Russia has carried out air strikes on parts of the Syrian city of Aleppo after areas were seized by rebels opposed to the rule of President Bashar al-Assad. Recent days have seen the most significant offensive against the Syrian government in years and the withdrawal of its military from Aleppo,

The surprise attack, led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, was the boldest rebel assault for years in the civil war that has been frozen.

The Hayat Tahrir al-Sham rebel group in Syria has taken control of much of Aleppo city after local forces withdrew to organize a counteroffensive to retake Aleppo.

Syrian army reported that dozens of its soldiers were killed in significant attack by rebels who seized control of parts of Aleppo.

Russia's Defence Ministry said its air force had carried out strikes on Syrian rebels in support of the country's army, Russian news agencies reported on Saturday, amid an advance by forces opposed to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

The lightning assault on Aleppo by the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham abruptly redrew the front lines of Syria’s civil war.

Assad, the Syrian dictator, to retake Aleppo after part of the city fell to insurgents in 2012. Less than four days is how long it took him to lose it. On November 27th rebels launched a surprise offensive in north-west Syria.

The Syrian army faces a major challenge as rebel forces, led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, launch a surprise attack on Aleppo, shaking the frozen frontlines. The army redeploys to counter the offensive, aiming to restore control.

Thousands of Syrian insurgents have fanned out inside Syria’s largest city Aleppo a day after storming it with little resistance from government troops

Syria state media say government troops are battling insurgents inside the country’s largest city Aleppo for the first time since 2016