Government airstrikes, rebel shelling defy Aleppo truce

"A number of warplanes targeted civilian homes in al-Atareb, killing five civilians including three children, and injuring others, activist Majid Abdul-Noor told The New Arab.

"The aircraft was Russian made but we are unable to determine who they belong to," he added.

Meanwhile, Syrian State TV accused the rebels of firing rockets at one of the eight evacuation corridors opened from opposition-held east Aleppo during the unilateral Russian-declared ceasefire.

In a breaking news alert, the television said rebels shelled the Castello Road leading north from the divided city, where Moscow said it was observing a 10-hour ceasefire.

It said a reporter with another Syrian television channel had been wounded by shrapnel from the rocket fire.

The "humanitarian pause" is the second time Russia and its regime ally have declared several passages open for evacuations.

But expectations were low that either civilians or rebels would leave through the eight passages Moscow said were open, with two reserved for fighters.

Rebel forces have rejected the Russian initiative, describing it as an attempt to alleviate international pressure.

"This announcement is worthless... We don't trust the Russians or any of their cheap initiatives," said Yasser al-Youssef, from the politburo of the Nureddin al-Zinki rebel brigade in Aleppo.

Last week, rebel forces began a bid to break the siege on eastern Aleppo where more than 250,000 people remain besieged since July.

Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed in the brutal five-year conflict which has attracted the attention of world leaders, international rights groups as well as warring factions which have contributed monetarily or militarily in recent years.