Syrian forces capture key Aleppo area

Syrian state media said on Monday the army and its allies had captured the al-Sakhour district from rebels in eastern Aleppo, an advance that risks splintering the opposition-held area in two.

Both state TV and the monitoring group, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said that the district of Sakhour had fallen to the Syrian army.

It did not say whether the district was captured late on Sunday or early on Monday.

The Syrian army and their allies launched a major offensive to retake control of Aleppo in September. Thousands of civilians have left rebel-held eastern Aleppo districts after a weekend of heavy fighting, while hundreds of families have also been displaced within the besieged area.

Some 250,000 people were believed to remain in besieged eastern Aleppo

Retaking the whole of Aleppo, Syria's second largest city, is a key aim of the Syrian regime in its fight against rebels.

State TV quoted a Syrian military source as saying that government forces "are continuing their advance in eastern neighbourhoods of Aleppo".

"Our engineers are dismantling explosive devices and mines," he added.

The east of Aleppo has been held by rebel factions opposed to President Bashar al-Assad for the past four years.

In the past year, Syrian troops have broken the deadlock with the help of Iranian-backed militias and Russian air strikes.

Russia has reportedly said its air force is active in other parts of the country, but not operating over Aleppo.