Syria’s opposition armed forces have promised to protect the offices of the United Nations (UN) and international organizations in the country, saying they are “institutions at the service of the people”.
“We affirm that all government institutions, international organizations and UN offices operating in our territory are institutions serving the people and we have a duty to protect and preserve them,” declared the rebel coalition led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al -Sham (HTS) in a statement this Saturday (7).
The groups expressed that it is their “responsibility and commitment to protect the interests of the people”.
“We also highlight our commitment to ensuring security and preventing any violations that could affect work or harm development objectives and services, in Aleppo, Hama, Homs, southern Syria and the rest of the country’s cities,” added the communicated.
Armed opposition groups have seized several cities in southern and northern Syria during a surprise offensive in an attempt to overthrow the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Understand the conflict in Syria
Syria’s civil war began during the Arab Spring in 2011, when the regime of Bashar al-Assad suppressed a pro-democracy uprising.
The country was plunged into full-scale conflict when a rebel force was formed, known as the Free Syrian Army, to fight government troops.
Furthermore, the Islamic State, a terrorist group, also managed to gain a foothold in the country and came to control 70% of Syrian territory.
Fighting escalated as other regional actors and world powers — from Saudi Arabia, Iran, the United States to Russia — joined in, escalating the country’s war into what some observers described as a “proxy war.”
Russia has allied with Bashar al-Assad’s government to fight the Islamic State and rebels, while the United States has led an international coalition to repel the terrorist group.
After a ceasefire agreement in 2020, the conflict remained largely “dormant”, with minor clashes between the rebels and the Assad regime.
More than 300,000 civilians have been killed in more than a decade of war, according to the UN, and millions of people have been displaced across the region.
This content was originally published in Rebels claim they will protect organizations and UN offices in Syria on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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