Syrian government forces are preparing for a major offensive on rebel-held parts of the northern city of Aleppo and its surroundings, BBC News reported.

A security source said it would start "in the coming hours or days", echoing a pro-government newspaper article saying troops were "deploying heavily".

Activists said there were no signs yet of a renewed push on Aleppo.

The development comes only days after government forces backed by Hezbollah fighters recaptured the town of Qusair.

On Sunday, June 9, they retook the last remaining rebel-held villages in the strategically important area, which lies between the Lebanese border and the central city of Homs.

Much of northern Syria has been controlled by rebel groups since last year and the frontlines inside Aleppo have been largely static for months.

However, the fall of Qusair to troops and militants from Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shia Islamist movement, has reportedly been seized on by the military's leadership as a decisive victory.

An article in the pro-government Syrian newspaper, al-Watan, said the army was now "deploying heavily in the countryside near Aleppo in preparation for a battle that will be fought inside the city and on its outskirts".

"Besieged areas will be freed in the first stages and troops which have been on the defensive will go on the offensive."

It added: "The Syrian army will take advantage of its experience in Qusair and Eastern Ghouta [near Damascus] to advance in the provinces of Hama and Homs."

A security source also said the government's next target was Aleppo.

"It is likely the battle for Aleppo will start in the coming hours or days, and its aim is to reclaim the towns and villages in the province," the source told the AFP news agency.

The planned offensive is reportedly named "Operation Northern Storm".