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DAMASCUS, June 30-- The Syrian army succeeded on Friday to lay a full siege on the Islamic State (IS)-held towns and villages in the southern countryside of Aleppo province in northern Syria, a military source told Xinhua. The Syrian army and allied forces have secured the road between the city of Rasafeh, in the southern countryside of Raqqa in northern Syria, and the town of Athria, in the eastern countryside of the central Hama province, which enabled it to lay a siege on the villages and towns in the southern countryside of Aleppo, the source said on condition of anonymity. The source, meanwhile, added that the Syrian army forces are bracing to enter the isolated villages in southern Aleppo, adding that the IS militants there are expected to have fled ahead of the imposition of a full siege on those areas. With this progress, the road between Hama and Aleppo has become secure, after being a target for frequent IS attacks. It also ends the IS presence in the entire province of Aleppo. The Syrian army and allied troops wrested control over the eastern part of Aleppo city last December and launched a wide-scale offensive in January to end the IS presence in the southern countryside of Aleppo. Earlier this month, the army also started an offensive in the western countryside of Raqqa, the de facto capital of IS, to achieve the progress in southern Aleppo. Enditem | 
