Syria rebels abandon frontline Aleppo district

ALEPPO, Syria (Reuters) - Syrian rebels fighting President Bashar al-Assad's forces in the city of Aleppo have abandoned their positions in a district that has been a frontline of fighting in recent days.

"We have retreated, get out of here," a lone rebel fighter yelled at Reuters journalists as they arrived on Wednesday in the Salaheddine district. A checkpoint that had been manned by rebel fighters for the last week had disappeared, its location marked only by an opposition flag.

Explosions could be heard as incoming gunfire hit buildings in the area. A Syrian government security source told Lebanon's Al-Manar television that Syrian forces were now in control of the Salaheddine district.

Helicopters flew over a police station that was still in rebel hands about 1 km (half a mile) away from Salaheddine. Fighters ran around in chaos shouting into walkie talkies: "The army has entered, the army has entered".

A rebel commander who identified himself as Abu Ali said he had received information that army tanks had entered Salaheddine, adding that he had little additional information because communications were bad.

(Reporting by Hadeel Al Shalchi; Writing by Tom Perry; Editing by Jon Boyle)