Ceasefire Extended To Aleppo After 'Dozens Die'

A ceasefire in Syria has been extended to the northern city of Aleppo, hours after dozens of people were killed in a day-long battle

Human rights observers estimate up to 300 people have died in the last two weeks, killed as government forces and Syrian rebels battled for control of the country's largest city.

In the most recent fighting, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said dozens of people were killed, although the exact number is in dispute.

US officials said earlier on Wednesday an agreement was reached with Russia to extend Syria's fragile truce to Aleppo, despite the upsurge in violence.

It is understood the agreement was reached late on Tuesday and took effect at 12.01am on Wednesday, Damascus time.

The start of the truce was followed by a decrease in violence, the officials said, acknowledging that violations persisted in some areas.

UN envoy for Syria Steffan di Mistura said that if the ceasefire failed, the consequences could be "catastrophic", with the possibility that 400,000 people could head for the Turkish border.

Germany's foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier welcomed the new agreement and called for President Bashar Assad's government and all armed groups to respect the truce.

On Tuesday, Syrian state TV said a hospital in Aleppo was hit by a rebel rocket attack , killing several people and injuring many more.

On the same day, the United Nations Security Council unanimously passed a resolution, condemning attacks on health facilities.

"Since the beginning of the (Syrian) conflict, Physicians for Human Rights has documented more than 360 attacks on some 250 medical facilities," UN chief Ban Ki-Moon said.

"More than 730 medical personnel have been killed."

Meanwhile, the commander of Jordan's Border Guard Forces said the number of Syrian refugees gathered on the Jordanian border, waiting to enter his country, has risen to a new high of 59,000.

A 27 February truce between the Syrian government and rebel forces effectively collapsed, although Russia had earlier indicated it could be extended.