Russian raids stall 'last chance' rebel push in Aleppo as 30 civilians killed

A “last chance” offensive against government forces in Aleppo has run into major setbacks, as Russia reportedly increased air strikes to roll back rebel advances.

Russian planes hit the south of the devastated Syrian city early on Tuesday as fighters opposed to the rule of President Bashar al-Assad tried to break a weeks-long siege.

Meanwhile rebel bombardments of the southwest of Aleppo have resulted in at least 30 civilian deaths, including 18 women and children, said Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The counter-attack by rebels including al-Nusra Front, recently renamed Fateh al-Sham, has been described by opposition groups in Syria’s second city as the biggest since 2012, when half of Aleppo was taken from government forces.

"The Russian raids didn't stop all night on the front lines," the monitor added. "This has slowed the offensive and allowed regime troops to retake five of the eight positions that rebels had taken since Sunday.”

Rebel forces are targeting the Ramussa district of Aleppo, which would prevent the government accessing areas they control and allow the rebels to reach their own besieged eastern strongholds.

At least 50 rebels and their allies, as well as dozens of government troops, have been killed since the fight back began on Sunday, according to the observatory.

Opposition fighters have been besieged since 17 July, when government forces surrounded rebel-held districts of Aleppo as well as cutting the Castello Road, the key rebel supply route into the  city’s northern districts.

Since then food prices have increased by as much as 500 percent, with petrol all but gone and reports of residents waiting up to six hours every day just to buy bread.

The attack by Russian warplanes comes after a Mi-8 transport helicopter was shot down over the Syrian province of Idlib on Monday, resulting in the death of five soldiers.

The Russian defence ministry said the helicopter was targeted after delivering humanitarian aid to Aleppo, although pictures on social media showed it was armed with rocket pods.