A Russian soldier inspects the damage at a field hospital that was reportedly destroyed by rebel shelling on December 5, 2016 in the Furqan neighbourhood of the government-held side of west Aleppo. (AFP/Xinhua)
DAMASCUS, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- Syrian government forces have fully recaptured a key rebel-held neighborhood in the northern city of Aleppo on Tuesday during its ongoing assault to drive out the rebels from the city, a military source told Xinhua.
The Syrian army and its allied fighters fully recaptured the neighborhood of al-Sha'ar in eastern Aleppo, killing tens of rebels and destroying their ammunition, the source said, on condition of anonymity.
He added that bomb squads are currently dismantling explosives the rebels left behind in the neighborhood.
Recapturing al-Sha'ar neighborhood in the rebel-held part of eastern Aleppo is strategically important as it's the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front's main stronghold, which recently claimed it has cut its ties with al-Qaida.
The neighborhood also contained the Nusra Front's largest weapon depots.
It was a tough victory as Nusra militants had several snipers positioned atop tall buildings in al-Sha'ar, one of Aleppo's largest neighborhoods.
In 2011 at the beginning of the crisis, 200,000 people lived in al-Sha'ar, however that number dwindled when the war engulfed Aleppo in 2012.
Ali Maksud, a retired military colonel, told Xinhua that al-Sha'ar is considered the Nusra Front's backbone in eastern Aleppo, and recapturing it dealt the strongest blow for Nusra militants in Aleppo.
Maksud also pointed out that recapturing al-Sha'ar signals the beginning of the end for rebels in the southeastern part of Aleppo, only a week after the army recaptured all of the northeastern areas.
He added that recapturing this neighborhood also secures the road toward Aleppo's international airport.
The military source added that army forces recaptured the Shurta hilltop in eastern Aleppo after al-Sha'ar, only 800 meters away from the rebel-held part of the ancient citadel of Aleppo.
Following the two-week long major offensive, the Syrian army currently controls two thirds of the rebel-held areas in eastern Aleppo, during its recently launched major offensive to liberate the eastern part of the city from any rebel presence.
Over 30,000 civilians fled eastern Aleppo in the past two weeks toward government-controlled areas in the western part of the city.
The Syrian army said it will continue the operation until all rebel-held areas in eastern Aleppo are recaptured.
The rebels captured eastern Aleppo in 2012, and government forces recently imposed a siege on that area before unleashing a broad offensive for its recapture.
Humanitarian organizations sounded the alarm about the dire situation of 250,000 people living in eastern Aleppo, and the government promised to improve the situation of those relocated to government-controlled areas.
