Syria army steps up pounding of rebel-held east Aleppo

Syrian aircraft and artillery pounded rebel-held areas of Aleppo early yesterday as Damascus and its ally Moscow intensified a renewed offensive against the rebels

A fire spreads after a reported army strike on Douma. Pic/AFP

Aleppo: Syrian aircraft and artillery pounded rebel-held areas of Aleppo early yesterday as Damascus and its ally Moscow intensified a renewed offensive against the rebels.

It was the fourth straight day of bombing since Russia declared an end to a month-long humanitarian pause on Tuesday. The over 250,000 civilians living under siege in the rebel-held east of Syria's second city spent the night in basements and bomb shelters after an intense bombardments of the renewed offensive.

Barrel bombs and other ordnance rained down until midnight only to resume in the early hours. The bombardment came as government troops pressed an assault on the southern neighbourhood of Sheikh Said, which they briefly entered before being pushed back by rebel fighters, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The rebels riposted by firing more than a dozen rockets into government-held areas of the city, the Britain-based monitoring group added.

At least 65 civilians have been killed since the offensive resumed on Tuesday, the Observatory said.

1.2mn
Number of civilians living in govt-held areas under attack

2012
The year rebels overran east of Aleppo

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