Julian McBride
The Collapse of the Syrian Army: A Modern-Day Military Disaster
The Syrian army has rapidly collapsed in a way not seen since the fall of the Afghan and South Vietnamese armies. Initially holding significant leverage at the height of offensives that squeezed rebel and Islamist groups, the Baathist army is now decimated, disorganized, and on its final heels.
The Syrian army, despite being propped up by various militias and states, would become complacent as the Assad regime focused on a lavish lifestyle on a pedestal of ashes rather than reconstituting a professional fighting force. The downfall of the Syrian military has been ongoing for several years, and various factors contributed to the collapse.
The Collapse of the Syrian Army
On November 27th, rebel groups led by HTS, an Islamist organization whose leadership used to be affiliated with al-Qaeda, led a limited offensive in the Aleppo countryside. Suddenly, the Syrian army collapsed entirely, and the HTS and rebel factions would soon completely capture Aleppo and Syrian government-held areas of Idlib.
Marching South towards Hama, the retreating Syrian army attempted to coordinate a defensive line in the provincial capital as Homs would become untenable. The rebel factions and HTS would take the province in less than 72 hours, and a route began.
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