Syrian rebels capture Menagh airbase

Syrian rebels fighting to overthrow President Bassar al-Assad captured Menagh airport, an important airbase in the Aleppo province, on Tuesday.

BBC News reports that the rebels have been fighting for this essential base for more than a year now, and that it lies on a “major rebel supply route” because of its close proximity to the Turkish border.

The rebels were joined by an al-Qaeda-affiliated group called the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) during the takeover, according to CNN. Their hold on the base is not definite, and may still be challenged by government forces. However, The New York Times writes that if rebels manage to keep control of the base, it will prove to be a ‘game-changer’ in Syria’s long-suffering civil war.

This news comes shortly after Assad crushed any hope of a peace agreement between the Syrian government and opposition groups such as the rebels during a televised speech on Sunday. Reuters reports that Assad stated, "There can not be political action and progress on the political track while terrorism hits everywhere […] No solution can be reached with terror except by striking it with an iron fist."