Syrian insurgents fan out inside Aleppo in major setback for Assad

A Syrian opposition fighter shoots in the air in central Aleppo (Ghaith Alsayed/AP)

Thousands of Syrian insurgents fanned out inside Aleppo in vehicles with improvised armour and pickup trucks, deploying to landmarks such as the old citadel on Saturday, a day after they entered Syria’s largest city facing little resistance from government troops, according to residents and fighters.

Witnesses said two airstrikes on the city’s edge late on Friday targeted insurgent reinforcements and hit near residential areas. A war monitor said 20 fighters were killed.