Syria seizes rebel strongholds in Aleppo

Syrian government forces captured a swath of eastern Aleppo today, gaining back control over 40 percent of rebel-held areas of the city. With air support from Russia, Syria and its allies have captured 12 Aleppo neighborhoods and over 3,000 buildings in the past few days. Opponents of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad have controlled those areas for the past four years, state media reported. More than 100 rebels have laid down their arms and left the eastern suburbs of Aleppo, according to the Russian Defense Ministry. Thousands of civilians are fleeing the city, where bombardments have left food and medical supplies scarce and rendered hospitals inoperable.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.