The BBC's Lina Sinjab reports on the different warring factions in Syria
There are believed to be as many as 1,000 armed opposition groups in Syria, commanding an estimated 100,000 fighters.
Many of the groups are small and operate on a local level,
but a number have emerged as powerful forces with affiliates across the
country or formed alliances with other groups that share a similar
agenda. The BBC News website looks at the most prominent.
SUPREME MILITARY COUNCIL OF THE FREE SYRIAN ARMY
- Leader: Brig Gen Salim Idris
The Free Syrian Army (FSA) was formed in August 2011 by
army deserters based in Turkey, led by Col Riad al-Asaad. Its banner was
soon adopted by armed groups that began appearing across the country.
Despite this, the FSA's leaders had little or no operational control
over what was happening on the ground in Syria. The opposition's Western
and Gulf Arab backers sought to encourage a centralised rebel
leadership and in December 2012 a number of brigades affiliated
themselves to a newly-created Supreme Military Council (SMC). The SMC's
chief-of-staff, Gen Idris, wants it to be a more moderate and stronger
alternative to the jihadist rebel groups in Syria.
The SMC has 30 members, six representing each of five "fronts"
in Syria - Northern (Aleppo and Idlib), Eastern (Raqqa, Deir al-Zour and
Hassaka), Western (Hama, Latakia and Tartus), Central (Homs and Rastan)
and Southern (Damascus, Deraa and Suwaida). Each front has a
civilian-military council and a commander. The opposition National
Coalition describes Gen Idris as the commander of the FSA, however
observers have said the FSA is simply a loose network of brigades rather
than a unified fighting force. Brigades supposedly report through the
chain of command to Gen Idris, but he is yet to assert operational
control and serves more as a spokesman and conduit for foreign funding
and arms shipments. SMC-aligned brigades retain separate identities,
agendas and commands. Some work with hardline Islamist groups that alarm
the West, such as Ahrar al-Sham, and al-Qaeda-linked jihadists from the
Nusra Front.
SMC AFFILIATES
Martyrs of Syria Brigades
- Leader: Jamal Maarouf
- Estimated number of fighters:7,000
Originally called the Martyrs of Jabal al-Zawiya
Brigade, the group was formed in late 2011 in Idlib province. Although
its name was changed in mid-2012 to the Martyrs of Syria Brigades to
reflect the growing ambitions of its leader, its operations are still
focused in north-western Syria. Unlike Suqour al-Sham (see below), which
also hails from Jabal al-Zawiya and wants an Islamic state, the Martyrs
of Syria Brigades reportedly ascribe to no particular ideology.
Northern Storm Brigade
The Northern Storm Brigade is an Islamist FSA unit that
controls an important border crossing between Syria and Turkey. In
September 2013, there were deadly clashes between the Northern Storm
Brigade and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) after the
jihadist group stormed the town of Azaz.
Ahrar Souriya Brigade
The Ahrar Souriya (Free Men of Syria) Brigade, which operates
under the SMC, was set up by Col Qassem Saad al-Din, a former air force
pilot from the northern town of Rastan.
SYRIAN ISLAMIC LIBERATION FRONT (SILF)
- Leader: Ahmed Issa (Suqour al-Sham)
- Claimed number of fighters: Between 35,000 and 40,000
The Syrian Islamic Liberation Front (SILF) is a loose
alliance formed in September 2012 by about 20 rebel groups, including
the Farouq Brigades, the Islamic Farouq Brigades, Liwa al-Tawhid, Liwa
al-Fath, Liwa al-Islam, Suqour al-Sham, and the Deir al-Zour
Revolutionaries' Council. Most of the groups, which range from moderate
Islamist to ultraconservative Salafist in outlook, recognise the FSA's
Supreme Military Council. However, they are sceptical of the
Western-backed opposition National Coalition. The SILF is active in
Idlib, Aleppo, Damascus, Homs and Deir al-Zour provinces. The SILF has
described itself as "the largest of the revolutionary coalitions" and it
makes up the bulk of the SMC's fighting force.
