By Saturday, they had taken control of "large parts" of the country's second-biggest city, Aleppo. The surprise offensive prompted the first Russian strikes on Aleppo since 2016, and saw Syria's military withdraw its troops from the city.

A monitor of Syria's war said on Saturday that jihadist rebels now control a majority of Aleppo city, reporting Russian air strikes on parts of Syria's second city for the first time since 2016.The rebels have pressed a lightning offensive against forces of the Iranian- and Russian-backed Syrian government since Wednesday,

The Syrian Civil War reignited after four years of docility when a rebel coalition launched a surprise offensive against Syrian government positions.

Rebel forces opposing President Bashar al-Assad have launched their biggest offensive in years this week, controlling a majority of Syria's second city of Aleppo according to a monitor.

Scores of people were killed after forces opposed to the government of President Bashar al-Assad overtook a Syrian military base, a monitoring group reported.

The lightning advance by the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham abruptly redrew the front lines of Syria’s civil war for the first time in years.

A new assault on Syrian regime forces reached the major city, according to rebels and a war monitor. Government warplanes struck back at rebel territory.

A rebel commander said a fall in Iran-backed manpower created an opening this week's assault. Iran's ally Hezbollah has suffered big losses to Israel.

Thousands of Syrian insurgents have pushed on with their advances on government-held areas in the country’s northwest