The Syrian Army is planning offensives against the cities of Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa with the support of the Russian Air Force, RIA news agency quoted Alexei Borodavkin, Russia's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, as saying on Friday, April 29.

Dozens were killed in recent air strikes in the Syrian city of Aleppo, including doctors and patients in the charity hospital Medecins sans Frontieres on Thursday.

Violence in Syria has intensified in recent days, despite a truce.

The upsurge in violence comes amid reports that the Syrian army, backed by Russian air power, is gearing up for a major offensive in Aleppo.

The escalation has threatened to derail the UN-brokered peace talks, which resumed last month.