Syrian troops withdraw from Aleppo as rebels advance

Russia has carried retired aerial strikes connected parts of the Syrian metropolis of Aleppo aft areas were seized by rebels opposed to the regularisation of President Bashar al-Assad.

Recent days person seen the astir important violative against the Syrian authorities successful years and the withdrawal of its subject from Aleppo, the country's 2nd largest city.

Russia's aerial unit played a important relation successful keeping Assad successful powerfulness pursuing the outbreak of the country's civilian warfare successful 2011, but Saturday's strikes were its archetypal connected Aleppo since 2016.

More than 300 people, including astatine slightest 20 civilians, person been killed since the violative began, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).

The civilian warfare has been mostly dormant since a ceasefire agreed successful 2020, but absorption forces inactive controlled the north-western metropolis of Idlib and overmuch of the surrounding province.

Idlib sits conscionable 55km (34 miles) from Aleppo, which itself was a rebel stronghold until it fell to authorities forces successful 2016.

The existent offensive, which was launched connected Wednesday, has been led by a jihadist radical known astatine Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and allied factions backed by Turkey.

HTS was regarded arsenic 1 of the astir effectual and deadly of the groups warring the Assad authorities and was already the ascendant unit successful Idlib.

The rebels person taken power of Aleppo's airdrome and dozens of adjacent towns, according to the SOHR.

They besides announced a curfew that came into unit astatine 17:00 section clip (14:00 GMT) and volition stay successful spot until Sunday.

The Syrian service said rebels had launched "a wide onslaught from aggregate axes connected the Aleppo and Idlib fronts" and that battles had taken spot "over a portion exceeding 100km (60 miles)".

It said dozens of its soldiers had been killed and acknowledged that rebels had entered "large parts" of Aleppo.

Government forces said they had temporarily withdrawn from Aleppo, but added earlier that they were preparing a counterattack.

Pictures showed the roads starring retired of Aleppo jammed with cars connected Saturday arsenic residents tried to leave.