Roundup: Rebels shelling hits UN office in Syria's Aleppo amid reduced violence

The rebels targeted with three mortar shells a hotel where UN staff reside in Syria's northern city of Aleppo on Tuesday, state news agency SANA reported.

Three shells, fired from the rebels who are located in the Bustan al-Qaser neighborhood in eastern Aleppo, hit the al-Shahba Hotel, where the UN mission in Aleppo operates.

The attack only caused property losses, with no casualties reported among the UN staff, or other hotel guests, according to SANA.

SANA said the attack comes as part of the rebels' targeting of infrastructure and diplomatic missions.

This comes as a military source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity that intensity of battles relatively declined on Tuesday, with attacks still going on, but in lower degree.

Over the past four days, Aleppo has witnessed the most intense military showdown since the conflict reached Aleppo four years ago, following a wide-scale rebel offensive against government positions in government-controlled areas in western Aleppo.

The broad rebel offensive aims to break the government forces' siege on rebel-held areas in eastern Aleppo.

The rebels succeeded in infiltrating the Assad suburb area in western Aleppo and the town of Menyan, but the army on Sunday recaptured Menyan and said it had besieged the rebels who infiltrated the Assad suburb area.

The Syrian army said Monday that at least 84 civilians have been killed and 280 others wounded since Friday by the rebels relentless attack.

The high number of causalities come as the rebels fired over a hundred mortar shells, 50 missiles, and 20 explosive-laden cylinders on government-controlled areas in western Aleppo, said the army in a statement.

The army also mentioned the gas attack the rebels unleashed on a military academy and residential areas in western Aleppo on Sunday, saying 48 people suffered suffocation and breathing difficulties.

The Syrian army has laid siege on rebel-held areas in Aleppo in recent months, urging the rebels to surrender themselves or leave eastern Aleppo to other rebel-held areas in the northwestern province of Idlib.

The rebels mostly ignored the repeated requests. Last week, a three-day truce, declared by the government to help facilitate the evacuation of civilians and rebels who want to surrender in exchange for pardon, expired with only a few civilians and rebels making it across the designated "exit routes."

The Syrian government accused the rebels of preventing the civilians, around 250,000, as well as rebel fighters from leaving.

Observers believe that Aleppo is going to be the decisive battle ground among the fighting groups, and the winner will be the one dictating its conditions to resolve the crisis, as the province contains all the groups that are supported by regional and international powers, with the civilians paying the price for this proxy war. Endit