Syria Political Deal Not Viable, Says Opposition Official

Escalating violence in Syria, particularly against rebel-held Aleppo city, means a political solution to the conflict is "no longer a viable option," an opposition official said Wednesday.

Muwaffaq Nyrabia, vice-president of the key National Coalition movement, said the country's rebels were "considering all options to defend the Syrian people against the Russian aggression on Syria."

"A political solution is no longer a viable option in the current climate," he said, according to a statement issued by the National Coalition.

There was no official statement from the body as a whole, which is the leading political opposition group in exile.

The statement said the "armed and political opposition are working on closing ranks and arranging their priorities in light of the fierce military campaign waged by the regime and its allies" but gave no further details.

Syria's government and its ally Russia have pounded rebel-held parts of Aleppo since Thursday, when Damascus announced an operation to recapture all of the city.

The operation began after a truce deal negotiated between Moscow and Washington collapsed.

The deal had been touted as a possible path back to new negotiations on ending the conflict, which has killed more than 300,000 people since it began in March 2011.