The Insurgent Offensive in Northwest Syria: Interview

As a companion to my brief analytical overview of the insurgent offensive in northwest Syria that has caught many observers by surprise and marks the first major battle since the ‘frozen conflict’ status quo since 2020, I present here a brief interview I did today with a Syrian fighter who has worked with the Iranian-backed Syrian formations (‘The Forces of the Friends’) and is stationed on the Aleppo frontlines against the insurgents. I have known him for several years. Given the sensitivity of the situation, the details necessarily cannot be too elaborate, but some insights can be teased out. Issues discussed include: Was the attack expected? Who is responsible for manning the frontlines on the government side and repelling the attack?

"A little of our might"- a brief clip shared by the source purporting to show the strength of the Syrian government forces and their allies in dealing with the insurgent attack.


Q: Firstly, was this attack by the insurgents expected? Or was it a surprise?