Syria's military on Wednesday announced a reduction of air strikes and artillery fire on rebels in Aleppo, saying the army had advanced nearly two weeks into its large-scale offensive for the city.

The statement, carried by state news agency SANA, said the decision had been taken "after the success of our armed forces in Aleppo and cutting off all terrorist supply routes into the eastern districts".

"The military command has decided to reduce the number of air strikes and artillery on terrorist positions to allow civilians that want to leave to reach safe areas," it said.

Once Syria's commercial hub, Aleppo has been divided by rebel groups in the east and government forces in the west since violence broke out there in 2012.

On September 22, the army of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad announced a major assault to capture the opposition-held half.

Backed by Russian warplanes, the offensive is being waged in the city centre, in the northern outskirts, and in the southern edges.

It has come under international scrutiny because of indiscriminate air strikes on civilian infrastructure, including hospitals.

Heavy bombardment on Monday destroyed the M10 hospital, the largest in the eastern districts.