Moscow, Aug 14 (IANS/RIA Novosti): Syrian government troops have stormed the rebel-held city of Aleppo using tanks and armoured vehicles, the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
Clashes with rebel fighters were reported in the Saif al-Dawla neighbourhood Monday.
Observers have viewed the battle for Aleppo as a major watershed in the Syrian conflict that could decide the future of the armed uprising against President Bashar al-Assad.
Aleppo, a city of 2.5 million people, has remained the hotspot of Syria's conflict since last week, when pro-government forces launched a massive assault on the city in a colossal push to regain control of key territories across the country.
The media proclaimed the fight for Aleppo "the mother of all battles".
The Syrian conflict has claimed between 14,000 and 20,000 lives since March 2011, according to estimates by various opposition groups and the UN.