What to know about sudden rebel gains in Syria’s 13-year war and why it matters

Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — The 13-year civil war in Syria has roared back into prominence with rebels’ surprise capture of Aleppo, one of the country’s largest cities and an ancient hub of Middle East culture and commerce. The rebel advances are among the largest in years in a war whose destabilizing effects have rippled far beyond Syria’s borders. The surge in fighting has raised the prospect of another violent front reopening in the Middle East, at a time when U.S.-backed Israel is fighting Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, both Iranian-allied groups.