Assad’s downfall would be a chance to come together and heal the wounds of the victims’ families. It was not to be. The regime had left roots too deep and the new rulers failed to learn the lessons of our neighbors.

DUBAI (Reuters) -A Syrian military operation against loyalists of ousted former President Bashar al-Assad has been completed, the defence ministry said on Monday. Clashes between Assad loyalists and the country's new Islamist rulers in the former president's coastal heartland have killed more than 1,

The announcement comes as the fighting between pro-Assad militias and members of the security forces killed more than 1,000 people, majority of whom are civilians, amid reports of rights violations.