Syrian regime takes advantage of coalition strikes - Al-Monitor: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent news source since 2012

Edward Dark

Edward Dark

Oct 16, 2014

Forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad hold their weapons as they walk in Handarat area, north of Aleppo, after saying they have regained control of the area, October 4, 2014. The Syrian army has taken control of three villages, state television said, in a campaign by Assad's forces that could encircle insurgents in the city. Although there are smaller, more indirect routes into Aleppo, taking the northern road would also allow the army to besiege areas of the city which fell to insurgents in 201 — Forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad hold their weapons as they walk in the Handarat area, north of Aleppo, after saying they have regained control of the area, Oct. 4, 2014. — REUTERS/George Ourfalian

Turkish Kurds watch the smoke rises from Syrian town of Kobani near the Mursitpinar border crossing, on the Turkish-Syrian border in the southeastern town of Suruc in Sanliurfa province, October 18, 2014. A U.S.-led military coalition has been bombing Islamic State fighters who hold a large swathe of territory in both Iraq and Syria, two countries involved in complex multi-sided civil wars in which nearly every country in the Middle East has a stake.. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach (TURKEY - Tags: MILITARY POL

Who will Turkey 'train and equip' in Syria?

Week in Review

Rescuers carry a wounded boy who survived what activists said was an air strike by forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad in Aleppo's Bustan al-Qasr neighbourhood February 26, 2014. REUTERS/Malek Al Shemali (SYRIA - Tags: POLITICS CONFLICT) - RTR3FQU3

Barrel bombings cause mass evacuation in east Aleppo

Smoke rises during what activists said were clashes between rebel fighters and forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in Aleppo's Sheikh Najjar frontline June 30, 2014. REUTERS/Hamid Khatib (SYRIA - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST CONFLICT) - RTR3WHOA

Aleppo rebels caught between Islamic State, regime

Rebel fighters demonstrate their skill with their weapons during a military display as part of a graduation ceremony at a camp in eastern al-Ghouta, near Damascus September 4, 2014. The newly graduated rebel fighters, who went through military training, will join the "Al-Habib al-Mustafa" Brigades. REUTERS/Bassam Khabieh (SYRIA - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST CONFLICT) - RTR44WPX

Syrian rebels' access blocked to key Damascus neighborhood