Syrian forces take another Aleppo neighborhood
BEIRUT (AP) -- Syrian state media are reporting that government forces have taken another neighborhood from rebels in the contested northern city of Aleppo.
Thursday's report came as the Russian government says safe passage is being offered out of rebel-held areas of the city to civilians and rebels who lay down their arms.
The state SANA news agency says the military has taken control of the Bani Zeid neighborhood and has begun clearing land mines there. It says dozens of gunmen have laid down their weapons and surrendered in the neighborhood.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group says government forces have taken command of large swaths of Aleppo's Bani Zeid. Pro-government forces have been steadily tightening a siege on rebels in the eastern part of the city since last week.
