Russia has announced that air strikes in Aleppo would be suspended for 10 hours to let civilians and rebels leave town. This follows a sharp escalation in fighting on Thursday.

"To avoid unnecessary casualties, the Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu declared a humanitarian pause in Aleppo from 09:00 to 19:00 on Friday, which is authorized by the supreme commander of the Russian Armed Forces, Vladimir Putin," said Russian general staff Lt. Gen. Sergey Rudskoy.

Five hours are left in the suspension of air strikes. Two corridors for escape are currently open. The first leads to the Turkish border and the second to Idlib to the southwest. Russia says it's the last chance for rebels to leave the city safely. Rebels have rejected the offer and said they would continue to try to break the siege.