Syrian and Russian jets step up strikes on rebels after opposition seizes much of Aleppo

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

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, Aleppo. The offensive has also led to the capture by the rebel alliance of an important military base east of Aleppo and large areas of both Aleppo and Idlib provinces. It has met little resistance on the ground from regime forces and also comes at a time when Syria’s key backers - Iran and Russia - are focusing on their own conflicts. In recent days, Syrian army airstrikes have killed dozens of civilians and triggered displacement in battle-stricken regions, according to rescue groups and human rights agencies. More than 20,000 people have been internally displaced within the Aleppo governorate and to other areas, the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said Friday. Earlier this month, the United Nations urged all parties to uphold international law. The agency’s humanitarian coordinator for Syria, Adam Abdelmoula, warned that the people of Syria “must not endure more suffering.” The rebels’ sweeping success has posed the biggest challenge in eight years to President Bashar al-Assad, when Russian air power helped reverse rebel gains in the civil war. The newly formed rebel coalition, which calls itself the Military Operations Command, has captured key sites across Aleppo, including the airport, where video verified by CNN showed camo-clad fighters inside the main terminal.