Tasnim - Head of a Syrian research center hailed the army�s success to liberate the strategic city of Aleppo from terrorist groups after a four-year battle as an operation that thwarted a US-Zionist plot to disintegrate the Arab country.

The recapture of Aleppo foiled an American-Zionist scenario against Syria that was aimed at breaking the country apart and creating two governments, Malaz Meqdad said in an interview with the Tasnim News Agency.

Praising Syrian military forces for their ultimate victory against terrorists in Aleppo, the political analyst said the next priority should be to reinforce defense lines around the city and to address the challenges posed by Turkey in north of Syria.

Meqdad also noted that the liberation of Aleppo has paved the way for the launch of political negotiations for peace in Syria.

In a statement on December 22, Syria�s army announced it has regained full control over Aleppo, clearing the city from foreign-backed terrorist groups after more than four years of fighting.

On December 15, Syria had announced the liberation of Aleppo, with President Bashar al-Assad praising the victory as �history in the making and worthy of more than the word �congratulations�.�

The Syrian security forces encircled Aleppo on July 17 after closing off the last terrorist-controlled route into the city.

Syria has been gripped by civil war since March 2011 with various terrorist groups, including Daesh (also known as ISIS or ISIL), currently controlling parts of it.

According to a report by the Syrian Center for Policy Research, the conflict has claimed the lives of over 470,000 people, injured 1.9 million others, and displaced nearly half of the country�s pre-war population of about 23 million within or beyond its borders.