In Syria, armed opposition forces have captured Aleppo, the country’s second largest city, within days of launching a major offensive in north-western part of the country. The Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and its allied factions had already captured a number of towns and villages in Aleppo and Idlib provinces, pushing back President Bashar al-Assad’s forces, since Wednesday.
This is a major attack on the Aleppo city after the government forces recaptured the city in 2016. 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.
