Syrian media say 9 killed as rebels attack in divided Aleppo

The attack came as Syrian opposition fighters and their allies battled government forces outside Aleppo in a bid to ease the regime’s siege of rebel-held parts of the northern city.

A spokesman for the Syria Civil Defence said 33 people, mostly women and children, were affected by the chlorine.

A video posted to YouTube apparently showed several men struggling to breathe in the aftermath.

The Syrian and Russian governments say three humanitarian corridors have been opened to allow for the distribution of badly needed food and medical aid to civilians and to provide residents – along with rebels who choose to surrender – the opportunity to leave.

RUSSIAN military spokesman Lt Gen Sergei Rudskoi said last night that the Syrian army, backed by Russian air cover, had repelled a massive rebel attack meant to break the siege of Aleppo.

Rebel-held parts of Aleppo have been heavily bombarded recently by pro-government forces.

The Syrian government has not yet released a statement, according to Reuters, but Assad has denied previous charges of being involved in chemical attacks on the town. This group of Syrian rebels called the Jaish al-Fateh or Army of Conquest, have taken most of Idlib from Assad’s government forces.

The U.K. -based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also reported a helicopter attack on Saraqeb using “explosive barrels”.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said the transport helicopter was returning to base after delivering relief supplies to the city of Aleppo.

Although no rebel groups have officially claimed responsibility for the attack, it is likely it was shot down by rebel forces.

Despite persistent Western accusations that Moscow is abetting Assad in a brutal crackdown on his own people, Russian President Vladimir Putin has presented the Syrian operation as a success in the fight against Islamist terrorism.

It’s the deadliest single incident for Moscow since its air campaign began almost a year ago.

Later that year the United Nations and the Syrian government agreed to destroy the state’s declared stockpile of chemical weapons, a process completed in January 2016.

The defence ministry had earlier said there were five people on board.

As many as 1,400 people were killed when several opposition-controlled areas in the suburbs around Damascus were struck by rockets containing the chemical agent sarin on August 21, 2013. The weapon used was identified as sarin gas.

The Observatory said the rebels had advanced overnight south and southwest of Aleppo, but reported ongoing fighting, as well as government air strikes on the battlefield and rebel-held eastern neighborhoods. Evidence of mustard gas use has also been found in Syria.

The eastern Aleppo area has been helped by rebels since 2012 but is now encircled by regime forces.