Syria’s long civil war has reclaimed global attention after insurgents seized most of its largest city and dozens of nearby towns and villages.

The retaking of Aleppo marks the first major development in years in Syria's grinding civil war, which had largely fallen from the world's headlines. It also raises fresh questions about the opposing sides,

The north-west is dominated by the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), but Turkish-backed rebel factions - known as the Syrian National Army (SNA) - also control territory there with the support of Turkish troops.

The Lebanese Hezbollah movement, which played a crucial role in defending the Syrian government throughout the neighboring country's civil war, has told Newsweek that the redeployment of its fighters would not be necessary in the face of a new large-scale rebel offensive.

In just a few days, a patchwork of rebel forces has seized control of a broad stretch of land in the west and northwest of Syria. But it’s unclear just how much support Syria’s weakened allies can provide.

Syria's civil war has exploded back into life after Islamist rebels launched a lightning offensive on the northern city of Aleppo.

As rebels make progress in their fight against Assad's government, Newsweek has mapped the regional approach to the conflict.

Rebel groups have launched the largest offensive in years against government forces, capturing the city of Aleppo.