Syria's President Assad Visits Aleppo City for First Time in More Than Decade

MOSCOW, (Sputnik) - Syrian President Bashar Assad on Friday visited the northern city of Aleppo for the first time in more than a decade, the presidential press office said.

During the visit, Assad visited the Aleppo power plant to meet with the station's staff and inaugurate the launch of the fifth power unit. The president was accompanied by Syrian Prime Minister Hussein Arnous, Electricity Minister Ghassan Zamel, and Aleppo Governor Ahmad Hussein Diab.

Assad and his spouse Asma visited the Great Mosque of Aleppo on the eve of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha. The couple also walked through the Aleppo markets.

Aleppo was one of the largest cities in Syria with over 2.3 million people living there before the war. In 2012, terrorists invaded the city, prompting fierce battles. The Syrian army backed by Russian aviation gained control over the city in 2016; however, Aleppo was subjected to mortar and rocket attacks by the militants for some time.