The rekindling of the conflict, which has killed more than 300,000 people and driven almost six million refugees from the country, also has broad ramifications in the region and beyond
The civil war in Syria is once again in the spotlight after a new rebel coalition launched a surprise attack, invading the country’s second largest city, Aleppo.
It is the first time that opposition forces have gained territory in Aleppo since 2016, breaking the stalemate of a war that never formally ended.
The rekindling of the conflict, which has killed more than 300,000 people and forced almost six million refugees to leave the country, also has broad ramifications in the region and beyond.
Here’s what you need to know.
What happened in the Syrian civil war?
At the height of the Arab Spring in 2011, pro-democracy protesters took to the streets in Syria, calling for the removal of its president, Bashar al-Assad.
Protesters were met with deadly force. As Assad’s forces crushed the pro-democracy movement, an armed opposition began to form made up of small organic militias and some deserters from the Syrian army.
The opposition forces – decentralized, composed of different ideologies but with a common goal of toppling Assad – have been supported in various ways by foreign powers, including neighboring Turkey, regional giants Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, as well as the United States. .
As anti-government forces grew, Syria’s allies Iran and Russia stepped up their support. On the ground, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and its Lebanese proxy, Hezbollah, helped combat armed rebel groups. In the skies, the Syrian Air Force was reinforced by Russian warplanes.
Islamic extremists, including Al-Qaeda, took an interest in Syria, making common cause with the moderate Syrian opposition, which did not look kindly on jihadist involvement.
But in 2014, extremists took over and the Islamic State began to spread across the country. Fearing that Syria would become a permanent focus of terror, an international coalition led by the US took action with the aim of eliminating the group, but without confronting the Syrian regime.
The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) – a US partner made up of Kurdish fighters – fought against the Islamic State, effectively ending the group’s territorial existence.
In 2020, Russia and Turkey agreed a ceasefire in the last opposition-held province, Idlib, agreeing to establish a security corridor with joint patrols.
Since then, there have been no major clashes, but the Syrian government has never recovered all of its territory. And, as events in Aleppo demonstrate, armed resistance never disappeared.
Why has the conflict reignited now?
The offensive began on Wednesday, after the rebels formed a new coalition called the “Military Operations Command”.
The rebels quickly overran villages on the outskirts of Aleppo and residents say they control much of the city, encountering little resistance along the way.
The fighters say they are trying to liberate occupied territory and were responding to intensified attacks by government forces and pro-Iranian militia groups.
The rebels may be trying to take advantage of a weakened government, whose main allies are deeply concerned about other conflicts.
In response to the rebel advance, Russian and Syrian air forces launched an air offensive in Aleppo and Idlib provinces.
Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 and has been pumping manpower and resources into the war. Russia is Assad’s main partner in the skies.
Meanwhile, Iran has been the target of a series of attacks by Israel, particularly against Hezbollah. Analysts told CNN that Syrian rebels are using the vacuum left by the group to advance into Syria.
The loss of Aleppo represents a significant setback for Assad’s forces. Once Syria’s largest city by population and its economic capital, it is one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world.
Aleppo was also the rebels’ main stronghold until its takeover by Assad in 2016. With the reconquest of Aleppo, the rebels are no longer trapped in Idlib, which could trigger a domino effect.
Who are the rebels?
The new group is made up of a wide spectrum of opposition forces, from Islamist factions to moderates.
Leading them is Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a former al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria that used to call itself Al-Nusra Front.
The group has officially cut ties with al-Qaeda and has been the de facto ruler in Idlib. He was joined by groups backed by Türkiye and others previously backed by the US.
Complicating the situation is the fact that some of the rebel groups are also fighting the Syrian Democratic Forces.
The Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army, which is part of the rebel coalition that took control of most of the city of Aleppo, said on Sunday it had taken control of the city of Tal Rifaat and the towns of Ain Daqna and Sheikh Issa, in northern part of Aleppo province. The group also claimed to have captured the villages of Shaaleh and Nairabiyyeh in rural northern Aleppo. These territories were previously held not by the government of Bashar al-Assad, but by the Syrian Democratic Forces.
The Syrian Democratic Forces are mainly made up of Kurdish fighters from a group known as the People’s Protection Units (YPG), which is considered a terrorist organization by neighboring Türkiye.
How will Syria react?
Syrian and Russian jets have been attacking rebels in Aleppo and Idlib, a tactic that was crucial in regaining territory during the civil war.
Assad promised that Syria would continue to “defend its stability and territorial integrity in the face of all terrorists and their supporters” and the Defense Ministry said it was preparing a counteroffensive.
However, the government’s ability or willingness to respond is not clear at this stage and much will depend on the support that its main supporters can provide.
There are signs that Syria’s allies are rallying behind the government, with Iran’s top diplomat, Abbas Araghchi, traveling from Tehran to Damascus on Sunday.
With the rebels in control of Aleppo, including key military sites and the airport, any counterattack will be difficult for the Syrian army. The city held out for nearly two years under near-continuous siege by government forces before being captured in 2016.
*Eyad Kourdi, Ben Wedeman, Mostafa Salem and Christian Edwards contributed to this article
