After four long years of fighting, the vicious battle for Aleppo is over. The last few rebel fighters agreed to withdraw and the city is now under full government control, according to the Syrian military. The recapture of Aleppo is being hailed by some as a major victory for the Syrian government and a key turning point toward the end of the conflict. Others,however, caution that the war is actually far from over as huge swaths of Syria are still under the control of various rebel or extremist groups, such as ISIS.
In an agreement brokered by Turkey and Russia, the last few rebel fighters as well as any civilians who wished to, would be allowed safe passage out of Aleppo to rebel held areas outside the city, and government forces would move in to take full control of the city. In addition, a ceasefire agreement was reached between the government and opposition forces that took effect on December 30. So far this agreement has held, and peace talks are scheduled for later this month.
With the retaking of Aleppo, all of Syria's major cities are now in government control, thanks in large part to their allies in Russia and Iran. The question now is: What happens next in Syria's now six year civil war? Despite Aleppo being taken by government troops, the rebel forces did not collapse either, they simply moved to the neighboring town of Idlib, less than 40 miles southwest of Aleppo.
Many fear this city will become the "next Aleppo", as the Syrian government may continue their strategy of starve or surrender, besieging and cutting off cities in rebel control until they surrender. Four years of this strategy is what turned the vibrant city of Aleppo into the wasteland it is today.
On the other hand, with all of Syria's major cities now in government control and diplomatic efforts being put in place, the plan may have been just to recapture Aleppo so the Syrian government and its allies could negotiate from a position of power. For the rebels, Aleppo was supposed to be their capital to rival Damascus. Without a capital, any hopes of challenging President Bashar al Assad's rule are very slim.
Moves by Russia indicate this may be exactly what is going on. Already Russian warships are returning home from the Mediterranean at the direction of President Vladimir Putin, "after a successful mission in Syria and the quick liberation of Aleppo from terrorist formations” according to the Russian defense ministry.
With peace talks scheduled for this month between the Syrian government and a number of rebel groups, the war may be transitioning to its close. By no means is it over, ISIS and other extremist organizations still control huge areas of eastern Syria. But it certainly won't be an open war anymore. At this point, it is hard to see any path to victory for the myriad rebel groups opposing the government. Any fighting from here on will just be the Syrian government consolidating its power.
Hopefully a peaceful resolution can be found that will benefit all. The road to peace will be a long and complicated one, but it must start soon, for the sake of all the innocent people who's lives and country have been destroyed by this war.
