After Iranian, Russian military advances Syrian opposition suffers setback in Aleppo - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East
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It does not seem that the extra supplies of anti-tank missiles the opposition fighters received are alone capable of restoring the military balance that shifted with the Aleppo attacks. “We retreated from our positions due to the firing intensity that the regime benefitted from, thanks to the Iranian and Russian support,” said Othman. “The battles have definitely gotten more challenging following Russia’s air force intervention and the unlimited Iranian support. Therefore, we need more developed weapons, especially anti-aircraft missiles.”
The desert and mountainous terrain of the Aleppan southern countryside has aided the regime forces. The battles there require heavy weapons, rather than individual armaments. The regime forces are therefore able to hold their ground on hills and in highlands due to their superior fire power. As a result, they can control wide areas and track opposition movements. All this makes it easier for the regime to advance in the area, compared to in other regions.
The opposition groups in Aleppo are also weaker than the other groups in the country because of the war of attrition there against the Islamic State (IS). That part of the war caused the opposition to lose wide swathes of Aleppo’s northern countryside to IS on Oct. 9, starting at Tall Qarah, Fafin, Kulliyat al-Mushat and Tall Suwsein.
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