Syrian Army's Operation Against Daesh Expanding 'Safe Zone' Around Aleppo

The Syrian government forces have dislodged Daesh terrorists from 32 villages around the city of Aleppo, according to the Syrian army's statement cited by Syrian news agency SANA.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The Syrian army's operation is expanding the safe zone around the liberated city of Aleppo and allows the troops to increase the scale of the military operation against Daesh, the General Staff said.

"The General Staff of the Syrian Armed Forces said that the Armed Forces detachments… were able to liberate during a large-scale military operation against Daesh more than 32 villages and farms on a total area of ​​over 250 square kilometers to the northeast of Aleppo," the statement said.

"The operation… is expanding the safe zone around Aleppo and allows [the troops] to increase the scale of the military operation against Daesh, expanding the Syrian armed forces' zone of influence and establishing control of the roads between the north and the east of Aleppo," the General Staff said.

On December 16, the Russian Defense Ministry said that the Syrian army's operation to liberate militants-controlled eastern Aleppo ended, however, several hotbeds of militants' resistance remained.

On December 22, last militants left eastern Aleppo, thus the Syrian army gained full control over the city. Syrian President Bashar Assad called the liberation of Aleppo a "watershed moment."