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

The Syrian military rushed reinforcements to the country’s northwest and launched airstrikes on a major city in an attempt to push back insurgents.

Diminished support for the Syrian government from Iran, Hezbollah and Russia enabled opposition forces to take the initiative and seize new territory.

They intervened on his side against rebel groups that ranged from the jihadist extremists of Islamic State to militias supported by the US and the rich Gulf monarchies. Now Iran is reeling from severe blows inflicted by Israel,

Bashar al-Assad has vowed to violently crush a major Syrian rebel offensive because it is the “only language that terrorism understands”.