![Renewed clashes in Syria have escalated sharply since November 27, 2024, with intense battles unfolding in key northern provinces. Opposition forces, led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham [HTS] and Turkish-backed groups, have launched a large-scale offensive against government-held areas in Idlib, Aleppo, and Hama.](https://americanliberty.news/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Massive-haul_-10-Russian-aircraft-and-154-tanks-captured-in-days.jpg)
Renewed clashes in Syria have escalated sharply since November 27, 2024, with intense battles unfolding in key northern provinces. Opposition forces, led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham [HTS] and Turkish-backed groups, have launched a large-scale offensive against government-held areas in Idlib, Aleppo, and Hama.
By Boyko Nikolov for BulgarianMilitary.com
Their rapid advances have resulted in the capture of significant territories, including parts of Aleppo, marking the first major offensive of this scale since the 2020 ceasefire. The Syrian government, supported by Russian airstrikes, has retaliated fiercely, targeting opposition-held areas and causing significant civilian casualties and displacement.
The United Nations has reported a rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation, with over 48,000 people displaced and critical infrastructure destroyed in the affected regions.
As battles rage on, Assad’s Syrian Arab Army has suffered notable losses in personnel and territory, reflecting the intensifying challenges the regime faces amidst the ongoing conflict. These developments signal a critical turning point in Syria’s protracted war, with widespread implications for the region and its people.
The ongoing clashes in Syria have proven devastating for the Assad regime’s military assets, with unprecedented losses of equipment over just nine days. The opposition forces have inflicted heavy blows on the Syrian Arab Army [SAA].
Among the most striking losses are 35 aircraft, including both fixed-wing and rotary assets, and 154 tanks across several models, highlighting the vulnerability of Assad’s forces under sustained pressure.
Aircraft losses have included 24 Aero L-39 Albatros trainer and light attack jets, which have long served as a staple of the regime’s air operations but are ill-suited for intense combat against modern surface-to-air threats.
Nine MiG-23 fighter jets, previously integral to SAA’s air superiority efforts, have been downed, further crippling their operational capabilities.
Additionally, one Mi-8/17 transport helicopter, a critical component of troop mobility and resupply, and an Iranian-made Ababil-3 drone used for reconnaissance were also destroyed.
These aerial losses reflect a significant degradation of the regime’s ability to support ground operations and maintain battlefield surveillance.
The loss of 154 tanks further underscores the severity of the situation. Among the destroyed units, 64 T-55 tanks, relics of an earlier era, proved especially vulnerable to advanced opposition weaponry. More modern T-72 tanks accounted for 51 of the losses, a blow to the backbone of Assad’s armored forces.
Even five high-end T-90 tanks, some of the regime’s most capable and protected assets, were neutralized, signaling that no platform was invulnerable in this conflict.
The destruction of 21 T-62 tanks and four unidentified tanks highlights the widespread impact across the SAA’s armored divisions, leaving their ability to conduct large-scale offensives in question.
In addition to its significant losses in aircraft and tanks, the Syrian Arab Army [SAA] has suffered heavy damage to other vital combat systems, further depleting its operational effectiveness.
Among the hardest-hit are armored fighting vehicles, artillery platforms, and critical support systems, all essential for sustaining ground operations in the conflict’s high-intensity environment.
Armored fighting vehicles have been decimated, with 79 BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles destroyed, marking a substantial blow to the SAA’s ability to transport and support troops in contested areas.
A single BMP-2, a more modern variant, was also lost, alongside four BRM-1K reconnaissance vehicles and a single BRDM-2 armored scout car, reducing the regime’s battlefield reconnaissance capabilities.
Losses in personnel carriers include one each of the BTR-70 and BTR-80, along with four MT-LBs. Even specialized vehicles, such as three SAV 4×4 and two Tigr-M APCs, were neutralized, underscoring the broad degradation of SAA’s mobility and protection systems.
