2017 was a good year for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, with his forces recapturing large swathes of territory from ISIL and the opposition.
But while the conflict appears to be winding down in some areas, the prospect of genuine peace still seems far away.
In the fourth part of our series looking ahead to 2018, we examine the future of Syria.
Al Jazeera's Zeina Khodr reports from Beirut.