Russia's Defense Ministry said its air force had carried out strikes on Syrian rebels in support of the country's army, Russian news agencies reported on Saturday, amid an advance by forces opposed to Syrian President Bashar Assad.

The strikes in support of Assad, a close Moscow ally, followed what was the boldest rebel assault for years in a civil war where front lines had largely been frozen since 2020.

The state-run Russian Center for the Reconciliation of the Enemy Parties in Syria said the missile and bomb strikes had targeted "militant concentrations, command posts, depots, and artillery positions" in Aleppo and Idlib provinces.

It added that about 300 rebel fighters had been killed in the attacks.