A lightning offensive in Syria last week broke a prolonged stalemate 13 years into Syria's civil war and emphasized the vulnerability of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime. Why it matters: Rebels last week reclaimed nearly all of Aleppo,

Eight years ago, Syria’s civil war shifted in President Bashar Al-Assad’s favor after a Russian blitzkrieg on Aleppo helped him regain control over the country’s second biggest city.

The Syrian government, backed by Russian planes and their allies among pro-Iranian militias, has thwarted some rebel advances in the northern countryside around the city of Hama, a Syria commander told dpa on Tuesday.

Syrian and Russian Fighter Jets Strike Areas Held by Rebel Forces. Middle East Crisis middle-east-crisis-video