Syrian rebels opposed to President Bashar al-Assad have said they had reached the heart of the northern city of Aleppo, after a surprise sweep through government-held towns and nearly a decade after having been forced out of the city, Reuters reports.

The opposition fighters, led by the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, launched an incursion on Wednesday into a dozen towns and villages in the northern province of Aleppo, which was controlled by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government.

They made quick progress and by late Friday, an operations room representing the offensive said rebels were sweeping through various neighbourhoods of the city.

Assad and his allies Russia, Iran and regional militias had retaken all of Aleppo city in late 2016, with insurgents agreeing to withdraw after months of bombardment and siege in a battle that turned the tide against the opposition.

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