The Syrian army and its allies have captured a large swathe of eastern Aleppo in a rapid advance against opposition rebel positions.<br /><br /> Facing a combination of air bombardments and ground attacks, the insurgents have been driven out of numerous neighbourhoods in the northern part of eastern Aleppo.<br /><br /> The amount of territory taken by government forces amounts to a third of what was held by the rebels in the city and is reportedly their biggest defeat in Aleppo since 2012. US-backed Kurdish forces have also taken control of one area in an agreed handover with the rebels.<br /><br /> Thousands of residents of have been fleeing into areas controlled by government forces and Kurdish groups since the fighting intensified on Saturday.<br /><br /> Up to an estimated 10,000 people have fled into the Sheikh Maqsoud district. A large proportion of them are said to be children.<br /><br /> The UN has warned of a humanitarian disaster unfolding in eastern Aleppo with little or no food, medicines or shelters. <br /><br /> The advance by Syrian government forces follows two weeks of relentless aerial bombardment in a renewed assault on the rebel-held portion of Aleppo.<br /><br /> It comes after a three-week pause in the Russian and Syrian bombing of the area, which ended on November 15.<br /><br /> Retaking the whole of Aleppo, Syria’s second largest city, is a key aim of the Syrian government. The east of Aleppo has been held by rebel factions opposed to President Bashar al-Assad for the past four years.<br />
