On Sunday, Syrian Army forces succeeded in once again cutting off the supply route of weapons and reinforcements to the rebel-held half of the Syrian city of Aleppo after fierce fighting backed by a major wave of Russian airstrikes against military colleges and key opposition targets.
The reestablishment of the siege in Aleppo turns back progress made by anti-Assad fighters, supported in part by the United States, turns back the clock on progress made by the so-called "moderate" rebels who shocked the international community last month when they successfully busted through the Assad regime’s siege in a victory that was heralded by the West.
The offensive against the Aleppo siege last month was led by Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, formerly the Syrian al-Qaeda affiliate known as al-Nusra Front, which is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States prohibiting the Obama administration from providing aid and support to the group. Al-Nusra Front fighters have conjoined with the US-backed “moderate” rebels under the umbrella group The Army of Conquest placing the Obama administration in a conflicted position regarding the battle for Aleppo.
Pro-Assad forces recaptured a strategic military complex in Ramosa distrct on Aleppo’s southwestern outskirts, according to Syria’s SANA News Agency. The complex had been overrun by rebels last month during the assault that broke through the government’s siege at the time.
"The army has managed now to control many areas within the vast complex that houses military installations. Rebel factions say that they are going to reunite in order to launch a counter offensive," said Al Jazeera’s Hashem Ahelbarra. "Ramosa is crucial for all parties. It is crucial for the government because it will pave the way for them to encircle rebel-held areas. It’s also crucial for the rebels because it is the only supply line."
Aleppo was once Syria’s largest and most wealth city prior to the outbreak of conflict in 2011. The city has been effectively cut in half since mid-2012 with government forces controlling the west and the rebels controlling the city’s eastern sector.
Syria’s state television further reported on Sunday that “armed forces, in cooperation with their allies, took full control of the military academy zone south of Aleppo and are clearing the remaining terrorists from the area.” The offensive, reported state television, "cut all the supply and movement routes for terrorist groups from southern Aleppo province to the eastern neighborhoods and Ramosa."
