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DAMASCUS, Nov. 24 (Xinhua) -- At least 12 people were killed on Thursday by shelling on rebel-held areas in Syria's northern city of Aleppo, a monitor group reported.
Aerial and ground shelling by the government forces targeted rebel-held areas in the eastern part of Aleppo, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Meanwhile, the Qatari-based al-Jazeera TV said the death toll in eastern Aleppo has risen to over 50.
The Observatory, which claims to rely on a network of activists on ground, said the shelling came amid ongoing battles between the Syrian army and the rebels in Masaken Hanano, an area in eastern Aleppo that the former has recently infiltrated.
The Syrian opposition has repeatedly accused the government forces of shelling eastern Aleppo, while official media outlets accuse the rebels of constantly firing mortars and rockets on residential areas in western Aleppo.
For months, the Syrian government and Russia have been urging rebels to leave Aleppo, offering them safe passages to other rebel-held areas in the northwestern province of Idlib.
The rebels, however, turned down all offers, which has resulted in intensified violence.
