Rebel forces are polities that use armed conflict against an established government in order to seek political change or establish a sovereign state. They are distinct from governments or regimes that have been ousted or displaced and from stable breakaway states. The definition of territory controlled by a rebel force may be subnational, transnational, or international.
Rebel groups often start small, weak, and isolated from the civilian population. To overcome this vulnerability, they exploit local kinship networks and spread rumors about their capabilities. This approach is more likely to work in ethnically homogenous settings, where civilians are more likely to believe and be terrorized by rebel rumor-mongering.
As they fought for control over urban areas, rebels frequently turned their weapons on civilians and their houses. They killed and wounded civilians, dragged people out of their homes, burned them alive, hacked off children’s arms, and sexually assaulted women. Some witnesses reported seeing foreign mercenaries with the group, allegedly from Liberia and Burkina Faso.
While the Assad regime and its Iranian-backed proxies have been bombarding civilian areas with artillery, rockets, and first-person view drones, rebels launched a major offensive in northwest Syria. This was a coordinated operation that took advantage of improved coordination among the various opposition factions and the availability of better equipment. It also capitalized on a resurgence in the power of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the formerly moderate FSA-affiliated faction that has emerged as a major player. HTS and its allies have seized strategic heights that surround Idlib Province, while encircling the city of Aleppo from the north and south.