AKIPRESS.COM - A deal to evacuate rebel fighters and civilians from eastern Aleppo appears to have stalled, with heavy shelling reported in the Syrian city.

A ceasefire was declared in Aleppo on Tuesday and buses brought in to ferry people out of the devastated enclave, BBC reported.

But fighting resumed on Wednesday. Syrian activists also say air strikes over rebel-held territory have resumed.

The breakdown of the deal, brokered by Russia and Turkey, is being attributed to demands from the Syrian government.

It is said to be seeking the evacuation of its own injured fighters and civilians from nearby towns encircled by opposition forces.

Eastern Aleppo has been held by the rebels since 2012. But they have been squeezed into ever smaller areas in recent months by a major government offensive, backed by Russian air power.

In recent days government troops have made sweeping gains, confining the rebels to a small pocket of the city.