Syria army cuts off supply lines to militant-held eastern Aleppo

Syrian army soldiers patrol a street in Aleppo's government-controlled al-Khalidiyah area on June 28, 2016. ©AFP

The Syrian army says it has cut off all supply routes to the militant-held eastern parts of the embattled city of Aleppo.
Syria’s General Command of the Army and Armed Forces said on Wednesday that the latest gains against the foreign-sponsored militants were part of a plan to restore security and stability to the northwestern city, Syria’s official SANA news agency reported.
The command said that units of the armed forces and allied fighters carried out successful operations in Aleppo’s northern areas and managed to cut off all supply lines and corridors used by terrorists to transfer militants, weapons and munitions to the eastern neighborhoods of Aleppo.
It also called on all Syrian citizens to cooperate with the army in a bid to restore normal life to Aleppo and to put an end to violence in the city.
The command further gave all armed people in eastern Aleppo a chance to lay down their weapons and either leave or stay in the city.
Over the past few weeks, the Syrian troops have advanced against terrorists in eastern Aleppo, effectively placing the area under siege.

Smoke billows from buildings during an operation by Syrian government forces to retake control of the militant-held district of al-Layramoun, located on the northwestern outskirts of Aleppo, on July 26, 2016. ©AFP

On Tuesday, the Syrian army sent text messages to residents and militants in eastern Aleppo, saying it will grant safe passage to those wishing to leave the area.
It also urged eastern Aleppo residents to "join the national reconciliation and expel the foreign mercenaries" from their neighborhoods.
Syria has been gripped by foreign-sponsored militancy since March 2011. United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura estimates that over 400,000 people have been killed in the Syrian conflict. The UN has stopped its official casualty count in the Middle Eastern state, citing its inability to verify the figures it receives from various sources.
The Takfiri terrorists operating in the Arab country have suffered major setbacks over the past few months as the Syrian army has managed to liberate a number of areas from the grip of the extremists.