Syrian army says battle for Aleppo is "at its end"
The Syrian army is in the ''final stages'' of recapturing Aleppo after a sudden advance that has pushed rebels to the brink of collapse, a Syrian general said on Monday. Nathan Frandino reports.
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The Syrian army says it now has a stranglehold on the embattled city of Aleppo. Forces recaptured the Sheikh Saeed district Sunday night, pushing rebels to the brink of collapse. Lieutenant General Zaid al-Saleh says the city's recapture is imminent. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) LIEUTENANT ZAID AL-SALEH, HEAD OF SECURITY COMMITTEE IN ALEPPO, SAYING: "The battle is at its end. Only 10 percent of eastern Aleppo remains in the rebels' hands." The district here is largely destroyed, with the bombardment continuing non-stop overnight. Pro-government forces now have their eyes set on the districts of Karam al-Daadaa and Fardous. Residents say they're still coming to grips with the loss of life. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) ASAAD MAHDO, RESIDENT OF SHEIKH SAEED, SAYING: "We rebuild it. It is nothing compared to the youth who died. We can rebuild the stone but we can't rebuild homeland." The city's fall would deal a stunning blow to rebels fighting to remove President Bashar al-Assad from power. But with much of Syria outside Allepo still in rebel hands or under Islamic State control, the war is far from over.