Beginning of the offensive 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 stated to be a response to recent artillery shelling by the Assad government against rebel-held
Ariha. 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. Four civilians were killed and two others were injured by HTS shelling in the al-Hamdaniya neighborhood of Aleppo city. 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.
Battle of Hama On the evening of 30 November 2024, HTS 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". == Aftermath ==