Airstrikes also hit residential buildings in the city of Idlib, which has become a refuge for people displaced by the civil war, killing at least five civilians and leaving 30 others injured, according to the White Helmets,

Syria's civil war has taken a dramatic turn, with dictator Bashar Assad once again leaning on Russian support after a shock offensive by Islamist rebels in Aleppo.

As things stand this morning, the Syrian army says that anti-government forces have now taken control of "large parts" of Aleppo. Meanwhile, the country's president is vowing to "defend [Syria's] stability and territorial integrity in the face of all terrorists and their backers".