CNN —Syrian armed rebels have entered Aleppo just three days into their surprise offensive, marking the first time they have set foot in the country’s second largest city since government forces recaptured the city in 2016.
Rebel forces launched a surprise attack this week, sweeping through several villages outside the city and reigniting conflict that had been largely static for years.
“Our forces have begun entering the city of Aleppo,” said the newly formed rebel coalition, the Military Operations Command.
Earlier Friday, the rebel group said it seized control of the Syrian government’s Military Scientific Research Center on the outskirts of Aleppo city after “intense clashes with the regime forces and Iranian militias.” It later shared a video of Syrian regime tanks leaving Aleppo as rebel forces advanced.
Syrian opposition fighters enter the village of Anjara, west of Aleppo, on Thursday.
Persons:
God, ”, Bashar al, Assad, “, Bassel al, President Assad, Omar Albam, SANA, Hassan Abdulghani, General Kioumars Pourhashemi, Abbas Araghchi, He’s, Dmitry Peskov, –, Russia –
Organizations:
CNN, Rebel, Military Operations Command, Syrian government’s, Scientific Research Center, Aleppo University, Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, Free Syrian Army, United Nations
Locations:
Aleppo, Abidine, Anjara, ”, Aleppo University, Idlib, United States, Israel, Iran, Syrian, Russia, Syria, Saudi Arabia