Forces opposed to President Bashar al-Assad have captured the Aleppo airport and are attacking the western city of Hama, according to local officials and a Britain-based war monitor.

Sham, a powerful Syrian rebel faction, has launched offensive in Aleppo by taking military bases and villages from Assad's forces. This marks a significant escalation of the civil war in Syria, with HTS posing a major threat to Assad's regime.

The Syrian government has been fighting back against opposition forces with airstrikes after they took over large swathes of land in a lighting advance which has caused embarrassment to President Bashar Al-Assad.