Anti-government forces opposed to Syrian President Bashar Assad launched a shock attack on the largest city, Aleppo, on Saturday.

The Syrian regime has rushed in reinforcements to hold off a rebel advance into the Hama countryside, after the insurgents seized the country’s second city Aleppo in the biggest threat to autocratic ruler Bashar al-Assad in years.

A war monitor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said the insurgents led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham seized control of Aleppo International airport, the first international airport to be controlled by insurgents. The fighters claimed they seized the airport and posted pictures from there.

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.

Syria's military rushed in reinforcements on Sunday to push back insurgents from advancing farther into the northern Hama countryside after they seized Aleppo.View on euronews

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 surprise attack jolted the frontlines of the Syrian civil war that have largely been frozen since 2020. The army said it was preparing a counteroffensive.

Jihadists and their Turkish-backed allies shelled Syria's second city Aleppo on Friday, in a major offensive against government troops that has sparked some of the deadliest fighting the country has seen in years.

Thousands of Syrian insurgents have pushed on with their advances on government-held areas in the country’s northwest

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.