Syria fighting cuts off passage to rebel part of Aleppo

Rebel areas of Aleppo have stockpiled enough basic supplies to survive months of siege by Syrian pro-government forces that cut off their half of the city last week, even though some goods are running out, an opposition official said. At least 29 rebel fighters were killed during that operation.

State media said eight people were killed and dozens hurt by the barrage. An estimated 300,000 people live in areas of the city held by antigovernment groups.

Large parts of Aleppo, once Syria’s commercial and industrial hub, have been destroyed since fighting erupted there in 2012.

No date has been set for the resumption of intra-Syrian peace talks seeking to broker an end to the five-year conflict.

Shells fired by rebels killed at least 57 people and injured almost 500 others in the government-held parts of Aleppo, SANA reported.

Syrians attend a rescue operation after the airstrikes on a market.

“The shells have rained down on the western neighbourhoods since 4:30 am”, he told AFP.

He said opposition authorities were also moving towards opening “alternative ways” into the rebel-held part of the city. Those killed included media activist Ibrahim Omar and two civil defence rescue workers, it said.

On Thursday, government forces effectively severed the last supply route into the rebel-held east, the Castello road, when they took a hilltop within firing range.

On Tuesday, the United Nations said it was “deeply concerned” about the situation in and around Aleppo.

Once Syria’s economic powerhouse, Aleppo has been ravaged by the war that began with anti-government protests in March 2011 and has killed more than 280,000 people. Rebels make swift advances, but are unable to consolidate their gains and the city becomes divided.

The rebels captured several districts in eastern Aleppo city and tried repeatedly to expand their presence to government-controlled areas in the west.

February 2016: The government captures towns north-west of Aleppo, threatening to encircle the rebel-held area of the city.

Rebel forces are fighting back in an attempt to reopen the Castello road.