Syrian troops have stormed a rebel stronghold in the battered city of Aleppo, forcing opposition forces to flee in the fiercest fighting so far.President Bashar Al-Assad’s forces killed scores of rebel fighters in one of the most intense ground offensives against the 17-month rebellion Activist Joma Abu Ahmed said fleeing rebel positions had come under intense fire from Assad’s tanks and fighter jets.Opposition watchdog, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said fighting in the area was the most violent since insurgents first moved in.

As Assad’s forces battle for the second city of Aleppo, there has been no let-up in fighting elsewhere in Syria and as many as 257 died in fighting across the country on Tuesday.

Satellite images showing the extent of Assad’s artillery shelling of Aleppo were released today by human rights campaigners Amnesty International.

The images from commercial satellites showed more than 600 craters, probably from artillery shelling, dotting Aleppo’s surrounding areas.a