Aleppo has become quite the focal point as of lately in the news; this international concern is turning heads and ears in the direction of the Middle East in Syria during the holidays. Here is a bit of a recap of the tragedy.

The conflict began in 2011 when locals of Deraa of Syria protested the arrests and torture of 15 schoolchildren writing anti-government comments in graffiti. The peaceful protests for the children, increased freedom, and democracy escalated as the government angrily retaliated killing several by gunshot. The word of disgruntled citizens soon spread to various parts of the country. As of July 2011, hundreds of thousands took to the streets nationwide initially in defense before quickly shifting to a means of expelling the security forces in the area. By July of 2012, the heightened tension in Syria lead to the declaration of a civil war.

The city of Aleppo, Syria's once largest city with 2.3 million people and recognized as a Unesco World Heritage site, has been a central location for the war between the loyal forces of President Bashar al Asaad and those wanting to overthrow him. As the war has aggravated, there now seems to be a sectarian concern of conflict between the Sunni majority of the country and the president's Shia Alawite sect. The city was once Syria's key commercial center, making Aleppo a key trophy both mentally and physically for either side. As of July 2012, the historical city became a battleground for the rebels and the Syrian government, initially with the government controlling the west and the rebels maintaining the east of the city. For the continuing four years, the divided city represented a microcosm of the dissension in Syria. The Syrian government is receiving aid from Russian airstrikes, Shia militias, Iran, Pakistan, and Iraq while the opposing rebels is formed mostly from rebel groups who are receiving support from United States, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey.

In the beginning of the year, Turkey was a major component in the rebellion forces against President Assad and the government. By July 27th, government forces had surrounded the rebels taking a portion of northern Aleppo including 275,000 people confined in isolation from the rest of the world. In early September government forces retook back a route to outside forces the rebels had seized in early August, blocking off their outside connection. By November 28th, the Syrian government has recaptured more than a third of rebellion territory of Aleppo, losing all northern neighborhoods and by December 7th capturing more than 70% of rebellion area. The rebels are being confined into smaller and smaller territory, they once held so much of. More than 90% of the city of Aleppo has fallen victim to the government by December 13th. On December 15, buses began to take fighters, those injured, and their families from east Aleppo to rebel-held areas in the Idlib province as a ceasefire deal is attained; residents are being evacuated from two cities in northern Syria as ordered by the government. The rebels were urging the civilians of Aleppo to stay even as resources are quickly degrading as the city is decimating. The ceasefire was commenced to allow essential relief to the citizens caught up in the war; the civilians were not supposed to be killed by the war efforts, but this has not been the case. The brief cessation of hostilities had subsided as the President Bashar al Assad regime began an offensive attack against rebellion groups around the city of Aleppo after accusations from both sides of multiple violations during the ceasefire. The evacuation of the Aleppo citizens was brought to a halt recently as they are now unable to flee from their city of rubble and environment of brutality.

With the continuing gains from the government, President Asaad may grow some confidence in bringing the civil war to an end. As the rebel forces still control large portions of the country, there is still a long way to go before President Asaad's achieves any such goals and in some ways the idea of peace among Syrians seems a bit too far fetched to recuperate. While the seizing of Aleppo will not end the war by any means, it will be a critical turning point.