Rebel fighters who took control of Aleppo about two weeks ago have promised security and continuity. Prices have skyrocketed, but residents express some hope for the future.

After four years of relative calm, a new phase of the civil war has begun in Syria. Opposition forces launched a major offensive on the second-largest city, Aleppo, catching the regime of Bashar al-Assad unprepared.

Opposition forces swept across the country and entered Damascus with little or no resistance as the Syrian army melted away. President Bashar Assad, Syria’s ruler for 24 years — succeeding his