DHAKA: Islamic State has seized control of several villages north of Aleppo, Syria, despite Russian and US air strikes said to be targeting the group.

Moscow says its air force has killed 300 militants over the past 24 hours.

But a BBC correspondent in the area says the strikes seem to be mostly hitting rival rebel groups, allowing Islamic State (IS) to push forward.

A commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards working with the Syrian army fighting IS has also been killed.

Iran blames IS for the killing of Gen Hussein Hamedani on Thursday, but the exact circumstances remain unclear.

Dozens of fighters have been killed on both sides as Islamic State advanced north of Aleppo on Friday, the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

IS has driven out opposition forces from a number of villages, as well as a military base, the observatory’s Rami Abdel Rahman told the media.

He says the group is now just over six miles from northern perimeter of the city and two miles from pro-government forces stationed at an industrial area.

‘IS has never been so close to the city of Aleppo, and this is its biggest advance towards’ Syria’s second city, Rahman said.

BDST: 1252 HRS, OCT 10, 2015
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