The Syrian army has managed to make a major advance on the rebel-held part in Aleppo, its first important progress over the strategic northern city in three years, a monitor group reported on Thursday.
Government troops captured several buildings and schools in the rebel-held neighborhood of Bustan al-Basha on Thursday, just a day after retaking a sport club and other parts of the neighborhood, "making thus the first progress in those areas since losing them in 2013," said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The Britain-based watchdog group said the progress by the Syrian army will further tighten the siege on the Slaiman al-Halabi water station, in addition to securing the Raid Division and most of the Midan neighborhood, after government forces wrested control over half of Bustan al-Basha in the rebel-held eastern part of Aleppo city.
A military source confirmed to Xinhua that the Syrian army advanced in Bustan al-Basha.
Local TV stations in Syria aired footage showing tanks rolling on rubble-strewn streets in Bustan al-Basha.
The progress in Bustan al-Basha came as part of the Syrian army's new tactic to advance further in rebel-held areas to keep rebels away from the frontlines in government-controlled western Aleppo.
"The advance aims to keep the rebels away from the government-controlled areas and the water pumping stations as well as electricity generators, which were repeatedly targeted by the rebels," he said.
The military source told Xinhua that Aleppo's eastern side is now calm after the military operation on Wednesday and early Thursday.
This came one day after the Syrian army announced that it had cut off all rebel supply routes in eastern Aleppo, and struck all vital sectors the rebels were using in that area.
In a statement, the army also said it would cut shelling and airstrikes on rebel positions in eastern Aleppo to help civilian flee.
"The general command of the army, emanating from its keenness to enhance the humanitarian situation of the civilians, who were taken hostage by the rebels in Aleppo, decides to decrease the airstrikes and artillery shelling on the terrorist positions, so that the civilians who want to leave such areas can do so," state news agency SANA quoted the statement as saying.
It said that the rebels in Aleppo can only surrender, as all of the supply routes to the rebel-held areas have been cut off.
"All the rebels in eastern Aleppo shall not wait for help from anyone as all supply routes are severed," the statement said. "All they can do is to lay down their weapons."
The army said they have "precise information about the whereabouts of the armed men, their warehouses, and positions in eastern Aleppo," warning that rebels who don't seize the chance to surrender will "face his inevitable fate."
The army also renewed a recent pardon, urging the rebels to either surrender in exchange of clearing their records with the government, or to lay down their weapons and leave eastern Aleppo with their families, possibly to other rebel-held areas in northern Syria.
Western countries, mainly the United States, have recently upped their rhetoric against the Syrian government and Russia, demanding a halt to airstrikes against rebel-held areas in Aleppo to reduce the suffering of the people and allow in humanitarian aid.
Out of its declared "frustration," the United States announced earlier this week that it had suspended all formal talks with Russia over the cessation of hospitalities in Syria, particularly in Aleppo.
On Sept. 20, a one-week truce in Aleppo ended without extension as tension rose between Moscow and Washington, which backs what it describes as moderate rebels fighting the government of President Bashar al-Assad.
Late last month, the Syrian military announced a major offensive against rebel-held areas in Aleppo, with government officials and President al-Assad vowing to capture the whole city from rebel hands.
Aleppo, Syria's largest province near the Turkish border and its economic hub before the crisis, is strategically vital to the warring parties.