phgaming 12 Days That Changed Syria: The Rebel Offensive in Visuals

In just two weeks, rebel forces tore across Syria, shattering the stalemate left by more than a decade of civil war and bringing an end to more than five decades of brutal rule by the Assad dynasty.

The pace of the advance was as dizzying as its implications.Here’s how it unfolded in photos, videos and maps:

NOV. 27

The offensive begins

TURKEY

Turkish-backed

opposition

Aleppo

Kurds

Main rebel

coalition

Syrian government

Hama

Homs

SYRIA

Damascus

40 miles

Leb.

Area of detail

The first thrust was sudden.

For years, the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham consolidated control in its stronghold in Idlib in Syria’s northwest. Then on Nov. 27, the rebels suddenly began a rapid push east toward Aleppo, a major city that suffered some of the most brutal and protracted fighting during the country’s long civil war.

ImageRebel fighters outside Atarib, western Aleppo Province, Nov. 27.Credit...Abdulaziz Ketaz/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

On Nov. 27, the rebels announced a striking initial success: They had overrun a Syrian government base, captured soldiers, taken tanks and seized several villages. “In a matter of about 10 hours,” an analyst told The Times that day, the rebels were within a few miles of Aleppo.

VideoRebel fighters drove through Al-Talhiya, Syria, as they advanced toward Aleppo on Nov. 29.CreditCredit...Associated Press

TURKEY

Turkish-backed

opposition

Aleppo

Kurds

Main rebel

coalition

Syrian government

Hama

Homs

SYRIA

Damascus

40 miles

Leb.

Area of detail

TURKEY

Turkish-backed

opposition

Aleppo

Kurds

Main rebel

coalition

Syrian government

Hama

Homs

SYRIA

Damascus

40 miles

Leb.

Area of detail

TURKEY

Turkish-backed

opposition

Aleppo

Kurdish advances

after government

withdrawal

Syrian government

Hama

Main rebel

coalition

Homs

SYRIA

Damascus

40 miles

Leb.

Area of detail

TURKEY

Turkish-backed

opposition

Aleppo

Kurdish

advances

Main rebel

coalition

Hama

Formerly held

by Syrian Government

Homs

Leb.

SYRIA

Area of detail

Damascus

We are having trouble retrieving the article content.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

Already a subscriber? Log in.

Want all of The Times? Subscribe.phgaming

• Syria
• phgaming
• That
• Days
• Changed