Syrian rebels advancing against government forces pushed close on Tuesday to the major city of Hama, rebels and a war monitor said, after their sudden capture of Aleppo last week rocked President Bashar al-Assad.

Syria's civil war has exploded back into life after Islamist rebels launched a lightning offensive on the northern city of Aleppo.

Syria's army and its allies are reported to have confronted an attack by forces affiliated with the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces in the north of the country. This comes after rebel fighters over the weekend took control of most of Aleppo.

The Syrian military rushed reinforcements to the northwest and launched airstrikes Sunday in an attempt to push back insurgents who seized the country’s largest city of Aleppo, as Iran pledged to help the government counter the surprise offensive.