Syria: Germany, France, Great Britain and USA call for de-escalation

The rebels are advancing, the Assad regime is launching a counterattack: the situation in Syria is escalating dramatically. Now Germany and NATO partners are calling for moderation.

The United States, Germany, France and the United Kingdom have all called for de-escalation in Syria, where rebels have marched on government-controlled areas in the past few days, reigniting violence in the 13-year-long conflict.

An alliance of Syrian rebel factions led by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) reportedly seized control of Aleppo over the weekend. Syrian President Bashar Assad announced a counteroffensive, launching airstrikes with the help of allies.

Syrian and Russian airstrikes on the rebel-held city of Idlib in northwestern Syria killed at least 25 people, the opposition-run rescue service White Helmets, said early on Monday.

Assad’s army also said it had recaptured several towns from the rebels.