🕷️ Crawler Inspector

URL Lookup

Direct Parameter Lookup

Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 42 (from laksa171)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa042.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/syria-aleppo-rebels-civil-war-insurgents-civil-war-rcna182270\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/syria-aleppo-rebels-civil-war-insurgents-civil-war-rcna182270\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/news\/world\/syria-aleppo-rebels-civil-war-insurgents-civil-war-rcna182270","crawl_time":1775095409,"first_indexed_time":1732958800,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"com,nbcnews!www,\/news\/world\/syria-aleppo-rebels-civil-war-insurgents-civil-war-rcna182270 s443","src_root_hash":"3867714919315588842","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"What to know about sudden rebel gains in Syria's 13-year war and why it matters","meta_descriptions":["The 13-year civil war in Syria has roared back into prominence with a surprise rebel offensive on Aleppo, one of Syria’s largest cities and an ancient business hub."],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"Nov. 30, 2024, 9:25 AM UTC\n\/ Source:\nThe Associated Press\nThe 13-year civil war in\nSyria has roared back into prominence with a surprise rebel offensive on Aleppo\n, one of Syria’s largest cities and an ancient business hub. The push is among the rebels’ strongest in years in a war whose destabilizing effects have rippled far beyond the country’s borders.\nIt was the first opposition attack on Aleppo since 2016, when a brutal air campaign by Russian warplanes helped\nSyrian President Bashar Assad\nretake the northwestern city. Intervention by Russia,\nIran\nand Iranian-allied\nHezbollah\nand other groups has allowed Assad to remain in power, within the 70% of Syria under his control.\nThe surge in fighting has raised the prospect of another violent front reopening in the Middle East, at a time when U.S.-backed Israel is fighting Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, both Iranian-allied groups.\nRobert Ford, the last-serving U.S. ambassador to Syria, pointed to months of Israeli strikes on Syrian and Hezbollah targets in the area, and to Israel’s ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon this week, as factors providing Syria’s rebels with the opportunity to advance.\nHere’s a look at some of the key aspects of the new fighting:\nWhy does it matter?\nAssad has been at war with opposition forces seeking his overthrow for 13 years, a conflict that’s killed an estimated half-million people. Some 6.8 million Syrians have fled the country, a refugee flow that helped change the political map in Europe by fueling anti-immigrant far-right movements.\nThe roughly 30% of the country not under Assad is controlled by a range of opposition forces and foreign troops. The U.S. has about 900 troops in northeast Syria, far from Aleppo, to guard against a resurgence by the Islamic State. Both the U.S. and Israel conduct occasional strikes in Syria against government forces and Iran-allied militias. Turkey has forces in Syria, as well, and has influence with the broad alliance of opposition forces storming Aleppo.\nCars set on fire during battles with government forces are still ablaze shortly after jihadists entered central Aleppo early Sunday.\nOmar Haj Kadour \/ AFP - Getty Images\nComing after years with few sizeable changes in territory between Syria’s warring parties, the fighting “has the potential to be really quite, quite consequential and potentially game-changing,” if Syrian government forces prove unable to hold their ground, said Charles Lister, a longtime Syria analyst with the U.S.-based Middle East Institute. Risks include if Islamic State fighters see it as an opening, Lister said.\nFord said the fighting in Aleppo would become more broadly destabilizing if it drew Russia and Turkey — each with its own interests to protect in Syria — into direct heavy fighting against each other.\nWhat is HTS?\nThe U.S. and U.N. have long designated the opposition force leading the attack at Aleppo — Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, known by its initials HTS — as a terrorist organization.\nAbu Mohammed al-Golani emerged as the leader of al-Qaida’s Syria branch in 2011, in the first months of Syria’s war. It was an unwelcome intervention to many in Syria’s opposition, who hoped to keep the fight against Assad’s brutal rule untainted by violent extremism.\nGolani and his group early on claimed responsibility for deadly bombings, pledged to attack Western forces, confiscated property from religious minorities and sent religious police to enforce modest dress by women.