ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - As Syrian armed factions make significant gains north of the country, capturing several areas, including the old city of Aleppo, Iraqi groups are considering a potential involvement in the conflict.

The rapid developments in northern Syria continued Saturday, as opposition factions pushed forward in Aleppo and Idlib for the fourth consecutive day. The Syrian army announced it withdrew from the conflict areas but stressed that it was a temporary measure.

The armed factions announced the launch of Operation Dawn of Freedom, aimed at reclaiming areas held by regime forces in eastern Aleppo province. The operation seeks to “liberate areas seized by [Bashar al-]Assad’s regime and its sectarian Iranian militias and free Syrians from oppression and crimes,” according to a statement.

Firas al-Yasser, a political council member of the Iraqi Harakat al-Nujaba, suggested that the resistance groups may respond to the developments, as he accused Israel of being behind the recent rise of the Syrian opposition groups.

“There’s no coincidence here,” Yasser told The New Region. “The Aleppo offensive began just as a ceasefire was declared in southern Lebanon. This is another card from Zionist-American projects aimed at disrupting the Resistance Axis, especially Hezbollah.”

He claimed that the “main clear goal” of the opposition groups’ attack is to sever supply routes between Iran, Syria, and Lebanon. “The coalition of Turkey, Gulf states, the US, and the occupying entity [Israel] is clearly at odds with the Resistance Axis. I believe that the axis will try to disrupt this project and it possesses many pressure cards,” Yasser added.

Kadhim al-Fartousi, spokesperson for Iraq’s Sayyid al-Shuhada Brigades, said Iraqi factions are weighing involvement in Syria to counter what he described as foreign-backed destabilization efforts.

“What is happening in Syria is not an internal event and therefore it can have a direct impact on us, and the country that could be most affected is Iraq,” Fartousi told The New Region. “Iraq has already taken significant precautions, redeploying Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) and the army to prevent terrorist infiltration and the reactivation of ISIS sleeper cells.”

Fartousi alleged the US and Israel orchestrated the recent violence to undermine Syria’s stability and cut supply lines to Hezbollah in Lebanon. He pointed to the alleged presence of foreign fighters, collaboration with Ukrainian intelligence, and support from Turkey and Gulf states as indication of broader interference.

“This movement, coming just a day after the ceasefire in Lebanon, does not serve Arabs and Muslims, but rather serves Israel’s interests,” he said, adding that Israel has shifted strategies and now relies on extremist groups to achieve gains without risking losing anything.

Fartousi said factions like the Sayyid al-Shuhada Brigades are monitoring the situation. “We do not currently have forces in Syria,” he said, stressing however that “participation cannot be ruled out.”

Iraqi resistance leaders to meet

The Iraqi resistance’s coordination committee plans to hold an urgent meeting in Baghdad to make crucial decisions on the events in Syria.

A source within the committee told The New Region on condition of anonymity that faction leaders will consider sending military reinforcements and fighters to Syria to support the Assad regime as “a precautionary step to mitigate any future risks to Iraq.”

The source added that some Iraqi factions already stationed in Syria require logistical and military support.