"Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and allied factions have taken control of most of the city as well as state facilities and prisons", writes the British-based Syrian Human Rights Observatory (SOHR). According to SOHR, the rebels have also taken control of the city's airport and attacked Iran's consulate in Aleppo, reports AFP.
The rebels are also reported to be advancing in the provinces of Hama and Idlib and have taken control of "about a dozen strategic cities without meeting resistance".
Remnants of al-Qaida
HTS can be described as the remnants of the terrorist organization al-Qaida in Syria. But they are cooperating with a motley crew of other rebels, many of whom are reported to have support from Turkey.
Syria's army admits in a statement that the enemy has penetrated "large parts" of the million-city. Dozens of soldiers are reported to have lost their lives in the battles.
SOHR reports that at least 16 civilians have been killed and 20 others injured when warplanes, "likely Russian", attacked civilian targets in Aleppo on Saturday. Since Wednesday, at least 327 people have been killed in the battles, including 44 civilians, according to SOHR.
To defeat the "terrorists"
Syria's dictator Bashar al-Assad has in a phone call with his counterpart in the United Arab Emirates promised to defeat the "terrorists", reports the president's office.
Iraq's Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani also spoke with al-Assad on Saturday and said that "Syria's security and stability /.../ play a crucial role for regional security".
Russia's and Iran's foreign ministers Sergey Lavrov and Abbas Araghchi have in a phone call expressed "extreme concern" over the escalating battles, reports the Russian Foreign Ministry. Lavrov has also expressed concern over the development in a call with Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, reports Moscow.
In the shadow of the wars in Gaza and Lebanon, the positions have long been locked in the Syrian war, with a faltering ceasefire where the regime, with military help from Russia, has been able to maintain control over about two-thirds of the country.
Russian air attacks
The regime is trying to counter the offensive from the air, and has, according to SOHR, received help from Russian warplanes to bomb Aleppo. It is the first air raids since 2016 against the city, which had two million inhabitants before the war.
Also, a number of miles southwest, near the city of Idlib, Russian warplanes have participated in bombing raids against rebel forces.
The Assad side has been weakened by its major military benefactor Russia being increasingly occupied with its own war of aggression in Ukraine. According to regime sources, new arms deliveries are expected to reach the Russian military base Hmeimim in western Syria in a few days.
