Extremely violent battles continue in Western Aleppo province of Syria.

The news coming out of the area is very foggy, with polarised claims on who controls what. Liveuamap (1st and 2nd images), citing rebel sources reported that HTS is now advancing in a pincer southwest of Aleppo, as well as seizing the town of Mansoura, directly west of Aleppo. If true, this would put them at the gates to the city.

Meanwhile, Pro-Assad sources (3rd image) reported that the SAA has begun a counteroffensive against the advancing HTS forces. They claimed that the SAA seized the towns of Bashatin and Al-Barqoum, as well as Az-Zarbah, Kafr Battikh, Dadikh and Jubas.

Meanwhile, Joint Russian-Syrian Air, artillery and rocket strikes are ongoing on HTS positions and logistics routes, likely resulting in significant casualties.

Military equipment and fighters from the Syrian National Army (SNA) are amassing north of Tal rifaat in Northern Syria. It appears that they are preparing for an offensive against the US Backed SDF pocket positioned between Sal Rifaat and Aleppo, and the SAA in Aleppo, in coordination with the HTS offensive on Aleppo from the west.

The question is: will this potential offensive see results quick enough so as to reach Aleppo at the same time as the HTS. Obviously, that's if this offensive even works in the first place, which there is a strong chance that it doesn't.

Let's wait and see.