On 27 November 2024, HTS announced that it had launched an offensive dubbed "Deterrence of Aggression" toward pro-government forces in western
Aleppo Governorate. The offensive was a response to recent artillery shelling by the Syrian government of
Bashar al-Assad against rebel-held
Idlib, which killed at least 30 civilians. The
Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that 37 Syrian government soldiers and allied militias and 60 fighters from the opposition forces were killed in the clashes. Russian fighters also conducted
airstrikes around
Atarib,
Darat Izza, and surrounding villages, while government forces shelled rebel-controlled Idlib,
Ariha,
Sarmada and other areas in southern
Idlib Governorate. On 28 November, HTS launched an offensive on the eastern Idlib countryside, capturing the villages of
Dadikh, Kafr Batikh and Sheikh Ali as well as a neighborhood in the city of
Saraqib. This advance brought them within two kilometers of the
M5 highway, a strategic route that had been secured by pro-government forces in 2020. HTS also attacked
al-Nayrab's airport located east of Aleppo, where
Iranian-backed militants have a presence. In the latter half of the day, HTS captured the villages of
Kafr Basin, Arnaz and Al-Zarba in the western Aleppo countryside, and cut off the M5 highway. The Syrian rebels had captured around 40 towns and villages in total by the end of the day. Iranian state media reported that
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Brigadier General
Kioumars Pourhashemi, who served as a senior military advisor in Syria, was killed by rebels in Aleppo. On 29 November, HTS captured the villages of Tal Karatabeen, Abu Qansa, and Al-Talhiya in Idlib countryside and Al-Mansoura, Jab Kas, and
Al-Bawabiya in Aleppo countryside. Strong fighting around the town of Saraqib continued. By this point, other Idlib-based Islamist groups were backing the HTS advance, including
Ajnad al-Kavkaz, and
Liwa al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar. Seven SNA fighters were killed in a Russian airstrike on a SNA military headquarters in
Mare'. Four civilians were also killed in separate Russian airstrikes in Idlib.
Battle of Aleppo On 29 November, opposition forces launched a large-scale offensive in
Aleppo Governorate aimed at capturing the city of Aleppo and surrounding areas. The rapid fall of Aleppo, which had taken the regime four years to capture from rebels in 2016, surprised even HTS leadership. Al-Hamwi later stated "We had a conviction, supported by historical precedent, that 'Damascus cannot fall until Aleppo falls.' The strength of the Syrian revolution was concentrated in the north, and we believed that once Aleppo was liberated, we could move southward toward Damascus." In Idlib and Aleppo governorates, revolutionaries captured 50 towns and villages, including the town of Saraqib,
Abu al-Duhur and
Maarat al-Numan amid the collapse of pro-government forces' defense lines. Pro-government forces retreated from most of the
Idlib Governorate, with the exception of
Khan Shaykhun and
Kafranbel. In Aleppo region, pro-government forces withdrew to
Aleppo airport,
Maskanah, As Safirah and Khanaser road. An airstrike, reportedly of Russian origin, killed 16 civilians and injured 20 others in Aleppo city.
Government withdrawal and SDF advances In the early hours of 30 November, revolutionary forces captured the
Citadel of Aleppo, the government headquarters in the city, as well as "more than half of Aleppo city". By morning, revolutionary forces had seized control of most of Aleppo, forcing pro-government troops to retreat toward
as-Safirah. On 30 November 2024, amid the collapse of pro-government forces in Northwestern Syria, the
Kurdish majority
Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) entered the towns of
Dayr Hafir, Tell Aran, Tell Hasel, and the
Shaykh Najjar district of Aleppo city, taking over from pro-government forces. In the afternoon, the SDF captured
Aleppo International Airport and the towns of
Nubbul and
Al-Zahraa, following the withdrawal of pro-government forces. Clashes between Turkish backed militias and the SDF were reported in
Tell Abyad region in northern
Raqqa Governorate. Concurrently on 30 November, the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army located in the
Euphrates Shield region of
Turkish occupied northern Syria announced the start of
Operation Dawn of Freedom with the objective of cutting off SDF's supply networks and establishing a corridor connecting
al-Bab to
Tell Rifaat. SNA forces captured the town of
Tadef from pro-government forces during their advances as pro-government forces began withdrawing from the region. Pro-government forces left a substantial amount of military equipment behind during their retreat from Aleppo governorate, including two
T-90A tanks, an entire
S-125 Neva system battery, a
Pantsir-S1 system and a
Buk-M2. Revolutionaries also captured helicopters and fighter jets at the Aleppo and Menagh air bases.
