Spotlight: Syrian army fully controls old city of Syria's Aleppo

The Syrian army has taken control of the old quarter of the northern city of Aleppo, just hours after the rebels withdrew from that part of the city, a monitor group said Wednesday.

Government forces and allied fighters are combing the neighborhoods in the old city of Aleppo in the central part of the rebel-held areas in eastern Aleppo, between the Hanano area and the ancient citadel of Aleppo, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Last night, the rebels in old Aleppo started withdrawing toward the the southeastern part of the city, which are still under the rebel control.

The rebels retreat came after the Syrian army captured the neighborhoods of Aghier and Bab al-Hadid in old Aleppo on Tuesday, which led to tightening the noose on the rebels in other neighborhoods in the old city, the UK-based watchdog group said.

The pressure the rebels felt after the army advance in Bab al-Hadid and Aghier pushed them to retreat from the old city as they feared the government forces would further besiege them in a small area.

Following a two-week long major offensive, the Syrian army has become in control of 80 percent of the rebel-held areas in eastern Aleppo, as part of major offensive launched recently to liberate the eastern part of the city from any rebel presence.

Over 30,000 civilians have fled eastern Aleppo over the past two weeks toward government-controlled areas in the western part of the city.

The Syrian army says it will press on with the operation until all rebel-held areas in eastern Aleppo are recaptured.

The rebels captured eastern Aleppo in 2012, and the government forces recently imposed a siege on that area before unleashing a broad offensive for its recapture.

Humanitarian organizations sounded the alarm about the situation of 250,000 people living in eastern Aleppo, with the government promising to fix the situation of those relocated in government-controlled areas. Endit