(VOVworld) – The Syrian army and its allies seized a small district on the outskirts of Aleppo from the insurgents on Wednesday, a war monitor and military media agency reported.

An attack near Aleppo (Photo: AFP/ VNA)

The advance was the army’s first in Aleppo since the insurgents left the occupied area in December, and came as government and opposition delegations arrived in Geneva for peace talks sponsored by the United Nations.

The Syrian army and its allies now control Souq al-Jibs, west of the Assad suburb in southwest Aleppo.