Syrian President Ahmed al Sharaa has said that the city of Aleppo in northern Syria had been “the gateway” to entering all of Syria for the revolutionaries.
He made these comments in a speech delivered on Saturday from Aleppo as part of celebrations commemorating the first anniversary of the city's liberation from the regime of ousted dictator Bashar al Assad, according to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).
Since Thursday, Syrians have been celebrating the first anniversary of the “Deterrence of Aggression” battle, which began on November 27, 2024, and led to the toppling of Assad regime within 11 days.
Aleppo was among the first cities to be liberated, as the “Deterrence of Aggression” battle started from its western countryside before its liberation was officially declared in early December 2024.
In his speech, excerpts of which were published by SANA, al Sharaa said, “From the walls of Aleppo, we saw Damascus liberated. For us, Aleppo was the gateway to entering all of Syria. After Aleppo’s shackles were broken, prisoners were freed, and smiles returned to children’s faces.”
The Syrian president stressed that “the journey truly began the moment Aleppo was liberated, and we will all work tirelessly to rebuild Syria anew.”
He added, “After Aleppo was freed, hope returned to the entire nation with Syria’s return to its embrace. Today is not merely a celebration of Aleppo, but a title for a new history being drawn for all of Syria and for the entire region.”
Earlier on Saturday, Syria’s Alikhbaria TV reported that al Sharaa arrived in Aleppo “to meet with civil and military actors on the anniversary of the liberation.”
Al Sharaa led the forces that toppled former Syrian dictator Bashar al Assad last December and was named the country’s leader.
