A striking comment on the recent developments in Syria: Assad's lifeline has been cut.

In response to the attacks by Bashar al-Assad's regime in northern Syria, the operation initiated by armed opposition groups led by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) continued to make progress on its third day yesterday. It was reported that the opposition gained control in the outskirts of Aleppo, specifically in Rashidin, while Russian forces in the area withdrew. It was also stated that Shiite groups affiliated with Iran and units of the Syrian army were preparing for urban warfare in Aleppo.

"ASSAD'S MAIN ARTERY HAS BEEN CUT"

In a statement from the Aleppo Military Operations Administration, it was announced that the outer neighborhoods of the city, El-Hamdaniye and New Aleppo, have been liberated. On the other hand, the capture of the junction where the M5 and M4 highways, which connect the northern part of the country to the capital Damascus and the coastal city of Latakia to Aleppo, the country's second-largest city, converges around the Serakib district was interpreted as a severing of Assad's regime's main artery. Following the start of the operation, a statement from Ankara indicated that the operation targeting Aleppo was within the boundaries of the de-escalation zone in Idlib agreed upon by Russia, Iran, and Turkey in 2019; however, the developments yesterday are assessed as exceeding the limits of the agreement reached in Sochi, which means that the balances in Syria will be reshaped.

THEY SHOOK THE AUTHORITY OF REGIME FORCES

It was noted that the operation initiated by opposition groups in the western rural areas of Aleppo on Wednesday yielded results beyond expectations, and reaching Aleppo in a short period of 72 hours indicated a weakening of the regime along with the Iranian and Russian presence in the region. As a result of the attacks, at least more than 250 regime soldiers were neutralized. Dozens of tanks, armored vehicles, howitzers, anti-tank shells, and ammunition depots were seized by the opposition. Furthermore, it was emphasized that the distance between the opposition and the Sheikh Maqsud neighborhood in the center of Aleppo, controlled by the PKK's Syrian branch PYD/YPG, has decreased.

THEY WANT CIVILIANS TO BE EVACUATED

The opposition forces issued an evacuation order for the outer neighborhoods of Aleppo and called on citizens to leave the area immediately due to security concerns. Students at Aleppo University were also evacuated by regime forces. In a statement from the Damascus regime, it was claimed that reinforcement troops had arrived for the defense of the city and that the opposition had not yet reached the city. It is estimated that approximately one million civilians live in the city.