Syrian Civil War (Arabic: ????? ??????? ??????? The Al-arb al-'ahliyyah as-s'iyyah riyyah) is the ongoing multi-dispute armed conflict in Syria especially between Syrian Arab Republic Ba'ath led by President Bashar al- Assad, along with his allies, and various forces opposing the government and each other in various combinations.
The unrest in Syria, part of a wider wave of the 2011 Arab Spring protests, grew from dissatisfaction with Assad's government and escalated into an armed conflict after protests calling for his suppression to be severely suppressed. The war is being fought by several factions: the Syrian government and its international allies, loose alliance of Sunni Arab rebel groups (including Syrian Liberation Army), the Kurdish Democratic forces (SDF) majority, Salafi jihad groups (including al-Nusra Front ) and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), with a number of countries in the region and outside both directly involved or providing support to one or another faction.
Iran, Russia and Hezbollah support the Syrian government militarily, with Russia conducting air operations since September 2015. The US-led international coalition, established in 2014 with the stated goal of fighting ISIL, has carried out air strikes against ISIL as well as against government and pro- target government. Turkey, on the other hand, has become deeply engaged since 2016, actively supporting the Syrian opposition and occupying most of the northwestern region of Syria.
International organizations accuse the Syrian government, the ISIL, opposition rebel groups and the US-led coalition of gross human rights abuses and massacres. Conflict has caused a major refugee crisis. During the war, a number of peace initiatives have been launched, including the 2017 Geneva Geneva peace talks in March in Syria led by the United Nations, but the fighting continues.
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Pemerintahan Assad
Syria became an independent republic in 1946 after years of French rule after World War II, although democratic rule ended in a coup in March 1949, followed by two more coups in the same year. The popular uprising against military rule in 1954 saw the transfer of troops to civilians. From 1958 to 1961, a brief union with Egypt replaced the Syrian parliamentary system with a centralized presidential government. The secular Syrian Regional Branch Government of Ba'ath came to power through a successful coup d'etat in 1963. Over the next few years, Syria suffered a coup and a change in leadership.
In March 1971, Hafez al-Assad, an Alawite, declared himself President, a position he held until his death in 2000. Since 1970, the secular Syrian Regional Branch remains the dominant political authority in what was once a one-party state until the first multi-party elections in the Syrian People's Council were held in 2012. On January 31, 1973, Hafez al-Assad imposed a new constitution, which led to a national crisis. Unlike the previous constitution, this one does not require the Syrian President to become a Muslim, leading to a fierce demonstration in Hama, Homs and Aleppo organized by the Muslim Brotherhood and
- clergy . They labeled Assad "the enemy of God" and called for jihad against his rule. The government survived a series of armed rebellions by Islamists, especially members of the Muslim Brotherhood, from 1976 to 1982.
After the death of Hafez al-Assad in 2000, his son Bashar al-Assad was elected President of Syria. Bashar al-Assad and his wife Asma, a Sunni Muslim born and educated in Britain, initially inspired hope for democratic reform. The Damascus Spring, a period of social and political debate, took place between July 2000 and August 2001. The Damascus Spring largely ended in August 2001 with the arrest and imprisonment of ten prominent activists calling for democratic elections and civil disobedience campaigns.. In his critics' opinion, Bashar al-Assad failed to meet the promised reforms. President Bashar Al-Assad declared that there was no 'moderate opposition' to his rule, and that all opposition forces were jihadists intent on destroying his secular leadership. In an April 2017 interview with the Croatian newspaper, the Vecernji List, he reiterated his view that terrorist groups operating in Syria are 'linked to the agenda of foreign countries'.
Demographics
Syrian Arabs, along with about 600,000 Palestinian Arabs, cover about 74 percent of the population (if Syrian Christians are excluded). Syrian Muslims are 74 percent Sunni (including Sufis), and 13 percent of Shia (including 8-12 percent of Alawi from which about 2 percent are Mershdis), 3 percent are Druze, while the remaining 10 percent are Christian. Not all Sunni Syrians are Arabs. The Assad family is diverse. Bashar is married to a Sunni, with whom he has several children. He is affiliated with a sect whose parents include: Alawite minority sect. Alawit controls Syrian security forces.
