The Syrian army said on Saturday it has seized the last rebel-held district of the capital as insurgents in the strategic northern city of Aleppo came under heavy bombardment by regime forces. The army said it had retaken the hold-out rebel district of Tadamun in Damascus, a day after the United Nations deplored the failure of diplomacy to end a conflict that has reportedly claimed more than 21,000 lives in nearly 17 months.

Syrian troops celebrate clearing a neighborhood in Damascus of insurgents. (File photo)

A brigadier general who refused to give his name told journalists visiting the neighborhood of Tadamun, the scene of heavy fighting earlier, that it has been retaken, and that the military now controls all of the capital. An anti-regime activist, Lena al-Shami, also confirmed that the rebel Free Syrian Army (FSA) had withdrawn from Tadaman and would focus on “hit-and-run tactics against important regime targets.”
Meanwhile, clashes continue in Syrian city of Aleppo. A senior security official said that the government has sent around 20,000 troops to this city in preparation for an upcoming general attack.