The battle of Aleppo begins — Key Events — Syria

What happened

Rebel forces seize eastern Aleppo in July 2012, splitting Syria's largest city into government west and opposition east for four years of siege, barrel bombing and urban attrition — the war's longest and most emblematic battle.

Aleppo divided was the war in miniature: neither side could win until outside power decided it. Its 2016 fall marked the regime's Russian-enabled ascendancy — and its 2024 fall, in days, the hollowness of that victory.

Confidence: High

WhenJuly 2012 – December 2016

WhereAleppo

KindMilitary

Confidence: High Sources: Established historical record Methodology Corrections

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Where this fits

This is one entry in the Syria timeline. The full Key Events surface carries every dated turning point with its filters and its essential subset, and this event in place shows what came before and after it. How Vigil grades, dates and sources its claims is set out in the methodology.