Syrian troops capture important area near the city of Aleppo
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A Syrian opposition monitoring group and a TV station are reporting that government forces have captured farms near the northern city of Aleppo, tightening the noose around the only gateway leading to rebel-held parts of the city.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says government forces now control half the Mallah farms on the northeastern edge of Aleppo, Syria's largest city and once commercial center.
The Beirut-based Pan Arab TV Al-Mayadeen says with Tuesday's capture of large parts of Mallah farms, troops now can fire upon and close the Castello road that links rebel-held parts of Aleppo with the rest of the country.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}State media aired footage from the area, showing Syrian army tanks and artillery pounding Mallah farms. Aleppo has seen some of Syria's worst fighting this year.