Clashes between SDF and opposition forces On 30 November, the HTS-led opposition reportedly took control of Aleppo airport after the local SDF troops opted to withdraw. On the evening of 1 December, the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) launched an offensive on the SDF-held town of
Tell Rifaat, capturing the town along with several surrounding villages. The remaining SDF-controlled towns in the region were cut off from communication after being encircled by opposition forces. On 2 December, the SDF announced plans to evacuate Kurdish IDPs from Tel Rifaat and the
Shahba Canton to SDF-held areas in Aleppo's
Sheikh Maqsood district and northeastern Syria.
Advance towards Hama On the evening of 30 November 2024, HTS-led opposition forces rapidly advanced in the
Hama Governorate, capturing dozens of towns and villages in the countryside by 7 in the evening (Local Syrian time,
UTC+3:00). As the HTS forces started closing in on Hama, pro-government forces established new military positions on the outskirts of the city, including reinforcements to
Jabal Zayn al-Abidin and the towns of Taybat al Imam,
Qamhana, and
Khitab. Additionally, Russia launched airstrikes on towns recently captured by rebels in the Idlib and Hama regions. This includes one targeting a refugee camp in Idlib city that killed nine civilians and injured 62 others, and another
airstrike targeting Aleppo university hospital killed eight civilians. On 2 December, Russia again launched airstrikes on opposition-held territory, including one on Idlib city that killed 11 civilians. Opposition forces then launched a drone strike targeting pro-government military leaders near
Jabal Zayn al-Abidin just north of Hama, which led to multiple deaths and injuries among their ranks. In the evening, the Russian forces carried out massive airstrikes against opposition forces, the heaviest clashes since the start of the offensive. By the end of the day, opposition forces took control of several villages and shelled Hama city, killing eight civilians, while government forces successfully defended
Qalaat al-Madiq. On 3 December, opposition forces captured more than 10 towns and villages near Hama, including the towns of Taybat al-Imam, Halfaya,
Soran, and Maardis. Meanwhile, fighting between government forces and SNA were ongoing in Khanasir. North of Hama, at least 17 SAA soldiers, eight HTS fighters, and two civilians were killed in clashes and airstrikes. On 4 December, pro-government forces briefly counterattacked and retook the villages of Kafr'a and
Maar Shuhur, while the opposition advanced to the
Ghab Plain, which serves as a gateway to the majority-
Alawite coastal region of Syria. Anas Alkharboutli, a photographer working for
DPA, was killed in an airstrike in
Morek amidst the clashes near Hama. By the evening, opposition forces had cut off the roads connecting Hama to
Raqqa and Aleppo and took control of several villages in the eastern Hama country side. Opposition forces also captured the towns of
Khitab and
Mubarakat, while fighting persisted in Jabal Zayn al-Abidin. On 5 December, opposition forces entered the northeastern part of Hama city amid pro-government airstrikes on its eastern side and by the afternoon, HTS-led rebels had established full control over the city, as pro-government forces withdrew. In a statement, the Syrian government reasoned its withdrawal from Hama city in concurrence with "preserving the lives of civilians". Following the fall of Hama,
Hezbollah announced it was sending fighters across the border toward Hama and Homs to support government forces.
