Government forces across Syria — including army units, fighters with the Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah and other loyalist militias — were trying to advance Tuesday on more than half a dozen front lines, with close air support in places from Russian warplanes and helicopters. Syrian Army troops and allied militias inched their way closer to the contested city of Aleppo, as a slowly developing offensive stretched into its fifth day. To the east of the city, forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad appeared to be pushing to retake a military airport surrounded by militants with the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL. There are indications that the most prominent members of a new pro-government alliance — Russia and Iran — […]