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,

Opposition fighters have seized control of most of Syria's second-largest city Aleppo after launching a surprise offensive against government forces, a war monitor reported on Saturday, as an airstrike reportedly killed 16 people and wounded 20.

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.