REINFORCED Syrian troops advanced, yard by yard, against Islamist insurgents for control of Aleppo yesterday under crushing Russian air support.

Soldiers and volunteer militia struck out from the Ramouseh cement factory in the city’s south-west — liberated on Monday — towards the nearby gas plant and the main highway five.

A huge blaze raged at the cement factory after fighters of the newly rebranded Levant Conquest Front — formerly the al-Qaida affiliated Nusra Front — targeted fuel tankers there.