The opposition Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in Syria has reportedly taken control of a large part of the city as a result of the operation launched in Aleppo on November 27 in response to the increasing attacks by the Russian and Syrian air forces on the southern regions of Idlib and to prevent possible attacks by the Damascus administration. A statement was issued to civilians stating that they were safe and should not be afraid and that the clashes would continue until full control of the city was achieved.

The Syrian army, which officially confirmed that HTS had entered Aleppo for the first time, announced that dozens of their soldiers had been killed, that some important points, including the Aleppo International Airport, had been left to the terrorist organization PKK/YPG, and that the army had decided to temporarily withdraw its troops from the city in order to prepare for a “counterattack.”