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Syrian army enters in the Aleppo Air Base after two-year siege by Islamic State insurgents 11111151

The conflict in Syria

Syrian army enters in the Aleppo Air Base after two-year siege by Islamic State insurgents.

Syrian army enters in the Aleppo air Base after breaking the siege of Islamic State fighters, on Tuesday November 10, 2015, , after a nearly two-year siege by Islamic State insurgents at the facility. A military source close to the government said the army was working to secure the Kweires air base in Aleppo Province, where soldiers and officers have been under attack since 2013. (Source Reuters)

The Syrian troops and Hezbollah forces rolled into the Kuweires airport at the end of their daylong last phase of massive operations.

It is the most important victory for Syria's army since Russia launched an air campaign in support of President Bashar al-Assad on Sept. 30. Syrian state media said that Assad congratulated the head of the military air base for the steadfastness of the troops and also the commander of the offensive which broke the siege.

Syrian troops have also been supported by Iranian forces and Lebanese Hezbollah fighters in a push to regain territory, largely in the north, lost to insurgents during almost five years of conflict.

Rebels have frustrated a campaign to reclaim territory elsewhere in the country, where Russian jets have flown more than 1,600 sorties in little over a month.

Dozens of soldiers were shown on television arriving at the air base, elated and beaming, and it aired calls from the families of the freed soldiers.

The advancing Tiger Forces, the name for the commando units in the government army, who were completing a drive that began on October 16, reportedly liberated several hundred soldiers.

Syrian government troops staged a counter-offensive in the north of the country, and are now pushing towards the rebel stronghold of Aleppo, where fighting has moved from street to street, and towards Raqqa, Islamic State’s (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) de facto capital in Syria.

A key role in the operation was played by Russia’s air support. In the course of the last three days, aircraft of the Russian air group in the Syrian Arab Republic have performed 137 combat sorties engaging 448 terrorist objects in the Aleppo, Damascus, Idlib, Lattakia, Raqqah, Hama and Homs provinces.