Syrian government forces have captured 60 per cent of the area previously held by rebels in eastern Aleppo after gaining new ground on the city's eastern edge, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has said.
At least seven plumes of smoke were seen rising from rebel-held areas of the city on Saturday morning as the sound of jets could be heard overhead.
The Syrian army backed by allied militia has captured large areas of rebel-held eastern Aleppo in the last week in a ferocious campaign that threatens to deal a major defeat to the rebellion against president Bashar al-Assad.
The Observatory and a Syrian military source said the army had built on its gains by capturing the Tariq al-Bab district late on Friday.
A Turkey-based official with one of the rebel groups in Aleppo said government forces had advanced in the area but rebels were repelling them.
Observatory director Rami Abdulrahman said the total area lost by the rebels was "easily 60 per cent".
Withdrawal
Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said on Saturday Moscow was ready for talks with the United States about a complete withdrawal of all rebels from eastern Aleppo.
The Observatory said at least three people were killed in an air strike on the al-Shaer neighbourhood of eastern Aleppo. The civil defense rescue service in eastern Aleppo said a gathering of displaced people had been struck and put the death toll at more than six. The army denies targeting civilians.
European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini is convinced the fall of rebel-held areas of Aleppo to the government would not end the war in Syria.
“I’m convinced the fall of Aleppo will not end the war,” Ms Mogherini said during a panel discussion at a conference in Rome war with UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura.
Mr de Mistura said he hoped “some type of formula” could be found to avoid a “terrible battle” in Aleppo.
He indicated the battle for Aleppo would not last that much longer, saying “the fact is that Aleppo is not going to stay that long”.
“I was feeling it would be a terrible battle ending up by Christmas-New Year. I hope the battle will not take place, that there will be some type of formula,” he said.
Reuters