The majority of Syrian Christians are members of Eastern Christian churches, such as branches of the Eastern Catholic Church, Syrian Orthodox Church, Antioch Greek Orthodox Church, Assyrian Church in the East, and Armenian Orthodox Church, which have existed in the region since the first century AD.
Kurdish Syrians, an ethnic minority of about 9 percent of the population, have experienced ethnic discrimination and denial of their cultural and linguistic rights, and frequent rejection of their nationality, for Syrian state history. Turkmen estimated at 3-5% of the population.
The Assyrians, the Aramaic-speaking Semitic Christians of the East, numbering about 400,000, were found mainly in northeastern Syria. Larger populations live on the border in northern Iraq. Other ethnic groups include Armenia, Circassians, Turkmens, Greece, Mhallami, Kawliya, Yezidi, Shabaks, and Mandeans.
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Socioeconomic imbalances increased significantly after free-market policy was initiated by Hafez al-Assad in its later years, and it accelerated after Bashar al-Assad came to power. With an emphasis on the service sector, these policies favor a small percentage of the country's population, most people with government connections, and members of the Sunni traders' class of Damascus and Aleppo. In 2010, Syrian nominal GDP per capita was only $ 2,834, comparable to Sub-Saharan African countries such as Nigeria and much lower than neighboring countries such as Lebanon, with an annual growth rate of 3.39%, below most other developing countries.
The country also faces a very high youth unemployment rate. At the beginning of the war, dissatisfaction with the government was strongest in the poor areas of Syria, especially among conservative Sunnis. These include cities with high poverty levels, such as Daraa and Homs, and poor districts in big cities.
Drought
This coincided with the most intense drought ever recorded in Syria, which lasted from 2006 to 2011 and resulted in widespread crop failures, increased food prices and the mass migration of farming families to urban centers. This migration troubles the already burdened infrastructure by the influx of about 1.5 million refugees from the Iraq War. Drought has been linked to anthropogenic global warming. Adequate water supply continues to be a problem in the ongoing civil war and is often the target of military action.
Human rights
The human rights situation in Syria has long been the subject of harsh criticism from global organizations. The rights of freedom of expression, union and assembly were strictly controlled in Syria even before the insurrection. The country was under emergency rule from 1963 to 2011 and public meetings of more than five people were banned. Security forces have widespread arrest and detention forces.
Authorities have harassed and imprisoned human rights activists and other critics of the government, who were often detained indefinitely and tortured while under prison conditions. Women and ethnic minorities face discrimination in the public sector. Thousands of Syrian Kurdish citizens were denied citizenship in 1962 and their offspring were labeled "foreigners". A number of unrest in 2004 prompted an escalation of tensions in Syrian Kurdistan, and there have been several clashes between Kurdish protesters and security forces ever since.
Despite hopes for democratic change with Spring Damascus 2000, Bashar al-Assad is widely perceived to have failed to implement improvements. The Human Rights Watch report released just before the start of the 2011 revolt states that it has failed to substantially improve the human rights situation since taking over power.
Maps Syrian Civil War
Timeline
Civil rebellion (March-July 2011)
The protests began on March 15, 2011, when protesters marched in the capital Damascus, demanding democratic reforms and the release of political prisoners. Security forces responded by firing at protesters, and according to witnesses who spoke to the BBC, government forces detained six people. The protest was triggered by the arrest of a boy and his friends by the government for writing in graffiti, "The people want the fall of the government", in the city of Daraa. A 13-year-old boy, Hamza al-Khateeb, was tortured and killed. The government claims that the children were not attacked, and that Qatar incited the majority of the protests. Writer and analyst Louai al-Hussein, referring to the ongoing Arab Spring at the time, wrote that "Syria is now on the map of countries in the region with rebellion". On March 20, protesters set fire to Ba'ath Party headquarters and "other buildings". The ensuing clashes claimed the lives of seven police officers and 15 protesters. Ten days later in a speech, President Bashar al-Assad blamed "foreign conspirators" who encouraged Israeli propaganda to protest.
