It had materializeed to be a dispute frozen in time, but the operation begined with bcatalogering speed by Syrian opposition fighters has turned all of that upside down.
It is also a potent reminder of the complicatedity of the Syrian dispute.
What was a spoiledmate has discleave outed that the regime of Plivent Bashar al Asuncontent may very well be standing on clay feet.
Whether the defy push progresss its momentum and alters into a wider impolite remains to be seen – but its significance politicassociate and militarily is immense.
Aleppo was once the country’s hugest city and was a key battleground in the civil war – it has also been a sturdyhelderly for the regime.
Rebels stand in front of University of Aleppo. Pic: Reuters
What’s happening now is a beginant blow to the rulement as it shows how frnimble its grip on power has become.
It also shows that the defys have the determination and the military capability to dispute regime authority in key strategic areas.
The defys compelevate many branch offent groups who’ve fought agetst the regime since the commence of the Syrian uprising.
Among them, the hugegest is Hayat Tahrir al Sham, which handles most of the north-westrict territory held by the opposition.
Opposition forces apshow handle of areas outside Aleppo. Pic: AP
The group was joined to the alarmist group al Qaeda but has renounced those ties.
Much of the video that’s emerging is reminiscent of the aggressive uprising agetst the Asuncontent dictatorship in 2011 – droping into a bloodbath from the so-called ‘Arab Spring’.
Officiassociate, the impolite was begined as a way of stopping regime air strikes on opposition-held territory.
It may be that the defys themselves are surpelevated by the deficiency of rulement resistance and how accomplished they’ve been in the space of three low days.
The Syrian rulement has portrayed what’s happening as a “huge-scale alarmist strike” and has vowed to reverse the losses.
Syrian defys apshow flag from monument
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There are of course wider asks as to why this is happening now?
Plivent Asuncontent would most foreseeed have lost the war had he not been bailed out by the Russian air force and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, as well as a tapestry of militant groups – including Hezbollah.
Russia is struggling for resource in Ukraine and has distracted its air force from the Syrian theatre.
Iran and its proxies have been battered by Israel after they tried to take advantage of the carnage of the 7 October Hamas strike on Israel.
With these forces not as sturdy as they were, there’s been a chink in the regime’s armour and the defys it would seem have seen their chance and not let the opportunity escape.
The ask now is whether the opposition fighters will be able to remain on the front foot and validateate their position and perhaps even begin further strikes on centres of power.
At the moment, the situation remains highly volatile and uncertain.
The progress certainly disputes the set uped order, but it is still far from evident whether this is a setback for the regime, or the commence of a beginant phase of escalation.