Farouq Brigades
- Leader: Osama Juneidi
- Claimed number of fighters: 14,000
The Farouq Brigades first emerged in late-2011, and was
involved in a failed rebel effort to repel a government offensive on the
Baba Amr district of Homs in February 2012. Since then, it has grown
into a powerful force with affiliates across the country. Its northern
wing, Farouq al-Shamal, has a strong presence on the Syrian-Turkish
border. The group has suffered repeated splits, with several leading
figures expelled and offshoots formed, including the more hardline
Islamic Farouq Brigades and the Independent Omar al-Farouq Brigade. The
Farouq Brigades' leader occupies senior positions in the SILF and SMC.
Suqour al-Sham
- Leader: Sheikh Ahmed Issa
- Claimed number of fighters: 9,000 to 10,000
Suqour al-Sham (Falcons of Syria), one the more hardline
groups in the SILF, was formed in the Jabal al-Zawiya region of the
north-western province of Idlib in September 2011. It has since grown in
size and influence and expanded its operations into Aleppo and Damascus
countryside provinces. Its commander is also the head of the SILF and a
member of the SMC.
Liwa al-Tawhid
- Leaders: Abdul Qadir al-Saleh and Abdul Aziz Salama
- Estimated number of fighters: Between 8,000 and 10,000
Liwa al-Tawhid (Battalion of Monotheism) was formed in July
2012 to unite the many separate fighting groups operating in the
northern Aleppo countryside. It took control of part of the city of
Aleppo after leading a rebel offensive that month. Liwa al-Tawhid is now
one of the main forces operating in the province. It joined the SILF in
January 2013. Its military leader is a former businessman known as
"Hajji Marea" who is the SMC's assistant deputy chief of staff for the
Northern Front. The group's political leader, known as "Hajji Anadan",
read out a statement by 11 Islamist brigades in September 2013 declaring
that they did not recognise the National Coalition and calling for the
opposition to unite under an "Islamic framework".
Liwa al-Fath
Liwa al-Fath (Battalion of Conquest) operates mainly in the
city of Aleppo and the surrounding countryside, as well as in Hassaka
and Raqqa provinces, to the east. The group seeks to establish a "free
Syria". In September 2013, it sent reinforcements to defend a key border
crossing with Turkey when another SMC-affiliated group came under
attack from jihadists in the northern town of Azaz.
JAYSH AL-ISLAM
- Leader: Zahran Alloush (Liwa al-Islam)
Jaysh al-Islam (Army of Islam) was formed by some 50
Islamist factions operating in and around Damascus in September 2013.
Zahran Alloush, whose group Liwa al-Islam is the most prominent and
powerful member of the alliance, said it had been formed to "achieve
unity among the units of the mujahideen and avoid the effects produced
by the divisions within the National Coalition". More than 30 of the
brigades in Jaysh al-Islam were already operating under the banner of
Liwa al-Islam. The others include Liwa Fath al-Sham, Liwa Tawhid
al-Islam and Liwa al-Ansar. Jaysh al-Islam's formation is believed to
have been an attempt by Saudi Arabia to counter the expanding presence
of al-Qaeda affiliates around the Syrian capital, with Salafist groups
being offered arms and money in return for loyalty. Zahran Alloush's
father is a religious scholar based in the Gulf Kingdom.
Liwa al-Islam
- Leader: Zahran Alloush
- Estimated number of fighters: 9,000
Liwa al-Islam (Battalion of Islam) was founded in mid-2011 by
Zahran Alloush, a Salafist activist who had been jailed by the
authorities two years earlier. The group rose to prominence after
claiming it was behind the bombing of the National Security Bureau's
headquarters in Damascus in July 2012, which killed several senior
security officials including the defence minister and President Assad's
brother-in-law. However, some have alleged that the attack was an inside
job. Liwa al-Islam is the leading rebel group in the east of the Ghouta
agricultural belt around Damascus and is well-armed.
