Charlie asked, "Where are the top brass' forces concentrated at the moment?"

"The border near Damascus," Hamed replied. "They just managed to seize power recently, after all—they really don't have time to think about governance as a legitimate institution or military strategy.

"All they can think about is guarding the borders to maintain their power. Even the oil fields within my reach weren't guarded by any standard military force, just a few hundred militants."

Charlie then asked, "How's