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| Syrian rebels claim to have entered city of Aleppo | Syrian rebels claim to have entered city of Aleppo |
| (31 minutes later) | |
| The rebel move on the city of Aleppo is a significant challenge to the authority of Syria and its ally, Russia | The rebel move on the city of Aleppo is a significant challenge to the authority of Syria and its ally, Russia |
| Rebel forces in Syria say they have entered the country's second-largest city, Aleppo, in the biggest offensive against the government in years. | Rebel forces in Syria say they have entered the country's second-largest city, Aleppo, in the biggest offensive against the government in years. |
| Video posted on a channel affiliated with the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) appears to show their fighters in vehicles inside the city. BBC Verify has geolocated the footage to a western suburb of the city. | Video posted on a channel affiliated with the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) appears to show their fighters in vehicles inside the city. BBC Verify has geolocated the footage to a western suburb of the city. |
| This is the first time rebels fighting the forces of President Bashar al-Assad have reached Aleppo since being forced out by the army in 2016. | This is the first time rebels fighting the forces of President Bashar al-Assad have reached Aleppo since being forced out by the army in 2016. |
| Government forces meanwhile say they have regained positions in a number of towns in Aleppo and Idlib provinces, following an offensive launched by HTS and allied factions on Wednesday. | Government forces meanwhile say they have regained positions in a number of towns in Aleppo and Idlib provinces, following an offensive launched by HTS and allied factions on Wednesday. |
| More than half a million people have been killed in the civil war that erupted after the government cracked down on pro-democracy protests in 2011. | More than half a million people have been killed in the civil war that erupted after the government cracked down on pro-democracy protests in 2011. |
| Idlib is the last remaining opposition stronghold and is home to more than 4 million people, many of whom have been displaced during the conflict. | Idlib is the last remaining opposition stronghold and is home to more than 4 million people, many of whom have been displaced during the conflict. |
| On Friday a statement posted on the rebel-affiliated channel on Friday said: "Our forces have begun entering the city of Aleppo." | On Friday a statement posted on the rebel-affiliated channel on Friday said: "Our forces have begun entering the city of Aleppo." |
| Videos verified by the BBC show armed men running in a street about seven kilometres (4.3 miles) from Aleppo's medieval citadel in the centre of the city. | |
| Another clip verified by the BBC showed large groups of people carrying luggage walking away from an area near Aleppo University. That video was recorded 3km away from a location where HTS-affiliated media claim rebel forces have entered the city. | |
| The government says reinforcements have now reached Aleppo and it is driving the rebels out. | |
| The UK-based monitoring group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), which uses a network of sources on the ground in Syria, reported that Syrian and Russian planes carried out 23 air strikes on the Aleppo region on Friday. | The UK-based monitoring group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), which uses a network of sources on the ground in Syria, reported that Syrian and Russian planes carried out 23 air strikes on the Aleppo region on Friday. |
| The SOHR said 255 people had been killed in the fighting, the deadliest between rebels and pro-government forces in Syria for years. | The SOHR said 255 people had been killed in the fighting, the deadliest between rebels and pro-government forces in Syria for years. |
| It said opposition forces had taken control of more than 50 towns and villages since Wednesday. | It said opposition forces had taken control of more than 50 towns and villages since Wednesday. |
| Idlib is mostly controlled by HTS, but Turkish-backed rebel factions and Turkish forces are also based there. | Idlib is mostly controlled by HTS, but Turkish-backed rebel factions and Turkish forces are also based there. |
| Fighting had largely wound down by 2020, when Turkey and Russia, Syria's key ally, brokered a ceasefire to halt a push by the government to retake Idlib. | Fighting had largely wound down by 2020, when Turkey and Russia, Syria's key ally, brokered a ceasefire to halt a push by the government to retake Idlib. |
| That led to an extended lull in violence, but sporadic clashes, air strikes and shelling continued. | That led to an extended lull in violence, but sporadic clashes, air strikes and shelling continued. |
| On Wednesday HTS and its allies said they had launched their offensive to “deter aggression”, accusing the government and allied militias of escalation in the north-west. | |
| But it came as the Syrian government and its allies were preoccupied with other conflicts. | |
| In neighbouring Lebanon, an Israeli military campaign has devastated the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement, whose fighters helped turned the tide of the Syrian civil war. | |
| Israel has also stepped up its air strikes inside Syria on targets linked to Iran and Iran-backed groups. | |
| Additional reporting by Lina Sinjab in Beirut and Richard Irvine-Brown, Merlyn Thomas and Paul Brown in London. | Additional reporting by Lina Sinjab in Beirut and Richard Irvine-Brown, Merlyn Thomas and Paul Brown in London. |