As a Chinese reporter based in the Syrian capital of Damascus since January 2016, I have witnessed the indelible scars that the eight-year-long war has left behind: Collapsed buildings, babies crying of hunger, and the empty eyes of their helpless mothers.

As somebody working in a war zone, it's my job to report what I've seen. My experience as a war reporter gave me the opportunity to know this country better.

When I look back at what happened in Syria in 2018, militarily speaking, it was a huge gain for the Syrian government and its allies Russia and Iran, as most media reports claim. However, if I look deeper into the political war, the situation has grown more complicated than ever.

On the ground, starting from the beginning of this year, the Syrian army kicked off its long-awaited offensive in East Ghouta, a rebel stronghold only a few kilometers away from Damascus.

During the offensive, though humanitarian aid was delivered, over 100,000 civilians were rendered homeless. In April, East Ghouta was back in the eye of the storm with airstrikes by the combined forces of the U.S., Britain and France.

On April 14, the day when the U.S.-led coalition carried out airstrikes on Syria, I was there carrying out interviews and broadcasting live streams.

The U.S., Britain and France claimed the airstrikes were in retaliation for the Syrian government using chemical weapons that allegedly caused huge civilian casualties a week before. As far as I know, there's still no concrete evidence to prove these allegations.

After East Ghouta, the Syrian army slowly regained control of other regions, following the strategy of "a region at a time." First, it regained control of southern Damascus where terrorist groups like the Al-Nusra Front and ISIL had gained control, then the entire southern region of Syria from the province of Suweida to Deraa. And finally, the Golan Heights was retrieved by the Syrian forces, leaving Idlib province as the last rebel-held stronghold.

When the world was dreading a bloody offensive in Idlib, Russia and Turkey, the two guarantor countries on both sides, decided to push the pause button in September.

In most parts of Syria, I witnessed people enjoying a relatively peaceful and quiet life.

Not only have roads been revamped in many places, but there were also fewer security checks on the streets, and people who had previously fled as refugees started to repatriate.

According to UNHCR, by the end of October 2018, around 34,000 refugees had returned to Syria. Though the number is small, compared to the five million refugees abroad, it is still the highest in years.

As for ISIL, yes, they are still here in Syria. U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces took long enough to finally take control of ISIL's stronghold Hajin, a small town in Euphrates valley in Deir Ezzor, eastern Syria.

But here is what many people in the region believe about ISIL. This terrorist group is empowered by extremist ideology. Where there's chaos, there's ISIL. As long as Syrian, Iraqi and Jordanian borders are in chaos or in dispute, ISIL will continue to exist. This is not what I want to admit, but it's the reality.

Will the Syrian crisis improve? Bear this in mind: The Syrian crisis is never only about Syria. It's about U.S., Russia, Iran, Turkey, Israel, European countries as well as the Gulf countries. This is why I said in the beginning that the political side is far more complicated than ever.

When the battle on the ground fades away, the battle on the negotiation table looms. And we all hope, there will be more common ground than selfish calculations.

And that's the situation in Syria.

More CGTN reporters' look back:

Asia's year of disasters

Long-awaited reunion on the Korean Peninsula 

People out of poverty, better life guaranteed

Spain becomes ground zero for Europe's migrant crisis

(Top image: Turkish Armed Forces' armored military vehicles are dispatched to support the units at the Syrian border in Kilis, December 24, 2018. /VCG Photo)