What led to Syria’s 13-year civil war, and why has fighting surged again?

The sudden assault by Syrian rebels has redrawn the front lines of a war many thought was over. Here’s what to know.

Fighters ride past Syrian military aircraft at al-Nayrab military airport on Monday. The war had been relatively dormant for years before militants seized the initiative and overran much of Aleppo in recent days. AP

Kelly Kasulis Cho and Kelsey Baker

Dec 3, 2024 – 11.35am

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Syrian opposition forces made a shock advance across the northern part of the country in recent days, seizing control this weekend of most of Aleppo, Syria’s economic capital, in a stunning challenge to President Bashar al-Assad, refocusing global attention on the nation’s years-long civil war.

Since its start in 2011, when Assad cracked down on largely peaceful protests, the conflict has killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced around 13 million more, according to the United Nations. It gave rise to the Islamic State, sucked in world powers including Russia and the United States, and carved Syria into several zones of control.

Washington Post