Regime war planes pound East Aleppo after brief pause

Syrian regime war planes bombed rebel-held East Aleppo on Friday, despite its ally Russia announcing of a new humanitarian pause, a monitor said.

Syrian regime artillery fire also hit the rebels' shrinking enclave in Aleppo after the announcement of a pause in fire to allow some tens of thousands of trapped civilians out.

On Friday afternoon, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights - a monitor of the war - said regime air raids had resumed, targeting several of the few neighbourhoods in the east still held by the rebels.

There were no immediate details of casualties in the strikes.

Air raids were halted on Thursday evening following Moscow's announcement of a pause in the offensive, but shelling continued throughout the night and into the morning.

Syria's regime has retaken at least 85 percent of East Aleppo, which fell to rebels in 2012, since beginning its operation on 15 November.

Russia began a military intervention to bolster President Bashar al-Assad's government against rebels in 2015, but says it is not participating in the operation to retake Aleppo