By Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans

After having been beleaguered for close to three years, Abu ad-Duhor airbase has finally been captured by rebels, mainly of the al-Nusra Front, on the 9th of September 2015. Battling the longest siege of the Syrian Civil War, the fall of the airbase ultimately proved to be inevitable. Abu ad-Duhor is now the eight airbase to have been lost to the numerous factions opposing the government, and leaves the Syrian Arab Air Force (SyAAF) with fifteen operational airbase to conduct sorties from.