Syrian army takes ground north of Aleppo, blocks road: monitor

(Zaman Al Wasl)-  The Syrian army backed by allied militia has captured several villages north of Aleppo from insurgents and blocked a main supply route leading into the northern city amid heavy fighting, Reuters said on Tuesday.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said pro-government forces had blocked a road leading north from the city towards the Turkish border and heavy clashes continued.

Zaman al-Wasl reporter said Assad’s forces have committed brutal massacres in northern countryside of Aleppo in the villages of Herdtnain, Ratian and Bashkoy. The field hospitals are filled with wounded, he added.

Aleppo, Syria's second city, is at the heart of clashes between pro-government forces and a range of insurgents which include al Qaeda's Syria wing Nusra Front, Islamist brigades, foreign fighters in other groups and Western-backed rebels.

Pro-government newspaper al-Watan reported on Monday that government forces aimed to encircle the city this week in an offensive against insurgent groups.