Syrian forces make gains in Aleppo as diplomatic efforts stall

Syrian forces continue to make gains in the rebel-held areas of Aleppo.

It comes as rival UN resolutions to end the bombing of the besieged city failed.

Al-Oweija district was the latest to fall to troops loyal to President Bashar al-Assad.

Since the ceasefire collapsed two weeks ago, regime forces are advancing street by street into the eastern part of the city, under rebel control since 2012.

The latest gains shift the frontline of the conflict, as regime forces advance into the east from their strongholds in the centre and west of the city, which has become the epicentre of the five-year-long conflict.

Monitoring groups report that least 290 people have died, 57 of them children in two weeks of fighting.

The UN special envoy for Syria warned that if attacks continued at the current rate, eastern Aleppo ‘may be totally destroyed’ within months.