Until very recently parts of eastern Aleppo had been controlled by rebels – despite the pounding from government forces and their Russian allies.<br /><br /> Now the Syrian flag is flying again, marking an end of years of fighting for the city.<br /><br /> It’s not the end of the country’s civil war – but it’s a triumph for its president who not so long ago was being written off.<br /><br /> Bashar al-Assad recorded a video message on Thursday saying:<br />“After liberating Aleppo we can say not only the Syrian situation, but also the regional and international situation is different. Here time became history. Aleppo converted time into history.”<br /><br /> Residents in Aleppo have been seen waiting to return to their homes. For months the area had been bombarded by pro-government forces. Rebels in some districts have also been accused of atrocities and ill-treatment of civilians.<br /><br /> “We are waiting for the rats to get out from inside there and to go to hell, and to get back to our homes,” said one man.<br /><br /> “We want to get back to our houses which we left four years ago,” another added.<br /><br /> Meanwhile Syrian state TV broadcast pictures showing what it said were people celebrating the military success in Aleppo, chanting as they held posters of Assad and waving Syrian flags.<br /><br /> The images were reportedly filmed on Monday. <br /><br /> Although rebel-held eastern Aleppo has been destroyed by the war, life in some parts of government-controlled areas in the west of the city has been relatively normal.<br />
