Syrian air raid kills rebel commander in Aleppo

A Syrian rebel commander in a main Islamist brigade was killed and two others were injured in an air strike by President Bashar Assad's forces on Aleppo, activists said on Friday, in a setback to rebels defending the city against a loyalist attack.

Aleppo, Syria's commercial hub and most populous city before the uprising against Assad erupted in 2011, has been witnessing heavy fighting since Assad's forces, backed by Shiite militia from Iraq and the Lebanese party Hezbollah, launched an offensive two weeks ago to retake rebel-held areas in the city. (Reuters)