At least 10 people, including seven children, were killed in air strikes on the rebel-held east of Aleppo city on Friday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said. The Britain-based group said it was unclear if the raids on Aleppo's Marjeh district were carried out by aircraft belonging to the Syrian government or its ally Russia.
The latest civilian deaths come as rebels press an assault intended to break a government siege of opposition-held Aleppo that began on July 17 and has raised fears of a humanitarian crisis. The assault started on Sunday and is targeting the Ramussa district that contains the main supply route to the government-held west of the city. Once Syria's economic powerhouse, Aleppo has been ravaged by the war that began in March 2011 with anti-government protests.
After some initial advances, government forces backed by Russian air strikes have pushed back opposition fighters, which include jihadists from al Qaeda's former Syrian affiliate. According to the Observatory, at least 112 civilians, including 33 children, have been killed in Aleppo since the rebel assault began on Sunday. The deaths include 65 people, among them 22 children, killed in rebel fire on government neighbourhoods, the Observatory said. Another 42 people, including 11 children, have been killed in strikes on eastern Aleppo, the monitor said.