Anti-government rebels in northern Syria have launched a sudden offensive in an effort to capitalize on Israel’s efforts to weaken Iran’s regional proxies.

Rebel forces have launched a major offensive in north-western Syria, capturing territory from President Bashar al-Assad’s forces for the first time in years. The Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and allied factions said they had seized control of a number of towns and villages in Aleppo and Idlib provinces since Wednesday.

The surprise assault occurred around Aleppo, a government-held city and one of the focal points of fighting in Syria’s civil war.

Syrian rebel fighters broke through government front lines to within three miles of Aleppo and cut a key highway to the capital in their first major offensive in four years.

Syrian rebels have launched a large-scale attack on regime forces in western Aleppo, according to a Free Syrian Army source and local residents, marking the first major flare-up in years between both sides.

Russian forces in Syria are under attack from rebel groups in the Syrian capital, Aleppo, in response to increased strikes.

The Syrian Civil War reignited after four years of docility when a rebel coalition launched a surprise offensive against Syrian government positions outside of Aleppo. Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), recognized as a terrorist group by the United States,

Syrian rebel fighters launched their first major offensive in four years against government positions near Aleppo, claiming to have advanced several miles and captured a string of villages.