DHAKA: Government forces in eastern Ukraine have begun storming the rebel-held city of Luhansk with tanks.

Russian news agency reports quoting rebels say, according to the BBC.

Heavy fighting erupted as columns of government armour attacked from the south and west, rebel military leader Igor Strelkov was quoted as saying.

He said there were unconfirmed reports of special forces landing by helicopter inside the city of 425,000 people.

A local pro-Ukrainian blogger tweeted about hearing explosions and sirens.

There was no immediate confirmation of the military operation from official Ukrainian sources.

The anonymous blogger, who tweets as @journal1st_88, also wrote of hearing shooting and planes flying overhead.

Pro-Russian separatist rebels have been fighting the government in Kiev since declaring independence in Luhansk and the neighbouring region of Donetsk in April.

BDST: 2056 HRS, JUL 13, 2014