The surprise assault occurred around Aleppo, a government-held city and one of the focal points of fighting in Syria’s civil war.

Syrian rebel fighters launched their first major offensive in four years against government positions near Aleppo, claiming to have advanced several miles and captured a string of villages.

Syrian rebels have launched a large-scale attack on regime forces in western Aleppo, according to a Free Syrian Army source and local residents, marking the first major flare-up in years between both sides.

Russian forces in Syria are under attack from rebel groups in the Syrian capital, Aleppo, in response to increased strikes.

Syrian government and opposition factions say Syrian armed groups have launched a large-scale attack on areas controlled by government forces, setting off fierce clashes for the second day.

Syrian rebels in the last opposition enclave in northern Syria launched on Wednesday a wide-scale military operation against the Syrian army and seized territory in the first such advance in years, army and rebel sources said.

Russian and Syrian forces have launched airstrikes on northwest Syria to counter a major rebel offensive led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham near Aleppo

Extremist rebels in Syria have overrun an army base and took over at least 13 villages in one of the biggest flare-ups of violence in years in the country's north-east. The rebels launched a surprise attack on the Syrian army in the northern province of Aleppo,

Syrian rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and its allied factions launched a surprise attack on the Syrian army in the northern province of Aleppo. Violent clashes that followed have killed nearly 60 combatants so far.