Rebels say they have breached the siege imposed by the Syrian government on opposition neighborhoods in the northern city of Aleppo, in a major military breakthrough after intense fighting.
The Syrian government seized the only route into rebel-held areas in northern Aleppo last month, prompting a rebel counteroffensive from the city's south.
The U.N. said 300,000 people were trapped, making Aleppo one of the largest besieged areas in Syria.
The heavy fighting and air strikes reported from the area seemed to indicate any passage that may have been opened would be far from secure enough for civilians to travel through.