Part 2/7:
Ibraham Alasil, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute and a survivor of the regime’s oppression, remarked on the surprising nature of this offensive from the perspective of the Syrian government. Despite indicators that the group Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) was gearing up for action, the rapid advances the rebels made were unexpected. Alasil noted that while many people in Aleppo desperately wish to be liberated from the regime, there is a deep-seated fear regarding what comes next. The conditions are complicated by the presence of militant factions within these rebel groups, which raises concerns about potential violence and oppression among civilians, especially minorities.