\nAnti-government fighters pose for a picture in central Aleppo early Saturday.\nOmar Haj Kadour \/ AFP - Getty Images\nGolani and HTS have sought to remake themselves in recent years, focusing on promoting civilian government in their territory as well as military action, researcher Aaron Zelin noted. His group broke ties with al-Qaida in 2016. Golani cracked down on some extremist groups in his territory and increasingly portrays himself as a protector of other religions. That includes last year allowing the first Christian Mass in the city of Idlib in years.\nBy 2018, the Trump administration acknowledged it was no longer directly targeting Golani, Zelin said. But HTS has allowed some wanted armed groups to continue to operate on its territory and shot at U.S. special forces at least as recently as 2022, he said.\nHistory of Aleppo\nAt the crossroads of trade routes and empires for thousands of years, Aleppo is one of the centers of commerce and culture in the Middle East.\nAleppo was home to 2.3 million people before the war. Rebels seized the east side of the city in 2012, and it became the proudest symbol of the advance of armed opposition factions.\nIn 2016, government forces backed by Russian airstrikes laid siege to the city. Russian shells, missiles and crude barrel bombs — fuel canisters or other containers loaded with explosives and metal — methodically leveled neighborhoods. Starving and under siege, rebels surrendered Aleppo that year.\nThe Russian military’s entry was the turning point in the war, allowing Assad to stay on in the territory he held.\nThis year, \nIsraeli airstrikes in Aleppo\n have hit Hezbollah weapons depots and Syrian forces, among other targets, according to an independent monitoring group. Israel rarely acknowledges strikes at Aleppo and other government-held areas of Syria.","attrs_markdown":"IE 11 is not supported. 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The push is among the rebels’ strongest in years in a war whose destabilizing effects have rippled far beyond the country’s borders.\n\n![NBC News Icon](data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMjQiIGhlaWdodD0iMTQiIHZpZXdCb3g9IjAgMCAyNCAxNCIgZmlsbD0ibm9uZSIgeG1sbnM9Imh0dHA6Ly93d3cudzMub3JnLzIwMDAvc3ZnIj4KPGcgY2xpcC1wYXRoPSJ1cmwoI2NsaXAwXzM3M18yNjg3KSI+CjxwYXRoIGZpbGwtcnVsZT0iZXZlbm9kZCIgY2xpcC1ydWxlPSJldmVub2RkIiBkPSJNMTUuMTAwNiAwLjA2ODU1NTdDMTMuNTEwNiAtMC4zMDg5ODUgMTIuMDM5IDAuOTI3ODg0IDEyLjIwMjQgMi42MjQ5NEgxMi4yMDQzSDEzLjIzNDVDMTMuMjM0NSAyLjYyNDk0IDEzLjcxNTQgMi42MTkzIDEzLjg1NTMgMi45NDMzMUMxMy44NTUzIDIuOTQzMzEgMTIuMzMwMSAzLjUyMDg5IDEyLjQ1MTMgNC40NTkxMUwxMy40MDA4IDExLjM2MUwxNi43MjM1IDMuNDE3NTlDMTcuMjMwNiAyLjIxMTcxIDE2LjY2NDMgMC40MzI5NDggMTUuMTAwNiAwLjA2ODU1NTdaIiBmaWxsPSIjNjc1RUE5Ii8+CjxwYXRoIGZpbGwtcnVsZT0iZXZlbm9kZCIgY2xpcC1ydWxlPSJldmVub2RkIiBkPSJNMTAuNTUyMyAxMy45MzA1TDQuMDc2OCA5LjQxMzE1QzIuNDI4NTggOC4yNjA4MSAwLjc5ODIwNCA5LjQzNDc1IDAuNDUyNTk1IDEwLjY0OTFDLTAuMDU2NDI3OCAxMi40MzkxIDEuMDgzNzEgMTMuOTMwNSAyLjg3NTYyIDEzLjkzMDVIMTAuNTUyM1oiIGZpbGw9IiNGQ0NDMTYiLz4KPHBhdGggZmlsbC1ydWxlPSJldmVub2RkIiBjbGlwLXJ1bGU9ImV2ZW5vZGQiIGQ9Ik0xMS40MDI1IDIuNzM0NzlDMTEuNjQyIDAuOTgxMzg1IDEwLjE0MTIgLTAuMzE2NTI5IDguNTE2NDYgMC4wNjg1MjUzQzYuOTUyNzcgMC40MzI5MTggNi4zODY0NiAyLjIxMTY4IDYuODkzNiAzLjQxNzU2TDEwLjIxNjMgMTEuMzYwOUwxMS40MDI1IDIuNzM0NzlaIiBmaWxsPSIjRUQxOTQzIi8+CjxwYXRoIGZpbGwtcnVsZT0iZXZlbm9kZCIgY2xpcC1ydWxlPSJldmVub2RkIiBkPSJNOS45NTAzOSAxMi42NjM2TDYuNzYyOSA1LjA1NzM1QzYuMDE2MjcgMy4yOTM2MSA0LjA0MDI4IDMuMDc0NzkgMi45NDgwNCA0LjEwODhDMi4xNzk4MSA0LjgzNzU4IDEuNTgyNTEgNi44MjI5NiAzLjMwMjExIDguMDI1MDhMOS45NTAzOSAxMi42NjM2WiIgZmlsbD0iI0YzNzIyMSIvPgo8cGF0aCBmaWxsLXJ1bGU9ImV2ZW5vZGQiIGNsaXAtcnVsZT0iZXZlbm9kZCIgZD0iTTEzLjA2NDcgMTMuOTMwNUwxOS41NDAyIDkuNDEzMTVDMjEuMTg4NCA4LjI2MDgxIDIyLjgxODggOS40MzQ3NSAyMy4xNjQ0IDEwLjY0OTFDMjMuNjczNCAxMi40MzkxIDIyLjUzMzMgMTMuOTMwNSAyMC43NDE0IDEzLjkzMDVIMTMuMDY0N1oiIGZpbGw9IiMxM0FDNEIiLz4KPHBhdGggZmlsbC1ydWxlPSJldmVub2RkIiBjbGlwLXJ1bGU9ImV2ZW5vZGQiIGQ9Ik0xMy42NjY1IDEyLjY2MzZMMTYuODU0IDUuMDU3MzVDMTcuNjAwNiAzLjI5MzYxIDE5LjU3NjYgMy4wNzQ3OSAyMC42Njg5IDQuMTA4OEMyMS40MzcxIDQuODM3NTggMjIuMDM0NCA2LjgyMjk2IDIwLjMxNDggOC4wMjUwOEwxMy42NjY1IDEyLjY2MzZaIiBmaWxsPSIjMUU5Q0Q4Ii8+CjwvZz4KPGRlZnM+CjxjbGlwUGF0aCBpZD0iY2xpcDBfMzczXzI2ODciPgo8cmVjdCB3aWR0aD0iMjQiIGhlaWdodD0iMTMuODY2NyIgZmlsbD0id2hpdGUiLz4KPC9jbGlwUGF0aD4KPC9kZWZzPgo8L3N2Zz4K)\n\nSubscribe to read this story ad-free\n\nGet unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.\n\n![arrow](https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/rockcms\/2026-01\/arrow-f55fa5.svg)\n\nIt was the first opposition attack on Aleppo since 2016, when a brutal air campaign by Russian warplanes helped [Syrian President Bashar Assad](https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/news\/world\/syria-election-bashar-assad-civil-war-baath-party-rcna161836) retake the northwestern city. Intervention by Russia, [Iran](https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/iran) and Iranian-allied [Hezbollah](https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/news\/world\/gaza-israel-hezbollah-ceasefire-hostages-rcna181973) and other groups has allowed Assad to remain in power, within the 70% of Syria under his control.