iStock/Thinkstock(ALEPPO, Syria) — Half of the rebel-held areas in east Aleppo have been re-taken by Syrian government troops, a military spokesperson tells BBC News. Gen. Samir Sulaiman said he hoped all of Aleppo would be under government control within the next few weeks.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a humanitarian monitoring group in the region, said the district of Tariq al-Bab was seized by government troops after being under rebel control for four years.
The group said dozens of soldiers on both sides of the conflict were left injured or killed in the fighting, and at least 300 civilians have been killed in rebel-held districts since the government intensified its push to retake the city in November.
Stephen O’Brien, humanitarian affairs chief at the United Nations, said food was running extremely low in rebel-held areas under government siege, and UN officials on the ground told BBC News they were preparing for a wave of civilians fleeing the violence.
On Thursday, Russia (an ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad) said it was ready to discuss opening corridors into the city for humanitarian access. Approximately 250,000 people remain trapped in parts of the city that are under government siege, according to BBC News.
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