Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa visited the northern city of Aleppo on Saturday to commemorate the first anniversary of the swift “Deterrence of Aggression” offensive launched by armed opposition factions, which resulted in the fall of ousted president Bashar Al-Assad’s regime last December.
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Addressing crowds gathered at the amphitheater of the historic Aleppo Citadel amid tight security measures, Al-Sharaa said:
“At moments like these one year ago, Aleppo was reborn—and with it, all of Syria. A new chapter of our nation’s history was being written.”
He later appeared atop the citadel’s main tower alongside the Syrian flag, accompanied by Interior Minister Anas Khattab, greeting the assembled citizens.
Al-Sharaa stressed that the “liberation of Aleppo was only the beginning,” adding:
“Today we face a long road of reconstruction ahead. Rebuilding Aleppo is a fundamental part of rebuilding Syria.”
Aleppo had endured years of devastation since the outbreak of the 2011 uprising following the regime’s violent crackdown on anti-Assad protests. While the city’s western districts remained under regime control, opposition factions held parts of the east, which later suffered extensive destruction due to Syrian and Russian bombardment.
The frontline running through Aleppo was among the deadliest in the conflict, with airstrikes and shelling destroying infrastructure, historic markets, and sections of the Old City.
On 27 November of last year, a coalition of Syrian opposition factions—led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, then headed by Al-Sharaa—launched a sweeping offensive from the north through Aleppo, Hama, and Homs, ultimately taking control of Damascus on 8 December, ending more than five decades of Assad family rule.
