"We, together with our Russian partners, are preparing for an operation to liberate Aleppo and to block all illegal armed groups which have not joined or [which have] broken the ceasefire deal," Wael al-Halaki said Sunday, as cited by TASS.
Halaki added that Deir ez-Zor would be the next major target for Damascus after taking control of Aleppo. He was speaking as a parliamentary delegation from Russia visited Syria on Sunday.
things just as bad in Sheikh Maksoud #Aleppo post ceasefire. 4 kids & 3 women killed when this house attacked y'day pic.twitter.com/xoxz4Gh0c5
โ Lizzie Phelan (@LizziePhelan) March 7, 2016
The Syrian Army, supported by Russian warplanes, liberated Palmyra last month in a three-week operation. The city is strategically located in central Syria and its capture opened a window of opportunity to further advance to Deir ez-Zor in the east.
SalahEddin #Aleppo ppl live in these homes, say things better since ceasefire but still gas jars fired across f'line pic.twitter.com/s6XzHK2vEC
โ Lizzie Phelan (@LizziePhelan) March 4, 2016
However, the situation in Aleppo, which is currently being contested by several rival factions, has recently been aggravated. This week terrorist group Jaysh al-Islam used chemical weapons to attack Kurdish YPG forces, which control one of the city's neighborhoods.
#Aleppo-#Afrin pretty much all the way like this pic.twitter.com/5BnWIOtcuh
โ Lizzie Phelan (@LizziePhelan) March 3, 2016
Comment: Western backed terrorists around Aleppo in Syria, including Jabhat al-Nusra (Nusra Front) and Jaish al-Islam (Army of Islam) groups, are supplied from Turkey.
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