Syrian rebels have taken control of parts of the country's second-largest city, Aleppo.

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On Friday evening, SOHR said the rebels had captured more than half of the city. It is the rebels' biggest move against Syrian government forces in years.

In 2016, the rebels were driven out of the city by the government forces of President Bashar al-Assad. Since then this has been the major struggle of the rebels.

Videos posted on a channel linked to the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Shams (HTS) show rebel fighters in vehicles inside the city.

BBC Verify footage identified the area as a western suburb of Aleppo.

But government forces say they have recaptured several towns in Aleppo and Idlib following attacks by HTS and its allies on Wednesday.

At least 500,000 people have died in the country's civil war since government forces cracked down on pro-democracy protests in 2011.

Several armed groups opposed to the Assad regime, including jihadists, took control of various areas of the country.

The Syrian government later recaptured most of the country with the help of Russia and other allies.

However, Idlib is still a stronghold of the opposition. Most of it is controlled by HTS. However, a group of Turkish-backed rebels and Turkish forces are also stationed there.

A statement on a rebel-linked channel on Friday said: Our forces have begun to enter the city of Aleppo.

The video, which the BBC has been able to verify, shows armed men running down a road seven kilometers from Aleppo's city center.

The country's government says additional forces have arrived in Aleppo and are pushing out rebels.

Meanwhile, Aleppo airport has been declared closed and all flights have been canceled, Reuters reported.

SOHR collects information using some networks in Syria. According to their reports, Syrian and Russian planes carried out at least twenty-three airstrikes in the area on Friday.

At least 255 people have been killed in the fighting, according to SOHR. It has been the bloodiest battle between rebels and government-backed forces for several years. Fighting in Idlib has been decreasing since 2020.

On Wednesday, HTS and its allies blamed government forces and their allied militias for the tension in the region. They have claimed to carry out operations to prevent aggression.

As a result, the Syrian government was again involved in the conflict.

In neighboring Lebanon, Israeli forces have launched a massive campaign against Hezbollah. Fighters from this group have also played a role in the Syrian civil war.

Israel has also carried out strikes inside Syria targeting sites linked to