Iranian-backed Iraqi militias have deployed in Syria to support the government's counteroffensive against insurgents who recently seized Aleppo, the largest city in the country. The insurgents, led by jihadi group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, launched a surprise attack on Aleppo last week and expanded into the countryside around Idlib and Hama province. In response, government troops established a fortified defensive line in northern Hama and conducted airstrikes on rebel-held positions.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi expressed Tehran's full support for Syrian President Bashar Assad during a meeting in Damascus. Iran has been a key political and military ally of Assad since the start of the conflict in 2011. Iranian-backed Iraqi militias have mobilized in Syria, with additional forces crossing the border to bolster Assad's government and army.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, around 200 Iraqi militiamen entered Syria through the Bou Kamal crossing and are expected to join the Syrian army in its efforts to push back against the insurgents in Aleppo. Meanwhile, Syrian and Russian airstrikes have targeted rebel positions in Hama and Idlib provinces, resulting in civilian casualties.
Amid the escalating violence, Syrian Kurds have been fleeing the fighting following the seizure of Tel Rifaat by Turkish-backed rebels from U.S.-backed Kurdish authorities. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces have called for a humanitarian corridor to facilitate the safe evacuation of civilians towards Aleppo and the northeast regions under Kurdish control.
