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Syrian army confirms fighters enter Aleppo

Fighters stand next to the clock tower of Aleppo's National Library, Syria. — AFP
 
Fighters stand next to the clock tower of Aleppo's National Library, Syria. — AFP
AMMAN: The Syrian army said on Saturday dozens of its soldiers had been killed in a major attack by rebels who swept into the city of Aleppo in the northwest, forcing the army to redeploy. The surprise attack has jolted the frontlines of the Syrian civil war that have largely been frozen since 2020, reviving fighting in a corner of the fractured country near the Turkish border. The army said it was preparing a counteroffensive to restore state authority.

The Syrian army command said insurgents had entered large parts of Aleppo, which had been under full state control since government forces drove fighters out eight years ago.

The Syrian military command said militants had attacked in large numbers and from multiple directions, prompting 'our armed forces to carry out a redeployment operation aimed at strengthening the defence lines in order to absorb the attack, preserve the lives of civilians and soldiers, and prepare for a counterattack'. The army said bombardment had stopped the insurgents from establishing fixed positions. — Reuters