Syria war monitor says rebels control most of Aleppo

Rebel forces in Syria have seized control of most of the city Aleppo after launching a surprise offensive against government forces, a war monitor reported, as Russia said it deployed fighter jets against the rebels.

An alliance of rebel factions led by Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)- designated a terrorist organisation by nations including the US and Russia – had advanced deep into Aleppo and now controlled most of the northern city, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Saturday.

The insurgence, which began on Wednesday, appears to have taken President Bashar al-Assad’s regime by surprise, with experts describing it as a significant turning point.

Thousands of fighters from the rebel groups have made major territorial gains within a few days in the area around Idlib and Aleppo, which had been under government control for years.

Russian and Syrian jets struck the rebel-held city of Idlib on Sunday in the second day of intensive bombing aimed at pushing back insurgents, Syrian army sources said.

Residents said one of the raids hit a crowded residential area in the centre of Idlib, the largest city in a rebel enclave near the Turkish border where around four million people live in makeshift tents and dwellings.