AMMAN: Syrian authorities closed Aleppo airport in addition to all roads main into the town on Saturday (Nov 30), three army sources informed Reuters, as rebels against President Bashar al-Assad mentioned they’d reached the center of Aleppo.
The opposition fighters, led by the militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, carried out a shock sweep via government-held cities this week and reached Aleppo almost a decade after having been compelled out of the northern Syrian metropolis.
Russia, a key ally of Assad, has promised Damascus further army support to thwart the rebels, two army sources mentioned, including new {hardware} would begin arriving within the subsequent 72 hours.
The Syrian military has been informed to observe “protected withdrawal” orders from the primary areas of the town that the rebels have entered, three military sources mentioned.
The rebels started their incursion on Wednesday and by late Friday, an operations room representing the offensive mentioned they had been sweeping via varied neighbourhoods of Aleppo.
They’re returning to the town for the primary 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.
Mustafa Abdul Jaber, a commander within the Jaish al-Izza insurgent brigade, mentioned their speedy advance this week had been helped by an absence of Iran-backed manpower within the broader Aleppo province. Iran’s allies within the area have suffered a collection of blows by the hands of Israel because the Gaza war has expanded through the Middle East.
The opposition fighters have mentioned the marketing campaign was in response to stepped-up strikes in current weeks towards civilians by the Russian and Syrian air power on areas in rebel-held Idlib, and to pre-empt any assaults by the Syrian military.
