Syrian rebels have reportedly entered the Iranian Consulate in Aleppo as part of a surprise offensive.

Insurgents have taken control of several neighborhoods in the Syrian city of Aleppo, in the largest offensive against Syria’s government in years.

UK-based monitoring group the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said the insurgents clashed with government forces on Friday.

It marks the first time rebel forces fighting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s army have reached Aleppo since being forced out by the military in 2016.

A local Syrian new network posted a video on X claiming to show Syrian opposition forces inside the Iranian Consulate, filming a map on a large table.

It comes after rebels launched a surprise offensive on Wednesday that sent residents fleeing. Thousands of fighters swept through villages and towns in Syria’s northwestern countryside.

The SOHR said dozens of fighters from both sides were killed.

The offensive came as Iran-allied groups including the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, which has backed Syrian government forces since 2015, have been preoccupied with their own battles.

On Wednesday, a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel took effect.

The same day, Syrian opposition factions announced their offensive.

Israel has also stepped up its attacks against Hezbollah and Iran-linked targets in Syria during the last two months.

Turkish officials said on Thursday that Syrian opposition groups initially launched a “limited” offensive toward Aleppo, before it expanded as Syrian government forces began retreating from their positions.

The officials said the aim of the offensive was to reestablish the boundaries of the deescalation zone.

The 2016 battle for Aleppo was a turning point in the war between Syrian government forces and rebel fighters.

Russia, Iran and its allies helped Syrian government forces reclaim control of the city in 2016, after a military campaign and a siege that lasted for weeks.