Assad, the Syrian dictator, to retake Aleppo after part of the city fell to insurgents in 2012. Less than four days is how long it took him to lose it. On November 27th rebels launched a surprise offensive in north-west Syria.

Syrian opposition forces have taken control of much of the country’s second largest city Aleppo after a lightening advance that killed dozens of government soldiers in a major challenge to President Bashar al-Assad.

The rapid advance on Aleppo came just four days into a surprise rebel offensive that is the most intense escalation in years in the country’s civil war.