### Islamist Rebels Breach Aleppo, Sparking Fierce Clashes with Syrian Forces

BEIRUT – A major escalation unfolded in Syria's second-largest city of Aleppo on Friday as Islamist rebels breached neighborhoods and engaged in intense clashes with government military forces following the detonation of two car bombs. This development, reported by the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights and The Associated Press, has reignited international focus on Syria, a nation afflicted by civil war and extremism for over a decade.

The Syrian Observatory of Human Rights indicated that the clashes between insurgents and regime troops were particularly fierce. The recent breach represents a significant development since rebels launched a surprise offensive earlier in the week, capturing towns and villages as they advanced toward Aleppo. This marks the first incursion into Aleppo by opposition forces since 2016 when they were expelled from the city's eastern neighborhoods due to a military operation aided by Syria’s allies, Russia and Iran.

The current offensive by the rebels, predominantly led by the militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), has shattered a period of relative calm initiated by a ceasefire four years prior. The resurgence is partly attributed to the weakened state of Iran-backed groups, such as Hezbollah, underscoring how interconnected and volatile the regional conflicts remain.

Eyewitnesses informed The Associated Press that residents of Aleppo were fleeing the western parts of the city amid a barrage of missile strikes and gunfire exchanges. An insurgent commander, associated with HTS, posted a message on social media urging civilians to assist the rebel forces.

According to a statement from Syria’s Defense Ministry, government troops are actively engaged in combat, successfully regaining control over some regions. The ministry also reported inflicting significant casualties on the attacking insurgents, with hundreds of militants either killed or wounded. They also claimed the destruction of dozens of vehicles and the downing of seventeen drones used by the rebels.

Since the onset of the HTS' offensive, at least 121 individuals have lost their lives, including 20 civilians, based on information from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Syrian state media, as cited by the AP, also reported that projectiles fired by insurgents hit student accommodations at Aleppo's university, resulting in four fatalities, including two students.

The devastating civil war in Syria began in early 2011 amidst a wave of protests against President Bashar al-Assad’s authoritarian regime. The subsequent crackdown by Assad’s government, bolstered by support from Iran and Russia, has propelled the country into a prolonged conflict, nurturing a vigorous insurgency and causing widespread suffering.