This Photo Is Unrelated to the Recent Clashes Between the Syrian Regime Forces and Opposition Factions

Misbar investigated the circulating photo and found the claim to be misleading.

After conducting a thorough reverse image search, Misbar’s team found the photo making the rounds to be unrelated to the ongoing clashes in Syria.

Old Photo Shows a Syrian Army Helicopter Bombing Over Damascus

Despite social media users' viral circulation of the photo, it predates the recent unrest in Syria between the opposition factions and regime forces.

Misbar's team found the original photo uploaded to Getty Images on April 24, 2018. 

The photo shows an MI-24 Syrian Army helicopter dropping barrel bombs over southern Damascus in the area of the Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp.

Reports say that forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad intensified ground operations and bombing raids in April 2018 against the Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp in southern Damascus during clashes with the Islamic State group.

The Syrian Opposition Factions Launched Major Attack on Regime Forces

Dozens of Syrian soldiers and rebel fighters lost their lives in northern Aleppo province as the Hay’et Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) armed group and its allies captured at least 10 areas previously held by President Bashar al-Assad’s forces, according to a war monitor.

CNN reported that the opposition factions launched an offensive on Wednesday, naming it “Deterrence of Aggression,” through their Telegram channel. They stated that the operation was a response to recent artillery shelling by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime.

The U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that clashes on Wednesday claimed the lives of 132 fighters, including 65 HTS members, 18 allied fighters, and 49 government troops.

HTS launched the operation, seizing weapons depots, armored vehicles, and heavy weaponry, as confirmed by SOHR activists using sources inside Syria.

HTS and allied forces advanced nearly 10 km (6 miles) from Aleppo city’s outskirts, moving closer to Nubl and Zahra, an army source told Reuters.

HTS also targeted al-Nayrab airport east of Aleppo, where fighters maintain outposts.

Russian and Syrian Warplanes Bomb the Opposition Sites

On November 28, Russian and Syrian warplanes bombed opposition-held areas in northwest Syria near the Turkish border, aiming to counter an insurgent offensive.
This opposition attack marked the first territorial gains for rebels in years, according to the Syrian army and opposition sources.

The Syrian regime, working with Russia and unnamed “friendly forces,” announced efforts to reclaim lost territory and stabilize the situation. 

Russian jets targeted newly captured areas and populated towns within the last opposition-controlled enclave, army sources confirmed.

The White Helmets, a rescue group, said that a Russian airstrike killed at least 16 civilians in a residential area of Atareb.

Furthermore, Iranian state media announced the death of Revolutionary Guards Brigadier General Kioumars Pourhashemi, a senior Iranian military adviser, killed by the opposition in Aleppo.

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