Aleppo attack: The forgotten war in Syria has finally grabbed the world’s attention
For years, the world forgot about Syria. Many believed it was lost in an unsolvable abyss following the collapse of the 2011 revolution into a bloody civil war – made increasingly complex by the intervention of a mess of international actors.
Most assumed that the immovable regime of Bashar al-Assad had won, and that nothing would ever change. Few could even tell you if the war was still ongoing, let alone what stage it was at.
That changed just a few days ago, when the success of a shock offensive by a hodgepodge of anti-Assad forces took everyone – including the insurgents themselves – by surprise.
Regime forces appeared to dissolve as tens of thousands of fighters stormed Syria’s second city, Aleppo, and then continued their advance southward towards Hama. This appears to have triggered uprisings and offensives from multiple factions across the country, with clashes reported in the north, south, east and west.