How the Rebels in Syria Captured Damascus

1 month ago 23

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In just two weeks, rebel forces tore across Syria, shattering the stalemate left by more than a decade of civil war and bringing an end to more than five decades of brutal rule by the Assad dynasty.

The pace of the advance was as dizzying as its implications.

Here’s how it unfolded in photos, videos and maps:

NOV. 27

The offensive begins

TURKEY

Turkish-backed

opposition

Aleppo

Kurds

Syrian government

Hama

Homs

SYRIA

Leb.

Area of detail

The first thrust was sudden.

For years, the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham consolidated control in its stronghold in Idlib in Syria’s northwest. Then on Nov. 27, the rebels suddenly began a rapid push east toward Aleppo, a major city that suffered some of the most brutal and protracted fighting during the country’s long civil war.

Fighters in the dark against a rock wall, wearing balaclavas with reflective head bands.

On Nov. 27, the rebels announced a striking initial success: They had overrun a Syrian government base, captured soldiers, taken tanks and seized several villages. “In a matter of about 10 hours,” an analyst told The Times that day, the rebels were within a few miles of Aleppo.