The offensive is the first time opposition forces have seized territory in Aleppo since 2016, shattering the stalemate of a war that never formally ended. Extremist Islamists including al Qaeda took an interest in Syria, taking up a common cause with the moderate Syrian opposition who did not welcome jihadist involvement. Analysts told CNN that the Syrian rebels are using a vacuum left by the group to advance in Syria. The new grouping is made up of a broad spectrum of opposition forces, from Islamist factions to moderates. The backbone of the SDF are Kurdish fighters from a group known as the Peoples’ Protection Units (YPG), which has previously fought other Syrian opposition groups.

---

Persons: CNN —, Bashar al, Assad, Assad –, Syria’s, al Qaeda, al, CNN’s Eyad Kourdi, Ben Wedeman, Mostafa Salem, Christian Edwards Organizations: CNN, Saudi, United Arab, Guard, Syrian Air Force, Russian, ISIS, Syrian Democratic Forces, Operations Command, ”, Iranian, Analysts, Nusra, Peoples ’ Locations: Aleppo, Syria, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, United States, Iran, Russia, Kurdish, Idlib, Ukraine, Israel, Syria’s, Hayat Tahrir, Qaeda, al Qaeda