The Syrian government army has acknowledged that militants from the Sunni radical Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group and their allies have captured large parts of Aleppo, reporting dozens of soldiers killed and wounded in widespread clashes.
As reported by Reuters, the military said in a statement that the armed groups launched a large-scale offensive in several directions on the Aleppo and Idlib fronts and reported fierce fighting in a stretch of more than 100 kilometers.
"Ten servicemen of our armed forces were killed, and others were wounded, because during the last hours, the terrorist organizations were able to penetrate most of the districts of the city of Aleppo," the statement said. The Syrian military also announced a temporary withdrawal of troops from Aleppo in preparation for a counter-offensive against what it calls terrorists.
The military stated that they are withdrawing the troops for regrouping in order to attract additional forces and organize a counterattack.
