Syrian rebels, led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), launched a major offensive in Aleppo, capturing key areas, including the airport. The attack forces the Syrian army to redeploy, while Russia conducts airstrikes in support of Assad's regime.

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

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.

The Hayat Tahrir al-Sham rebel group in Syria has taken control of much of Aleppo city after local forces withdrew to organize a counteroffensive to retake Aleppo.

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 faces a major challenge as rebel forces, led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, launch a surprise attack on Aleppo, shaking the frozen frontlines. The army redeploys to counter the offensive, aiming to restore control.

The Hayat Tahrir al-Sham rebel group in Syria has taken control of much of Aleppo city after local forces withdrew to organize a counteroffensive to retake Aleppo.

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