Violence in northern Syria kills 23

TIL Desk/World/Beirut-At least 11 children were among 23 people killed in northern Syria as pro-government forces kept up their campaign against opposition areas in the country’s north, while rebels shelled a government-held district in Aleppo city. At least eight more people were killed in a suspected airstrike on a crossing point connecting Kurdish-held areas with rebel areas in northern Aleppo province, the Kurdish security force said.

The violence yesterday comes a day after government troops repelled a rebel offensive on western parts of Aleppo city launched in late October. The shelling of a western Aleppo district killed four people, including two women and a child.

The government siege has left an estimated 275,000 people trapped with no aid allowed in since July, amid a punishing bombing campaign. The rebel offensive started after Russia, a major Syrian government ally, said it would halt airstrikes to allow rebels and supporters to leave eastern Aleppo.