Abdalrhman Ismail/Reuters
Syrian state television says Syrian regime forces have regained “full control” of the largest rebel-held area in eastern Aleppo on Saturday. Government forces carried out a ground and air assault on the Hanano housing district early Saturday after rebels spent days defending it in fierce fighting. Rebels say the capture of Hanano is meant to split their stronghold into two in Aleppo and give regime forces line-of-fire control, according to Agence France-Presse. While rebel sources said fighting was ongoing in the area, a Syrian state TV broadcast from the scene of fighting said the Syrian army had retaken the area and secured the safe passage of at least 150 people out of the housing district. Syrian forces were now busy de-mining the area and checking it for explosives, the report said. At least 212 civilians have been killed in the 12 days since air strikes were renewed against Aleppo, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.