Turkiye-aligned factions seize Tel Rifaat in Syria’s Aleppo
Shafaq News/ On Sunday, Turkiye-backed armed factions seized the strategic city of Tel Rifaat in northern Aleppo, previously under the control of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that "National Army" factions took control of Tel Rifaat, located near the Turkish border, along with nearby villages and towns, in an operation separate from the Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) offensive that captured Aleppo city.
Earlier, HTS and allied factions offered SDF a "safe exit" from Aleppo after Turkiye-backed forces seized Tel Rifaat.
On Sunday, SOHR director Rami Abdulrahman described "intense clashes" in Tel Rifaat, noting battles between Turkiye-aligned factions and SDF forces along the frontlines and the presence of over 300,000 displaced Kurds in the area.
Meanwhile, Syria's Ministry of Defense reported that dozens of "terrorists" were killed or wounded on the outskirts of Al-Safira in eastern Aleppo as the Syrian army launched operations to repel attacks by opposition groups across Aleppo, Idlib, and Hama provinces.
Additionally, Joint Syrian-Russian airstrikes hit a gathering of opposition leaders and their members near Al-Hamdaniah Stadium in Aleppo, reportedly causing dozens of casualties.
The Russian Reconciliation Center for Syria confirmed the death of 320 militants from “terrorist organizations” in the past 24 hours in Idlib, Hama, and Aleppo.
In a related context, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad affirmed his country's determination to fight “terrorist organizations” nationwide, emphasizing “the crucial support of allies in countering foreign-backed attacks.”
