Sounds like they were able to breach the security, blow stuff up and leave.

Still, no small feat.

Nevertheless, it demonstrated essentially the same thing then as now, that the insurgents have the ability to concentrate significant formations, enough force to overrun an airbase, and yes, blow things up, particularly winged things.

The fact that they retreated after capturing the base simply means they understood they had become sitting ducks to an air assault in that position. Then as now insurgents are happy to retreat to safe havens following a tactical victory, inviting their opponents to come hastily after them.

Once the air support is lost there's not going to be much standing between a bullet and Assad's head.

I really don't know what to believe. Both the government and insurgents are certainly engaging in war propaganda. Of course there have been significant losses for the government over the past several months, but I don't necessarily think it's on its deathbed.

Syrian Rebels Seize Military Base, Munitions

Syrian rebels have taken over a large military base in the country's north, carting off tanks, armored vehicles and truck-loads of munitions their leaders say will give them a boost in their fight to topple President Bashar Assad.

The fall of the base of the Syrian army's 46th Regiment is a significant step in the rebels' expanding of control in the provinces of Idlib and Aleppo, along Syria's northern border with Turkey.

Earlier Monday, AP reporters saw scores of rebels unloading trucks full of rockets, mortars, artillery shells and rifles taken from the base into a rebel headquarters near the Turkish border.

Al-Faj said the battle was one of the greatest munitions coups for the rebels since the start of the uprising against Assad in March 2011. The conflict has since morphed into a civil war, with scores of rebel groups across the country fighting Assad's troops.

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/britain-officially-recognizes-syrian-opposition-17766530#.UKwb5uOe93Y

Assad can still win this civil war, but things are not going well for him right now.

He must have thought that his military advantage would enable him to hold onto power in any civil war scenario but those advantages are being whittled away. Still the opposition is fragmented and not nearly as well equipped as his military.

It is already making their neighbors nervous, this spreading could really be bad, and with that idiot Assad involved you never know what he might do.