Syrian soldiers fought their way into an air base in northern Syria on Tuesday and freed hundreds of military personnel. A military source close to the government said the army was securing the Kweires air base in Aleppo Province, where soldiers and officers have been under attack since 2013. It is the most high-profile victory for Syria since Russia launched an air campaign on 30 September. State television broadcast live footage from the air base of an emotional fatigue-clad reporter announcing the news, played victory songs and ran archive footage of military exercises. ‘We, the heroes of Kweires, are now celebrating with our brothers this victory,’ one of the freed soldiers told state TV. ‘We dedicate this victory to President Bashar al-Assad and we promise him we will continue fighting until all of Syria is liberated. We will not kneel to Daesh,’ he said, using an Arabic name for Islamic State.