News12 Dec 2016 13:59
Aleppo has almost entirely fallen to Syrian government forces, state media and Russian officials said Monday after a sustained attack on rebel-held areas packed with civilians.
Syria's military said pro-government forces now control of 98 percent of eastern Aleppo, including the neighborhood of Fardous which has been held by the rebels since 2012.
"The bombardment did not stop for a moment overnight," said a Reuters journalist in the government-held zone of the city, describing it as the most intense for days.
Government forces already control the west of Aleppo and recapturing the city —Syria's biggest, before the war — would be the greatest prize so far for President Bashar al-Assad in the six years of conflict.