**Insurgents Breach Aleppo, Triggering Fresh Unrest in War-Torn Syria**

In a shocking development on Friday, insurgents breached Syria's largest city, Aleppo, engaging in fierce battles with government forces for the first time since 2016. This unexpected attack has forced residents to flee amidst growing uncertainty in a region already marred by multiple conflicts.

The offensive began on Wednesday, when thousands of insurgents rapidly advanced through villages and towns in Syria's northwest, capturing strategic locations. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the clashes have resulted in dozens of casualties on both sides. Residents on the outskirts of Aleppo have been evacuating due to intense missile and gunfire exchanges.

This surge in violence adds to the turmoil in the region, which is already struggling with ongoing conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon involving Israel, among other ongoing strifes. Aleppo had not seen such an incursion from opposition forces since they were ousted from the city's eastern neighborhoods in 2016, following a brutal military campaign supported by Russia, Iran, and allied groups.

Unlike previous encounters, this time government forces appeared to retreat quickly, with insurgents urging them to surrender via social media. Robert Ford, the last U.S. ambassador to Syria, pointed out the apparent frailty of Syrian government forces, suggesting that they had faced near-complete routs in some instances.

This week's insurgent advances are among the most significant in recent years, led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). The intense fighting in northwestern Syria is the most severe since 2020, when government forces captured previously opposition-held areas. Compounding the situation is the absence of support from Iran-linked groups such as Hezbollah, who are currently embroiled in their own conflicts.

The offensive began just as a cease-fire in Hezbollah’s two-month war with Israel took effect. This period has also seen escalated Israeli attacks against Hezbollah and Iran-linked targets in Syria. Dareen Khalifa, an expert on Syrian groups, attributed the rapid insurgent advance to the distractions facing Russia and Iran, alongside a beleaguered Syrian regime.

Turkish security officials explained that the insurgent operation initially intended to address violations of a 2019 ceasefire agreement. However, it expanded as Syrian forces retreated. Turkey, a supporter of Syrian opposition groups, failed in its diplomatic attempts to prevent these government attacks.

Despite the Syrian government's silence on the breach, the Kremlin condemned the attack as a sovereignty violation and called for the swift restoration of constitutional order. The Syrian armed forces claimed to have destroyed insurgent drones and heavy weaponry around Aleppo and Idlib, although they accused the insurgents of disseminating false information.

Reports indicated that insurgents detonated car bombs on Aleppo's western edge and seized Saraqeb, a key town linking Aleppo with Damascus and the coast. Traffic on the strategic highway was diverted as a result. Turkish state-run Anadolu Agency reported that insurgents had entered Aleppo's city center and controlled 70 locations across Aleppo and Idlib provinces.

Projectiles from insurgents have landed in Aleppo's university, killing four people, including two students. The insurgents also reportedly destroyed a military helicopter at an airbase southeast of Aleppo, using drones for the first time in this conflict, underscoring the escalated and evolving nature of the violence.