![A pair of U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles fly over northern Iraq after conducting airstrikes in Syria, in this U.S. Air Force handout photo taken early in the morning of September 23, 2014. These aircraft were part of a large coalition strike package that was the first to strike ISIL targets in Syria. At least 14 Islamic State fighters were killed in air strikes by U.S.-led forces overnight in northeast Syria, a group monitoring the war said on September 25, 2014, and the Syrian air force bombed rebel ar](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2014/09/RTR47QMR.jpg/RTR47QMR.jpg?h=f7822858&itok=y0_faes-)
Edward Dark (a pseudonym) is a columnist for Al-Monitor's Syria Pulse living in Aleppo. On Twitter: @edwardedark
![A pair of U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles fly over northern Iraq after conducting airstrikes in Syria, in this U.S. Air Force handout photo taken early in the morning of September 23, 2014. These aircraft were part of a large coalition strike package that was the first to strike ISIL targets in Syria. At least 14 Islamic State fighters were killed in air strikes by U.S.-led forces overnight in northeast Syria, a group monitoring the war said on September 25, 2014, and the Syrian air force bombed rebel ar](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2014/09/RTR47QMR.jpg/RTR47QMR.jpg?h=f7822858&itok=y0_faes-)
![Forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad carry their weapons as they walk in the village and hill of Al-Samsam in Hama countryside, after saying they have regained control of the area September 13, 2014. REUTERS/George Ourfalian (SYRIA - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST CONFLICT MILITARY) - RTR463AI](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2014/09/RTR463AI.jpg/RTR463AI.jpg?h=f7822858&itok=KZH4NRzQ)
Edward Dark
![An Islamic State militant uses a loud-hailer to announce to residents of Tabqa city that Tabqa air base has fallen to Islamic State militants, in nearby Raqqa city August 24, 2014. Islamic State militants stormed the air base in northeast Syria on Sunday, capturing most of it from government forces after days of fighting over the strategic location, a witness and a monitoring group said. Fighting raged inside the walls of the Tabqa air base, the Syrian army's last foothold in an area otherwise controlled by](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2014/09/RTR43J4R-1.jpg/RTR43J4R-1.jpg?h=f7822858&itok=mIWKhR7D)
Edward Dark
![A rebel fighter knocks a hole in a wall inside a room at Karm al-Tarab frontline in Aleppo July 30, 2014. Picture taken July 30, 2014. REUTERS/Hamid Khatib (SYRIA - Tags: POLITICS CONFLICT) - RTR40SK6](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2014/08/RTR40SK6.jpg/RTR40SK6.jpg?h=c2c5b897&itok=36Mx8yh5)
Edward Dark
![A man reads the Bible sitting in a street of the northern Syrian city of Aleppo on February 20, 2014. Syria's government forces have begun using a powerful type of cluster munition rocket not previously seen in the country's conflict, Human Rights Watch said in a statement. AFP PHOTO/ALEPPO MEDIA CENTRE/FADI AL-HALABI (Photo credit should read Fadi al-Halabi/AFP/Getty Images)](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2014/08/470687007.jpg/470687007.jpg?h=c2c5b897&itok=7iuIUpNT)
Edward Dark
![People gather around wreckage after a car bomb at the Wadi al-Thahb neighborhood in Homs city June 24, 2014, in this picture provided by Syria's national news agency SANA. The car bomb killed a woman and wounded 23, state media said. REUTERS/SANA/Handout via Reuters (SYRIA - Tags: POLITICS CONFLICT CIVIL UNREST)
ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. REUTERS IS UNABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE AUTHENTICITY, CONTENT, LOCATION OR DATE OF THIS IMAGE. THIS PICTURE IS DISTRIBUTED EXAC](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2014/07/RTR3VIJ1.jpg/RTR3VIJ1.jpg?h=c2c5b897&itok=D4uZuqdh)
Edward Dark
![Smoke rises during what activists said were clashes between rebel fighters and forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in Aleppo's Sheikh Najjar frontline June 30, 2014. REUTERS/Hamid Khatib (SYRIA - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST CONFLICT) - RTR3WHOA](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2014/07/RTR3WHOA.jpg/RTR3WHOA.jpg?h=c2c5b897&itok=VmyoRFWr)
Edward Dark
![A boy carries a water container filled with water sourced from underground wells in Aleppo May 10, 2014. Activists say the water supply in the area has been cut off for more than a week. REUTERS/Aref Haj Youssef (SYRIA - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST CONFLICT SOCIETY) - RTR3OL64](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2014/06/RTR3OL64.jpg/RTR3OL64.jpg?h=c2c5b897&itok=CpIeDecF)
Edward Dark
![A man walks on debris of collapsed buildings at a damaged site hit by what activists said was a barrel bomb dropped by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in Aleppo's al-Ansari neighbourhood June 18, 2014. REUTERS/Hosam Katan (SYRIA - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST CONFLICT) - RTR3UEWE](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2014/06/RTR3UEWE.jpg/RTR3UEWE.jpg?h=c2c5b897&itok=ozjZqH3Z)
Edward Dark
![A rebel fighter takes a position as he fires his weapon towards forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad who are stationed in Wadi al-Deif military camp in Idlib province June 1, 2014. Picture taken June 1, 2014. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi (SYRIA - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST CONFLICT) - RTR3RS4Y](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2014/06/RTR3RS4Y.jpg/RTR3RS4Y.jpg?h=c2c5b897&itok=r13dn_-m)
Edward Dark
![Damage and debris is seen in the souks of Old Aleppo, November 23, 2013. The Syrian army loyal to President Bashar al-Assad took control of the souk surrounding the Umayyad Mosque that was previously dominated by Free Syrian Army fighters, they said. Some of the areas recaptured are the gold market, Souk Khairat Beck, Alzerb market and the Wali bil Maarouf shrine. REUTERS/George Ourfalian (SYRIA - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST CONFLICT) - RTX15Q1O](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2014/05/RTX15Q1O.jpg/RTX15Q1O.jpg?h=c2c5b897&itok=9_QN7nol)
Edward Dark
![Residents carry belongings from home following the cessation of fighting between rebels and forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad, in Homs city May 10, 2014. Hundreds of residents have started to return to Homs after rebels left the city. REUTERS/Khaled al-Hariri (SYRIA - Tags: POLITICS CONFLICT CIVIL UNREST) - RTR3OL1I](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2014/05/RTR3OL1I.jpg/RTR3OL1I.jpg?h=c2c5b897&itok=-akbsQOf)
Edward Dark