Syrian rebel forces have taken over “half” of the country’s second-largest city, Aleppo, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
SOHR said 277 people – including more than 20 civilians – have been killed since the offensive began on Wednesday.
This attack will be the largest to be carried out against the Syrian government in years, and it is the first time that the rebels fighting against Bashar al-Assad’s forces have reached Aleppo since they forcibly removed the country’s forces in 2016.
Aleppo’s airport and all roads into the city have been closed, military sources told Reuters.
Rebels have managed to capture “half of Aleppo” without facing much resistance, SOHR director Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP on Saturday morning.
“There was no fighting, not a single shot fired, when the regime forces left,” he added.
Earlier on Friday, government forces said they had recaptured several towns in Aleppo and Idlib provinces, following an attack by HTS and allied groups on Wednesday.
About The Author
