Video and photos of the boy sitting dazed and bloodied in an ambulance were shared widely on social media, with many expressing shock and outrage.

He was identified as Omran Daqneesh, 5, who was treated for head wounds on Wednesday night, according to a doctor.

His parents and three siblings are believed to have survived the attack.

Fighting between government and rebel forces has escalated in recent weeks in Aleppo, once Syria's commercial and industrial hub, leaving hundreds dead. The victims include dozens of children, NGO Save the Children said.

Omran's picture has already led to comparisons with another disturbing image, that of three-year-old Syrian refugee Alan Kurdi whose body was washed up on a Turkish beach after his family attempted to cross to Greece.

(Excerpts:BBC News)