Hundreds of fighters from Iran-backed Iraqi militias crossed into Syria overnight to help the government fight rebels who seized Aleppo last week, Syrian and Iraqi sources said on Monday, and Tehran pledged to aid the Damascus government.

The anti-Assad forces include mainstream groups backed by Turkiye, as well as Hayat Tahrir Al Sham which was formerly affiliated with Al Qaeda. Turkiye also has a military presence in a strip of Syrian territory along its border.

Iraqi militias backed by Iran reportedly surged into Syria on Monday with 9,000 fighters, The National has been told by a commander of Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), a collection of militias mostly backed by Iran.