ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:
Syrian anti-government insurgents claim they have entered the city of Hama, a major Syrian government stronghold. This comes after a week of intense clashes with forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad. The rebels took over the second-largest Syrian city, Aleppo, in the far north. The civil war began back in 2011 after anti-government protests turned violent. Half a million people have been killed in the war, and many millions of others displaced. To understand the significance of this operation, NPR's Hadeel Al-Shalchi joins us now. Welcome.
HADEEL AL-SHALCHI, BYLINE: Thank you.
SHAPIRO: What more can you tell us about this latest development?
AL-SHALCHI: Right. So it's been three days of violent clashes between the rebel forces and pro-government forces, just on the eastern outskirts of Hama. The Syrian Army said that it had redeployed and repositioned outside the city in order to, quote, "preserve the lives of civilians." And even though Syria's state-run media is denying that the insurgents have totally taken over the city, it's still a big deal that they're even inside.
SHAPIRO: Why is the city of Hama so important?
AL-SHALCHI: Right. So first of all, Hama has been one of the few cities in Syria that's been completely under government control since the civil war broke out in 2011. But this is where there may be a regional consequence if Hama is taken over by the insurgents. The city is a supply route used by Iran to move arms to their Lebanese ally, Hezbollah, which has, of course, been at war with Israel over the past few weeks, even though it's under a shaky ceasefire now.
SHAPIRO: The main rebel force here used to be in an alliance with al-Qaida. They say they have changed. What are people saying in areas under their control?
AL-SHALCHI: Right. So they took over Syria's second city, Aleppo, at the weekend. And I spoke by phone to several people there. Residents say the rebels organized civil services quickly in the city, resuming things like garbage collection and bringing back electricity after a week of intense clashes between opposition fighters and forces loyal to the Syrian regime. Dr. Jihad Moheyldin is a surgeon from Aleppo.
JIHAD MOHEYLDIN: (Non-English language spoken).
AL-SHALCHI: "The opposition forces treatment has been good towards us," he says, "all of the sects - Christians, Arabs, Armenians."
Those forces were led by a U.S.-designated terrorist organization called Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS. HTS is a former offshoot of al-Qaida but broke off from the group years ago as it tried to shed its jihadist roots. Dareen Khalifa is a senior adviser and Syria expert at the International Crisis Group.
DAREEN KHALIFA: They are also not ideologues. At least the leadership are not ideologues. They've, of course, in the ranks, had hardline elements, but they've managed over the years to kind of sideline these people.
AL-SHALCHI: Khalifa says that HTS has been evolving over the last few years politically - focusing on becoming a civilian government while also strengthening their military. But while it has tried to pivot its vision, their core is fundamentalist. Most residents in Aleppo say their main apprehension today is from regime airstrikes, but many just say they want a better quality of life. Khalifa says that Aleppo's economy took a hit after it was taken over by pro-government forces and the city was cut off from the Turkish border.
KHALIFA: Aleppo was the economic heart of Syria, but all the businessmen left and don't want to come back because they don't want to be governed by a bunch of militias.
AL-SHALCHI: But now that HTS is in control, some people are coming back, and separated families are reuniting. Activist Abdelkafi Hamdo fled Aleppo in 2016 when government forces retook the city. He came back just three days ago.
ABDELKAFI HAMDO: I came very quickly. I mean, drove my car, and, of course, it was very difficult and dangerous 'cause of the airstrikes. But at the end, I could enter Aleppo.
AL-SHALCHI: Dr. Moheyldin says, at the end of the day, people in Syria just want a fair life.
MOHEYLDIN: (Non-English language spoken).
AL-SHALCHI: He says, "people are thirsty for freedom and dignity and to live in a real civil society."
SHAPIRO: Reporting there from NPR's Hadeel Al-Shalchi, who's still with us. And Hadeel, what developments are you keeping an eye out for next?
AL-SHALCHI: Well, can the rebels carry on this momentum? Khalifa told me that while she's not surprised the insurgents are carrying out this operation, she was stunned by how the government forces, she said, just melted away.
KHALIFA: What will be a game-changer is whether or not, in the next few weeks, the opposition would be able to put enough pressure on the regime and take control over the area.
AL-SHALCHI: She says many people are wondering now if this regime can even survive this war.
SHAPIRO: NPR's Hadeel Al-Shalchi, thank you.
AL-SHALCHI: You're welcome. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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