Syria regime bombardment kills 32 civilians in Aleppo

At least 32 civilians, including five children, were killed on Thursday in Syrian regime airstrikes and artillery bombardment on rebel-held areas in eastern Aleppo, a monitor said citing a new toll.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Thursday's toll, up from an earlier figure of 16 killed, was one of the heaviest since the regime launched an offensive on eastern Aleppo on 15 November.

"There was an escalation in the evening, with successive bombardments," Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP, adding that many people were trapped under rubble.

"There are many wounded people, and bodies, still trapped under the rubble," he said, adding that several neighbourhoods had been hit across insurgent-controlled neighbourhoods.

He also described Thursday's toll as "one of the heaviest of the past few days".

Rescuers were seen in the neighbourhood of al-Mashad sifting through the rubble of a building that had been hit, working in total darkness.

"We didn't realise what happened. Everything just came down all around us," said resident Ahmad.

At least 188 civilians, including 27 children, have been killed since the assault was launched on 15 November, according to the Observatory. Rebel fire has killed 16 civilians in the government-held west, including 10 children.

The government offensive has hit hospitals and rescue centres and forced schools to close.

More than 250,000 civilians have been trapped under siege for months in rebel-held eastern Aleppo, with dwindling food and fuel supplies.

The battleground northern city, once Syria's economic capital, has been divided between the government-controlled western areas and the rebel-held eastern districts since 2012.

More than 300,000 people have been killed since Syria's war erupted in March 2011 with anti-government protests.