Syrian army retreats after rebels advance into Aleppo.

Today (November 30), the Syrian army reported that dozens of soldiers were killed in an attack by rebel fighters in the northwest of the country. The opposing forces advanced into several areas of Aleppo, forcing the army to retreat to preserve its strength.

Gunmen from an Islamist militant group advanced into central Aleppo on November 30.

The announcement marks the first time the Syrian army has confirmed that the coalition led by the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (derived from a former branch of al-Qaeda in Syria) entered the city of Aleppo in a surprise attack three days ago.

"A large number of terrorists and the simultaneous appearance of forces on multiple fronts have forced our armed forces to redeploy troops to reinforce our defenses in response to the attack, protect the lives of civilians and soldiers, and prepare for a counterattack," Reuters quoted the Syrian army as saying.

The military also stated that "armed terrorist organizations" had launched a large-scale attack along several axes of the "Aleppo and Idlib" front. Fierce fighting was reported in areas stretching over 100 kilometers, according to AFP.

According to AFP, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR, based in the UK) said that Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and its allied armed groups have now controlled much of Aleppo, as well as government buildings and prisons.

Pro-government radio station Sham FM reported that "armed groups were present on the streets and areas of Aleppo city while airstrikes were carried out targeting militant positions in the west of the city."

"Most ordinary citizens avoided leaving their homes while public and private places in the city were almost completely shut down," Sham FM added.

SOHR reported that the airstrikes came from Russian and Syrian fighter jets, while the Damascus government and Moscow have not confirmed this information.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/quan-doi-syria-triet-thoai-sau-khi-phien-quan-tien-vao-aleppo-185241130173058248.htm