BEIRUT—Syrian government warplanes struck near and inside Aleppo in northwest Syria on Monday, state media and rescue workers said, as President Bashar al-Assad’s government moved to repel rebels who took control of the city in a recent lightning offensive.

Syria's civil war has taken a dramatic turn, with dictator Bashar Assad once again leaning on Russian support after a shock offensive by Islamist rebels in Aleppo.

As things stand this morning, the Syrian army says that anti-government forces have now taken control of "large parts" of Aleppo. Meanwhile, the country's president is vowing to "defend [Syria's] stability and territorial integrity in the face of all terrorists and their backers".