Surprise Offensive in Aleppo

A significant and unexpected military offensive by armed opposition groups recently led to their control of Aleppo, Syria's second-largest city. This marked the first time in eight years that rebel forces entered the city, which had previously been under Assad's regime since a major takeover in 2016. The ease with which the rebels conquered Aleppo surprised both them and observers, as the city fell within a day, indicating a serious weakness in Assad's forces. This development has shifted the perception of the Syrian civil war, which many had considered largely over in favor of Assad since he regained most of the territory over the past few years.