Syria has taken Deraa, the birthplace of the Syrian Civil War.

The Syrian flag flies over Deraa. BBC/AFP.

Syrian forces have taken most of Deraa, one of the last rebel strongholds and the birthplace of the Syrian Civil War. BBC. The remaining rebels in the city have agreed to surrender and will be allowed to flee to the north. Deraa's province has been largely taken by the Syrians after a major offensive was launched last month. Thousands of refugees have returned home after last week's surrender of the Syrian rebels. Deraa is a critical city due to it's location near the border of Jordan and the fact that the Arab Spring protests that eventually morphed into the civil war. With Deraa in government hands and most of the rebels fleeing the only remaining threat is ISIS in the border area near the Golan Heights. 

My Comment:

Just a quick update to last weeks post about Syria. I don't have a whole lot to add to this other than the fact that it seems very clear that this deal is working out for the Syrians. The rebels have given up Deraa, which was their most important outpost in the south. It is the equivalent of ISIS losing control of Dabiq, which had spiritual and political importance that goes far beyond that actual strategic importance of the city. To say this is a massive blow to the rebels is an understatement. 

As far as I am concerned the Syrian Civil War is all but over. The rebels have lost and lost hard and there is no chance of them ever making a comeback baring some kind of unprecedented disaster. Of course that doesn't mean the fighting will end. Rebels and al-Nusra still control Idlib province, Turkey controls some of the border area and the Kurds still control about 1/4 of the country in the north. As long as those things are true the war won't be completely over. But the idea that the rebels would ever overthrow Bashar al-Assad is now nothing but a pipe dream. 

It seems as though Syria is already moving to their next objective and that is the ISIS sliver of control near the Jordan/Israel border area near the Golan Heights. From what I understand that group of ISIS isn't core ISIS but one of their affiliates. 

Things don't look good for this holdout group of ISIS. They are surrounded by hostile forces with the armies of Jordan and Israel blocking them in and now the full force of the Syrian and Russian armies. It's going to be a classic hammer and anvil situation and one that these ISIS fighters have no way out of. My guess is that their only goal will to be to take as many of the Syrians and Russians with them before they go...