Unprecedented clashes between troops and rebels raged into a second day in Syria's second city of Aleppo on Saturday, forcing residents to flee some neighbourhoods, activists said.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said "battles have been ongoing since Friday morning between regular forces and fighters from rebel units in the Salaheddin neighbourhood."

The Local Coordination Committees reported "an exodus of residents of the neighbourhood because of fear of regime
bombardment and an offensive" against Salaheddin. [AFP]