The opposition planned the attack on Syria a year in advance.

On November 27, opposition groups led by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) launched an attack against Bashar al-Assad's Syrian army. The opposition seized control of Aleppo, Idlib, Hama, and Homs, and most recently the capital, Damascus. After the fall of Damascus, Bashar al-Assad and his family sought refuge in Russia. While the reasons for Assad's rapid downfall are debated, it has emerged that the opposition groups led by HTS began planning the attack a year in advance.

THE ATTACK WAS PLANNED A YEAR IN ADVANCE

According to a report by The Guardian, Abu Hasan al-Hemwi, the leader of HTS's armed wing, stated that HTS coordinated 'rebels' to create a 'unified war effort,' which included a special drone unit. Hemwi explained that they began planning the attack to overthrow Assad a year ago, establishing a special drone unit as part of the operation and coordinating closely with groups across the country.

WHY WAS NOVEMBER SEEN AS THE "RIGHT TIME"?

HTS decided that November was the right time for the attack. According to Hemwi, HTS primarily aimed to halt the normalization trend of regional powers led by countries like the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia with the Assad regime. HTS also wanted to stop the escalating airstrikes in northwestern Syria, believing that Assad's international allies, such as Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah, were beginning to weaken. After launching an attack on the Syrian army on November 27, HTS took control of Aleppo two days later. This was followed by Idlib, Hama, Homs, and finally the capital, Damascus, last Sunday.

Hemwi stated that he would transition to a role in the new civilian government in Damascus. Acknowledging that building a new country is not an easy task, Hemwi addressed the concerns of religious minorities, claiming, "We acknowledge that minorities in Syria are part of the nation and have the right to carry out their rituals, education, and services just like all other Syrian citizens. We are trying to build bridges as much as possible between these divisions."

DEVELOPMENTS IN SYRIA

On November 27, clashes intensified between regime-opposed armed groups led by HTS and Bashar al-Assad's forces in Syria. The groups had gained dominance in major cities such as Aleppo, Idlib, Hama, and Homs between November 30 and December 7.

As the groups began entering the capital, Damascus, on December 7, the regime completely lost control in Damascus and many other regions with the support of the masses. The Ba'ath Party's 61-year rule came to an end as regime leader Assad fled the capital.

Meanwhile, the Syrian National Army had also liberated the district center of Tal Rifaat from the terrorist organization PKK/YPG on the first day of the Operation Dawn of Freedom launched in December.

With the liberation of the district of Manbij, the region, which had turned into the largest terrorist stronghold west of the Euphrates River, was cleared of PKK/YPG.