\n\nThe surge in fighting has raised the prospect of another violent front reopening in the Middle East, at a time when U.S.-backed Israel is fighting Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, both Iranian-allied groups.\n\nRobert Ford, the last-serving U.S. ambassador to Syria, pointed to months of Israeli strikes on Syrian and Hezbollah targets in the area, and to Israel’s ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon this week, as factors providing Syria’s rebels with the opportunity to advance.\n\nHere’s a look at some of the key aspects of the new fighting:\n\n## Why does it matter?\nAssad has been at war with opposition forces seeking his overthrow for 13 years, a conflict that’s killed an estimated half-million people. Some 6.8 million Syrians have fled the country, a refugee flow that helped change the political map in Europe by fueling anti-immigrant far-right movements.\n\nThe roughly 30% of the country not under Assad is controlled by a range of opposition forces and foreign troops. The U.S. has about 900 troops in northeast Syria, far from Aleppo, to guard against a resurgence by the Islamic State. Both the U.S. and Israel conduct occasional strikes in Syria against government forces and Iran-allied militias. Turkey has forces in Syria, as well, and has influence with the broad alliance of opposition forces storming Aleppo.\n\n![Image: SYRIA-CONFLICT-JIHADISTS](https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2024-11\/2186912814-2-eaa678.jpg)\n\nCars set on fire during battles with government forces are still ablaze shortly after jihadists entered central Aleppo early Sunday.Omar Haj Kadour \/ AFP - Getty Images\n\nComing after years with few sizeable changes in territory between Syria’s warring parties, the fighting “has the potential to be really quite, quite consequential and potentially game-changing,” if Syrian government forces prove unable to hold their ground, said Charles Lister, a longtime Syria analyst with the U.S.-based Middle East Institute. Risks include if Islamic State fighters see it as an opening, Lister said.\n\nFord said the fighting in Aleppo would become more broadly destabilizing if it drew Russia and Turkey — each with its own interests to protect in Syria — into direct heavy fighting against each other.\n\n## What is HTS?\nThe U.S. and U.N. have long designated the opposition force leading the attack at Aleppo — Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, known by its initials HTS — as a terrorist organization.\n\nAbu Mohammed al-Golani emerged as the leader of al-Qaida’s Syria branch in 2011, in the first months of Syria’s war. It was an unwelcome intervention to many in Syria’s opposition, who hoped to keep the fight against Assad’s brutal rule untainted by violent extremism.\n\nGolani and his group early on claimed responsibility for deadly bombings, pledged to attack Western forces, confiscated property from religious minorities and sent religious police to enforce modest dress by women.\n\n![Image: SYRIA-CONFLICT-JIHADISTS](https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2024-11\/2186912909-033824.jpg)\n\nAnti-government fighters pose for a picture in central Aleppo early Saturday.Omar Haj Kadour \/ AFP - Getty Images\n\nGolani and HTS have sought to remake themselves in recent years, focusing on promoting civilian government in their territory as well as military action, researcher Aaron Zelin noted. His group broke ties with al-Qaida in 2016. Golani cracked down on some extremist groups in his territory and increasingly portrays himself as a protector of other religions. That includes last year allowing the first Christian Mass in the city of Idlib in years.\n\nBy 2018, the Trump administration acknowledged it was no longer directly targeting Golani, Zelin said. But HTS has allowed some wanted armed groups to continue to operate on its territory and shot at U.S. special forces at least as recently as 2022, he said.\n\n## History of Aleppo\nAt the crossroads of trade routes and empires for thousands of years, Aleppo is one of the centers of commerce and culture in the Middle East.\n\nAleppo was home to 2.3 million people before the war. Rebels seized the east side of the city in 2012, and it became the proudest symbol of the advance of armed opposition factions.