dead.

With Assad’s army back in control of much of the country after years of shifting battle lines, the conflict had been mostly dormant until last week, when the Islamist-led rebel alliance began its offensive.

“The terrorist escalation reflects the far-reaching goals of dividing the region and fragmenting the countries in it and redraw the map in line with the objectives of the United States and the West,” a statement from Assad’s office quoted him as saying.

Pezeshkian in turn pledged continued support and said: “We hope that with your tact, strength and fortitude, the country of Syria will pass through this stage with success and victory as it has passed through far more difficult conditions.”

The Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group and allied factions took over Aleppo city on the weekend, except for neighbourhoods controlled by Kurdish forces, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Turkey on Monday rejected any suggestion that “foreign interference” was behind the offensive.

“The lack of talks between the regime and the opposition has brought the problem to this point,” Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said at a joint press conference in Ankara with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi. He called it “a mistake to ignore the legitimate demands of the opposition”.

Russia first intervened directly in the Syrian war in 2015, and on Monday President Vladimir Putin and Iran’s Pezeshkian both pledged “unconditional support” for their ally, according to the Kremlin.

They also “emphasised the importance” of coordinating with Turkey, the Russian side said in its readout of the call between the two leaders.

Deadly raids

Aleppo, an ancient city dominated by its landmark citadel, is home to two million people and saw fierce fighting earlier in the war. But until this weekend the rebels were never able to take over totally.

AFPTV footage showed rebels patrolling the streets, some setting fire to a Syrian flag and others holding the flag of the revolution. While the streets appeared mostly empty, some people came out to cheer the fighters.

HTS is an alliance led by Al-Qaeda’s former Syria branch and has faced accusations of human rights abuses including torturing detainees. It is fighting alongside allied factions, with units under a joint command.

On Monday, Syrian and Russian air raids on several areas of Idlib province in northwest Syria killed 11 civilians, including five children, the Observatory said.

“The strikes targeted … displaced families living on the edge of a displacement camp,” said Hussein Ahmed Khudur, a 45-year-old teacher who sought refuge at the camp from fighting in Aleppo province. He said one of the children who died was a student of his, and the other four were his sisters.

Other strikes in Aleppo killed four civilians, two of them children, the Observatory said, adding that air raids also targeted a Christian-majority neighbourhood.

‘Limited utility’

While the fighting is rooted in a war that began more than a decade ago, much has changed since then.

Millions of Syrians have been displaced, with about 5.5 million now in neighbouring countries. Most of those involved in the initial anti-Assad protests are either dead, in jail or in exile.

Russia is at war in Ukraine, and Hezbollah and Hamas have been massively weakened by more than a year of conflict with Israel.

Lebanon’s Hezbollah played a key role in backing government forces, particularly around Aleppo, but it withdrew from several positions to focus on fighting Israel.

HTS and its allies began their offensive on Wednesday, as a ceasefire took effect in Lebanon after more than a year of war between Hezbollah and Israel.

The violence in Syria has killed more than 457 people, mostly combatants but also including at least 72 civilians, according to the Observatory.

Aaron Stein, president of the US-based Foreign Policy Research Institute, said “Russia’s presence has thinned out considerably and quick reaction air strikes have limited utility”. He called the rebel advance “a reminder of how weak the regime is”.

Beyond Aleppo

Aron Lund of the Century International think tank said: “A government without Aleppo is not really a functional government of Syria.” He said a major question hangs over possible Turkish involvement.

“I have a hard time imagining that Turkey-backed groups could launch a major rebel offensive out of Turkey-held areas without Turkey being very significantly involved,” he said. “But I also don’t think Turkey necessarily wanted the rebels to get this far.”

Beyond Aleppo, AFPTV footage showed rebels pushing into Hama province in central Syria. The United States, France, Germany and Britain called Sunday for “de-escalation”, and for the protection of civilians and infrastructure.

Header image: White Helmets members work next to a damaged building at the scene of what the organisation says is a strike in Idlib on December 2 in this still image taken from a handout video. — Reuters