Syrian rebels seize Aleppo in surprise offensive

Syrian rebels raise their flag after capturing Aleppo

(Image credit: Rami Alsayed / NurPhoto via Getty Images)

What happened

Rebels captured Syria's second-largest city, Aleppo, over the weekend and advanced toward Hama in a surprise incursion that reignited Syria's 13-year-old civil war and embarrassed President Bashar al-Assad's forces. Airstrikes by Syrian and allied Russian warplanes have killed 56 people in Aleppo and Idlib provinces since the rebels launched their offensive on Wednesday, humanitarian group the Syrian Civil Defense, or White Helmets, said this morning.

Who said what

The rebels, led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, "spent months training and preparing for a surprise offensive, but even they may not have predicted how quickly they would advance," The New York Times said. Their "lightning advance," The Washington Post said, was aided by the "weakening" of Assad's military allies Russia, Iran and Hezbollah, "and, possibly, luck: Few expected the Syrian army to collapse as quickly as it did."

What next?

Assad vowed to "defeat the terrorists." The U.S., Britain, France and Germany yesterday urged "de-escalation by all parties" and the protection of civilians to "prevent further displacement and disruption of humanitarian access."

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.