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

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 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.

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.

Syrian jihadists launched their first major offensive in four years against government positions near Aleppo, claiming to have captured several villages on the edge of the city.

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

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