Rusia Intensifies Air Strikes in Syria, Observers Report

aleppo - Russia, an ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, has intensified its air strikes on areas in Syria where rebels have gained ground in recent days, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Russia, an ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, has intensified its air strikes on areas in Syria where rebels have gained ground in recent days, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The strikes are reportedly targeting cities and villages in the provinces of Idlib and Hama, as well as the city of Aleppo.

Rami Abdel-Rahman, head of the Observatory, stated, "The Russians have not stopped bombing on all fronts since yesterday evening." The rebels have reportedly taken control of nearly all of Aleppo. The Syrian government forces announced on Saturday that they were temporarily withdrawing from the city to prepare for a counteroffensive.

The rebels are led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), considered one of the most powerful armed factions in northwestern Syria. The violence that erupted on Wednesday is seen as a significant escalation in the Syrian civil war. Assad has regained rebel-held territories in recent years with the help of allies Russia and Iran.