In another win for the Syrian government, the forces on Tuesday seized the centrally located al-Shaar neighbourhood in Aleppo from the rebels. The win marks Syria's success in capturing almost three quarters of the besieged eastern Aleppo region.
Rebels have engaged in years-long battle with the Syrian government and their Russian allies in eastern Aleppo and want to topple the government. The recent onslaght on the rebels by the Syrian forces in the region has left more than 10,000 civilians displaced in the region, leaving many of them without a shelter and food.
The Syrian government and its ally Russia also rejected a ceasefire proposal in Aleppo by the United Nations, continuing the offensive in the region. Russia and China vetoed a United Nations (UN) Security Council resolution seeking a seven-day ceasefire in the war-torn Syrian city of Aleppo.
There were reports of the withdrawal of the rebel forces to the Marjeh and Maadi neighborhoods after the pro-government unit heavily bombarded al-Shaar, The Associated Press reported.
According to the SANA state news agency, the government captured all of the neighbourhood surrounding al-Shaar and also the surrounding areas of al-Qatarji and Karm al-Dada. A Syrian army map showed that region held by the rebels in eastern Aleppo was quickly shrinking. The army media said that considering the new victories, the government has gained control of nearly 73 percent of the seized area in eastern Aleppo.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also said that there were significant gains made by the Syrian government forces in the region.
Al-Shaar had at least four hospitals which the residents who were trapped and displaced because of the government's onslaught in the region could access. However, reports state that all those hospitals have been bombed in the recent government attacks although the patients were reportedly evacuated.
