Hope and fear in equal measure as local Syrians caught unawares by rebel uprising

While local Syrians were relieved the opposition had taken over, they were terrified of retaliation from the regime and its close ally, Russia

Armed groups capture most of Aleppo city center in Syria (Anadolu via Getty Images)

The attack by Syrian opposition forces was so swift and unexpected that Abu Obaida only first realised it was happening when he stepped out of his building to go to work and saw a group of rebels passing by.

He lives in the heart of regime-held Aleppo, a city devastated by a brutal four-year war between rebels and regime soldiers, so severe that the International Committee of the Red Cross has described it as “one of the most devastating conflicts in modern times”.

Government forces eventually ousted the rebels from the scorched city in 2016, most of whom were displaced to Turkish-held Idlib, southwest of Aleppo.

But on Friday, for the first time in eight years, a coalition of rebel forces led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) seized the city.

They forced regime forces to retreat at an extraordinary pace, gaining control of most of the area.

“I never would have expected this. I was just at my door when I saw them,” said Abu Obaida, 38, adding that the insurgents did not shoot at anyone.

“The opposition forces took control of the city in just two hours. Now the entire city is under their power, except for two neighbourhoods controlled by the [Kurdish-led] Syrian Democratic Forces.”

Armed groups capture most of Aleppo city center in Syria (Anadolu via Getty Images)

He said that while people were relieved the opposition had taken over, they were terrified of retaliation from the regime and its close ally, Russia.

On Saturday the regime and Russian aircraft pounded the city. Abu Obaida feared further bloodshed and division, possibly even the federalisation of the country.

“I hope we can reach some kind of peace agreement because we need to stop the killing of civilians,” he added.

On Friday, thousands of Turkish-backed rebels, led by HTS, launched a bold attack on regime-held Aleppo, seizing control of the city for the first time in 13 years.

Once aligned with al-Qaeda, HTS has since distanced itself from its jihadi past but is still designated a terrorist organisation by the US and Russia.

Aleppo had been firmly under government control since 2016—a key turning point in the war when Russian-backed Syrian forces besieged and destroyed rebel-held eastern districts of what was once Syria’s largest city.

That has now changed. The Syrian army claimed to have repelled some attacks and to have retaken parts of the territory. Defiant, Assad has vowed revenge.

“Terrorists only understand the language of force, and it is the language with which we will crush them,” he said.

Anti-government fighters celebrate in a street in Maaret al-Numan in Syria's northwestern Idlib province (Photos AFP/Getty)

But, rebel commanders, usually based in Idlib, told The Independent that over the weekend, they had taken control of the entire Idlib countryside, the city of Aleppo, and areas further south, including the outskirts and airport of Hama.

“In summary, battles are raging on three main fronts: northern Hama countryside, eastern Aleppo countryside, and southeastern Aleppo countryside, with continuous progress on all fronts, by the grace of God,” one commander said.

And so the sudden offensive poses the greatest challenge in years to the rule of autocrat Bashar al-Assad, who reportedly made frantic calls to Middle Eastern countries that normalised relations with him last year, asking for help.

Inside the newly rebel-held areas outside Aleppo and further, civilians said this moment may even mark the beginning of the end for Assad’s regime.

In Maarat al-Numan, a city between Aleppo and Hama seized by the regime in January 2020, displaced residents returned for the first time in nearly five years.

“It’s an overwhelming feeling of joy, smiles, and happiness. They’ve come back to their homes, livelihoods, and lands,” said Mohamed Mandil, a resident who himself entered his home for the first time over the weekend after years living displaced in Idlib.

Most of the homes have been destroyed, burned or looted but he said people were still “optimistic”. “They believe they can rebuild and establish stability. Everyone is filled with hope for the future and the days to come.”

Bashir Al-Qazaz, another internally displaced resident of the town echoed the sentiment, saying that people were desperate to return “just to escape the tents and the bitterness of displacement and exile.

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“But there are also people who might wait longer, holding off until things become clearer and more stable,” he added as Russia and the regime launched a wave of airstrikes across rebel-held territory.

“Deep inside, there’s this lingering fear about the future, where are we headed? There’s this sense of uncertainty that we’re all grappling with.”

That uncertainty was felt in the south of the country. There reports emerged that former rebels who reconciled with the regime during earlier offensive, apparently inspired by the northern opposition’s success.

Clashes with regime forces were reported in multiple areas.

Abu Ali Al-Mohammed, a resident of the city told The Independent people in Daraa were celebrating Aleppo’s take over and that he felt “indescribable joy.”

“I believe this is the beginning of a path toward profound change on the Syrian scene, with regional and international coordination,” he said. “There is widespread expectation that what happened in Aleppo will lead to a fundamental change in Syria.”