Syrian rebels breach Aleppo in surprise offensive
Syrian rebels have breached the city of Aleppo, with thousands of insurgent fighters making startling advances in their surprise offensive against President Bashar al-Assad's regime in northwestern Syria.
The opposition rebels on Saturday made their way through large parts of the city, staking their claim in the very center of the city at the Aleppo Citadel and the Great Mosque of Aleppo, according to verified videos posted on social media.
Videos circulating online on Friday appeared to show rebels in the outskirts of Aleppo, Syria’s second largest city. The rebels launched a major offensive this week and since then have moved swiftly towards Aleppo, capturing swathes of countryside and villages.
In a statement released Saturday, the White House said it was "closely monitoring" the situation.
National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett blamed the Assad regime as well as its cooperation with Russia and Iran for creating the conditions that are unfolding.
Savett added that the U.S. "has nothing to do with this offensive, which is led by Hay’at Tahir al-Sham (HTS), a designated terrorist organization" and said that the U.S. would work together with its allies and partners to urge de-escalation and to protect U.S. personnel and military positions.
The offensive reignited the frontline in Syria for the first time in years and the Assad regime and its allies Russia and Hezbollah appear to be struggling to hold it back.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has reported heavy fighting between regime forces and the rebels, led by the jihadist group HTS, which controls the rebel holdout of the neighboring Idlib province.
Although Syria’s civil war never ended, the frontlines have been largely frozen for years, while Russia and the regime continued to bomb rebel areas.
-ABC News' Patrick Reevell, Victoria Beaule and Nicholas Kerr contributed to this report.
