Syrian opposition fighters have launched a lightning offensive, capturing most of Aleppo and arriving as far south as Hama in a matter of days as government forces retreated. The rebels’ rapid gains – the most significant since 2016 – have thrust Syria’s various opposition factions back into the spotlight.

Opposition forces seeking to overthrow Syria's President Bashar al-Assad launched their biggest offensive in years last week, retaking the northern city of Aleppo and driving government forces out of the region.

Multiple rebel factions and militant groups participated in the battle for Aleppo, code-named Operation Deterrence of Aggression, and headed by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, Islamist group that contro