Syrian rebels launched the biggest attack in years against President Bashar al-Assad’s government forces, reigniting a bloody civil war – but with Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and the Israel Gaza conflict just next door, the world appears to be on the brink.

The rebel coalition consists of "well-established armed Islamist factions who, despite their differences, are united in fighting Assad and Iran-backed militias", said CNN. But the driving force behind the fighting is Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a "formidable" and controversial faction with deep roots in Syria's ongoing civil war.

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.