The Syrian army and its allies have broken a three-year rebel siege of two Shiite towns in northwest Syria, government said on Wednesday (February 3), cutting off a main insurgent route to nearby Turkey.

The two towns of Nubul and Zahraa, with an estimated 60,000 population, are connected to the border by areas under the control of Kurdish militias that provided them some access.

Syrian military footage posted online said to show Army forces advancing on the two towns, with exchange of fire as they move in.

Al Manar TV said pro-government militias from the besieged towns were able to link up with advancing Syrian army troops after the town of Maarsteh al Khan fell to them.

Breaking the siege opens a direct route for the Syrian army to Kurdish-controlled Afrin and brings them closer to areas run by Turkish-backed insurgents near the Turkish border.

Defence strategists said the two heavily garrisoned towns could become a launching pad for the Syrian army and its allies for wider territorial gains in northern Aleppo province and to tighten the encirclement of the rebel-held part of Aleppo city.