"The regime of President Bashar al-Assad has collapsed after a lightning rebel offensive that began less than two weeks ago. The alliance of opposition groups is led by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. Hans-Jakob Schindler of the Counter Extremism Project talked to DW about support for the rebels among the Syrian public."

"Hayat Tahrir al Sham, a terror group linked to al-Qaida, overran Syria’s second largest city this week. Counterterrorism experts indicate it’s the strongest signal in the last few years that the terror group and its allies are rapidly gaining strength. In this week’s episode of “The Hunt with WTOP National Security Correspondent J.J. Green,” Hans Jakob Schindler, senior director of the Counter Extremism Project, said the group could soon become a problem for the U.S.”

"Moscow is absorbed by the war in Ukraine and Tehran by an explosive regional situation that has weakened its allies, first and foremost Hezbollah in Lebanon, after two months of war with Israel. The rebels have chosen the "ideal" moment to launch their offensive, believes Hans-Jakob Schindler, of the think tank Counter-Extremism Project (CEP), as Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah "have other problems to solve at the moment."”

"Hans-Jakob Schindler, director of the think tank the Counter Extremism Project (CEP), said now was the ideal time for the rebels to attack.

"The Assad regime is truly not very strong," he told AFP."

“... According to Gregory Waters from the Counter Extremism Project, the Syrian desert has been instrumental for ISIS as it operates like training grounds, churning out the next generations of fighters often lured from vulnerable socio-economic backgrounds. Therefore, the geographical intricacies of Syria and neighboring regions become conducive to intensified recruitment and mobilization activities for ISIS. This high-stakes game of power is not limited to affairs rooted within Afghanistan; neighboring regions such as Pakistan are also under scrutiny. The rugged terrain of Afghanistan presents it as a calculated choice for guerrilla warfare tactics favored by Islamic militants.” 

"IS had maintained training camps in the Syrian desert for many years, according to Gregory Waters, a research analyst at the Counter Extremism Project who closely follows IS activities in central Syria.

"These are the places where it trains the next generation of fighters — often children it recruits from northeast Syria — and where adult fighters can return to in between their operations," Waters told VOA. "While the central Syrian desert is under Russian and Syrian regime control, ISIS does not abide by these arbitrary lines.""