Until April 7, demonstrators especially demanded democratic reforms, the release of political prisoners, increased freedoms, the abolition of emergency law and an end to corruption. After 8 April, the emphasis in the slogan rally shifted slowly toward the call to overthrow Assad's government. Protests spread. On Friday 8 April, they happened simultaneously in ten cities. On Friday 22 April, protests took place in twenty cities. By the end of May 2011, 1,000 civilians and 150 soldiers and police had been killed and thousands arrested; among those arrested are many students, liberal activists and human rights advocates.
A significant armed resistance to state security occurred on June 4, 2011 at Jisr al-Shugur. Unverified reports claim that some security forces in Jisr have defected after secret police and intelligence officers execute soldiers who refuse to fire civilians. Later, more protesters in Syria took up arms, and more soldiers defected to protect the protesters.
Early armed insurrection (July 2011 - April 2012)
The initial phase of rebellion from the Syrian Civil War took place from late July 2011 to April 2012, and was associated with the emergence of armed opposition militia across Syria and the beginning of an armed rebellion against the Syrian Arab Republic authorities. The start of the uprising is usually marked by the formation of the Syrian Liberation Army (FSA) on July 29, 2011, when a group of defected officers announced the creation of the first organized opposition military forces. Consisting of defensed Syrian Armed Forces personnel, the rebel army aims to get rid of Bashar al-Assad and his government from power.
This war period saw early civil rebellion taking on many of the characteristics of civil war, according to some outside observers, including the UN Commission on Human Rights, as the armed elements became more organized and began to carry out successful attacks in retaliation for the crackdown by the Syrian government on demonstrators and defectors.
The Arab League monitoring mission, which began in December 2011, ended in failure in February 2012, when Syrian troops and opposition militants continued fighting across the country and the Syrian government prevented foreign observers from active battlefield tours, including besieged opposition strongholds.
In early 2012, Kofi Annan acted as the Joint Special Representative of the United Arab-Arab League for Syria. His peace plan was provided for a truce, but even when negotiations were made, Syrian rebels and soldiers continued to fight even after the peace plan. The UN-backed ceasefire was brokered by Kofi Annan's special envoy and announced in mid-April 2012.
Truce and escalation (April 2012 - December 2013)
The 2012-13 Civil War Escalation is the third phase of the Syrian Civil War, which gradually evolved from the UN-mediated armistice effort during April-May 2012, deteriorated into radical violence in June, increasing the level of conflict into full-fledged civil war.
After the Houla massacre of 25 May 2012, in which 108 people were executed, and the subsequent OJK ultimatum to the Syrian government, a practical ceasefire collapsed, when the FSA initiated a national offensive against government troops. On June 1, 2012, President Assad vowed to crush an anti-government insurgency. On 12 June 2012, the UN for the first time officially proclaimed Syria to be in a state of civil war. The conflict began to move into two of the largest cities, Damascus and Aleppo.
Following the ceasefire shocks in October 2012, during the winter of 2012-13 and early spring 2013, the rebels continued progress on all fronts. In mid-December 2012, American officials said that the Syrian military began firing Scud ballistic missiles at insurgent fighters inside the Syrian region. On January 11, 2013, Islamist groups, including the Front al-Nusra, took full control of Taftanaz air base in Idlib Province, after weeks of fighting. In mid-January 2013, when clashes erupted between rebels and Kurdish troops in Ras al-Ayn, YPG troops moved to drive government troops from oil-rich areas in Hassakeh Province. On March 6, 2013, the rebels captured the city of Raqqa, effectively making it the first provincial capital lost by Assad's government.
