TERRORISTS massacred 27 people in the east of Aleppo on Saturday after hundreds of civilians protested against the rebel blockade of exit routes.

Local sources and the Russian Defence Ministry — whose troops are monitoring humanitarian corridors — said militant machine-gunners and rooftop snipers opened fire on some 1,500 demonstrators.

They said 17 were killed at the scene, including two teenagers of 13 and 15, while dozens were injured. Russian Defence Ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov said the militants rounded up 10 more protesters and then executed them.

Seven children were also killed by insurgents yesterday when they shelled the al-Furqan primary school in the government-held west of Aleppo.

Their teacher and 19 classmates where injured, all critically, when a mortar shell hit the classroom.

Two families of five made it out of the city’s rebel-occupied east on Saturday after several attempts, telling of the regime of terror imposed by the extremists.

Father Mohammad Ali alHassan said the insurgents were holding remaining civilians hostage and monopolising supplies of food and medicine.

Abdul Azeem Sammaqiyeh said the captive population were waiting for the Syrian army to liberate them, adding: “If the locals were able to leave, not a single family would stay in those areas.”

Soldiers and volunteers battled their way into east Aleppo on four axes yesterday, continuing the offensive launched on Friday.

UN envoy Staffan de Mistura flew into Damascus to propose “autonomy” for east Aleppo yesterday — after EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini met representatives of the Saudi-controlled high negotiations committee on Friday.

Last week Mr Mistura told the Guardian that victory in Aleppo would be “pyrrhic,” driving al-Qaida affiliated “moderates” into the arms of Isis.

Foreign Minister Walid alMoallem “categorically rejected” the idea, saying Syria would not allow the 40-60,000 civilians there to be “hostages to 6,000 gunmen.”

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