DAMASCUS, Syria: Government forces advanced Monday under the cover of Russian airstrikes toward an air base besieged by the Daesh group in northern Syria, a Syrian military official and activists said, while a rebel military commander was killed in another battle in a nearby area.

The offensive in the northern province of Aleppo aims to lift the siege that Daesh has been imposing on the Kweiras military base since 2014. Jihadis have launched several attacks over the past weeks in an attempt to capture the base but were not able to.

The army captured the village of Bkayze, about seven km from the air base, the military official said, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with regulations. Troops also captured two other villages near the base, Aleppo-based activist Maamoun Al-Khatib told The Associated Press.

In another battle in Aleppo province, Syrian troops and pro-government gunmen killed the military commander of one of the most powerful rebel factions in northern Syria, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Meanwhile, Daesh has launched an unprecedented media campaign calling on Palestinians to step up attacks against Israeli soldiers and civilians.

In a video posted Monday, the group urged Palestinians to carry out attacks using every means at their disposal, including knives, vehicles, poison and explosives.

In the past two days, Daesh posted six videos in which militants deliver speeches to the backdrop of scenes from recent stabbings and other attacks carried out by Palestinians against Israelis.

In the video titled “Return Terror to the Jews,” a masked fighter praised Arabs who are attacking Israelis, describing them as “lone wolves who refused to be subdued and spread fear among the sons of Zion.”