At Least 15 Dead As Rebels Hit Ukraine Homes

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At least 15 people are dead and 46 have been wounded after rebels shelled homes and a busy market in a strategically important city in southeast Ukraine.

The Interior Ministry said homes were alight and the mobile phone network had gone down after pro-Russian separatists fired long-range rockets on the port city of Mariupol in the region of Donetsk.

The attack comes after rebels threatened to increase their campaign triggering an escalation of violence in a country where a shaky cease-fire is struggling to hold.

The authorities in the government-held city struggled to calm the panicking residents and condemned the attack on ordinary residents.

One resident said: "Obviously everyone in the city is very scared. The rebels have already seized the airport and now they are starting to destroy Mariupol itself."

Footage and pictures emerging from the city showed widespread damage.

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Gallery: Ten Dead In Ukraine Rocket Attack

Ten people have been killed in an attack on homes and a market in the port city of Mariupol.

Ukraine's Interior Ministry says long-range rockets were fired on homes, buildings and a busy open air market.

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A number of people have also been wounded in the attack which came after rebels promised to escalate their campaign of violence.

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However, the separatists have denied carrying out the shelling.

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Mariupol is strategically important because it lies between the Russian mainland and Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in March.

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Separatists have denied responsibility for the attack saying: "This is blatant misinformation and a lie. Rebel forces did not open any fire in the direction of Mariupol, especially not on residential areas."

Mariupol city council dismissed suggestions Ukrainian armed forces were planning to withdraw from the government-held city, which is strategically important because it lies between mainland Russia and Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in March.

In a statement, urging residents not to panic, the council said: "On the contrary, all units are on fully battle-ready. Security measures in the city have been strengthened."

A peace deal between the government and the separatists was signed in September but is has been repeatedly violated by both sides. It came after a push on the city of Mariupol in August.

There has been a significant increase in fighting in the last two weeks and the United Nations says 262 lives have been claimed in the past nine days alone.

On Friday the separatist leader of Donetsk said he was ripping up the September agreement and launching an all-out offensive aimed at seizing lands.

Vyacheslav Abroskin, the head of the regional police posted on Facebook: "As a result of shelling by rebels of a residential sector of Mariupol ... ten people have been killed."

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Terjun Bebas