Jihadi forces with ties to Al Qaeda captured Syria's second city Aleppo, intensifying the crisis for Assad's regime. Reports suggest a possible coup attempt in Damascus, as Assad seeks support from allies amid escalating conflict.
The regime of Syria n dictator Bashar Al Assad was last night teetering on the brink of collapse after jihadi forces seized control of the country's second city.
The crisis began when thousands of insurgents advanced on Aleppo and captured vast swathes of the surrounding countryside. The rebel fighters belong to Hayat Tahrir Al Sham , which is designated as a terrorist organisation by the US and UN. HTS was previously known as Jabhat Al Nusra, which was Al Qaeda's affiliate branch in Syria.
Anthony Glees, professor emeritus in security studies at Buckingham University, last night warned that HTS's success in northern Syria could lead to British jihadis travelling to the Middle East to join the jihad – and increases the risk of attacks in the UK. The video shows how insurgents manage to yank at the statue by tying it to rope that is attached to a moving truck
In a bid to stem the advance, Russian warplanes hit rebel supply lines on Friday night on the edge of the city, killing 20 fighters, it is claimed.The detonation of two car bombs on the western edge of Aleppo coincided with an assault on the city by HTS and Turkish-backed rebel fighters. Syrian opposition supporters stand atop a captured Syrian army tank in the town of Maarat al-Numan, southwest from Aleppo, Syria
Insurgents have also reportedly seized Saraqeb, south of Aleppo, at the strategic intersection of highways linking to Damascus. Some 6.8 million Syrians fled the country – sparking a refugee crisis in Europe. Russia and Iran helped Syrian government forces reclaim Aleppo in 2016 after a gruelling military campaign.
The dramatic fall of Aleppo comes just days after Sir Richard Moore, the head of MI6, warned that after a 37-year career in intelligence he has 'never seen the world in a more dangerous state'. 'This is a situation that is hard to predict,' he said. 'What happened in Aleppo is concerning as this group has some strange bedfellows.
'If they continue to support, then the Assad regime may carry on, but if they don't, he may have to resign and it could be the end of the Assad dynasty,' he said. Al-Jawlani cracked down on some extremist groups in his territory and increasingly portrays himself as a protector of other religions. The video shows how insurgents manage to yank at the statue by tying it to rope that is attached to a moving truck.A general view of the destruction following an airstrike on Aleppo, which the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says was launched by RussiaAnti-government fighters brandish their guns as they ride a vehicle in Syria's northern city of Aleppo
It would be a meek ending for a dictator who has spilled so much blood trying to wrestle his country from Syrian rebel groups, Kurdish fighters and Islamic fundamentalists like Isis and Al-Qaeda.
Syria Assad Aleppo Al Qaeda Jihadi Forces Coup Attempt
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