Syria govt gains in Aleppo

DAMASCUS: The Syrian army and allied militia seized ground north of Aleppo on Saturday, tightening a siege of the city’s rebel-held east as it came under fierce air strikes in a major Russian-backed offensive that has left Washington’s Syria policy in tatters. The capture of the Handarat camp a few kilometres north of Aleppo marked the first major ground advance of the offensive, which the government announced on Thursday. Residents of the rebel-held half of the city say warplanes have unleashed unprecedented firepower. Saturday’s advance captured the camp for Palestinian refugees on elevated ground overlooking one of the main roads into Aleppo. Handarat had been in rebel hands for years.