Syria president: Victory in Aleppo won't end civil war

Syrian President Bashar Assad said that a victory in the battle for Aleppo will be a "big gain," but will not put an end to the civil war. The conflict, which is now its sixth year, continues as Syrian troops are making their way through the rebel-held enclave in eastern Aleppo. More than 30,000 of the estimated 275,000 residents of eastern Aleppo had fled to the western part of the city. The opposition said bombings took place in rebel-held neighborhoods in the city including al-Sukkari and Kallaseh. The International Committee for the Red Cross it had evacuated 148 disabled civilians and those in need of urgent care from a facility in Aleppo's Old City.