DAMASCUS, Syria — During the second part of a lengthy interview with Al-Monitor in Damascus, a senior Syrian official said that the reality on the ground, the power balance and the military developments in the field were important, and in this regard, the Syrian authorities were content and reassured.
The official, who requested anonymity, started by analyzing the Syrian map: “Each line extending from our southern border to Aleppo is under the control of Syrian troops. The militants received overwhelming blows in Homs and Qalamoun. Today in Aleppo, any military expert understands the meaning of controlling the central prison and the air force intelligence site in the city. Everybody recognizes that Aleppo is almost militarily fallen. Of course, cleansing it of militants and terrorists may need time. But the battle there, according to military battlefield logic, has already been decided and its results are clear.”