The Aleppo offensive (November–December 2016), code named Operation Dawn of Victory by government forces, was a successful military offensive launched by the Syrian Armed Forces and allied groups against rebel-held districts in Aleppo. The offensive came after the end of the moratorium on air strikes by Russia, and the Russian Armed Forces again conducted heavy air and cruise missile strikes against rebel positions throughout northwestern Syria. The offensive resulted in government forces taking control of all rebel-controlled parts of eastern and southern Aleppo, and the evacuation of the remaining rebel forces.
The offensive was described as a potential turning point in the Syrian Civil War.
Almost 1,200 people were killed during the operation, including more than 600 civilians, most of whom died in the rebel-held part of the city where the offensive took place, but at least 149 were also killed by rebel shelling of government-held parts of Aleppo and some died in rebel strikes on the enclave held by the Syrian Democratic Forces.
Prelude
Russian Fleet intervention
Naval build up
On 15 October 2016, a Russian seven-ship Northern Fleet task force composed of the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov, the battlecruiser Pyotr Velikiy, two Udaloy-class destroyers, Severomorsk and Vice-Admiral Kulakov and a number of supply ships left Severomorsk for the Eastern Mediterranean to support Syrian government forces battling rebel troops in Aleppo. After sailing round Norway, Admiral Kuznetsov conducted live-fire exercises and flight operations off Shetland trailed by the Norwegian frigate HNoMS Fridtjof Nansen, the British frigate HMS Richmond and the destroyer HMS Duncan. Two Typhoon fighters scrambled from RAF Lossiemouth on the night of 17 October to intercept a Tupolev Tu 142 carrying out maritime surveillance north of Shetland ahead of the Russian battlegroup. The Russian fleet then passed through the English Channel on 21 October in a show of force, shadowed by the British destroyer HMS Dragon. Due to NATO pressure, the naval force was denied refuelling at Ceuta by the Spanish government. Admiral Kuznetsov eventually refuelled off North Africa on 26 October. The task force joined ten other Russian warships already in the theatre of operations, among them the frigate Admiral Grigorovich that had departed Sevastopol on 3 November. During the last stage of their sortie, the Admiral Kuznetzov group was shadowed by a Walrus-class Dutch submarine, according to Russian sources. The submarine was "chased away" by the destroyers Severomorsk and Vice-Admiral Kulakov.
Operations
On 15 November 2016, Admiral Grigorovich launched a salvo of Kalibr cruise missiles at rebel positions in the Idlib Governorate, rebel and Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and Jabhat al-Nusra targets in the Homs Governorate, and reportedly rebel-held parts of Aleppo itself, something Russia denied. The attack was supported by P-800 Oniks missiles launched from a Russian coastal battery inside Syria. At the same time, Sukhoi Su-33s from Admiral Kuznetsov conducted airstrikes throughout northwestern and western Syria. The aircraft struck "ammunition depots, groups of terrorists and their training centers, as well as facilities being used to manufacture mass destruction means that are used against civilians" according to Russian Minister of Defence, Sergey Shoigu.
Syrian forces
The offensive on Aleppo was announced on the same day, with the start of heavy Syrian and Russian airstrikes. The Syrian Armed Forces and allied militias made "final preparations" for a large-scale assault into eastern Aleppo. while aircraft from the Syrian Air Force hit rural and suburban areas around the rebel-controlled sector. The city itself was later attacked by jets and helicopters with conventional and barrel bombs. The Syrian Command assembled a ground force composed of Syrian special troops, Hezbollah militias and allied Iraqi paramilitaries.
The offensive
Initial fighting and Army approach to Hanano
On 16 November the Syrian Army, supported by Russian airstrikes, stormed the Rashidun and Aqrab districts in southwestern Aleppo, but were repelled by the rebels. Amid exchanges of shelling by both sides, clashes renewed in the Jamiat al-Zahra district of western Aleppo.
On 19 November, after heavy bombardment of eastern Aleppo, the Syrian Army attempted to advance in the Sheikh Saeed district in the southeast but were again repelled by the rebels. Meanwhile, pro-government forces advanced in the northeast. The Army seized the southern and central parts of the Bustan Al-Basha district, leaving them in control of 75 percent of the area. In addition, in the evening, after two days of Syrian and Russian airstrikes, the Tiger Forces took control of the strategic Zouhor hill which overlooks the Hanano district and most of rebel-controlled east Aleppo. At the same time, the Army advanced in the southwestern Aleppo district of Aqrab. The Tiger Forces also advanced southwest from the Zouhor hill into the old Sheikh Najjar factories, and seized most of them after intense clashes.
The next day, the Army managed to progress to the entrance of the Hanano district. In the evening, a rebel counter-attack against Zouhor hill and the factories area was launched and eventually repelled. By the end of the day, the Army managed to enter the Hanano district. On 21 November, government advanced in the old Sheikh Najjar factories, the Hanano housings and the nearby Islamic cemetery, while a second Army attack in 48 hours was launched on the southern Sheikh Saeed District. Although the rebels repelled this attack as well, they reportedly suffered heavy casualties.
Capture of Hanano
As of 22 November, the military was in control of around a third of Hanano and by the next day half of the district. According to the pro-opposition activist group the SOHR, if the Army managed to seize Hanano, they would be able to cut off the northern part of the rebel-held Aleppo from the rest of the opposition-held districts.
On 24 November, the Army pushed deep into the Hanano district, capturing more than half a dozen key buildings. The aim of the advance was to bisect the rebel-held part of Aleppo. Heavy and systematic government bombardment inflicted heavy rebel casualties. By the next day, government forces were in control of large parts of Hanano. Government forces also took control of large parts of the northeastern 'Ard Al-Hamra and southern Sheikh Lutfi districts, as well as the southern Hill 420 (Police Hill).
