Syrian rebels seize control of Aleppo city in a lightning offensive
Al Jazeera
Syrian rebels wrest control of Aleppo city from the Syrian government forces after eight years.
Fighters from the Hay’et Tahrir al-Sham armed group have swept into the city of Aleppo after a lightning offensive, forcing the Syrian army to withdraw from the northern city after eight years.
The rebel assault is the most intense fighting seen in northwestern Syria since 2020, when Russia and Turkiye agreed to a deal to de-escalate the conflict after government forces seized areas previously controlled by opposition fighters.
The government forces have been in control of Aleppo since 2016, nearly a year after Russia intervened in support of President Bashar al-Assad.
Russia’s Ministry of Defence said its air force carried out strikes on Sunday in support of the country’s army, Russian news agencies reported.
Hay’et Tahrir al-Sham, earlier known as al-Nusra Front, is designated a terrorist group by the United States, Russia, Turkiye and some other states.
