Syrian regime and its allies attempt to encircle Aleppo

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Tuesday that the regime army and its allies have re-gained control of several villages north of Aleppo and blocked a key supply road leading to the city in northern Syria.

A UN mediator is struggling to achieve a ceasefire in Aleppo, as it has been long expected that the city will be encircled completely by forces loyal to the regime in Damascus, including Hezbollah and Iranian Revolutionary Guards. Control of the main supply route is one of the key objectives.

The monitoring organisation said that government troops have closed the road leading from Aleppo to the Turkish border, adding that violent clashes are still taking place. The regular forces and their allies took control of a number of villages, including Pashkuwi and Sifat, while fighting broke out in Hardatain and Ratain. At least 16 insurgents were killed, it added.

While the villages outside Aleppo are being fought over, rebel-controlled areas in the divided city are subject to fierce aerial bombardment. According to the state-controlled television, five people were killed and 18 others were injured in rocket attacks by “terrorists” in the city.

Al-Watan newspaper, which is loyal to the regime of Bashar Al-Assad, said on Monday that the regular forces are seeking to encircle the entire city this week in order to be able to target the armed groups.

In December, armed factions, most of which are Islamist, gathered in Aleppo forming the Levant front in an attempt to unify its fighters. Last month, the opposing Hazm Movement joined this alliance after coming under pressure from Al-Nusra Front.

Diplomats say that the progress made recently by the Syrian army in the region reduces the chances of a truce between the government and the numerous armed groups. Since October, UN envoy Staffan De Mistura has been working on a plan to reach a ceasefire in specific areas in the country.