The war in Syria has ebbed and flowed; at first the rebels made significant advances, and it appeared as if the Assad regime was doomed. But, then the government fought back, and it looked as if Assad was going to survive. So, what is the status now?
The Institute for the Study of War has put together a great explanation of the current status of the civil war, in addition to a map explaining who controls what in the all-important capital city of Damascus.
Elizabeth O'Bagy writes:
'Despite significant gains in Homs province, Syrian government forces are struggling against opposition forces on other fronts. In Damascus, opposition forces have mounted a major offensive, entering many government-held areas and gaining new ground. Although the government has gone on the counter-offensive, opposition forces have been able to maintain their advance and prevented government forces from storming a number of critical areas in the city. These gains reveal the extent to which the opposition is able to adapt to changes in the operating environment, and prove that the Syrian government lacks the capacity to conclusively defeat the insurgency despite increased assistance from external allies.'
The rest of the article can be found here.
Source: Institute for the Study of War