The rebel coalition active in the north Syrian city of Aleppo is denying reports that the Syrian Army has captured the strategically important 1070 Apartments district of the city, insisting that the fighting over the area is still ongoing and that they are not yet conceding defeat.
The southwestern district is of huge strategic importance to controlling the outskirts of the city, and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights claims that the military is effectively in control of the entire district now. The Syrian state media, and Hezbollah have both concurred.
The rebels denying the loss are, significantly, from the Fastaqim faction, which had been attacked by the other rebel forces last week and sustained significant losses there. The infighting may ultimately have softened up the area for the army advance.
The rebel Nusra Front has launched a major counteroffensive against other parts of southern Aleppo in recent weeks, and while the exchanges of territory have stalled, the Syrian military is reporting advances into some of the towns in the surrounding area, trying to recover lost ground.