‘No cards left to play’: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad claims victory in Aleppo is turning point but rules out truce
In a blistering three-week offensive, Syrian government forces have seized about 80 per cent of east Aleppo, a stronghold for rebel groups since 2012
President Bashar al-Assad said a victory for his army in Aleppo would be a “huge step” towards ending the country’s five-year civil war, as rebels in Syria’s second city lost more ground.
In an interview with Syrian daily Al-Watan, published on Thursday, Assad said defeating the beleaguered rebels in Aleppo would not put an end to Syria’s conflict.
It’s true that Aleppo will be a win for us ... it won’t mean the end of the war in Syria. But it will be a huge step towards this end
“It’s true that Aleppo will be a win for us, but let’s be realistic – it won’t mean the end of the war in Syria,” Assad said. “But it will be a huge step towards this end.”
In a blistering three-week offensive, Syrian government forces have seized about 80 per cent of east Aleppo, a stronghold for rebel groups since 2012.
Increasingly cornered in a pocket of territory in the city’s southeast, opposition factions on Wednesday called for an “immediate five-day humanitarian ceasefire”.
When asked about the possibility of a truce in Aleppo, Assad said, “it’s practically non-existent, of course”.
