Anti-government rebels in northern Syria have launched a sudden offensive in an effort to capitalize on Israel’s efforts to weaken Iran’s regional proxies.

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.

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

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.

They took advantage of Israel’s war with Hezbollah and they have seen the Iranian presence is weaker,' says  analyst

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

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,