Having captured swathes of eastern Aleppo from rebels in the last two weeks, the army and its allies are seeking to drive a wedge between the al-Shaar neighborhood and the remaining part of rebel-held eastern Aleppo to the southwest.
Rebels appeared on the verge of being driven from the neighborhood after new advances by Syrian government forces on Sunday (December 4).
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, reported heavy clashes on Monday in al-Shaar.
The Syrian army and its allies captured parts of the district, it said.
Some of the fighting took place within a kilometer of the ancient citadel, a large fortress built on a mound, and around the historic Old City.
Heavy gunfire could be heard from the Old City and smoke from mortar shell blasts rose from the area, Reuters journalists in a government-held western district said.
Also on Monday, the Russian government said on Monday it would start talks with Washington on a rebel withdrawal from Aleppo this week as Russian-backed Syrian forces fought to seize more territory from rebels who are struggling to avoid a major defeat.
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