The regime also lost critical self-propelled artillery and multiple rocket launcher systems, which are crucial for both offensive and defensive operations. Notable losses include 16 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled howitzers and a single 2S3 Akatsiya, both essential for delivering rapid artillery support.
Multi-barrel rocket systems like the BM-21 Grad [14 units], BM-27 Uragan [1 unit], and BM-30 Smerch [2 units] were also destroyed, reducing the SAA’s ability to conduct wide-area bombardments. Five Type-63 MLRS platforms, along with 20 M1954 [M-46] field guns, further highlight the scale of artillery attrition.
Legacy artillery systems have not been spared either. Four D-20 howitzers, 17 D-30 howitzers, and five M1938 M-30 units were also lost, reflecting the vulnerability of towed systems in modern warfare.
Losses in specialized support vehicles, such as three BREM-1 armored recovery vehicles and two VT-55 engineering tanks, indicate that the SAA’s ability to recover and repair equipment under fire is now severely compromised.
In addition to the losses in armored vehicles, tanks, and artillery, Syria’s air defense systems have suffered critical blows that significantly impact its ability to defend against aerial threats.
The Syrian Arab Army [SAA] has lost several key components of its air defense infrastructure, weakening its already fragile defensive posture.
Among the most crucial losses is the SNR-125 radar, which was an integral part of the S-125 surface-to-air missile system, a backbone of Syria’s air defense network. The destruction of this radar system severely hampers the SAA’s ability to detect and target enemy aircraft, leaving its airspace more vulnerable to airstrikes.
In addition, the loss of the 48Y6-K1 Podlet radar, used for detecting and tracking low-flying targets, further weakens the layered defense against aerial incursions. This loss is particularly concerning given the Podlet’s role in tracking fast-moving threats, such as missiles and drones, which are often employed in modern warfare.
The regime also lost an unknown Radar-Electronic Warfare [EW] system, which likely played a critical role in jamming and disrupting enemy radar and communication systems.
This EW platform’s destruction adds to the vulnerability of the Syrian air defense network, reducing its ability to mitigate electronic warfare tactics employed by opposition forces.
Together, these losses represent a devastating blow to Syria’s already overstretched air defense capabilities. With these key systems out of action, the Syrian military is now far more exposed to precision airstrikes and missile attacks, complicating its efforts to defend its territory and protect critical infrastructure.
Last but not least, the Syrian Arab Army has suffered significant losses in its air defense systems, which are crucial for safeguarding the country’s airspace.
Among these losses is the 9K35 Strela-10, a short-range air defense system designed to protect against low-flying targets such as drones and missiles. Its destruction leaves Syria more vulnerable to such attacks.
One of the key components of Syria’s air defense network, the 9K37M1 BUK-M1, was also lost. This system was vital for intercepting higher-altitude and faster threats like fighter jets and ballistic missiles, and its loss is a serious blow to Syria’s ability to protect strategic sites and military positions.
Along with it, the destruction of the Pantsir S-1, a modern air defense system combining both missiles and artillery, further weakens Syria’s capability to counter aerial assaults.
Other critical losses include three launchers of the S-125 Pechora system, which provided deep airspace protection, as well as twelve ZSU-23-4 Shilka self-propelled anti-aircraft guns, which played a major role in defending against low-flying targets and helicopters.
Together, these losses in air defense systems create significant operational gaps in key regions, making it even more difficult for Syrian forces to defend against airstrikes.
These losses not only illustrate the tactical challenges faced by the Syrian government but also signify a broader operational crisis. The SAA’s reliance on dated equipment and stretched supply chains, compounded by logistical vulnerabilities, has been brutally exposed.
As the opposition continues its offensive, the regime faces mounting difficulty in replacing such critical assets, further weakening its grip on contested territories.
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I am sure the west will try to get their hands on a lot of the techical stuff to evaluate it and find the compromising points on it. Finding the new goverment and convincing it to adopt western values and equimpment will be the first thing on the agenda for the west.