Syria: The battle situation on the Aleppo battlefield is gradually coming to an end

(Baonghean) - After nearly 3 weeks of launching a full-scale campaign to retake Aleppo city, the Syrian army announced that it had captured 2/3 of the area occupied by rebel forces in the east of the city.

Many reports from the battlefield show that the opposition forces are in great turmoil and will likely not be able to hold out much longer. Once the battle for Aleppo is decided, the opportunity to resolve the conflict that has lasted more than 5 years in Syria will open up.

The opposition is in disarray.

Syrian rebels have fled the Old City of Aleppo, al-Mayadeen TV reported on December 6, a move that shows the rebel turmoil in the eastern part of the city.

Before that, the Syrian army also captured the al-Sha'ar area - where the largest weapons depot of the Al-Nusra Front group is located and is also the "backbone" of this force in eastern Aleppo.

Opposition forces have also abandoned their efforts to hold the main highway leading to Aleppo International Airport, about 10km from the city centre.

The Syrian army's capture of this route is expected to boost military operations in the airport area as well as support the Syrian government's current campaign in the eastern part of the city.

Some sources also said that after major losses at a series of important strongholds, opposition forces were clearly aware of the risk of being pushed out of Aleppo.

Difficulties on the battlefield are pushing the opposition into internal division as some groups try to hold out in the positions they still control, while others are trying to secretly negotiate with the Syrian government on surrender terms.

US Secretary of State John Kerry said he will discuss the situation in Aleppo with the Russian Foreign Minister this weekend. Photo: Reuters

Thus, since launching the Aleppo offensive three weeks ago, the Syrian army, with the cooperation of Russia, is closer than ever to their most important victory in the five-year civil war. Analysts say that Russia and the Syrian government have chosen the right time to launch this "decisive blow".

That was when the US was “caught up” in the presidential election, which distracted it from the hot spot of Syria. Moreover, with billionaire Donald Trump’s election, the opportunity for the opposition to receive assistance from the US was increasingly narrowing.

Mr. Trump has repeatedly expressed his desire to cooperate with Russia in resolving the crisis in Syria, acknowledging Russia's indispensable role in this important battlefield.

Without the attention of the US, the opposition forces can hardly wait for help from European countries - which are suffering too much turmoil due to Brexit or leadership changes in many countries.

Russia takes the initiative

The victory of Russia and the Syrian army brought US Secretary of State John Kerry to Rome, Italy on December 2 to present Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov with a new proposal, which is to open some safe corridors for all opposition forces to withdraw according to a pre-agreed schedule.

This is a major change in the US's stance, as the US has always sought to protect opposition forces, including the al-Nusra Front. According to the plan, the US Secretary of State and the Russian Foreign Minister will continue to meet in Geneva, Switzerland this weekend to discuss the details of the US's proposed plan. However, the latest information shows that the US side has proposed to postpone this meeting because it has not been prepared.

Aleppo's strategic location. Photo: Washington Post.

The US's actions show that the country is really confused and has not been able to find a suitable solution to the situation in Aleppo. On the night of December 5 (Vietnam time), the United Nations Security Council suddenly and hastily issued a resolution calling for a 7-day ceasefire in Aleppo - of course, under the promotion of the US.

However, Russia was very sober when it vetoed this resolution together with China, affirming that Russia would "reject any intention to reach a ceasefire agreement in East Aleppo proposed by any party if this agreement does not include the withdrawal of all terrorist fighters". Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov did not hesitate to call the US's actions "an attempt to buy time" for the US-backed opposition forces.

Considered to have complete control in Aleppo, Russia is now showing great determination to work with the Syrian government to achieve the goal of retaking Aleppo in December, or at the latest in January 2017, before President-elect Donald Trump takes office.

To achieve this goal, Russia has made a very strong statement that it will “eliminate” those who refuse to leave the city, and that Russia “will not give any other choice”.

In addition to the successive victories of the Syrian government army in Aleppo, Russia's negotiating advantage was also strengthened after it gained important support from Türkiye - a country that previously had a similar view to the US, determined to overthrow Syrian President Bashar al Assad.

During his recent visit to Russia, the Turkish Prime Minister himself affirmed that not having dialogue and coordinating actions with Russia on the situation in Syria would have unintended consequences.

Image captured in the eastern part of Aleppo city on December 6. Photo: Getty.

Given the current situation, experts predict that the US and opposition forces will likely have to accept defeat on the Aleppo battlefield. Once the situation in Aleppo is resolved, the parties will have to return to the peace negotiating table with the participation of both the Syrian government and opposition forces.

Although the mindset of the parties participating in this negotiation will change a lot compared to previous times, it is certain that finding a solution that is agreed upon by all parties will not be easy.

But once the opportunity has opened, the Syrian people have the right to hope that their country will escape the conflict that has lasted for the past 5 years with countless losses and pain.

Thuy Ngoc