Syrian army, rebel forces suffer heavy losses in Aleppo’s bloody battle Over 100 killed

Dozens of Syrian soldiers and rebel fighters have been killed in ongoing clashes in northern Aleppo province, where the Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group and its allies have seized control of at least 10 areas previously held by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) confirmed that nearly 100 fighters and soldiers were killed on November 27 following an operation launched by HTS, which controls much of northwestern Syria, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

Activists working with the observatory reported that 44 HTS fighters and 16 members of allied groups lost their lives.

The SOHR also stated that 37 Syrian regime forces, including at least four officers, were killed, while five soldiers were captured. In addition, the group reported that weapon depots, armoured vehicles, machinery, and heavy weaponry were seized.

Civilian casualties, including children, were also reported, with Syrian army forces allegedly firing "hundreds of shells and missiles on both civilian and military positions" during the fighting. HTS and its allies advanced almost 10 kilometres (6 miles) from the outskirts of Aleppo, approaching Nubl and Zahra—two Shia-majority towns where the Iran-backed Hezbollah group holds significant influence.

HTS forces also launched an attack on al-Nayrab airport, located east of Aleppo, where pro-Iranian fighters are stationed.

Reuters reported that the offensive came in response to a surge in airstrikes by Russian and Syrian forces in southern Idlib, which have targeted civilian areas, as well as to pre-empt any assault by the Syrian army, which had been amassing troops near the front lines with HTS and other groups.

While official state media in Syria has not covered the fighting, pro-government websites have claimed that the army launched strikes against HTS hideouts, killing dozens.

Witnesses have reported that hundreds of families in Aleppo, a stronghold for opposition to al-Assad, have fled to safer areas near the Turkish border. HTS, which is designated a "terrorist organization" by the United States, has long been a target of the Syrian government and Russian forces.

Over the years, HTS has distanced itself from the al-Qaeda group and rebranded as a more locally focused entity. It has become the most powerful rebel group in northwestern Syria.

By Aghakazim Guliyev