Syrian army official says troops and allies reach besieged Aleppo villages

BEIRUT (Reuters) - A Syrian army official said on Wednesday that government troops and their allies had broken through rebel defences to reach two Shi'ite villages besieged by insurgents in northwestern Aleppo province. "The Syrian army and its allies have totally broken the siege on Nubul and Zahraa," the official told Reuters, referring to Lebanese Hezbollah fighters and other militias fighting alongside government forces. Hezbollah, which has been a key ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, broadcast on its Al-Manar television station footage of the battle, as did Lebanon-based pro-Damascus channel al-Mayadeen. (Reporting by Laila Bassam; Writing by John Davison; Editing by Alison Williams)