December 6, 2024
Here’s what you need to know about the Syrian insurgency
Syria descended into civil war in 2012 after a brutal government crackdown on largely peaceful pro-democracy protests in the previous year.
Various state-sponsored and non-state actors were drawn into the ensuing conflicts, with notably Russia and Iran stepping in to aid President Bashar Assad in suppressing the revolt.
With their aid, Assad succeeded in bringing two-thirds of the country back under his control.
However, now, the pro-Turkish Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), previously affiliated with the terrorist group al-Qaeda, has become the driving force behind the new wave of insurgency.
HTS controls Syria’s northwest region of Idlib, which had become the country’s last opposition bastion.
The offensive comes at a time when Russia and Iran, Assad’s major allies, have had their attention diverted by conflicts elsewhere, likely weakening the Syrian army’s fighting power.
While HTS is trying to capture areas controled by Assad, the offensive can also be seen in the context of Turkish efforts to target majority Kurds in the country’s northeast.
Turkey, which borders Syria to the north and largely opposes the government in Damascus, has regularly attacked the Kurdish autonomous region and targeted groups Ankara has labeled “terrorist,” such the Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF.
sri/ab (AP, AFP, Reuters, dpa)
