Syrian forces liberate SE Aleppo district from militants’ grip

Syrian government troops and their allies have managed to retake full control of a neighborhood southeast of Aleppo, which has been turned into a major frontline in the fight against terrorists.

An unidentified Syrian military source announced the recapture of the Sheikh Saeed district on Wednesday. 

However, the so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights claimed that militant groups still controlled a third of the neighborhood.

Russia ready to escort aid to eastern Aleppo

Separately on Wednesday, Russia expressed its readiness to escort aid agencies into recently retaken areas of eastern Aleppo.

Lieutenant General Sergei Rudskoi of the Russian military's General Staff said that despite the announcement, Moscow had not received any requests from the United Nations or anyone else so far.

Rudskoi (pictured below) also noted that the Syrian government forces had completely purged terrorists from the Castello road, which is the only supply line into militant-held eastern Aleppo.

The Russian official further stressed that his country’s air force had not conducted anti-terror airstrikes on Aleppo over the past 44 days.

Syria has been gripped by deadly foreign-sponsored militancy for over five years. The situation in Aleppo is of particular concern as the city remains divided between government forces in the west and terrorists in the east.

Since last September, Russia has been conducting an aerial campaign against Daesh and other terror outfits in Syria at the Damascus government’s request.

Russia urges explanation over Erdogan’s anti-Assad remarks

In another development on Wednesday, the Kremlin demanded an explanation from Turkey over President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s recent comments against his Syrian counterpart, Bashar al-Assad.

Erdogan (seen below) said on Tuesday that the Turkish army entered Syria in order to topple Assad, saying, "We went in there to put an end to the rule of the tyrant Assad who carries out state terror, not for anything else.”

The Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said Erdogan's assertion "really came as news," adding that it “is not in harmony with previous statements" and "not in harmony with our understanding of the situation.”

Peskov further expressed hope that "clarification will come shortly” from Turkey.

Syria not to allow meddling by ‘tyrant’ Erdogan

Syria also censured Erdogan’s remarks, saying his assertion proves that he is a "liar."

An unnamed source at Syria’s Foreign Ministry told the official SANA news agency that the Turkish president has turned his country into a base for terrorists, who undermine security and stability in Syria and Iraq and cause the suffering of the innocent.

“It’s ironic that a tyrant like Erdogan would talk about democracy when he has transformed Turkey into a big prison for everyone who opposes his policy,” the source said.

Syria is currently fighting Erdogan’s "pawns and proxies," the official added, further emphasizing that Syria will not allow Erdogan to interfere in its domestic affairs and will cut off the hands of those trying to harm the country.

He also called on the international community to put an end to Turkey's interference in the affairs of other states, saying Erdogan's policy poses a threat to regional and international peace.

Turkey stands accused of allowing militants to use its territory for travel and shipment of arms into Syria, and buying smuggled oil from militants.

Back in August, Turkey launched an incursion into Syria, claiming that it was meant to engage both Daesh terrorists and Kurdish forces. Damascus condemned Turkey’s military intervention as a breach of its sovereignty.

Russia, Syria militants meet in Ankara: Source

Also on Wednesday, an informed source said that Russian representatives and militants opposed to President Assad have held talks in the Turkish capital city of Ankara about the possibility of a ceasefire in Aleppo.

"Several meetings have taken place in Ankara to discuss the ways to come to such a truce," AFP quoted an unnamed source close to the militants as saying, adding that the last such meeting took place on Monday.

Those involved in the negotiations are believed to be linked to the anti-Damascus Syrian National Coalition and do not include the Jabhat Fateh al-Sham terrorist group, formerly known as al-Nusra Front.

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