TAKING CONTROL
Syrian rebels seize central Aleppo in lightning attack against Putin ally Assad as Vlad launches 1st airstrikes in 8yrs
Harrowing images show the destruction left behind as the Syrian army withdrew troops
SYRIAN rebels have managed to seize central Aleppo and now roam freely on the streets following a lightning-fast advance in the region.
Dozens of exiled fighters from the militant Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) launched a surprise offensive against Vladimir Putin's ally President Bashar al-Assad's regime.
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Syrian rebels reportedly are in control of at least half of Aleppo following the unbelievable offensive as their advance ousted Russian forces from at least three military bases around the city.
Opposition fighters stormed through Aleppo, Hama and Idlib provinces and continue to do so in rapid advances that have shaken Assad's regime.
A British-based Syria war monitor said: "Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and allied factions... took control of most of the city and government centres and prisons without meeting great resistance."
Meanwhile Syrian President Assad said on Saturday that his country could defeat "all terrorists and their backers".
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During a call with his Emirati counterpart, his office quoted him: "Syria continues to defend its stability and territorial integrity in the face of all terrorists and their backers, and it is capable, with the help of its allies and friends, of defeating and eliminating them, no matter how intense their terrorist attacks are."
The ferocious march into Aleppo in armoured trucks and tanks resulted in hours of bloodshed as the rebels battled with Russian-backed guards.
They even admitted that the rebels had entered "large parts" of the city and were forced to withdraw forces temporarily to prepare a counter-offensive.
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Meanwhile, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) launched their own offensive after the Syrian regime's forces left- taking control of Aleppo’s international airport.
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However, the militant group - which receives staunch support from the US authorities to wipe out Islamic State (IS) militants - are not aligned with HTS.
Despite gaining control of Aleppo, Putin responded to the advance with the first round of airstrikes in Syria since 2016.
Russian warplanes launched a terrifying raid on areas of Aleppo, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The overnight attack saw giant blasts ring out across Syria.
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Russia's military said it was bombing "extremist" forces.
But it is understood the Russian response so far has just been "symbolic".
At least 16 civilians have been killed and 20 injured following strikes at a roundabout in Aleppo, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) report.
They believe the strikes were carried out by Russian fighter jets.
Much of the city was set on fire with parked cars being left in ruins and buildings destroyed by the attacks.
Thick plumes of smoke can be seen rising from apartment blocks in a harrowing set of pictures.
Fighters were seen posing with a rebel flag after toppling a statue of Basharal al-Assad's brother Bassel-al-Assad who was killed in a car crash in 1994.
Militants from HTS now lay claim to Aleppo as they battle to overpower Assad's military might and outrun the aerial strikes.
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The shock surge marks the biggest strike of the Syrian civil war since 2020 with many men left lifeless on the cold Aleppo ground.
Aleppo has been one of the most volatile areas in Syria for years with it being controlled by the Syrian army ever since government forces backed by Russia and Iran drove out the rebels six years ago.
With Russia and Iran still fighting their own national battles in the Middle East and across Europe, the siege is set to plunge the countries into further trouble.
Vlad has already responded and shown he wants Aleppo back under his allies' control through the overnight strikes.
But Iran is yet to react with Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman telling AFP it seems like the Syrian regime has been "abandoned by its main allies Iran".
Russia, whose air support was decisive in turning the tide in the government's favour, joined Iran on Saturday in expressing "extreme concern" over their ally's losses.
Both country's foreign ministers have spoken of "joint efforts" to diffuse and stabilise the unfolding situation.
Iran's Abbas Araghchi is set to visit Syria's capital Damascus on Sunday.
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Syria's conflict broke out after Assad crushed anti-government protests in 2011, spiralling into a complex conflict that has drawn in foreign armies and jihadists and killed more than half a million people.
Now unconfirmed reports claim militants from HTS - along with allies - have entered the city of Hama - where the rebels had spent Saturday pushing towards.
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