Syria: Syrian troops advance in northern Aleppo
Syrian troops advanced inside and near northern Aleppo on Monday in what appears to be an attempt to lay siege to rebel-held parts of the country’s largest city, activist said Monday.
If successful, it would be the biggest blow to the opposition since they entered the northern city two years ago. Aleppo, once Syria’s commercial center, has been carved up into rebel- and government-controlled areas since opposition fighters launched an offensive in the country’s north in mid-2012.
The push also comes a month after extremist fighters of the Islamic State group seized territories straddling Syria and neighboring Iraq, mostly running across the Euphrates river where they have declared a self-styled caliphate. Most of the land was seized in June during a push across Iraq.