SYRIAN ISLAMIC FRONT (SIF)
- Leader: Hassan Abboud (Harakat Ahrar al-Sham al-Islamiyya)
The Syrian Islamic Front is a coalition of 11 hardline
Islamist groups formed in December 2012. At the time, it suggested it
had control of nearly 30,000 fighters. It has since become the most
powerful rebel force battling the government, and it operates all over
the country. The largest and dominant faction in the SIF is Harakat
Ahrar al-Sham al-Islamiyya, whose leader Hassan Abboud, also known as
Abu Abdullah al-Hamawi, is the SIF's president. He was imprisoned by the
Syrian authorities after taking part in the insurgency in neighbouring
Iraq but released in early 2011 as part of an amnesty. Other members of
the SIF include the Homs-based al-Haqq Brigade, the Ansar al-Sham
Battalions from Idlib, the Jaysh al-Tawhid from Deir al-Zour and the
Hama-based Mujahidi al-Sham Brigade. The SIF has remained independent
and refuses to come under the umbrella of the SMC, but co-operates with
SMC affiliates on the battlefield. The SIF also calls for the creation
of a Sunni-led Islamic state and co-operates with al-Qaeda affiliates,
but does not call for a global jihad.
Harakat Ahrar al-Sham al-Islamiyya
- Leader: Hassan Abboud
- Estimated number of fighters: 10,000 to 20,000
The Harakat Ahrar al-Sham al-Islamiyya (Islamic Movement of the
Free Men of the Levant) is a Salafist group that first emerged in the
north-western province of Idlib in late 2011 as Ahrar al-Sham and has
since made a major impact on the battlefield. In January 2013, a month
after it formed the SIF, the group claimed to operate 83 units across
Syria, including the cities of Damascus and Aleppo. It merged with three
other SIF groups to form Harakat Ahrar al-Sham al-Islamiyya in February
2013. Its fighters are renowned for their discipline and ability. They
were some of the first to use improvised explosive devices and to target
military bases to capture weapons. In March, it led the rebel assault
on the northern town of Raqqa. The group operates a "technical division"
that carries out cyber-attacks and a "relief office" that runs social
services and carries out public works in Raqqa and Aleppo.
Ahfad al-Rasoul Brigades
- Leaders: Abu Osama al-Julani, Mohammed al-Ali and Maher al-Nuami
- Estimated number of fighters: Between 7,000 and 9,000
The Ahfad al-Rasoul (Grandsons of the Prophet) Brigades
are an alliance of more than 40 moderate Islamist groups formed in 2012.
They operate across Syria, although their presence is strongest in the
northern province of Idlib. The alliance is independent but aligned to
the SMC, and has also been linked to Qatar and Western intelligence
agencies. In August 2013, its fighters were forced from the northern
town of Raqqa by ISIS.
Asala wa al-Tanmiya Front
- Claimed manpower: 13,000 fighters and civilian personnel
The Asala wa al-Tanmiya (Authenticity and Growth) Front
is a moderate Islamist alliance formed in November 2012. Its fighters
are organised across five "fronts" covering most of Syria, but their
presence is strongest in Aleppo, where the Nour al-Din al-Zinki Brigades
operate, and in the tribal areas of the eastern province of Deir
al-Zour, the power base of the Ahl al-Athar Brigade.
Durou al-Thawra Commission
The Durou al-Thawra (Revolution's Shields) Commission is an
SMC-linked alliance of a few dozen small armed factions, most of them in
Idlib and Hama provinces. It was set up in 2012 with the help of the
Syrian Muslim Brotherhood. It describes itself as a moderate
Islamic-democratic alliance. It acknowledges receiving support from the
Brotherhood, but denies any direct link to it.
Tajammu Ansar al-Islam
Tajammu Ansar al-Islam (Gathering of the Supporters of Islam)
was formed in mid-2012 by seven Damascus-based Islamist groups.
However, it has since suffered several splits.
Yarmouk Martyrs' Brigade
The Yarmouk Martyrs' Brigade is a moderate Islamist group
linked to the SMC that was formed in the southern province of Deraa in
August 2012 through the merger of eight small units. Led by Bashar
al-Zoubi, it operates mainly near Syria's borders with Jordan and the
Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, where in March and May 2013 fighters
briefly detained UN peacekeepers patrolling the demilitarised area.
National Unity Brigades
- Estimated number of fighters: 2,000
The National Unity Brigades (Kataib al-Wihda
al-Wataniya) were created in August 2012. It claims to have several
units located in almost all of Syria's provinces and top operate "for
the sake of a civil, democratic state for all ethnicities and social
identities". The NUB operates mainly in the Jisr al-Shughour region of
Idlib province and south of Damascus, but also in Jabal al-Zawiya, Deraa
and Deir al-Zour. Some fighters are reported to be from the minority
Alawite and Ismaili sects.
