A protracted battle at a prison in Syria’s northern city of Aleppo saw al-Qaeda faction Jabhat al-Nusra hit the prison gates with a Chechen suicide bomber, freeing hundreds of prisoners within.
Over the course of the day, rebels were reported to have held control over parts of the prison compound, and heavy clashes between them and military forces were reported.
Syrian state media reported the attack was “foiled,” and indeed the prison is estimated to have upwards of 4,000 inmates, so only a comparatively small fraction managed to escape.
Attempts to siege the prison have been a major part of the ongoing fight over the city of Aleppo, and rebels have been attacking it off and on for nearly an entire year now.