Syrian rebels have seized the Aleppo central prison, freeing hundreds of prisoners on Thursday, according to multiple news reports and rebel sources.
The rebels seized 80% of the estimated 4,000-person Assad-run prison complex, said Rami Abdel Rahman, a spokesman for the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The groups behind the assault, Rahman told French news agency Agence France-Presse, were Ahrar al-Sham and Al-Nusra, a jihadist group.
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Syrian state television was quick to deny the news, broadcasting a breaking news alert stating that soldiers and security forces had foiled an attack against the prison "by terrorist groups," according to Sky News.
Al-Nusra, one of the groups reportedly involved in the capture, tweeted about the assault, asking people to pray until they can liberate the entire prison, according to two different translations.
#جبهة_النصرة ترجو من الجميع اللجوء إلى الله بالدعاء أن يفتح على المجاهدين داخل #سجن_حلب_المركزي حتى يتم النصر ويتحرر كامل السجن بإذن الله
— جبهة النصرة (@JabhtAnNusrah) February 6, 2014
Rebels have been trying to attack the prison for months. The assault was part of a vast military operation announced on Thursday by a Syrian rebel coalition. The operation was dubbed "Truthful Promise Approaches" by the Islamic Front and Al-Nusra, as reported by Al Arabiya.
The rebels' partial victory on Thursday comes after two months of relentless air strikes ordered by President Bashar al-Assad. Just in the last five days, the campaign has taken the lives of 246 people, including 73 children, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Sayfullah as-Shishani, one of the leaders of Al-Nusra, was reportedly killed during the attack, according to multiple news reports. Al Mayadeen, a Lebanese Arabic-language news station, posted a purported picture of as-Shishani on Facebook.
The prison is located about 7 miles north of Aleppo, the largest city in Syria.

A satellite view of the Aleppo Central Prison.
Image: Google Maps
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