Syrian regime warplanes pounded rebel-held areas north of the city of Hama on Thursday in an escalation of airstrikes, a rebel official and activists said, as regime forces fought to reverse the rebels' biggest assault in months.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and a doctor said airstrikes near the town of Latamneh, northwest of Hama, had led several people to choke, saying it was a sign of a gas attack. A regime military source denied to Reuters the army had used any such weapons, branding the reports as rebel propaganda.
A chemical attack hit the same area on Saturday, killing an orthopedic doctor Ali Darwish, resident doctor in Latamneh Hospital.
A joint inquiry for the United Nations and the global chemical weapons watchdog has previously accused REGIME forces of toxic gas attacks. Damascus has repeatedly denied using such weapons during the six-year-old war.
Rebel groups, spearheaded by extremist fighters from the formerly Al-Qaeda-linked Jabhat Fatah al-Sham, but also including Free Syrian Army groups, launched their attack on regime-held areas near Hama last week.
Jaish al-Nasr rebel group fighting in Hama under the FSA banner, in sttament posted online, said 6 Iranian militants were killed Thursday near Khattab town.
Mohammed Rasheed, a spokesman for the Jaish al-Nasr, said regime and Russian "airstrikes have been ramped up terribly."
"The Russian warplanes have not stopped since last night," he said.
While the rebels have been on the back foot in recent months, their latest attack has shown the challenges facing the army and allied militia in fighting on numerous fronts at once.
Rebel groups also clashed with government forces along several front lines in rural Hama on Thursday.
The area is of vital importance to Bashar al-Assad, who with the support of Russia and Iran has the military upper hand there.
The observatory said jets had hit several rebel towns on Thursday, including Soran and Khattab, both captured by insurgents at the start of the offensive.
The Syrian military source said the army was conducting attack operations in the area and had seized the initiative back from the rebels
