SYRIAN government troops advanced deep into east Aleppo yesterday, routing Western-backed insurgents and driving them out of several key districts.

After liberating a swathe of territory west of the international airport on Saturday, paving the way for it to reopen, the army broke through into the built-up al-Jazmati district.

The troops kept up the momentum yesterday, capturing all of al-Jazmati along with the al-Myassar and Dahret Awwad neighbourhoods closer to the city centre.