Syria Claims 99 Percent Control of Aleppo

Syria Claims 99 Percent Control of Aleppo
Syrian army soldiers fire their weapons during a battle with insurgents at the Ramouseh front line, east of Aleppo, Syria on Dec. 5, 2016. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
The Associated Press
12/12/2016
Updated:
12/12/2016

Syrian state TV says government forces and their allies now control 99 percent of the northern city of Aleppo’s formerly rebel-held neighborhoods.

The channel says on Monday night that the army has seized control of the Bustan al-Qasr neighborhood and cleared it of all opposition fighters.

The pro-government al-Ikhbaria TV says the “terrorist groups” withdrew from the al-Sukkari neighborhood. Earlier Monday, troops captured the al-Fardous and Sheikh Saeed neighborhoods.

Syrian troops backed by Russian airstrikes and militias from across the region launched a large-scale offensive on eastern Aleppo last month and are on the verge of driving the rebels from the city. Doing so would hand President Bashar Assad his greatest victory yet in the 5 ½-year civil war.