Assad troops took over the village of Aziziya, in the northern province of Aleppo, days after seizing the strategic town of Sfeira from rebel hands, according to the Aleppo Media Centre, a network of anti-government activists.
Rebel concerns have mounted amid fears of an imminent siege on their areas in Aleppo after the fall of Sfeira by government forces, according to Zaman al-Wasl sources.
The towns of Aziziya and Sfeira lie on a strategic road that could be used to send in medicine and supplies to government-controlled areas of Aleppo, mired in a bloody stalemate for over a year.
The towns are also the sites of a chemical weapons installation under government control and which have been cleared of equipment.
The capture of towns is significant in that it marks a rare victory for Assad's forces near the mostly rebel-held north. Opposition groups confirmed the army's seizure of the city, southeast of Aleppo.
Translated and edited by The Syrian Observer
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