The blast occurred as security forces drove by in a bus, but it was unclear whether the fatalities were soldiers or civilians, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The new attacks came after violence flared at the sprawling Aleppo University, one of several schools where anti-government protests have erupted recently. Seven were killed at the university Thursday.
Aleppo, a bastion of support for al-Assad, has been largely spared in Syria's 14 months of bloody uprising. Recent protests there could signal a significant shift.
CNN cannot independently verify reports of violence and deaths within Syria because the government has restricted access by most of the international media.
In the capital of Damascus, two separate blasts, including one targeting a military vehicle, left three government soldiers injured, the group said.
In the opposition stronghold of Homs, Syrian forces shelled a crowded neighborhood at dawn, killing two defected police officers, activists said.
As the violence rages, the head of the opposition political group, the Syrian National Council, was expected to arrive in China for talks Sunday.
Burhan Ghalioun will meet foreign ministry officials during his trip, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
Earlier this year, China and Russia derailed a United Nations Security Council resolution demanding an end to attacks on peaceful protesters.
The latest attacks, in violation of a peace plan brokered by international envoy Kofi Annan, escalated doubts as to whether the violent 14-month uprising can be resolved.
A spokesman for Annan said it will take time for the plan to take hold.
"The Annan plan is on track and a crisis that has been going on for over a year is not going to be resolved in a day or a week," spokesman Ahmed Fawzi said Friday. "Sadly, time is a luxury that we don't have. But realistically, it's going to take a little more time to pull all the strings together, but rest assured that they are being pulled together."
While there are no big signs of compliance with the plan, he said, there are small signs such as some heavy weapons have been withdrawn and violence has receded.
The head of the U.N. mission in Syria, Gen. Robert Mood, said the government is allowing observers access and the team has seen more commitment to the cease-fire plan.
Dozens of unarmed military observers are in Syria with a total of 300 expected in the country by the end of the month to monitor the cease-fire and the peace plan.
The cease-fire went into effect April 12 and is part of a six-point peace plan negotiated by Annan.
The plan includes the government allowing humanitarian groups access to the population, releasing detainees, starting a political dialogue and withdrawing troops from city centers.
Syria's protests started peacefully in March of last year, but a government crackdown spawned violence that has left thousands dead and prompted some military defectors to take up arms against the regime forces. The government has consistently blamed the violence on "armed terrorists."
The United Nations estimates that at least 9,000 people have died in the conflict while opposition groups put the death toll at more than 11,000.
Source: CNN News
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