As Syrian rebels sweep into Aleppo, army closes airport and roads

30/11/2024 12:35

        Syrian authorities closed Aleppo airport and cancelled all flights on Saturday, three military sources told Reuters, as rebels opposed to President Bashar al-Assad said they had reached the heart of the city.
        
        The opposition fighters, led by the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, carried out a surprise sweep through government-held towns this week and reached Aleppo nearly a decade after having been forced out of the northern Syrian city.
        
        Russia, a key ally of Assad, has promised Damascus extra military aid to thwart the rebels, two military sources said, adding new hardware would start arriving in the next 72 hours.
        
        The rebels began their incursion on Wednesday and by late Friday an operations room representing the offensive said they were sweeping through various neighbourhoods of Aleppo.
        
        They are returning to the city for the first time since 2016, when Assad and his allies Russia, Iran, and regional Shi'ite militias retook it, with the insurgents agreeing to withdraw after months of bombardment and siege.