\n\nIn 2016, government forces backed by Russian airstrikes laid siege to the city. Russian shells, missiles and crude barrel bombs — fuel canisters or other containers loaded with explosives and metal — methodically leveled neighborhoods. Starving and under siege, rebels surrendered Aleppo that year.\n\nThe Russian military’s entry was the turning point in the war, allowing Assad to stay on in the territory he held.\n\nThis year, [Israeli airstrikes in Aleppo](https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/syria-israel-aleppo-airstrikes-jibreen-hezbollah-9071d4193c522953550ce8467fecc724) have hit Hezbollah weapons depots and Syrian forces, among other targets, according to an independent monitoring group. Israel rarely acknowledges strikes at Aleppo and other government-held areas of Syria.\n\nShare\n\n[Add NBC News to Google](https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=nbcnews.com)\n\n![Save hover state](data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMjAiIGhlaWdodD0iMjAiIHZpZXdCb3g9IjAgMCAyMCAyMCIgZmlsbD0ibm9uZSIgeG1sbnM9Imh0dHA6Ly93d3cudzMub3JnLzIwMDAvc3ZnIj4KPHBhdGggZD0iTTEwLjQyNzkgMTEuNjg4OUw5Ljk5MTcxIDExLjI2NzdMOS41NTM4OCAxMS42ODcyTDIuNTA1NDMgMTguNDM5N1YwLjYzMDQzNUgxNy40OTQ2VjE4LjUxMTlMMTAuNDI3OSAxMS42ODg5WiIgZmlsbD0iIzdDNEU5RiIgZmlsbC1vcGFjaXR5PSIwLjMiIHN0cm9rZT0iIzdDNEU5RiIgc3Ryb2tlLXdpZHRoPSIxLjI2MDg3Ii8+Cjwvc3ZnPgo=)Savewith a NBCUniversal Profile\n\n- [About](https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/information\/nbc-news-info\/about-nbc-news-digital-n1232178)\n- [Contact](https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/information\/nbc-news-info\/contact-us-n1232521)\n- [Help](https:\/\/nbcnews.zendesk.com\/hc\/en-us)\n- [Careers](https:\/\/www.nbcunicareers.com\/)\n- [Ad Choices](https:\/\/www.nbcuniversalprivacy.com\/privacy\/cookies#accordionheader2)\n- [Privacy Policy](https:\/\/www.nbcuniversalprivacy.com\/privacy?intake=NBC_News)\n- [Your Privacy Choices](https:\/\/www.nbcuniversal.com\/privacy\/notrtoo\/?intake=NBC_News)\n- [CA Notice](https:\/\/www.nbcuniversalprivacy.com\/privacy\/california-consumer-privacy-act?intake=NBC_News)\n- [Terms of Service](https:\/\/www.nbcuniversal.com\/terms)\n- [NBC News Subscription Terms of Service](https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/subscribe\/supplemental-terms)\n- [NBC News Sitemap](https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/archive)\n- [Closed Captioning](https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/information\/nbc-news-info\/closed-captioning-n1307063)\n- [Subscribe](https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/subscribe)\n- [Advertise](https:\/\/together.nbcuni.com\/advertise\/?utm_source=nbc_news&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=property_ad_pages)\n- [NBC Select](https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/select)\n\n© 2026 NBCUniversal Media, LLC","attrs_readable_markdown":"Nov. 30, 2024, 9:25 AM UTC \/ Source: [The Associated Press](https:\/\/apnews.com\/)\n\nThe 13-year civil war in [Syria has roared back into prominence with a surprise rebel offensive on Aleppo](https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/news\/world\/syrian-insurgents-breach-aleppo-rcna182221), one of Syria’s largest cities and an ancient business hub. The push is among the rebels’ strongest in years in a war whose destabilizing effects have rippled far beyond the country’s borders.\n\nIt was the first opposition attack on Aleppo since 2016, when a brutal air campaign by Russian warplanes helped [Syrian President Bashar Assad](https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/news\/world\/syria-election-bashar-assad-civil-war-baath-party-rcna161836) retake the northwestern city. Intervention by Russia, [Iran](https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/iran) and Iranian-allied [Hezbollah](https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/news\/world\/gaza-israel-hezbollah-ceasefire-hostages-rcna181973) and other groups has allowed Assad to remain in power, within the 70% of Syria under his control.\n\nThe surge in fighting has raised the prospect of another violent front reopening in the Middle East, at a time when U.S.-backed Israel is fighting Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, both Iranian-allied groups.\n\nRobert Ford, the last-serving U.S. ambassador to Syria, pointed to months of Israeli strikes on Syrian and Hezbollah targets in the area, and to Israel’s ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon this week, as factors providing Syria’s rebels with the opportunity to advance.\n\nHere’s a look at some of the key aspects of the new fighting:\n\n## Why does it matter?