Syrian and Russian jets are stepping up strikes on opposition forces in northern Syria in retaliation for the sudden offensive that has cost the autocratic regime control of the country’s second largest city,

The Syrian military has rushed in reinforcements to push back insurgents from advancing farther into the northern Hama countryside after they seized Aleppo in a surprise offensive

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,

Iran, a key ally of President Bashar Assad, has pledged to help the government counter the surprise offensive.

Syrian rebel fighters are advancing southward after capturing much of Aleppo, Syria’s largest city, posing the most serious challenge to President Bashar al-Assad in years amid the country’s civil war,

Syrian rebels launched a surprise attack on Saturday and quickly advanced through several provinces in the north and northwest of Syria, including the city of Aleppo, the country’s second largest city.