In Syria, army said it had taken control of an important district in rebel-held eastern Aleppo yesterday after fierce fighting. <br/><br/>Government forces advanced with a ground and air assault on the edge of the besieged eastern half of the city into the Hanano housing area, a move designed to split the rebel-held east in two. <br/><br/>Aleppo, which was Syria's biggest city before the start of a civil war that has killed hundreds of thousands of people, is divided between the government-held west and rebel-held east, where UN officials say, at least 2 lakh 50 thousand people are under siege.<br/><br/>Capturing all of Aleppo would be a major victory for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad after five and a half years of fighting.<br/><br/>The army said in a statement it had, alongside its allies, taken full control over the Hanano housing district, which is on the northeast frontline of the eastern sector.