Last tuesday, Amaq, a news agency associated with the Islamic State, reported that isis fighters had captured the village of Khanaser from the Syrian government. Khanaser sits on the main supply route to the government-controlled part of Aleppo, Syria’s largest city, and it has been crucial in the recent campaign—backed by Russia, Hezbollah, and Iran—to crush the opposition rebels who hold the eastern part of the city. The battle for Aleppo, which began in 2012, has left tens of thousands of people dead and large parts of the city depopulated. On Thursday, it was reported that government forces had taken Khanaser back.
Under the “cessation of hostilities” announced last week by the United States and Russia, the battle for Khanaser will be allowed to go on, as will many other battles.…
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The New Yorker (Digital) - 1 Issue, March 7, 2016