1st LD: Syrian military intensifies airstrikes on rebel positions in Aleppo

The Syrian military intensified its airstrikes on rebel positions in the northern city of Aleppo on Wednesday, a military source told Xinhua.

The air raids targeted rebel posts in Khan Touman, Miratah, Dar Ezzah, Qbaitan al-Jabal and other towns in Aleppo and its countryside, the source said on condition of anonymity.

Many rebels were killed and their military equipment destroyed, the source said without elaboration.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 23 people were killed Wednesday during airstrikes targeting rebel-held al-Shaar and al-Mashad, in the eastern part of Aleppo.

The London-based monitor group, which says it relies on a network of activists on the ground inside Syria, said the death toll will most likely rise as dozens of people are still trapped under rubble.

It said an entire building collapsed in al-Shaar following intensified airstrikes.

The escalation in attacks comes amid a large-scale military showdown in Aleppo, after the Syrian army, backed by Russian air force, captured the al-Farafira district in Aleppo's old quarter on Tuesday.

A recent two-week truce in Aleppo ended without extension as tension rose between Russia and the United States, which backs so-called moderate rebels fighting the government of President Bashar al-Assad.

Earlier this week, the Syrian military announced a major offensive against rebel-held areas in Aleppo, with government officials and President Bashar al-Assad pledging to capture the whole city from rebel hands.

Aleppo, Syria's largest province near the Turkish border and its economic hub before the crisis, is strategically vital to the warring parties. Endit