An explosion which rocked an east Aleppo neighbourhood early on Saturday killed at least three people, state media said.

A correspondent for Lebanon's Hezbollah-run television station Al-Manar was reporting live from the area when the blast sounded in the background, sending a huge cloud of dust into the air.

The channel later reported the explosion was caused by a device left inside a school by rebels.

The Syrian army is still sweeping the area for bombs and booby traps, a spokesperson said. Rebel artillery fire on al-Hamdaniya neighbourhood on Friday also killed at least three people. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights put the figure at six, including two children.

The Syrian government has been broadcasting footage of tourists visiting the city’s ancient citadel and celebrating Christmas, keen to show that Aleppo is safe and united again despite the threat of continued rebel shelling.

Some residents who left homes in the eastern half of the city when fighting broke out four years ago have managed to return, state media said.

Meanwhile, activists loyal to the opposition said this week that at least six civilians have been executed by Shia militias, as happened during the regime’s final push to retake the city, although no such incident has been verified by other sources.

Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Show all 12 1 /12 Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War A man crosses a street in Aleppo, December 12, 2009 Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War A vendor sits inside an antique shop in al-Jdeideh neighbourhood, in the Old City of Aleppo, December 12, 2009 Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War A view shows part of Aleppo's historic citadel, overlooking Aleppo city, Syria Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War A view shows part of Aleppo's historic citadel, Syria Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Visitors walk inside Aleppo's Umayyad mosque, Syria Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War People walk inside the Khan al-Shounah market, in the Old City of Aleppo, Syria Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War A man walks past shops in al-Jdeideh neighbourhood, in the Old City of Aleppo, Syria Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War People walk along an alley in al-Jdeideh neighbourhood, in the Old City of Aleppo, Syria Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Visitors tour Aleppo's historic citadel, Syria December 11, 2009 Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War A general view shows the Old City of Aleppo as seen from Aleppo's historic citadel, Syria December 11, 2009 Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War People walk near Aleppo's Bab al-Faraj Clock Tower, Syria October 6, 2010 Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War A man stands inside Aleppo's historic citadel, overlooking Aleppo city, Syria December 11, 2009 Reuters

The last rebels and civilians who wanted to leave Aleppo were taken to neighbouring rebel-held Idlib province on Thursday after a tense eight-day long process UN spokesperson Farqan Haq described as “traumatic”.

Numbers are difficult to verify, but it is thought that no more than a few hundred people chose to remain in east Aleppo before the government’s forces moved in. It is not clear how many are fighters and how many are civilians.

Idlib, where more than 35,000 people have been moved, has also seen renewed violence, as air strikes on the area resumed on Saturday. Casualties have not yet been reported.

The rural, mostly rebel-held province has been hit nearly as brutally as Aleppo by both Syrian and Russian air strikes in recent months. The UN’s Special Envoy to Syria, Staffan di Mistura, warned this week that it could become “the next Aleppo,” with most observers expecting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to refocus his attention on the area now Aleppo has fallen.