Militants Pushed Back by Assad’s Forces

Syrian government forces have retaken areas of the city of Aleppo that were lost to militants in the recent fighting.

The loss of the territory on the city’s western edges was confirmed by the militants themselves, as well as state media and UK-based monitors.

An estimated 275,000 people live in the militant-held east, where the UN says food rations are running out. A Russian naval force led by an aircraft carrier is said to have moved into position off Syria, BBC reported.

Capt. Sergei Artamonov, commander of the Admiral Kuznetsov, told Russian state media the battle group had arrived at its designated point in the eastern Mediterranean and was carrying out “joint tasks”.

On October 28, militants in Aleppo began what they called an “epic battle” to break the siege, pounding government-held areas with hundreds of missiles.

On Saturday, it was confirmed that government forces had regained control of the al-Minian District and advanced into the al-Assad District.

“The epic battle for Aleppo has failed,” Rami Abdurrahman, of the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, was quoted as saying by the AP.

The fighting left 508 people dead, including civilians and fighters from both sides, according to his organization.

Ninety foreign fighters were among those killed on the militant side while 83 Syrian soldiers, 28 Hezbollah militants and 41 other fighters from Iraq were killed on the government side, the Observatory estimates.

“We fought them in every street, house, neighborhood and schools, and they used mosques to launch attacks,’’ a Syrian government commander who identified himself as Nabil told al-Manar TV in Lebanon.

Zakaria Malahifji, the head of the political office of the Fastaqim militant group fighting in Aleppo, confirmed the army’s advance.

The last remaining food rations are being distributed in militant-held eastern districts of the city, UN humanitarian adviser Jan Egeland warned on Friday. Without a resupply, there would be no food left to hand out next week, he said.