Syria rebels 'in push to break Aleppo siege'

Rebels outside the city have so far been leading the offensive

Rebels in Syria have announced a big offensive aimed at breaking the government siege of east Aleppo.

A UK-based monitoring group said the rebels had fired "hundreds" of missiles into western Aleppo, killing at least 15 civilians. They are also reported to have targeted al-Nayrab military airport to the east.


About 275,000 people have been besieged in the east by pro-government forces for several months. The Syrian government said it had repelled offensives on several fronts around Aleppo by both rebel groups and militants from so-called Islamic State (IS).

"Booby-trapped cars, two tanks and a large number of armoured vehicles" were destroyed, the defence ministry said on its website. Syria and its ally Russia have recently intensified air strikes on the east.

• Life under siege in rebel-held Aleppo
• Why Assad wants to take Aleppo
• Aleppo: Key battleground in Syria's war