Battle of Homs On 5 December 2024, pro-government forces withdrew from the cities of
Salamiyah and
Talbiseh towards the city of
Homs, hours after their withdrawal from Hama as rebels approached the former town's outskirts. In the evening, opposition forces entered Salamiyah without fighting, after reaching an agreement with the city's elders and its religious
Ismaili council. By the evening opposition forces had reached the outskirts of
Al-Rastan and captured a pro-government military base north of it. Concurrently with the opposition advance, Russian aircraft bombed the main bridge connecting Homs and Hama, in an attempt to slow the rebel advance. On 6 December 2024, opposition forces captured five towns, and approached the outskirts of Homs, as pro-government forces withdrew from more territory. In the eastern
Deir ez-Zor Governorate, pro-government forces began withdrawing from the towns of
Deir ez-Zor,
Mayadin,
Al-Quriyah and
Abu Kamal, towards the capital
Damascus. By the afternoon, pro-government forces had reportedly completely withdrawn from Homs towards the city of
Latakia, with only local pro-government gunmen remaining in the
Shia majority neighborhoods of the city. The Syrian Defense Ministry denied reports that it had given orders to fully evacuate Homs city. Iran began withdrawing its personnel from Syria in the early hours of 6 December, pulling out top commanders of the
IRGC's
Quds Force and ordering evacuations at the Iranian Embassy in Damascus and at IRGC bases across Syria. Evacuating Iranians headed towards Lebanon and Iraq. On 7/8 December, it was confirmed that the Ba'athist Syrian forces withdrew from Homs, with revolutionaries afterwards shown to be celebrating in the city.
Capture of Daraa, Suwayda, Deir ez-Zor and Palmyra In the evening of 6 December 2024, local forces captured the regional capital of
Suwayda, in southern Syria, following the pro-Assad forces' withdrawal from the city. Concurrently, SDF captured the provincial capital of
Deir ez-Zor from pro-Ba'athist forces, which also left the town of
Palmyra in central Homs Governorate. By midnight, opposition forces in the southern
Daraa Governorate captured its capital
Daraa, as well as 90% of the province, as pro-government forces withdrew towards the capital Damascus. Meanwhile, the
Syrian Free Army, a different rebel group backed by the United States,
took control of Palmyra in an offensive launched from the
al-Tanf "
deconfliction zone". That day, the Israeli army helped the
UNDOF repel an attack.
Fall of Damascus On 7 December 2024, revolutionary forces entered the
Rif Dimashq Governorate from the south, and came within of the capital
Damascus. Concurrently with the advance towards Damascus, revolutionary forces in the north launched an offensive into
Homs city. In the Rif Dimashq region, pro-Assad forces withdrew from the towns of
Assal al-Ward,
Yabroud,
Flitah,
Al-Naseriyah and
Artouz, while rebels came within of Damascus. By the evening, pro-Assad forces had left the towns on the outskirts of Damascus, including
Jaramana,
Qatana,
Muadamiyat al-Sham,
Darayya,
Al-Kiswah,
Al-Dumayr and sites near the
Mezzeh Air Base. Revolutionary forces were later reported to have reached the suburbs of Damascus. making a stopover at the Russian-operated
Khmeimim Air Base near
Latakia before proceeding to Moscow where he was given asylum by the Russian government. On 16 December, the Telegram account of the Syrian presidency published a statement attributed to Assad saying that he had gone to a Russian military base in
Latakia Governorate "to oversee combat operations" following the fall of Damascus but was evacuated out of the country by Russia after coming under siege from rebel forces, adding that he had no intention of resigning or going into exile. In the early hours of 8 December 2024, revolutionary groups in the north captured Homs, and began advancing towards Damascus. It was also reported that rebels managed to enter the Damascus neighborhood of Barzeh. On that day, the Syrian Army command informed its officers that
Assad's government had ended, and Prime Minister
Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali announced that he was ready "to cooperate with any leadership chosen by the people".
Closing offensives After the capture of Damascus by the
Southern Operations Room,
Latakia and
Tartus were the last two regional capitals held by Ba'athist forces. Anti-regime protests broke out in Latakia and later in Tartus, as demonstrators began to tear down posters and topple statues of
Hafez al-Assad. On 8 December, the HTS began advancing on both cities, capturing them without a battle. ==Resumed conflict==