Aleppo was the scene of fierce fighting between 2012 and 2016 when the Syrian civil war was at its height. Rebel groups were forced out as forces supporting President Bashar al-Assad were able to capture the country's second city, with the help of Russia and its air force. The Idlib region in the north-west, with a population of about 5 million, remained outside Assad's grip, however. An intervention by Turkey in 2020, propped up the position of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a jihadist Sunni group.
A ceasefire had held since March 2020, but Assad's backers have been weakened, and with it the Syrian regime. An attack that began on Wednesday forced a hurried retreat by government forces and by Saturday the city appeared to be in rebel hands, a reminder of the elementary military effectiveness of surprise.
Denne historien er fra December 02, 2024-utgaven av The Guardian.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra December 02, 2024-utgaven av The Guardian.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Jones back to run rule over England as ITV pundit
Eddie Jones will cast a critical eye over England's make-or-break Six Nations campaign with the former head coach signed as an ITV pundit for the forthcoming championship.
UK second most attractive country in investor survey
The UK is the second most attractive country for investment behind the US, signalling a climb up the rankings, according to an annual survey of global business leaders by the consultancy PwC.
Robot retailers Firms embrace automation to cut staffing costs
Electronic shelf labels, returns machines, robot bag packers and yet more self-service tills are just some of the many technologies that UK retailers are embracing as they try to solve the problem of rising labour costs.
Svitolina surges on but watches husband Monfils exit
In the aftermath of a comeback win that put her into the 12th grand slam quarter-final of her career, Elina Svitolina left Rod Laver Arena aware her most difficult task of the day was still to come.
Tielemans now Villa's pacemaker at heart of resurgence
Former Leicester midfielder has proved sceptics wrong with his displays central to the side's transformation
Rashford open to playing for United despite looming exit
Marcus Rashford is ready and available to play for Manchester United, the Guardian understands, after Ruben Amorim indicated the forward had ruled himself out of contention for the defeat by Brighton on Sunday.
Use of rehabilitation and tags could allow a women's prison to close, says minister
A women's jail in England or Wales should be closed by diverting offenders to other forms of punishment and rehabilitation, the prisons minister, James Timpson, has said.
Comedy review: It's strictly stand-up as music stops
\"Twenty-one years of hard graft on the comedy scene, to now be best known for dancing.\" The ironies of his newfound celebrity are not lost on Chris McCausland, not only the winner of last year's Strictly Come Dancing but a contestant so well-loved that he's been credited with redeeming the entire franchise.
Fashion The first lady or a mob wife at a funeral?
In the Capitol rotunda the incoming first lady was nowhere to be seen.
Alaska Resumes Its 'Inhumane' Shooting of Bears and Wolves
Alaska is to resume the aerial shooting of bears and wolves to boost caribou and moose numbers despite an official report casting doubt on the value of the practice.
