Kurdish militias leaving Aleppo as anti-Assad coalition gains ground VIDEO

On December 2, the Kurdish People's Defence Units (PKK/YPG) began withdrawing their units from northeastern Aleppo in northern Syria.

The withdrawal of Kurdish forces has been coordinated with the command of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which together with the pro-Turkish Syrian National Army (SNA) captured Aleppo, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

Anti-Assad forces have taken control of dozens of localities in Idlib, Aleppo and Hama provinces in northern and central Syria in recent days.

Green buses are back: PKK/YPG terrorists and their families are being evacuated from Aleppo’s Sheikh Maqsoud to Raqqa and Manbij. pic.twitter.com/hKWL6eefqz

— Clash Report (@clashreport) December 2, 2024

On November 27, insurgent groups launched a significant offensive in Syria, catching Assad's forces by surprise. The fighting centred around the cities of Aleppo, Idlib, and Hama, has been some of the deadliest in years. Rebel forces, primarily led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), supported by Turkish-backed groups, managed to enter parts of Aleppo, Syria's second-largest city. By the time the offensive reached the city, insurgents had already seized more than 50 towns and villages from Assad's forces.

The offensive quickly escalated, resulting in over 250 fatalities, mostly combatants. In addition to the direct military impact, the conflict has caused significant displacement, with over 14,000 people, including many children, fleeing the affected areas. Civilian casualties also rose, with reports of deaths due to aerial bombardments and ground clashes​.

On December 1, the Syrian army conducted a series of counterattacks in the cities of Aleppo and Idlib to push back insurgents. Syrian state television claimed government forces had killed nearly 1,000 insurgents in the clashes.

The Syrian Civil Defence, also known as the White Helmets, a group that operates in opposition held areas say Assad’s army launched joint counter-operations with Russian forces in the two cities. Fighter jets reportedly pounded the area, killing at least 18 people and wounding dozens more.

By Khagan Isayev