Syria's civil war has taken a dramatic turn, with dictator Bashar Assad once again leaning on Russian support after a shock offensive by Islamist rebels in Aleppo.

Syrians are generally repelled by extreme religious rhetoric. As jihadist groups came to dominate the rebellion after pro-democracy demonstrations were crushed after the first year or so of war after 2011, many Syrians either stayed neutral or sided reluctantly with the regime because they feared the murderous jihadist ideology of Islamic State.