Over a few days, rebel fighters in northern Syria have launched incursions into several major cities with little resistance from government troops.

Rebel forces in Syria have seized control of most of the city Aleppo after launching a surprise offensive against government forces, a war monitor reported on Saturday as Russia says it deployed fighter jets against rebels in Syria.

Rebel forces launched the largest offensive against the Syrian government in years on Wednesday. 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,

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.

Video posted by pro-opposition media in Syria shows militants in Aleppo’s western suburbs removing the Syrian national flag from a monument.

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

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

The Syrian army said on Saturday dozens of its soldiers had been killed in a major attack led by Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham rebels who swept into the city of Aleppo, forcing the army to redeploy in the biggest challenge to President Bashar al-Assad in years.

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.