On 26 November, government troops were in control of Hanano, which was the first district of the city that was taken by the rebels in 2012, and represented about a quarter of the remaining rebel-held part of the city. Government forces also made attempts to advance in the Ard Al-Hamra and Jabal Badro District, south of Hanano. Following the capture of Hanano, 400–600 civilians left the rebel-held part of Aleppo.
Northeastern rebel collapse
On 27 November, government forces made major advances after a swift collapse of the rebel defenses, capturing the Jabal-Badro, Ard Al-Hamra and Ba'ibdeen districts, while also seizing parts of the Sakhour district, namely the Al-Sakhour Bridge. Soon after, the Army took control of the northern Jandoul Factories and secured the Ayn Al-Tal district, as well as large parts of the Hallak Fuqani and Hallak Tahtani districts. Due to these advances, the rebels were in a massive retreat, also abandoning the Bustan Al-Basha district and parts of Haydariyah, and withdrawing to southern Aleppo through the Sakhour district, which if captured would split the rebel-held part of the city in two. At this point, less than a kilometer was separating government troops advancing in east Aleppo from those in the center of the city.
The collapse of the rebel frontlines was attributed to the heavy volume of bombardments, the intensity of the fighting, the number of dead and wounded, and the lack of working hospitals. Hundreds of civilians attempted to capitalize on the rebel collapse, with the number of evacuated civilians increasing to nearly 10,000 during the day.
In the evening, only 500 meters were separating the military from closing off the gap between the northeastern and the southeastern parts of the city. By this point, the remaining distance had already come under Army fire control. In addition, the Army completed its control of Hallak Al-Fukani, Hallak Al-Tahtani and Bustan Al-Basha, with Kurdish support, while the northeastern Inzarat district had also been seized. At least 36 rebels surrendered to the Army during their advances, while a number of them had reportedly defected to the Kurdish-led SDF.
As of 28 November, the entire northeastern part of Aleppo had fallen. Early in the day, the Army took control of Haydariyah. Two hours later, government forces also seized Sakhour, leaving the rebel-held districts of Sheikh Kheder and Sheikh Fares surrounded. Soon after, Sheikh Khider was also taken by the Army, along with parts of Sheikh Fares. The rest of Sheikh Fares was seized by Kurdish forces, who were confirmed to be in control of parts of Hallak, Bustan Al-Basha, Ba'ibdeen and Ayn Al-Tal as well after advancing from the northern Kurdish-controlled Sheikh Maqsood district. The overall situation was described to be "the biggest defeat for the opposition in Aleppo since 2012", with a four-year stalemate in the city being broken.
On 4 December, residents started returning to Hanano.
Syrian Army push into the southeast and capture of Old Aleppo
Following the rebel collapse in the northeast, the Army made its first advance into the southeastern Tariq al-Bab (al-Helwania) district. On 28 November, they captured the Talet Barakat and Scientific Research Housing areas, south of Jabal Badro, and advanced into the Ma'saraniyah Youth housing.
On 29 November, the Army seized large parts of the southeastern al-Jazmati and al-Ma'saraniyah neighborhoods, in order to secure the Aleppo International Airport and its highway. The next day, the Army and pro-government Iraqi militias seized most of the Sheikh Saeed district in the southern part of the city. After this, they captured several building blocks in the exposed side of the Sukkari district. During these advances, the Army also cleared the Sadkop and Old Ramouseh areas, south of Sheikh Saeed. Government forces also again advanced in the Ma'saraniyah Youth housing area, and reportedly capturing it. On 1 December, the rebels were able to regain almost all of Sheikh Saeed district in a counter-attack. Government troops managed to retain control of the southern section of the district. They also recaptured some positions in the Ma'saraniyah Youth housing area.
As of 2 December, fighting continued in Sheikh Saeed, with the Army in control of 30% of the district. During the day, they once again advanced in the area. Meanwhile, the Army launched a major assault in the southeastern neighborhoods of Aleppo, capturing two districts, Tariq al-Bab and Karm al-Trab. They also took control of a large part of the al-Jazmati district. With these advances, government forces secured the airport road and were in control of 60% of the previously rebel-held part of Aleppo. Overall, the Army pushed one kilometer into rebel territory in the city. Around 01:00, during the day's clashes, a Syrian Air Force Aero L-39 Albatros was shot down by rebel fire and crashed in the central part of the city, with both pilots killed.
On 3 December, government forces completed their control of al-Jazmati and made a push into Mayssar. At this point, Russia sought a full rebel withdrawal from Aleppo. The rebels stated they would not surrender Aleppo.
The next day, the Army made advances in the Mayssar district, after capturing the al-Helwaniyah and al-Jazmati roundabouts. At this point, two kilometers were separating the advancing Army units from the government-held Citadel of Aleppo. Later in the day, government troops captured Mayssar, as well as the Dahret Awwad district. The Army then continued to converge on Aleppo's Old City, securing the al-Qaterrji and al-Tahhan districts, and advancing into Qadi Askar. They also captured the Eye Hospital and came within 500–1,000 meters of the Citadel and isolating the remaining districts northeast of it. Government troops also advanced at the al-Sha'ar district, with some rebels already withdrawing in anticipation of its fall. Subsequently, that night, the Army made more advances in Sha'ar. Meanwhile, Fatah al-Sham fighters along with their allies raided a warehouse containing weapons, food, and gas. The warehouse was guarded by Jaysh al-Islam and the guards, including a commander, were detained. This caused dissatisfaction among the civilian population in rebel-held areas amid poor living conditions and a lack of food and supplies. The Fatah al-Sham fighters also reportedly arrested 150 Jaysh al-Islam fighters under the charges they were going to surrender to the advancing government forces.