A Hospital In Syrian City Of Aleppo Has been Hit With Rocket

SOFR said rebel shelling of government-held areas killed at least 19 people

At least three people have been killed in a rebel rocket attack on a hospital in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo.

The attack was part of a shelling that left at least 19 people dead in government-controlled areas of the city on Tuesday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOFHR), a UK-based monitoring group, said.

Rebels and Syrian government forces have been battling each other with rockets and bombs across Aleppo and its outskirts for days now.

A partial truce is in effect in Syria but it does not cover Aleppo, the country's largest city and the scene of its worst violence in recent weeks.

In Sunday's violence, government forces carried out air strikes on Aleppo's rebel-held areas, including the Sakkour neighbourhood, after the rebels' rocket attack.

Syria's Ikhbariya news said three women were killed and 17 injured inside the hospital, located in the Muhafaza neighbourhood. 

"[Dozens] martyred and wounded in rockets fired by terrorists at al-Dabbit Hospital," a news flash carried on state TV said.

The army said rebels had launched a widespread attack on civilian areas and hit the hospital. It accused groups including al-Nusra Front, Ahrar al-Sham and Jaish al-Islam of being behind the shelling.

UK-based monitoring group SOFR also reported casualties at al-Dabbit Hospital, adding that the building had been heavily damaged.The monitoring group said that rebel shelling of government-held areas killed at least 19 people, including three children.

Rebel gains claimed

Local journalist Zouhir Al Shimale said he does not find Syrian government's claims about the shelling of al-Dabbit Hospital credible."The hospital is at 6km away from the rebel held area," he said, "Rebels' cannons or simple weapons couldn't be able to shell the hospital".

"Syrian media is trying to put the blame on the Free Syrian Army, in order to draw eyes away from Assad's campaign in Aleppo city," he told Al Jazeera, referring to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Ahmad, a local Free Syrian Army fighter who declined to provide his surname, on the other hand, claimed rebel groups are making gains against government forces in Muhanna and Halab Jadaydeh.

"The fighters took several positions from Assad's militias so far and the clashes are fierce and ongoing," the fighter told Al Jazeera."This attack is a response to Assad's continuing campaign of air strikes on the city and his targeting and killing of civilians here."

Several hospitals and clinics have previously been hit by deadly air strikes on rebel-held areas of Aleppo.The latest deaths come on top of the more than 250 people killed in less than two weeks across the city.

The Syrian opposition has accused the government of "war crimes and crimes against humanity" in Aleppo as barrel bombs have been dropped on the city and surrounding areas. Fayad Mohammad, a resident of al-Sheikh Fares district in eastern Aleppo, said that his neighborhood was struck seven times on Tuesday.

He says barrel bombs - crude and unguided explosives - and shells have pounded his neighbourhood. "There is a lot of damage," he told Al Jazeera.

We hoped that we would be included in yesterday's ceasefire agreement, but the warplanes are still in the sky."Speaking to Al Jazeera, he said: "We haven't been able to go to our house since early morning because there is heavy artillery fire and shelling. We might die or get very badly injured by the random strikes."

Hamed Kasem, who lives in the Shaar area of eastern Aleppo, said he had seen many civilians injured as the attacks continued in his neighbourhood."Both today and last night, we haven't been able to rest because the sound of helicopters and bombardment."

First-hand accounts

Besides the dead, more than 1,500 people have been wounded in Aleppo as a result of the fighting.In a field hospital, one of the injured, Abu Ali, told Al Jazeera's Amro Halain that he lost a leg and the use of an arm as a result of a missile strike."I was injured in Helanieh. I was hit when a missile struck our area. I have lost my leg and the use of my arm," he said.

"When people came to rescue us, another missile hit us. They were only two minutes apart."The latest attack comes as diplomatic efforts intensify for Aleppo to be included in a ceasefire.

Staffan de Mistura, the United Nations special envoy on Syria, said on Tuesday that he wanted to focus on bringing a cessation of hostilities in Syria back on track at a meeting with Sergey Lavrov, Russia's foreign minister, in Moscow.

Lavrov said he expected to have a fruitful conversation, adding that the United States and Russian militaries are currently holding talks on the Aleppo ceasefire.