Earlier this year the Syrian army also managed to cut off the supply lines between jihadists in Aleppo and the city of Azaz located on the Turkish border, leaving the Castello Road as the last route the rebels could use to resupply their forces in the city.
The Nusra Front terrorists holding the road were finally forced to retreat after sustaining serious casualties due to massed air strikes, allowing the Syrian forces to advance and declare the surrounding area a battle zone in an attempt to limit losses among the civilians.
While Syrian army was fighting in the vicinity of Castello Road, jihadists launched an offensive in the city center using heavy weapons. The attack was repulsed by Syrian government troops and Hezbollah forces, but the vengeful rebels retaliated by shelling the western residential districts of the city, killing 12 and destroying numerous buildings.
At the present time the center of Aleppo is being controlled by the Syrian government forces while the city outskirts are held by jihadist groups. If the Syrian army manages to completely liberate the city, it would allow over a million of displaced Syrians to return to their homes.
Before the war the city of Aleppo and its surroundings served as a home to almost 5 million people.
