Rather than coming out of nowhere, the dynamics that led to the HTS rebels' offensive in Syria have been building for a long time. The post The Rebel Offensive in Syria Was Hiding in Plain Sight appeared first on World Politics Review.

Syrian government forces pressed a counterattack against Islamist-led rebels around the key city of Hama on Wednesday after suffering a string of staggering losses further north, a war monitor said. The Britain-based war monitor said government forces backed by air support launched a counterattack on the HTS rebels and allied factions in Hama province on Wednesday.

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,