Anti-government fighters inspect abandoned Syrian army military equipment and vehicles, after they reached al-Safirah town southeast of Syria's Aleppo city on December 3, 2024. On November 27, the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) alliance led a major offensive snatching Syria's second city Aleppo and dozens of towns and villages from government control, after years of regime gains in successive Russian-backed military campaigns. (Photo by Aref TAMMAWI / AFP)