RUSSIA AND IRAN SUPPORT DAMASCUS TO RECONQUER ALEPPO

Pro-Iranian militias have started today the fighting to reconquer the city of Aleppo that fell this weekend in the hands of the opposition to Syrian President Bashir El Assad. Russia, for its part, has also come to support the forces that hold Damascus, to prevent the current Syrian regime from entering into a new war with its opposition.

The situation in Syria was normalized a few months ago when the opposition forces were defeated. The Damascus army conquered Aleppo and other cities, except for the small strip to the north where there is a Kurdish force, which Turkey accuses of terrorism.

But the resurgence of the opposition to El Assad has been a surprise for Damascus, which was unaware of the reorganization of the opposition militias. The army had to retreat in the face of the advance of militias opposed to the current regime, which is supported by Russia (which has a naval base) and Iran.

Russian aviation has come into play and started bombing the forces occupying Aleppo. The Syrian province of Idlib is now the setting where the most fighting is taking place.

Government forces under the control of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad have also been fortifying the northern province of Hama, according to the Syrian state news agency, SANA. It reported the army overnight pushed back opposition fighters in its northern countryside. Forces there were being resupplied with heavy equipment and rocket launchers.

It is a never-ending story. Although Russian support has been decisive in defeating the opposition in the past, the latter's forces have not disappeared. On the contrary, they have reorganized and prepared for this new offensive, although assistance to Damascus from Russians and Iranians must be decisive for the final outcome.

The UN position is aimed at political negotiations that would allow the fighting to stop and reach an agreement so that the opposition can remain in a strip of territory once they have laid down their weapons.

This UN position is due to the fact that in northern Syria, part of the population supports the militias fighting Damascus.

President Assad said today that Syria can defeat the opposition groups, no matter how much their attacks intensify.