airstrikes

A military official said fighting intensified Wednesday in Crater and Mualla, neighborhoods that house the presidential palace, government offices and ports. The official said the rebels are putting up a fight at the presidential palace in Crater. He said an airstrike hit a government building used by the rebels as a base.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing military operations. He said the anti-rebel offensive was coordinated with the Saudi-led coalition.

A military official said fighting intensified Wednesday in Crater and Mualla, neighborhoods that house the presidential palace, government offices and ports. The official said the rebels are putting up a fight at the presidential palace in Crater. He said an airstrike hit a government building used by the rebels as a base.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing military operations. He said the anti-rebel offensive was coordinated with the Saudi-led coalition.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 19 civilians were among the dead in Saturday's attack on the town of al-Bab, including three children and three women.

Scores of others were wounded in the attack which saw army helicopters drop explosives-filled barrels on the town in the northern province of Aleppo.

The Local Coordination Committees group said 29 people were killed.

It was one of the largest coalition operations carried out in Syria to date, the coalition said Sunday.

At least 16 airstrikes were reported late Saturday and early Sunday, triggering successive explosions that shook the city and created panic among residents, activists said. 

The U.S.-led coalition often targets IS-held towns and cities in Syria, but the overnight strikes on Raqqa were rare in their intensity.