A statue of Basel al-Assad, brother of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, was toppled by armed groups in Aleppo on November 30. The incident followed a surprise attack by Syrian rebels who opposed the government. In response, the Syrian army announced preparations for a counter-offensive, which included airstrikes targeting rebels in the city. Basel al-Assad was seen as a potential successor to their father, Hafez al-Assad, before his death in a car accident in 1994.