The surprise offensive on Aleppo by Syrian rebel groups has left the US in the difficult position of not fully supporting either side while also maintaining a force posture of nearly 1,000 troops in Syria as part of the ongoing mission to fight ISIS.

In just a few days, a patchwork of rebel forces has seized control of a broad stretch of land in the west and northwest of Syria. But it’s unclear just how much support Syria’s weakened allies can provide.

Syria's bloody civil war against the government of Bashar al-Assad started in 2011 but it had been in a stalemate for years. All that changed recently when rebels lead by a group called Hayat Tahrir al-Sham rapidly routed government forces seizing

As Syrian and Russian jets continue pounding targets, two airstrikes hit a group of four hospitals and the health directorate building in Idlib city, according to the Syrian Civil Defense that operates in opposition-held areas,

In a swift and unexpected offensive, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) captured Aleppo, Syria’s second-largest city, with minimal resistance from government forces, NPR reports. The Islamist group, formerly linked to al-Qaeda, has transformed into a national entity, focusing on governance and strategic alliances in Syria’s civil war.