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Soldiers of pro-government militia rest in Aleppo, Syria, on Dec. 11, 2016. The Syrian army and allied fighters are now in control of 98 percent of the rebel-held areas in the northern city of Aleppo, the media arm of the Syrian military said Monday. (Xinhua/Yang Zhen)

DAMASCUS, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- The Syrian army and allied fighters are now in control of 98 percent of the rebel-held areas in the northern city of Aleppo, the media arm of the Syrian military said Monday.

This comes as Syrian forces continued to advance in eastern Aleppo on Monday, capturing the neighborhoods of Sheikh Saeed, Shahadien, Iskan, Karm Afandi, Karm Dada, Salhien, all the way to the al-Haj bridge, Bab al-Maqam, Fardos and Qalat Saharif in the southeastern part of Aleppo.

The report said the Syrian army is moving on toward the remaining rebel-held areas of Kalaseh, Bustan al-Qaser, Souk al-Hal and Sukari, amid a collapse in rebel morale.

Meanwhile, a military source told Xinhua that the rebels are now trapped in an area of five square km in southeastern Aleppo.

Pan-Arab al-Mayadeen TV cited a senior military source as saying that the army will continue its battles until liberating the remaining neighborhoods in Aleppo.

Syrian government forces have been conducting a crushing offensive against the rebels in eastern Aleppo, which had been under rebel control since 2012.

President Bashar al-Assad also said that the decision for taking all of Aleppo has been taken, adding that the army's recapture of rebel-held areas in Aleppo will change the course of the battles in Syria.

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