The rebel forces that brought 24 years of Bashar al-Assad’s rule to an end last week were a diverse collection of local militias and foreign fighters. They included the former al Qaeda affiliate Hayat Tahrir al Sham, US-backed Kurdish forces and dozens of smaller fighter groups.
It is a rare sight to see such a wide array of rebels working together, especially after so many years of war that turned them into a force the regime could not easily defend against or outmaneuver. But the rebels’ recent battlefield successes may signal a turning point in the war.
Those victories include retaking the city of Aleppo, which was the first time HTS had attacked the capital in more than two weeks. Earlier, it swept through the Hama area and captured the main prison.
The advance has also opened the way for long-displaced civilians to return to their homes. HTS and its allies have also released prisoners, including some former government soldiers.
Whether HTS can maintain its momentum and push toward the Syrian capital of Damascus remains unclear, however. That’s because the group faces a stiff challenge from other rebel factions and an intense Russian campaign that has stepped up since the offensive began.
HTS’s rapid gains have been fueled by four years of work to develop the rebels into a military threat to Assad’s regime. The expansion of units and large-scale indigenous rocket and missile production has made them a force that Assad’s army has struggled to defend against and outmaneuver, experts say.
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