THE Syrian army steamrollered through east Aleppo yesterday prompting defeated rebel factions to propose a five-day ceasefire.

Troops captured district after district as they advanced into the city, with the Syrian government declaring that it now controls three quarters of the enclave that sectarian factions have held since 2012.

The insurgents fled the northern areas of the central Old City overnight to avoid being encircled by the rapidly advancing government forces.

Troops also pushed into the Aleppo districts of Bab al-Nayrab, al-Salheen and al-Qasileh districts while heavy clashes were reported in Sheikh Saeed to the south.

The rebels’ response was a desperate plea for a five-day humanitarian ceasefire to evacuate hundreds of their wounded and prevent civilians deaths.

According to the Observatory, 369 civilians, including 45 children, were killed in eastern Aleppo since November 15 while 92 civilians, including 34 children, were killed in the government-controlled western Aleppo that came under rebel fire.

The ceasefire proposal by the extremist Nour al-Din al-Zinki faction was immediately backed by the leaders of Britain, Germany, Italy, France, Canada and the US.

But the call fell on deaf ears in Damascus and Moscow, because the same militants had met earlier truces with shellfire at relief convoys.

Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said yesterday that Syria’s military offensive backed by Russia in Aleppo is to blame for the rising number of deaths in the city including the deaths of two Russian medics.

And yesterday 12 more civilians were killed and 64 injured in terrorist shelling of government controlled areas.