AMMAN, Jordan –
The Syrian army said Saturday that dozens of its soldiers had been killed in a major attack led by Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham rebels who swept into the city of Aleppo, forcing the army to redeploy in the biggest challenge to President Bashar Assad in years.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said its air force had carried out strikes on Syrian rebels in support of the country’s army, Russian news agencies reported. The strikes followed what was the boldest rebel assault for years in a civil war where front lines had largely been frozen since 2020.
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), once known as the al-Nusra Front, is designated a terrorist group by the U.S., Russia, Turkey and other states. Assad is a close Moscow ally.
