BEIRUT—The U.S. and Russia escalated their war of words over Syria Thursday as government forces kept up their assault on Aleppo’s rebel-held quarters and registered tenuous gains. Government forces seized the Handarat neighbourhood along the contested city’s northern flank, forcing rebels to withdraw further from a crucial supply route to the city’s east, the Castello Road, pro-government media and observers said. But gains have proven ephemeral in the battle for Aleppo: government forces captured Handarat last Saturday, only to surrender it again Sunday. Syria’s military also released a video purporting to show a freshly captured neighbourhood in the city’s historic centre. Soldiers and allied militants are seen walking past mounds of debris, twisted metal bars, and caved-in ceilings.

Source: thestar September 29, 2016 18:33 UTC