Syrian army takes ground north of Aleppo, blocks road
The Syrian army backed by allied militia has captured several villages north of Aleppo from insurgents and blocked a main supply route leading into the northern city amid heavy fighting, an activist group said on Tuesday, Reuters reported.
Aleppo, Syria's second city, is at the heart of clashes between pro-government forces and a range of insurgents which include Al-Qaeda's Syria wing Nusra Front, Islamist brigades, foreign fighters in other groups and Western-backed rebels.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said pro-government forces had blocked a road leading north from the city towards the Turkish border and heavy clashes continued.
Pro-government newspaper al-Watan reported Monday that government forces aimed to encircle the city this week in an offensive against insurgent groups.