Children among 15 killed in Syria barrel bomb attack

A barrel bomb killed 11 children in one of two deadly attacks Thursday in the Syrian city of Aleppo, a monitoring group said.

At least 15 people died when the barrel bomb hit a rebel-held neighborhood in Aleppo, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The UK-based monitoring group said in addition to the children, four women were killed at Bab al-Nayrab neighborhood.

The Aleppo Media Center issued a lower number, saying 13 people were killed, including four children, in the Bab al-Nayrab neighborhood.

Amnesty International says barrel bombs are a common tactic of the Syrian regime. The strikes come amid Russia's agreement to a 48-hour ceasefire and the United Nations' emphasis on a need for one.

The group also reported eight people were killed Thursday, including two children, when rebels fired mortar rounds into regime-held areas in western Aleppo.