SYRIAN Prime Minister Wael Al-Halqi announced a new government offensive, with Russian participation, to drive Islamic State (Isis) and its allies from east Aleppo yesterday.

“We, together with our Russian partners, are preparing an operation to liberate Aleppo and block all illegal armed groups that have not joined the ceasefire agreement or violated it,” he told a visiting delegation of Russian MPs, including the Communist Party’s Sergei Gavrilov.

Mr Halqi added that lifting the Isis siege of the eastern city of Deir Ezzor would be the next goal.