Alone and broke against a renewed insurgency, is Assad's rule about to collapse? [View all]

Source: Associated Press

Alone and broke against a renewed insurgency, is Assad's rule about to collapse?

ZEINA KARAM and SARAH EL DEEB
Updated Sat, December 7, 2024 at 11:34 AM EST 5 min read

BEIRUT (AP) — The last time Syrian President Bashar Assad was in serious trouble was 10 years ago, at the height of the country’s civil war, when his forces lost control over parts of the largest city, Aleppo, and his opponents were closing in on the capital, Damascus.

Back then, he was rescued by his chief international backer, Russia, and longtime regional ally Iran, which along with Lebanon’s powerful Hezbollah militia helped Assad's forces retake Aleppo, tipping the war firmly in his favor.

Now, as insurgents pursue a shock offensive that quickly captured not just Aleppo, but other key cities across the country's northwest and in the south, reaching the suburbs of the capital Damascus, the Syrian leader appears to be largely on his own.

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Anticipation was high Saturday, as rebels reached the outskirts of Damascus. The U.N. envoy called for an “orderly political transition" and even Sergey Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, said he couldn't forecast what is going to happen next.

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Read more: https://www.yahoo.com/news/alone-broke-against-renewed-insurgency-050046205.html