Shelling continues in Aleppo amid talks of reduced military campaign

Air strikes continued slamming the few remaining rebel-held neighborhoods in the eastern part of Aleppo on Friday amid talks of reduced air raids.

At least eight air strikes were heard by Xinhua reporters visiting the Aghiar neighborhood, which was recaptured by the Syrian army on Thursday in rebel-controlled part of eastern Aleppo.

Other air strikes and shelling were also heard pounding the strategic Sheikh Saed neighborhood in southeastern Aleppo later in the day.

Dark smoke filled the skyline over eastern Aleppo, as thousands of civilians continued to flee Sheikh Saed in droves on Friday toward government-controlled areas.

The government forces wrested control over Sheikh Saed on Nov. 30, but later lost to the rebels after a counter offensive.

Now, the Syrian army and allied fighters are fighting again to dislodge the rebels from that neighborhood.

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Thursday that Syria's army has suspended its combat operations in eastern Aleppo to allow civilians in the war zone to be evacuated.

The military operations against eastern Aleppo were reduced, but not stopped, said a Syrian military soldier.

This comes as the Syrian government forces have been on a crushing offensive against the rebels in eastern Aleppo, capturing over 85 percent of neighborhoods that had been stormed by the rebels in 2012.

The International Committee of the Red Cross said last week that over 30,000 civilians fled eastern Aleppo toward the government-controlled areas.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad also said that the decision for taking all of Aleppo has been taken, adding that the army recapture of rebel-held areas in Aleppo will change the course of the battles in Syria. Endit