Syria's Islamist Rebels Win a Major Victory

Syria's Islamist rebels won a pivotal victory over the weekend. By taking the city of Idlib, Jabhat al-Nusra and Ahrar al-Sham will be able to recruit smaller groups and threaten other strategically important cities. The victory is also another indication the groups have become proficient in using armored vehicles and sophisticated tactics. At the very least, the United States and its regional allies will have to negotiate with another faction to manage Syria's eventual power transition.

Idlib is the capital and largest city in the northwestern province of the same name. It is the third provincial capital the government has lost after the Islamic State seized Raqaa to the east and rebel groups took Quneitra to the south. The city's fall comes at the end of a long period of consolidation by Jabhat al-Nusra and its Ahrar al-Sham allies in Idlib province, where they scored large victories against the Syrian military, such as the seizure of the major military bases around Maarat al-Nuaman. Jabhat al-Nusra has also driven out a number of more moderate U.S.-backed rebel forces such as the Syria Revolutionaries Front and Harakat Hazm.

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