Aleppo

Opposition fighters had advanced towards Damascus, taking major cities including Aleppo.

Ankara is currently negotiating a joint defence pact with Sharaa's new government, and there have been widespread reports that Turkey is moving to station aircraft and air defence systems at Syria's T4 and Aleppo airbases.

He says they thought their operation would take "about a year" and best, they'd "capture Aleppo in three to six months".

And when Russia began a bombing campaign in Syria that killed thousands of civilians in and around Aleppo, Gabbard praised the effort.

He came to Sweden with his mother and sister, the priest said - refugees from Aleppo, where his father was killed in the war.