Armed groups opposed to Assad's regime in Syrian enter Aleppo city center

By Efe Ozkan

ISTANBUL (AA) - Armed groups opposed to the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad have broken through to the city center of Aleppo, local sources said on Friday.

The anti-regime armed groups, which had been advancing towards Aleppo from the west after clashing with regime forces for three days, broke through the defense lines in the Hamdaniyya, New Aleppo, and Zahra axes in Aleppo's western countryside and entered the city center.

After three days of fighting in Aleppo and Idlib provinces, opposition groups are said to have taken control of 400 square kilometers (154 square miles) of territory.

Following fighting carried on through the night, opposition forces advanced on the outskirts of the city, seizing control of 70 settlements and strategic locations.

Approximately 10,000 civilians fleeing the fighting have sought refuge in rural Idlib.