Al-Nusra Front
- Leader: Abu Mohammed al-Julani
- Estimated number of fighters: 5,000 to 7,000
The Nusra (Support) Front for the People of the Levant, is a
jihadist group believed to have been created in mid-2011 with the help
of the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI), a militant umbrella group that
includes al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI). It declared its existence in January
2012 and has since emerged as one of the most effective rebel forces.
Its fighters are active in 11 of Syria's 14 provinces, particularly
Idlib, Aleppo and Deir al-Zour. Initially, the group was blamed for
dozens of suicide bombings in major city centres, killing many
civilians. Later, its disciplined and well-armed fighters began to take
part in regular rebel operations, then major offensives. Today, they
control territory in northern Syria. The US designated al-Nusra a
terrorist entity in December 2012, saying it was an "alias" of AQI. In
April 2013, the head of the ISI, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, announced the
merger of his group and al-Nusra, creating the Islamic State in Iraq and
the Levant (ISIS). However, al-Nusra's leader Abu Mohammed al-Julani -
another former insurgent in Iraq released in 2011 by the Syrian
government - swiftly rejected the move and asserted his allegiance to
al-Qaeda's overall leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri. Since then, al-Nusra and
ISIS have operated as separate entities, with large numbers of foreign
fighters joining the latter. Like Ahrar al-Sham, al-Nusra has sought to
build popular support by providing social services and carrying out
public works.
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS)
- Leader: Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi
- Estimated number of fighters: 3,000 to 5,000
The creation of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant in
April 2013 was rejected by the al-Nusra Front. ISI's leader, Abu Bakr
al-Baghdadi, known as Abu Dua, nevertheless pressed ahead with expanding
its operations into Syria. In August 2013, US intelligence assessed
that he was based in Syria and commanded as many 5,000 fighters, many of
them foreign jihadists. The group is active mostly in northern and
eastern provinces of Syria. It has assumed joint control of
municipalities in Aleppo, Idlib and Raqqa provinces. ISIS has taken part
in a number of major rebel operations, including by carrying out
suicide bombings that helped capture two military bases. But it has also
had tense relationships with other rebel groups, including those
considered Islamist. Its fighters reportedly recently killed a prominent
member Ahrar al-Sham, and have clashed with those from Ahfad al-Rasoul
in Raqqa and the Northern Storm Brigade in Azaz. They have also targeted
Shia and Alawite civilians.
Jaysh al-Muhajirin wa al-Ansar
Jaysh al-Muhajirin wa al-Ansar (Army of the Emigrants and
Helpers) is a group comprising hundreds of mostly foreign fighters, many
of them from the North Caucasus, that was formed in March 2013 by
several jihadist units. The group, which seeks to establish an Islamic
state in Syria, operates mostly in Aleppo province, but says it is also
fighting in Hama and Latakia. It is led by a Chechen jihadist called Abu
Omar al-Shishani, who has aligned himself with ISIS.
Popular Protection Units (YPG)
- Political leader: Salih Muslim (PYD)
- Claimed number of fighters: 10,000 to 15,000
The Popular Protection Units is the armed wing of the Kurdish
political party, the Democratic Unity Party (PYD), an affiliate of the
Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) that runs the de facto autonomous Kurdish
zone in north-eastern Syria. The YPG emerged as a force in the summer
of 2012 when the Syrian army withdrew from Kurdish areas and it sought
to provide security. The PYD has tried to keep the Kurds out of the
conflict and consolidate its territorial gains. However, there has been
occasional fighting with government troops, and since November 2012 also
deadly clashes between the YPG and rebel fighters - particularly those
from Islamist and jihadist brigades - over control of several border
towns and parts of the city of Aleppo. The Syrian rebels and the Turkish
government have accused the Kurdish group of acting as an Assad proxy.
Research by Lina Sinjab, David Gritten, James Longman, Faisal Irshaid
Sources: IHS Jane's, CTC Sentinel,
Institute for the Study of War
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