Syria army reopens road to govt.-held parts of Aleppo: State TV

Syria’s state television says the country’s armed forces have reopened a road leading to government-controlled parts of the northern city of Aleppo.

“Our army units have gained full control of the Aleppo-Khanasser-Ithriya-al-Salmiyeh road after eliminating a number of Daesh terrorists and it will be open for citizens from tomorrow morning,” state television said on Wednesday.

The road, the sole route into the government-held side of Syria’s second city, was recaptured by the army 12 days after Daesh militants severed it, placing the government-held sector of Aleppo under siege.

The control of Aleppo, which was used to serve as Syria’s major trade hub before the crisis started in the Arab country in March 2011, has been divided between government and militants.

Fresh gains by government forces have, however, changed the situation in favor of the government of President Bashar al-Assad.

The recapturing of the road comes days after the Syrian army liberated eight villages in Aleppo Province from terrorist groups.

Syria’s army units, backed by national defense forces, retook control of the villages, including Jamaymah, Hadidah and Maryameen in Aleppo’s southern countryside.

“We secured over six villages during the past 24 hours in the southern countryside. We are determined to continue advancing in our offensive,” a Syrian army commander told Press TV on Sunday.

Also on Sunday, Syrian forces retook control of the two other villages of Shalashil and Tel Dadeen, inflicting heavy losses on the terrorists who were there.

The main Aleppo-Damascus highway out of the city has been also cut by militants, but last year the army opened another route running through Khanasser to government-controlled cities of Hama and Homs. Its closure had left residents of west Aleppo stranded.

Syria has been gripped by foreign-backed militancy for four and a half years. More than 250,000 have lost their lives and millions displaced as a result of the crisis in the war-torn Arab country.