\nAssad has been at war with opposition forces seeking his overthrow for 13 years, a conflict that’s killed an estimated half-million people. Some 6.8 million Syrians have fled the country, a refugee flow that helped change the political map in Europe by fueling anti-immigrant far-right movements.\n\nThe roughly 30% of the country not under Assad is controlled by a range of opposition forces and foreign troops. The U.S. has about 900 troops in northeast Syria, far from Aleppo, to guard against a resurgence by the Islamic State. Both the U.S. and Israel conduct occasional strikes in Syria against government forces and Iran-allied militias. Turkey has forces in Syria, as well, and has influence with the broad alliance of opposition forces storming Aleppo.\n\n![Image: SYRIA-CONFLICT-JIHADISTS](https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2024-11\/2186912814-2-eaa678.jpg)\n\nCars set on fire during battles with government forces are still ablaze shortly after jihadists entered central Aleppo early Sunday.Omar Haj Kadour \/ AFP - Getty Images\n\nComing after years with few sizeable changes in territory between Syria’s warring parties, the fighting “has the potential to be really quite, quite consequential and potentially game-changing,” if Syrian government forces prove unable to hold their ground, said Charles Lister, a longtime Syria analyst with the U.S.-based Middle East Institute. Risks include if Islamic State fighters see it as an opening, Lister said.\n\nFord said the fighting in Aleppo would become more broadly destabilizing if it drew Russia and Turkey — each with its own interests to protect in Syria — into direct heavy fighting against each other.\n\n## What is HTS?\nThe U.S. and U.N. have long designated the opposition force leading the attack at Aleppo — Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, known by its initials HTS — as a terrorist organization.\n\nAbu Mohammed al-Golani emerged as the leader of al-Qaida’s Syria branch in 2011, in the first months of Syria’s war. It was an unwelcome intervention to many in Syria’s opposition, who hoped to keep the fight against Assad’s brutal rule untainted by violent extremism.\n\nGolani and his group early on claimed responsibility for deadly bombings, pledged to attack Western forces, confiscated property from religious minorities and sent religious police to enforce modest dress by women.\n\n![Image: SYRIA-CONFLICT-JIHADISTS](https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2024-11\/2186912909-033824.jpg)\n\nAnti-government fighters pose for a picture in central Aleppo early Saturday.Omar Haj Kadour \/ AFP - Getty Images\n\nGolani and HTS have sought to remake themselves in recent years, focusing on promoting civilian government in their territory as well as military action, researcher Aaron Zelin noted. His group broke ties with al-Qaida in 2016. Golani cracked down on some extremist groups in his territory and increasingly portrays himself as a protector of other religions. That includes last year allowing the first Christian Mass in the city of Idlib in years.\n\nBy 2018, the Trump administration acknowledged it was no longer directly targeting Golani, Zelin said. But HTS has allowed some wanted armed groups to continue to operate on its territory and shot at U.S. special forces at least as recently as 2022, he said.\n\n## History of Aleppo\nAt the crossroads of trade routes and empires for thousands of years, Aleppo is one of the centers of commerce and culture in the Middle East.\n\nAleppo was home to 2.3 million people before the war. Rebels seized the east side of the city in 2012, and it became the proudest symbol of the advance of armed opposition factions.\n\nIn 2016, government forces backed by Russian airstrikes laid siege to the city. Russian shells, missiles and crude barrel bombs — fuel canisters or other containers loaded with explosives and metal — methodically leveled neighborhoods. Starving and under siege, rebels surrendered Aleppo that year.\n\nThe Russian military’s entry was the turning point in the war, allowing Assad to stay on in the territory he held.\n\nThis year, [Israeli airstrikes in Aleppo](https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/syria-israel-aleppo-airstrikes-jibreen-hezbollah-9071d4193c522953550ce8467fecc724) have hit Hezbollah weapons depots and Syrian forces, among other targets, according to an independent monitoring group. Israel rarely acknowledges strikes at Aleppo and other government-held areas of Syria.","meta_canonical":null}

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Meta Title	What to know about sudden rebel gains in Syria's 13-year war and why it matters
Meta Description	The 13-year civil war in Syria has roared back into prominence with a surprise rebel offensive on Aleppo, one of Syria’s largest cities and an ancient business hub.
