TURNING POINT?

Syrian Troops Capture Major Aleppo Neighborhood

In battle to crush rebels.

Syrian troops have overtaken a major neighborhood in Aleppo, state media reports. The development means that a large northern section of the city—including 10 neighborhoods and more than 3,000 buildings—is back under government control. Rami Abdurrahman, of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said nearly 30 percent of Aleppo’s previously rebel-held areas are now back in state control. Russia’s defense ministry said at least 100 rebels relinquished their weapons and left the city. President Bashar al-Assad’s government has been fighting to recapture Aleppo from rebels since 2012, with estimates of more than 30,000 people killed in that time.