Frame grab from a Dec. 13, 2016 video, shows people walking among damaged buildings on a street filled with debris near the ancient Umayyad Mosque, in the Old City of Aleppo, Syria. Uncredited/AP/Press Association Images. All rights reserved.
The recent offensive of Assad and Russian forces in the city of Aleppo have led to the worst setback for the opposition since the start of the war, not to mention the human tragedy. This offensive has lead to the loss of the largest urban center under opposition control, the eastern part of Aleppo.
This is the strongest indication yet that the tide of the civil war has shifted decisively in favor of Assad and his allies. The possibility of the opposition in the north of the country taking Damascus has now been greatly diminished.
