Syrian forces are reported to have recaptured land close to Aleppo from rebels with the help of heavy Russian air raids.

Government fighters have taken control of two hilltops and two small villages in the southwest suburbs, said monitoring group the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The advance turns back Sunday's gains from a rebel offensive launched to ease the regime's siege of eastern opposition-held districts of the divided city.

Image: A man rides a bicycle past burning tyres which activists say is used to create smoke cover from warplanes, in Aleppo Image: Opposition fighters drive a tank on the southern outskirts of Aleppo as they battle to break the government siege on the city Image: Damage inside Anadan Hospital, sponsored by Union of Medical Care and Relief Organizations (UOSSM), after it was hit by airstrike in rebel held city of Ana Image: A man walks past a damaged ambulance after an airstrike hit the hospital Image: A warplane flies over the rebel held al-Rashideen neighbourhood in western Aleppo Image: Smoke rises after an airstrike on the area Image: Rebel fighters rest near their weapons inside a safe house /

"The regime is launching counter-attacks to absorb the fierce rebel offensive," said Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman.

Dozens of government troops have been killed and some 50 rebels and allied jihadists have also died since the assault, the SOHR said.


The government-linked Al-Watan daily has reported that regime forces "advanced again south and southwest of Aleppo because of the major setbacks" among rebel factions.

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The rebels fighting in Aleppo include fighters from Al Qaeda's former Syria affiliate, the powerful Islamist Ahrar al Sham as well as other groups.

The rebels are seeking to gain control of Ramussa district in the southwest suburbs, to try to cut off government forces and open up a new route into the city for rebel fighters.

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At least 10 civilians including four children were reported killed overnight in rebel shelling of government-controlled districts on Aleppo's southwestern edges, the group said.

More than 40 civilians have been killed since Sunday because of opposition bombardment of those neighbourhoods.