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TOPSHOT - Fighters set alight a picture of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in front of a building that was seized by jihadists in the area of Zarbah on November 29, 2024, as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) jihadists and allied groups continue their offensive in Syria's northern Aleppo province against government forces. The jihadists along with Turkey-backed factions launched this week a shock offensive against Syrian regime troops and sparked the deadliest battle the country has seen in years, with the violence killing so far 242 people, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The war monitor said most of the victims were combatants on both sides but also including civilians. (Photo by AAREF WATAD / AFP) (Photo by AAREF WATAD/AFP via Getty Images)