The Syrian government’s expected recapture of Aleppo after a prolonged and punishing air assault is a defining moment in the country’s devastating civil war: it leaves President Bashar Assad in control of almost all major urban areas – and poised to petition for a role in the world community’s broader war against Islamic State militants...

Syrian troops tightening their grip on opposition-held neighbourhoods in Aleppo after what residents described as the heaviest air bombardment of the 5 1/2-year civil war.

A U.S.-Russian brokered cease-fire for Syria came into effect on Monday at sunset, with monitoring groups and state media reporting clashes up until the final minutes.