Syrian army secures road to Aleppo: state TV

The advance by the Syrian army and allied militia in the Ramousah area of southern Aleppo has reopened the main route into the government-held west while resulting in the complete re-encirclement of the city's rebel-held east.

Insurgent forces including jihadist groups had captured the Ramousah area in August, breaking the siege on eastern Aleppo imposed by government forces in July. The government's loss of the Ramousah road left the people in western Aleppo dependent on a much more dangerous route.

A reporter for Al-Ikhbariya, in a broadcast from the road, said it would be secure for civilian use in the coming few hours. "The whole road is secure," a soldier told the reporter.

The army backed by allied militia from Iran, Iraq and Lebanon, and the Russian air force are now seeking to press their offensive against the insurgents to the south of Aleppo.