Syrian rebels say they have entered Aleppo for first time since 2016

Insurgents breached Syria’s largest city for the first time since 2016, according to a war monitor and fighters on the ground.

The surprise attack in Aleppo on Friday afternoon sent residents fleeing and added fresh uncertainty to a region reeling from multiple wars.

The advance followed another offensive launched unexpectedly by insurgents on Wednesday, as thousands of fighters swept through villages and towns in Syria’s northwestern countryside.

Residents fled neighborhoods on the city’s edge because of missiles and gunfire, according to witnesses in Aleppo.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the country’s unresolved civil war, said dozens of fighters from both sides were killed.

The attack injected new violence into a region experiencing dual wars in Gaza and Lebanon involving Israel, and other conflicts, including the Syrian civil war that began in 2011.

Subscribe free to our weekly newsletter for exclusive and original coverage from ITV News. Direct to your inbox every Friday morning.

Aleppo has not been attacked by opposition forces since they were ousted from eastern neighborhoods in 2016 following a grueling military.

But this time, there was no sign of a significant pushback from government forces or their allies.

Instead, reports emerged of government forces melting away in the face of advances, and insurgents posted messages on social media calling on troops to surrender.

Robert Ford, who was the last US ambassador to Syria, said the attack showed that Syrian government forces are “extremely weak.” In some cases, he said, they appear to have “almost been routed.”

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know…