Syria army announces offensive on rebel-held Aleppo
Syria's army announced the launch Thursday of an offensive to retake the rebel-held east of the battleground city of Aleppo, warning residents to keep away from posts held by anti-regime fighters.
"The military operations command announces the start of operations in eastern districts of the city and calls on residents to stay away from the positions of terrorist groups," it said in a statement carried by state news agency SANA, using the regime's term for the opposition.
The announcement came as the United States and Russia convened a last-ditch meeting in New York to save their Syria ceasefire plan and followed several hours of intensive bombardment that left Aleppo in flames.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said earlier that bombardment and air strikes since Wednesday night targeting the rebel-held neighbourhoods of Bustan al-Qasr and Al-Kalasseh had triggered "massive fires".
The estimated 250,000 residents of east Aleppo, which rebels have held since 2012, have been living under government siege since early September.