Sources close to Hezbollah told Al-Monitor that there were indications among the Syrian authorities and their allies that a huge development was underway in Aleppo. The same sources noted that military and political decision-makers did not rule out the possibility of waking up to surprising news. A deal over the lines of control of the Syrian army and its allies in the second-biggest Syrian city and their entry into all its neighborhoods could happen without significant battles.
The sources explained that this idea was not a theoretical one or an astrological analysis. It rather relied on a long series of on-the-ground military developments, on the one hand, and on the back-channel diplomatic negotiations and international talks on the other. The sources said the issue started weeks ago. In mid-May, several attempts at mediation to end the fighting in Homs were suddenly declared successful. It later appeared that secret negotiations had been underway between the Syrian authorities and the camp of their opponents. They wanted to conclude a deal that saw to the withdrawal of around 1,600 opposition militants from the old Homs neighborhoods, where fighting with the Syrian army was continuing.