Syrian Army Takes Control over All Villages Around Aleppo, Eliminating Threat of Terrorist Shelling

The Syrian military established full control of all areas surrounding Aleppo for the first time since 2012, putting an end to the terrorist shelling of the country’s second-largest city.

News ID: 449117

Date: 18 February 2020 - 09:16

RNA - A total of 23 villages to the West and North of the city were liberated, as fighters from the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group (formerly known as Jabhat al-Nusra) fled from their positions, state broadcaster SANA reported.

The news prompted large-scale celebrations in Aleppo. Residents took to the streets after dark waving Syrian national flags, and drivers honked their car horns.

Aleppo was freed in 2016 in a joint operation by Syrian and Russian forces, but anti-government militants remained holed up in the suburbs and nearby villages.

From there, they shelled the city with mortars on a regular basis, causing widespread destruction and civilian deaths.

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