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Syrian army retakes key Aleppo district from militants

Tuesday, 08 November 2016 4:54 PM [ Last Update: Tuesday, 08 November 2016 4:56 PM ]

Syrian pro-government forces flash the V-sign as they hold a position in Aleppo's 1070 Apartments area on November 8, 2016. (Photo by AFP)

Syrian army forces and allied fighters have managed to wrest control of a strategic neighborhood on the southwestern outskirts of Aleppo as the city has turned into a major frontline in the Damascus government’ anti-terror fight.

An unnamed military source told Syria’s SANA news agency that the army and its allies regained full control of the 1070 Apartments area as well as its surrounding farms and hills on Tuesday.

The advance came after heavy clashes with members of terrorist groups such as Jaish al-Fatah and Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, formerly known as al-Nusra Front, the source said, adding that the fighting left dozens of militants dead and injured.

He also noted that Syrian troops destroyed terrorists’ vehicles equipped with machine guns and seized a number of armored vehicles.

Syrian army engineering units are dismantling the explosive devices and landmines that were planted by terrorists in the area, the official further pointed out.

Syrian pro-government forces hold a position in Aleppo's 1070 Apartments area on November 8, 2016. (Photo by AFP)

Meanwhile, the so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed the recapture of the 1070 Apartments area, calling it the most significant advance by the government in Aleppo since September.

However, militant groups denied suffering a setback and claimed that the battle was still raging.

Aleppo has been divided over the past four years between government forces in the west and foreign-backed terrorists in the east, making it a frontline battleground.

Backed by Russian air cover, the Syrian army launched operations to reunite Aleppo in September.

Since March 2011, Syria has been hit by militancy it blames on some Western countries and their regional partners.

The so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura have put the death toll from the Syria conflict at more than 300,000 and 400,000, respectively. This is while the UN has stopped its official casualty count in the Arab country, citing its inability to verify the figures it receives from various sources.

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