Syrian rebels advance in Aleppo as government, Russia mount counter strikes

Rebel forces in Syria took control of much of Aleppo, including the city’s airport, in a surprise offensive that brought the country’s stalled civil war back to life.

The fighting, which saw Syrian and Russian jets step up retaliatory strikes Sunday, poses the most serious challenge in years to President Bashar al-Assad.

The rebels’ success is a “direct consequence” of wars happening elsewhere, The Wall Street Journal wrote: al-Assad’s allies — Iran, Russia, and Hezbollah — are all embroiled in their own conflicts, and Turkey, which backs the rebels, took advantage.

“It’s a tectonic shift,” a Syria analyst said. “The conflicts of Ukraine, Gaza and Lebanon all come together and overlap in Aleppo.”