A coalition of anti-regime forces led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) launched wide-scale attacks on Wednesday toward Aleppo, retained by the Assad regime in Syria. They seized 32 villages in their first such advance in years. The death toll from clashes was 57, a monitor group said on Wednesday.

The offensive overran at least 10 areas under the control of Bashar Assad in northwestern Aleppo province, said a source in the operations room run by the anti-regime forces.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that 31 Syrian soldiers were killed. Earlier, the war monitor said at least four civilians were killed and 12 others were injured, including eight children, in rural areas near Idlib. The toll "in battles ongoing for the past 24 hours has risen to 132, including 65 fighters from HTS," 18 from allied factions "and 49 members of regime forces," said the Observatory later on Thursday, which relies on a network of sources inside Syria.

"The villages have strategic importance due to their proximity to the M5 international highway," the monitor said, adding the factions, which already took control of two other locations, were "trying to cut the Aleppo-Damascus international highway."

The land incursion is the first such territorial advance since March 2020 when Russia, which backs Assad, and Türkiye, which supports the Syrian opposition forces, which do not include Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, agreed to a cease-fire that led to military action halting Syria's last major opposition stronghold in the country's northwest.

The forces advanced almost 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the outskirts of Aleppo city and a few kilometers away from Nubl and Zahra, two Shiite towns where Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah has a strong militia presence, an army source said. They attacked al-Nayrab Airport east of Aleppo, where pro-Iranian militias have outposts. Those in charge of the offensive say the campaign was in response to stepped-up strikes in recent weeks against civilians by the Russian and Syrian air force on areas in southern Idlib and to preempt any attacks by the Syrian army, which was building up troops near the front lines against anti-regime forces.

The army pounded areas near opposition-held Idlib and the cities of Ariha and Sarmada, along with other areas in southern Idlib province, according to an army source.

Official media did not report the fighting, but pro-government websites said the army had pounded Hayat Tahrir al-Sham hideouts and killed dozens.

Witnesses said hundreds of families in the last refuge for opponents of Assad fled to safer areas along the Turkish border. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, has long been targeted by the Syrian government and Russian forces. It competes with Türkiye-backed mainstream opposition groups that also control swathes of territory along the border with Türkiye in northwest Syria.

Anadolu Agency (AA) reported that Hayat Tahrir al-Sham now controls an area covering 245 square kilometers and the Assad regime has launched attacks on civilian areas captured by the group. AA also reported dozens of Syrian soldiers, heavy weapons and military vehicles of the Assad regime were captured by anti-regime forces.

In a related development, the Syrian regime and HTS sources said that The Russian and Syrian air forces bombed several areas in northwestern Syria to push back the offensive. The Assad regime's army said it was cooperating with Russia and unnamed "friendly forces" to regain ground and restore the situation to what it was.

Idlib takeover prevented

On Thursday, Turkish security sources said tensions have already been brewing between regime forces and militant groups, referring to HTS. Sources said Türkiye's direct intervention prevented regime forces and militants from taking over Idlib in its entirety in the period between 2019 and 2020 when the regime's operations worsened the situation for its opponents, changing the border agreed upon in talks sponsored by Türkiye, Iran and Russia. Sources said Russia and the Assad regime repeatedly carried out attacks toward Idlib and all sides claimed they launched attacks to prevent military buildup in the area.

Sources said Türkiye prevented operations by opposition groups until today so as not to escalate tensions further in the region amid Israel's aggression. "Türkiye also pursued international efforts and conveyed its expectations to prevent attacks by the Assad regime to guarantor countries in Astana and other platforms. Yet, international platforms did not take any steps to that extent," the sources said. They cited that more than 30 civilians were killed in attacks targeting Idlib, including three children attending Quran school.