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Boilerpipe Text	Nov. 30, 2024, 9:25 AM UTC / Source: The Associated Press The 13-year civil war in Syria has roared back into prominence with a surprise rebel offensive on Aleppo , one of Syria’s largest cities and an ancient business hub. The push is among the rebels’ strongest in years in a war whose destabilizing effects have rippled far beyond the country’s borders. It was the first opposition attack on Aleppo since 2016, when a brutal air campaign by Russian warplanes helped Syrian President Bashar Assad retake the northwestern city. Intervention by Russia, Iran and Iranian-allied Hezbollah and other groups has allowed Assad to remain in power, within the 70% of Syria under his control. The surge in fighting has raised the prospect of another violent front reopening in the Middle East, at a time when U.S.-backed Israel is fighting Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, both Iranian-allied groups. Robert Ford, the last-serving U.S. ambassador to Syria, pointed to months of Israeli strikes on Syrian and Hezbollah targets in the area, and to Israel’s ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon this week, as factors providing Syria’s rebels with the opportunity to advance. Here’s a look at some of the key aspects of the new fighting: Why does it matter? Assad has been at war with opposition forces seeking his overthrow for 13 years, a conflict that’s killed an estimated half-million people. Some 6.8 million Syrians have fled the country, a refugee flow that helped change the political map in Europe by fueling anti-immigrant far-right movements. The roughly 30% of the country not under Assad is controlled by a range of opposition forces and foreign troops. The U.S. has about 900 troops in northeast Syria, far from Aleppo, to guard against a resurgence by the Islamic State. Both the U.S. and Israel conduct occasional strikes in Syria against government forces and Iran-allied militias. Turkey has forces in Syria, as well, and has influence with the broad alliance of opposition forces storming Aleppo. Cars set on fire during battles with government forces are still ablaze shortly after jihadists entered central Aleppo early Sunday. Omar Haj Kadour / AFP - Getty Images Coming after years with few sizeable changes in territory between Syria’s warring parties, the fighting “has the potential to be really quite, quite consequential and potentially game-changing,” if Syrian government forces prove unable to hold their ground, said Charles Lister, a longtime Syria analyst with the U.S.-based Middle East Institute. Risks include if Islamic State fighters see it as an opening, Lister said. Ford said the fighting in Aleppo would become more broadly destabilizing if it drew Russia and Turkey — each with its own interests to protect in Syria — into direct heavy fighting against each other. What is HTS? The U.S. and U.N. have long designated the opposition force leading the attack at Aleppo — Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, known by its initials HTS — as a terrorist organization. Abu Mohammed al-Golani emerged as the leader of al-Qaida’s Syria branch in 2011, in the first months of Syria’s war. It was an unwelcome intervention to many in Syria’s opposition, who hoped to keep the fight against Assad’s brutal rule untainted by violent extremism. Golani and his group early on claimed responsibility for deadly bombings, pledged to attack Western forces, confiscated property from religious minorities and sent religious police to enforce modest dress by women. Anti-government fighters pose for a picture in central Aleppo early Saturday. Omar Haj Kadour / AFP - Getty Images Golani and HTS have sought to remake themselves in recent years, focusing on promoting civilian government in their territory as well as military action, researcher Aaron Zelin noted. His group broke ties with al-Qaida in 2016. Golani cracked down on some extremist groups in his territory and increasingly portrays himself as a protector of other religions. That includes last year allowing the first Christian Mass in the city of Idlib in years. By 2018, the Trump administration acknowledged it was no longer directly targeting Golani, Zelin said. But HTS has allowed some wanted armed groups to continue to operate on its territory and shot at U.S. special forces at least as recently as 2022, he said. History of Aleppo At the crossroads of trade routes and empires for thousands of years, Aleppo is one of the centers of commerce and culture in the Middle East. Aleppo was home to 2.3 million people before the war. Rebels seized the east side of the city in 2012, and it became the proudest symbol of the advance of armed opposition factions. In 2016, government forces backed by Russian airstrikes laid siege to the city. Russian shells, missiles and crude barrel bombs — fuel canisters or other containers loaded with explosives and metal — methodically leveled neighborhoods. Starving and under siege, rebels surrendered Aleppo that year. The Russian military’s entry was the turning point in the war, allowing Assad to stay on in the territory he held. This year, Israeli airstrikes in Aleppo have hit Hezbollah weapons depots and Syrian forces, among other targets, according to an independent monitoring group. Israel rarely acknowledges strikes at Aleppo and other government-held areas of Syria.
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[Add NBC News to Google](https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=nbcnews.com) [Restive Mideast sees Syrian insurgents breach Aleppo, but Lebanon ceasefire holds](https://www.msnbc.com/jose-diaz-balart/watch/syrian-insurgents-breach-aleppo-detonating-two-car-bombs-225781829796) 05:50 [Get more news on](https://www.nbcnews.com/watch) Share [Add NBC News to Google](https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=nbcnews.com) ![Save hover state](data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMjAiIGhlaWdodD0iMjAiIHZpZXdCb3g9IjAgMCAyMCAyMCIgZmlsbD0ibm9uZSIgeG1sbnM9Imh0dHA6Ly93d3cudzMub3JnLzIwMDAvc3ZnIj4KPHBhdGggZD0iTTEwLjQyNzkgMTEuNjg4OUw5Ljk5MTcxIDExLjI2NzdMOS41NTM4OCAxMS42ODcyTDIuNTA1NDMgMTguNDM5N1YwLjYzMDQzNUgxNy40OTQ2VjE4LjUxMTlMMTAuNDI3OSAxMS42ODg5WiIgZmlsbD0iIzdDNEU5RiIgZmlsbC1vcGFjaXR5PSIwLjMiIHN0cm9rZT0iIzdDNEU5RiIgc3Ryb2tlLXdpZHRoPSIxLjI2MDg3Ii8+Cjwvc3ZnPgo=)Savewith a NBCUniversal Profile Nov. 30, 2024, 9:25 AM UTC / Source: [The Associated