Syrian forces capture new area in Aleppo

Rebel fighters in Marea city shoot a weapon towards Syria Democratic Forces (SDF) controlled Tell Rifaat town, northern Aleppo province, Syria October 21, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

DAMASCUS -- The Syrian army on Monday captured a hilltop in the country's northern province of Aleppo, the latest in a series of victories achieved by the government forces in that strategic area, according to state news agency SANA.

The Syrian forces captured the hilltop of Bazo in the southwestern countryside of Aleppo, after the intense airstrikes targeted the rebel positions there.

The rebels of Jaish al-Fateh, or the Army of Conquest, fled the hilltop as a result of the government forces' shelling.

The capture of Bazo comes a day after the Syrian forces recaptured the Air Defense Battalion, near the residential area of 1070 Housing Project.

It's part of the government forces' major offensive against the rebel positions in the countryside of Aleppo and the eastern part of the city.

Aleppo, located near the borders with Turkey, is Syria's largest city and once an economic hub. It has been a focal point of clashes between the Syrian army and the rebels.

Observers believe that Aleppo is going to be the decisive battle ground among the fighting groups, and the winner will be the one dictating its conditions to resolve the crisis, as the province contains all the groups that are supported by regional and international powers, with the civilians paying the price for this proxy war.