In mid-2013, ISIS forces surrounded the Kuweires Air Base in Syria’s Aleppo Province, trapping a number of Syrian troops within. Since then, the base has been under intermittent attack, and under virtually total lockdown, with the troops still stuck inside.

Military sources reported that the siege formally ended today, with an advance of Syrian ground troops, backing by Russian airstrikes and Hezbollah forcing their way to the gates of the base, allowing hundreds of soldiers within to finally leave.

The Syrian state media presented the battle as a great military victory, with President Assad reportedly calling for congratulate the head of the defense for the air base for holding out for so long. The military suggested the offensive is continuing to try to secure the entire area around the base.

The Kuweires Air Base siege had been an important story within Syria for years, with protests held in Damascus by family members of the troops trapped within, demanding that the military do more to rescue them.