Press](https://apnews.com/) By The Associated Press The 13-year civil war in [Syria has roared back into prominence with a surprise rebel offensive on Aleppo](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/syrian-insurgents-breach-aleppo-rcna182221), one of Syria’s largest cities and an ancient business hub. The push is among the rebels’ strongest in years in a war whose destabilizing effects have rippled far beyond the country’s borders. ![NBC News Icon](data:image/svg+xml;base64,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) Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content. ![arrow](https://media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com/image/upload/rockcms/2026-01/arrow-f55fa5.svg) It was the first opposition attack on Aleppo since 2016, when a brutal air campaign by Russian warplanes helped [Syrian President Bashar Assad](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/syria-election-bashar-assad-civil-war-baath-party-rcna161836) retake the northwestern city. Intervention by Russia, [Iran](https://www.nbcnews.com/iran) and Iranian-allied [Hezbollah](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/gaza-israel-hezbollah-ceasefire-hostages-rcna181973) and other groups has allowed Assad to remain in power, within the 70% of Syria under his control. The surge in fighting has raised the prospect of another violent front reopening in the Middle East, at a time when U.S.-backed Israel is fighting Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, both Iranian-allied groups. Robert Ford, the last-serving U.S. ambassador to Syria, pointed to months of Israeli strikes on Syrian and Hezbollah targets in the area, and to Israel’s ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon this week, as factors providing Syria’s rebels with the opportunity to advance. Here’s a look at some of the key aspects of the new fighting: ## Why does it matter? Assad has been at war with opposition forces seeking his overthrow for 13 years, a conflict that’s killed an estimated half-million people. Some 6.8 million Syrians have fled the country, a refugee flow that helped change the political map in Europe by fueling anti-immigrant far-right movements. The roughly 30% of the country not under Assad is controlled by a range of opposition forces and foreign troops. The U.S. has about 900 troops in northeast Syria, far from Aleppo, to guard against a resurgence by the Islamic State. Both the U.S. and Israel conduct occasional strikes in Syria against government forces and Iran-allied militias. Turkey has forces in Syria, as well, and has influence with the broad alliance of opposition forces storming Aleppo. ![Image: SYRIA-CONFLICT-JIHADISTS](https://media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com/image/upload/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best/rockcms/2024-11/2186912814-2-eaa678.jpg) Cars set on fire during battles with government forces are still ablaze shortly after jihadists entered central Aleppo early Sunday.Omar Haj Kadour / AFP - Getty Images Coming after years with few sizeable changes in territory between Syria’s warring parties, the fighting “has the potential to be really quite, quite consequential and potentially game-changing,” if Syrian government forces prove unable to hold their ground, said Charles Lister, a longtime Syria analyst with the U.S.-based Middle East Institute. Risks include if Islamic State fighters see it as an opening, Lister said. Ford said the fighting in Aleppo would become more broadly destabilizing if it drew Russia and Turkey — each with its own interests to protect in Syria — into direct heavy fighting against each other. ## What is HTS? The U.S. and U.N. have long designated the opposition force leading the attack at Aleppo — Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, known by its initials HTS — as a terrorist organization. Abu Mohammed al-Golani emerged as the leader of al-Qaida’s Syria branch in 2011, in the first months of Syria’s war. It was an unwelcome intervention to many in Syria’s opposition, who hoped to keep the fight against Assad’s brutal rule untainted by violent extremism. Golani and his group early on claimed responsibility for deadly bombings, pledged to attack Western forces, confiscated property from religious minorities and sent religious police to enforce modest dress by women. ![Image: SYRIA-CONFLICT-JIHADISTS](https://media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com/image/upload/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best/rockcms/2024-11/2186912909-033824.jpg) Anti-government fighters pose for a picture in central Aleppo early Saturday.Omar Haj Kadour / AFP - Getty Images Golani and HTS have sought to remake themselves in recent years, focusing on promoting civilian government in their territory as well as military action, researcher Aaron Zelin noted. His group broke ties with al-Qaida in 2016. Golani cracked down on some extremist groups in his territory and increasingly portrays himself as a protector of other religions. That includes last year allowing the first Christian Mass in the city of Idlib in years. By 2018, the Trump administration acknowledged it was no longer directly targeting Golani, Zelin said. But HTS has allowed some wanted armed groups to continue to operate on its territory and shot at U.S. special forces at least as recently as 2022, he said. ## History of Aleppo At the crossroads of trade routes and empires for thousands of years, Aleppo is one of the centers of commerce and culture in the Middle East. Aleppo was home to 2.3 million people before the war. Rebels seized the east side of the city in 2012, and it became the proudest symbol of the advance of armed opposition factions. In 2016, government forces backed by Russian airstrikes laid siege to the city. Russian shells, missiles and crude barrel bombs — fuel canisters or other containers loaded with explosives and metal — methodically leveled neighborhoods. Starving and under siege, rebels surrendered Aleppo that year. The Russian military’s entry was the turning point in the war, allowing Assad to stay on in the territory he held. This year, [Israeli airstrikes in Aleppo](https://apnews.com/article/syria-israel-aleppo-airstrikes-jibreen-hezbollah-9071d4193c522953550ce8467fecc724) have hit Hezbollah weapons depots and Syrian forces, among other targets, according to an independent monitoring group. Israel rarely acknowledges strikes at Aleppo and other government-held areas of Syria. 