Syrian Army, Allies Plan Attack Against Opposition Forces in Aleppo

Syrian government forces along with troops from Iran and Hezbollah will soon initiate a ground attack backed by Russian airstrikes against opposition groups in the Aleppo area, two senior regional officials told Reuters on Tuesday.

The city of Aleppo and the surrounding province is divided between forces loyal to beleaguered Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, anti-government opposition groups and the self-proclaimed Islamic State.

“The big battle preparations in that area are clear,” said one official with knowledge of the plans. “There is a large mobilization of the Syrian army … elite Hezbollah fighters, and thousands of Iranians who arrived in stages in recent days.”

Rebel commanders reportedly told Reuters earlier on Tuesday that opposition groups in the area were deploying a large number of anti-tank missiles recently provided by their foreign backers in an attempt to thwart the coming ground offensive.

Rebels Shell Russian Embassy in Damascus During Pro-Government Rally

The Russian Embassy in Damascus was shelled on Tuesday during a pro-government demonstration outside its gates, as Syria’s largest rebel coalition announced an offensive to combat Moscow’s recent campaign of airstrikes throughout the war-torn country, The Associated Press reports.

At the same time, the leader of the Nusra Front – al-Qaida’s branch in Syria – released an audio message reportedly urging Muslims across the former Soviet Union to attack Russian civilians if Moscow continues to target civilians in Syria.

Before Tuesday’s attack on the Russian embassy, demonstrators had collected outside holding posters bearing the faces of Bashar al-Assad and Russian President Vladimir Putin, and carrying banners that read: “Thanks Russia” and “Syria and Russia are together to fight terrorism.”

The developments are an indicator of the further complications Russia’s military intervention has brought to the country’s bloody four-and-a-half-year civil war.

U.S. Delivers Ammunition to Syrian Rebels

U.S. forces airdropped small arms ammunition and an assortment of other supplies to Syrian Arab opposition forces on Sunday, just two weeks after Moscow raised the stakes of the ongoing civil war by militarily intervening to prop up Bashar al-Assad, Reuters reports.

The delivery of military aid to rebel groups comes in the wake of Washington’s decision last week to shelve a failed $500 million program to train and equip “moderate” opposition forces to join the fight against ISIS.

While U.S. military sources confirmed the delivery of military supplies to vetted opposition groups, they reportedly were not willing to disclose the name of the groups or the type of equipment in the airdrop.

Washington reportedly promised the opposition groups new weapons, rebels told Reuters, to assist them in launching a new joint offensive along with Kurdish militias on the ISIS stronghold of Raqqa.

Top Image: This photo released by the Syrian government news agency (SANA) shows hundreds of pro-government supporters as they gather outside the gates of the Russian embassy in Damascus on Tuesday 13 October 2015 to thank Moscow for its intervention in Syria. During Tuesday’s demonstration, rebels fired two shells at the Russian compound. (SANA via AP)

Recommended Reads

• The Daily Beast: Iran’s Losing Major Operatives in Syria
• The Associated Press: US Providing Anti-Tank Missiles, but not Anti-Aircraft Weapons as Russia Bombs Moderate Rebels
• The Washington Post: Mapped: Russian vs. U.S. Airstrikes in Syria
• Al-Monitor: Despite Airstrikes, Is Russia Still Working Toward Political Solution in Syria?
• The Washington Post: The Many Holy Wars Ripping Syria Apart