Rebels reach Syria's second city of Aleppo as deadly campaign continues
Syrian jihadists and their Turkish-backed allies reached the country's second city of Aleppo on Friday as they pushed ahead with their lightning advance. The rebels have seized more than 50 towns and villages in northern Syria, according to a monitoring group after launching a major offensive against government troops on Wednesday.
Jihadists and their Turkish-backed allies breached Syria's second city of Aleppo on Friday, as they pressed a lightning offensive against forces of the Iranian- and Russian-backed government.
The fighters took control of "half of the city of Aleppo" as regime forces withdrew, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The offensive began on Wednesday, the same day that a fragile ceasefire took effect in neighbouring Lebanon between Israel and Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah.
The fighting was initially fierce, with 277 people killed, according to the Britain-based Observatory, which said the toll included 28 civilians, most killed by Russian air strikes.
By Friday, the jihadists and their allies had taken more than 50 towns and villages in the north and entered western districts of Aleppo, a city of around two million people that was Syria's pre-war manufacturing hub.
(AFP)
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