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Readable Markdown	Nov. 30, 2024, 9:25 AM UTC / Source: [The Associated Press](https://apnews.com/) The 13-year civil war in [Syria has roared back into prominence with a surprise rebel offensive on Aleppo](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/syrian-insurgents-breach-aleppo-rcna182221), one of Syria’s largest cities and an ancient business hub. The push is among the rebels’ strongest in years in a war whose destabilizing effects have rippled far beyond the country’s borders. It was the first opposition attack on Aleppo since 2016, when a brutal air campaign by Russian warplanes helped [Syrian President Bashar Assad](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/syria-election-bashar-assad-civil-war-baath-party-rcna161836) retake the northwestern city. Intervention by Russia, [Iran](https://www.nbcnews.com/iran) and Iranian-allied [Hezbollah](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/gaza-israel-hezbollah-ceasefire-hostages-rcna181973) and other groups has allowed Assad to remain in power, within the 70% of Syria under his control. The surge in fighting has raised the prospect of another violent front reopening in the Middle East, at a time when U.S.-backed Israel is fighting Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, both Iranian-allied groups. Robert Ford, the last-serving U.S. ambassador to Syria, pointed to months of Israeli strikes on Syrian and Hezbollah targets in the area, and to Israel’s ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon this week, as factors providing Syria’s rebels with the opportunity to advance. Here’s a look at some of the key aspects of the new fighting: ## Why does it matter? Assad has been at war with opposition forces seeking his overthrow for 13 years, a conflict that’s killed an estimated half-million people. Some 6.8 million Syrians have fled the country, a refugee flow that helped change the political map in Europe by fueling anti-immigrant far-right movements. The roughly 30% of the country not under Assad is controlled by a range of opposition forces and foreign troops. The U.S. has about 900 troops in northeast Syria, far from Aleppo, to guard against a resurgence by the Islamic State. Both the U.S. and Israel conduct occasional strikes in Syria against government forces and Iran-allied militias. Turkey has forces in Syria, as well, and has influence with the broad alliance of opposition forces storming Aleppo. ![Image: SYRIA-CONFLICT-JIHADISTS](https://media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com/image/upload/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best/rockcms/2024-11/2186912814-2-eaa678.jpg) Cars set on fire during battles with government forces are still ablaze shortly after jihadists entered central Aleppo early Sunday.Omar Haj Kadour / AFP - Getty Images Coming after years with few sizeable changes in territory between Syria’s warring parties, the fighting “has the potential to be really quite, quite consequential and potentially game-changing,” if Syrian government forces prove unable to hold their ground, said Charles Lister, a longtime Syria analyst with the U.S.-based Middle East Institute. Risks include if Islamic State fighters see it as an opening, Lister said. Ford said the fighting in Aleppo would become more broadly destabilizing if it drew Russia and Turkey — each with its own interests to protect in Syria — into direct heavy fighting against each other. ## What is HTS? The U.S. and U.N. have long designated the opposition force leading the attack at Aleppo — Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, known by its initials HTS — as a terrorist organization. Abu Mohammed al-Golani emerged as the leader of al-Qaida’s Syria branch in 2011, in the first months of Syria’s war. It was an unwelcome intervention to many in Syria’s opposition, who hoped to keep the fight against Assad’s brutal rule untainted by violent extremism. Golani and his group early on claimed responsibility for deadly bombings, pledged to attack Western forces, confiscated property from religious minorities and sent religious police to enforce modest dress by women. ![Image: SYRIA-CONFLICT-JIHADISTS](https://media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com/image/upload/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best/rockcms/2024-11/2186912909-033824.jpg) Anti-government fighters pose for a picture in central Aleppo early Saturday.Omar Haj Kadour / AFP - Getty Images Golani and HTS have sought to remake themselves in recent years, focusing on promoting civilian government in their territory as well as military action, researcher Aaron Zelin noted. His group broke ties with al-Qaida in 2016. Golani cracked down on some extremist groups in his territory and increasingly portrays himself as a protector of other religions. That includes last year allowing the first Christian Mass in the city of Idlib in years. By 2018, the Trump administration acknowledged it was no longer directly targeting Golani, Zelin said. But HTS has allowed some wanted armed groups to continue to operate on its territory and shot at U.S. special forces at least as recently as 2022, he said. ## History of Aleppo At the crossroads of trade routes and empires for thousands of years, Aleppo is one of the centers of commerce and culture in the Middle East. Aleppo was home to 2.3 million people before the war. Rebels seized the east side of the city in 2012, and it became the proudest symbol of the advance of armed opposition factions. In 2016, government forces backed by Russian airstrikes laid siege to the city. Russian shells, missiles and crude barrel bombs — fuel canisters or other containers loaded with explosives and metal — methodically leveled neighborhoods. Starving and under siege, rebels surrendered Aleppo that year. The Russian military’s entry was the turning point in the war, allowing Assad to stay on in the territory he held. This year, [Israeli airstrikes in Aleppo](https://apnews.com/article/syria-israel-aleppo-airstrikes-jibreen-hezbollah-9071d4193c522953550ce8467fecc724) have hit Hezbollah weapons depots and Syrian forces, among other targets, according to an independent monitoring group. Israel rarely acknowledges strikes at Aleppo and other government-held areas of Syria.
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