SHOTLIST:

ALEPPO, SYRIA (DEC. 30, 2025) (ANADOLU - ACCESS ALL)

1. VARIOUS DRONE SHOTS OF ALEPPO STADIUM USED AS MILITARY BASE BY THE ASSAD REGIME

2. VARIOUS OF DAMAGED PARTS OF STADIUM

3. VARIOUS OF SHELL CASING REMAINED

4. VARIOUS OF SEATS OF ALEPPO STADIUM ALEPPO, SYRIA - DECEMBER 30: Restoration work has begun on the Aleppo Stadium, a landmark facility that spent years serving as a strategic military base for the now-ousted government of Bashar al-Assad.

Once the crown jewel of Syrian sports, the stadium was repurposed by regime forces during the height of the civil war. Local residents noted that the facility was used as a staging ground for military operations and artillery strikes targeting nearby civilian neighborhoods, transforming the athletics hub into a symbol of the city's siege.

After suffering extensive damage, sporting activities at the venue came to a halt, and officials say the facility now requires a comprehensive restoration process to return it to public use.

Al-Assad, Syria’s leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia on Dec. 8, 2024, ending the Baath Party regime, which had been in power since 1963. Ahmed Al-Sharaa, who led anti-regime forces to oust Assad, was declared president for a transitional period in late January.