Battles raged through the night and into Thursday, July 26 in Syria's largest city Aleppo, a monitoring group said, as activists reported clashes in the Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp in Damascus, according to AFP.

The battles in Aleppo followed a day of heavy fighting and came after the regime rushed reinforcements to the northern city, where rebels launched an all-out assault for control of the country's commercial hub on July 20.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported 19 civilians and three rebels killed in Aleppo fighting on Wednesday but did not give a separate toll for soldiers.

Syrian newspaper Al-Watan, which is close to the regime, led Thursday with the headline "Aleppo, the mother of all battles," adding that "the army continues to chase terrorists in the outskirts of Damascus and the province."