BEIRUT (AP) – Syria’s official news agency SANA says forces loyal to the government have retaken a village north of Aleppo, opening the way to further advances around Syria’s largest city as peace talks in Geneva entered a second day.
The capture of Hardatneen early Tuesday came hours before U.N. special envoy Staffan de Mistura hosted a government delegation in Geneva, and was expecting an opposition group for a separate meeting later in the day, according to the U.N. But one opposition leader said his group was still deciding whether to attend that afternoon meeting.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based opposition group that monitors the conflict, says pro-government troops have captured three villages near Aleppo since Monday, opening access to an important supply route to the city. The Observatory says heavy aerial bombardment, presumed to be from the Russian Air Force, supported the ground troops.
In Geneva, both sides have accused each other of bad faith. The opposition has said government airstrikes and sieges of rebel-held areas must stop ahead of talks.
The chief negotiator of the High Negotiations Committee, the main opposition group, said he was not optimistic about the talks because the situation has not changed on the ground.