The city of Aleppo is a key battleground in the Syrian civil war and has seen intense fighting since 2012. On Tuesday morning, the city fell to government forces amidst claims of severe human rights abuses and deteriorating conditions on the ground. Throughout the conflict, the city has been split between two major warring factions: the pro-Assad forces, backed by Russia, Iran and other Shia groups, holding the western part of the city, and the Syrian rebel groups, backed by Turkey, Saudi Arabia and the United States, claiming the east. Other groups, including armed terrorist factions and Kurdish militias, are also involved in the conflict and maintain smaller territory throughout the city. Reports claim that the Kurds have been cooperating with the Assad regime to oust rebel groups from the city
