Putin tells Erdogan wants 'swift' end to rebel offensive in Syria

Jihadists are progressing in Syria, which announces having sent reinforcements to the Hama region. An Israeli strike targeted a car on the road leading to Damascus international airport on Tuesday. Le Figaro takes stock of the situation this Tuesday, December 3.

Iran says it is ready to “study” any request to send troops to Syria

Iran “will study” any sending of troops to Syria “and” Damascus is making the request, said the head of Iranian diplomacy Abbas Araghchi, whose country is a supporter of President Bashar al-Assad. “If the Syrian government asks us to send forces to Syria, we will consider this request”Araghchi said, according to the minister's official Telegram account, citing an interview with the Arabic news site Al-Araby al-Jadid.

Putin tells Erdogan wants 'swift' end to rebel offensive in Syria

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday in a telephone conversation with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan that he wants an end to “fast” of the offensive launched in Syria by a coalition of rebels led by radical Islamists.

“Vladimir Putin stressed the need to quickly put an end to the terrorist aggression of radical groups against the Syrian state and to fully support the efforts of the legitimate authorities to restore stability and constitutional order”the Kremlin said in a statement.

Violent fighting near Hama

Violent fighting pitted the Syrian army against a coalition of jihadists on Tuesday, who were trying to advance towards the strategic town of Hama, in central Syria, according to an NGO. The rebels launched a dazzling offensive last week that allowed them to seize Aleppo, Syria's second city, in the north, over which regime forces have completely lost control for the first time since the start of the war. civil in 2011.

“Violent clashes are taking place in the north of Hama province”while “Russian and Syrian air force carries out dozens of strikes” on the positions of the rebels, indicated the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (OSDH).

The latter were able to take control of several towns and villages in the Hama region, added the NGO based in the United Kingdom and which has a vast network of sources in Syria. An AFP photographer saw dozens of abandoned Syrian army tanks and military vehicles on Tuesday morning on the road leading to Hama. The Syrian army announced that it had sent reinforcements to the region, which helped slow the progress of the rebels over the past two days.

Iraqi armed group calls on its government to send troops

An influential pro-Iranian Iraqi armed group has called on the authorities in Baghdad to send troops to Syria to support the government against rebels who have launched a dazzling offensive in the north of the neighboring country. The press release from a spokesperson for the Hezbollah Brigades was shared Monday evening on channels of the pro-Iranian camp of the Telegram application. The armed group's website also includes extracts from this press release.

The lightning offensive by rebels led by radical Islamists who conquered the metropolis of Aleppo has caused excitement in political and security circles in Iraq. “Our opinion is that the Iraqi government must take the initiative to send regular military forces in agreement with the Syrian government, because these groups represent a threat to the national security of Iraq and the region”said the spokesperson for the Hezbollah Brigades in the press release.

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The Hezbollah Brigades are part of Hachd al Chaabi, a coalition of former paramilitaries, officially integrated into regular Iraqi forces for several years. In the conflict in Syria that began in 2011, they deployed fighters alongside the forces of Bashar Al-Assad's regime. Iraq is still traumatized by the conquest of nearly a third of Iraqi territory after a dazzling offensive by the jihadists of the Islamic State (IS) group in 2014. The jihadists were routed in 2017.

Baghdad, which assured Damascus of its support, announced that it had sent armored vehicles on Monday to strengthen security on its 600 km long border with Syria. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (OSDH) reported Monday the arrival in Syria of around 200 fighters from an Iraqi armed faction that it did not name.

Israeli strike targets car on Damascus airport road

An Israeli strike targeted a car on the road leading to Damascus international airport on Tuesday, the official Syrian agency Sana reported, citing police. “A car exploded after being targeted by an Israeli attack on the road to the airport”said Sana. Israel regularly carries out strikes on Syria, particularly targeting pro-Iranian groups. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (OSDH), an Israeli drone targeted the car. “A man who was there was killed and another injured”he said without being able to specify their identity.

The strike occurred near a military airfield, said the NGO based in the United Kingdom and which has a vast network of sources in Syria. Since the start of the Syrian conflict in 2011, Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes in Syria targeting regime forces and pro-Iranian allies. On November 20, three raids on Palmyra (center) targeting pro-Iranian groups killed 106 fighters, according to the OSDH.

Understanding the situation on a map

To better understand the situation in Syria, follow our map coverage.

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UN denounces attacks against civilians and health

Attacks on civilians and the health system in northwest Syria are “extremely worrying”the UN said on Tuesday, after the recent escalation of violence in this region which pushed tens of thousands of people to flee. “Volker Türk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, is extremely concerned by the escalation of hostilities in northwest Syria since November 27, which is further exacerbating the suffering endured by millions of civilians »declared a spokesperson in Geneva, Jeremy Laurence. “It’s tragic”he noted during a press briefing.

For the first time since the start of the civil war in 2011, the regime has completely lost control of Aleppo, Syria's second city, a stinging setback inflicted by a coalition of rebel groups dominated by radical Islamists. The fighting, the first of this magnitude since 2020, accompanied by Syrian and Russian aerial bombardments, has already left more than 500 dead, according to an NGO. Nearly 50,000 people to flee in a few days, the UN said on Monday, highlighting a very evolving situation.

The High Commission “documented a number of extremely concerning incidents resulting in numerous civilian casualties, including large numbers of women and children, resulting from attacks carried out by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)”the Islamists who lead the coalition that entered Aleppo, “and by pro-government forces”indicated Mr. Laurence. “The hostilities are causing the destruction (…) of civilian property, including health establishments, buildings housing institutions dedicated to education and food markets”he said.