Syria political deal not viable: 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 on 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.