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

In northwest Syria near the Turkish border, intense clashes erupted as Russian and Syrian forces bombed rebel-held areas to counter an insurgent offensive. The Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham initiated the offensive in Aleppo province,

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.

Today, Nour al-Din al-Zenki and HTS troops are an essential part of the operation to retake the strategic area, which is considered the lifeline between HTS and SNA-controlled territories, and the western shield of Aleppo city for the Syrian forces.

Rebel groups in Syria say they have taken control of villages in the northwest in the first significant fighting with government forces for several years.

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 and Syrian forces have launched airstrikes on northwest Syria to counter a major rebel offensive led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham near Aleppo

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.