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.

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

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 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.

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.

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.

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,