A three-month aerial bombardment campaign by Syrian regime forces and Russia, combined with a ground assault on the last jihadi stronghold, is largely deadlocked, leaving thousands of people dead and displacing hundreds of thousands more, with no clear end in sight.
The fierce fighting threatens to unravel a fragile truce deal struck in September by Russia and Turkey as the Syrian regime vows to retake all territory outside of its control and Ankara doubles down to protect its influence in the northwest of the country.
On April 30, Syrian government forces backed by allied militia and Russian air power launched an offensive against rebel and jihadi factions led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, al-Qaida's former Syria affiliate, in northwestern Idlib province, as well as parts of the neighboring provinces of Aleppo, Hama and Latakia.
Read the full article and more in Deutsche Welle.
Author
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Nicholas Heras
Former Fellow, Middle East Security Program
Nicholas A. Heras is a former Fellow at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), working in the Middle East Security Program. His work focused on the analysis of complex...
