Syrian rebels enter Aleppo three days into shock offensive

Islamist insurgents have entered Syria's second city of Aleppo in a shock assault eight years after forces loyal to Damascus seized control of the city.

- Ruth Michaelson

Fighters from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) began a major offensive this week from their base in the Idlib countryside, a slim strip of land in Syria's north-west. It took only three days for the fighting to reach Aleppo, with insurgents capturing territory around the city's outskirts for the first time in four years as government forces pummelled rebel-held areas.

Turkey's Anadolu state news agency reported yesterday afternoon that the insurgents had entered Aleppo, while unverified images and video online showed armoured vehicles and armed uniformed militants on its streets. The Associated Press said residents reported hearing missiles striking its outskirts.

The fighting over the last three days had killed 27 civilians, including eight children, David Carden, the UN deputy regional humanitarian coordinator for the Syria crisis, told Reuters.