Syrian insurgents cut Damascus-Aleppo highway as 200 die in escalating violence

Opposition groups in north-west have launched biggest push in years against government forces

Jihadist fighters have cut the Damascus to Aleppo highway during an offensive that a monitor says killed about 200, including civilians hit by Russian air force strikes.

On Wednesday, the jihadist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and allied factions launched a surprise attack on government-held areas of northern Aleppo province, triggering the fiercest fighting in years, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.