The Syrian regime has rushed in reinforcements to hold off a rebel advance into the Hama countryside, after insurgents seized the country’s second city Aleppo in the biggest threat to autocratic ruler Bashar al-Assad in years.
In tandem, Russian and Syrian warplanes pounded the rebel-held enclave of Idlib in the northwest for a second consecutive day. Residents said one of the raids hit a crowded residential area, killing at least seven people and wounding dozens.
