Syrian or Russian warplanes bomb Aleppo, casualties reported: monitor

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian or Russian warplanes bombed the city of Aleppo and nearby villages on Monday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported, after the Syrian military said a seven-day ceasefire was over. The air strikes hit rebel-held areas in central Aleppo and villages to the west of the city, the British-based monitoring group said, reporting a number of dead and injured. It said it was not clear if the jets were Syrian or Russian. Moscow supports President Bashar al-Assad with its air force. An official from Aleppo-based rebel group Fastaqim, Zakaria Malahifji, said there was heavy bombardment of Aleppo. "From 6 o'clock (11.00 a.m. ET) until now, the bombardment is heavy, using all kinds of weapons in Aleppo," he told Reuters. "It's really bad," he said. The Syrian army said it was ready to continue the fight against what it called terrorists, its term for all insurgents fighting against it, even as officials from the United States and Russia met to try to extend the ceasefire. Rebels also said they were bracing for renewed combat. (Reporting by John Davison; Editing by Louise Ireland)