The rebels' progress was finally arrested in April 2013, as Syrian Arab Army was able to rearrange and launch attacks. On April 17, 2013, government troops broke a six-month rebel siege in Wadi al-Deif, near Idlib. Fierce fighting was reported around Babuleen town after government troops tried to secure the main road control leading to Aleppo. The siege break also allows government forces to supply two major military bases in the region that have relied on sporadic water. In April 2013, government forces and Hezbollah, increasingly engaged in combat, launched attacks to capture areas near al-Qusayr. On April 21, pro-Assad troops captured the cities of Burhaniya, Saqraja and al-Radwaniya near the Lebanese border.
From July 2013, the situation became a dead end, with battles continuing on all fronts between various factions with many casualties, but without major territorial changes. On June 28, 2013, rebel forces captured a large military checkpoint in the town of Daraa. Shortly thereafter, the Syrian opposition faction declared war on the Islamic State of Iraq and the altered Levant increasingly dominant throughout the war zone with indiscriminate killing of all - whether Assad or faithful rebels. A major advance occurred on August 6, 2013, when the rebels seized Menagh Military Base after a 10-month siege. On August 21, a chemical attack took place in the Ghouta region of the Damascus countryside, causing thousands of casualties and several hundred deaths in opposition-ruled strongholds. The attack was followed by military attacks by government forces into the area, which has become a hotbed of opposition. The attack, largely attributed to Assad's forces, led the international community to seek disarmanen from the Syrian Arab Army from chemical weapons.
By the end of 2013, the period was marked by an increase in the Syrian Arab Army initiative, which led the attack on opposition fighters on multiple fronts. The Syrian Arab Army along with its allies, Hezbollah and al-Abas brigade, launched an offensive against Damascus and Aleppo in November. The fighting between Kurdish, rebel and al-Nusra forces continues in other locations.
The rise of Islamist groups
Fighting between ISIL and other rebel groups (January-March 2014 )
Tensions between moderate rebel forces and ISIS have been high since ISIS captured the Azaz border town of the FSA forces on September 18, 2013. A renewed conflict over Azaz in early October and at the end of November ISIS captured the Atme border town of the OJK brigade. On 3 January 2014, the Mujahideen Army, the Syrian Liberation Army and the Islamic Front launched an attack on ISIS in Aleppo and Idlib governorates. A rebel spokesman said that the rebels attacked ISIS in nearly 80% of all ISIS-owned villages in Idlib and 65% of them in Aleppo.
On January 6, the opposition rebels managed to expel the ISIS forces from the city of Raqqa, the largest fort and the ISIS capital of the Raqqa Governorate. On 8 January, the opposition rebels drove most of the ISIS troops from Aleppo city, but ISIS reinforcements from Deir ez-Zor Governorate managed to reclaim some of Raqqa's urban neighborhoods. In mid-January ISIS recaptured the entire city of Raqqa, while the rebels drove the ISIS fighters completely from the cities of Aleppo and the villages to the west.
On 29 January, a Turkish plane near the border opened fire on the convoy ISIS in the Syrian province of Aleppo, killing 11 fighters and one ISIS ISIS emir. At the end of January confirmed that rebels had killed both ISIS commander, Haji Bakr, who was the head of the military council of al-Qaeda and former military officers in Saddam Hussein's forces. In mid-February, Front al-Nusra joins the battle to support rebel forces, and expels ISIS from Deir Ezzor Governorate. In March, ISIS troops completely withdrew from Idlib Province. On March 4, ISIS withdrew from the border town of Azaz and other nearby villages, choosing to consolidate around Raqqa in anticipation of escalating the battle with al-Nusra.
Government attacks and presidential elections (March-June 2014)
On March 4, the Syrian Army took over the Sahel in the Qalamoun region. On March 8, government troops took control of Zara, in Homs Governorate, which blocked further the Lebanese rebel supply route. On March 11, government forces and Hezbollah took control of the area of ​​Rima Farms, which directly faced Yabrud. On March 16, Hezbollah and government troops arrested Yabrud, after the Syrian Liberation Army fighters made an unexpected withdrawal, leaving the Front al-Nusra to fight in the city itself. On March 18, Israel used artillery against the Syrian Army base, after four of its soldiers were injured by roadside bombs while patrolling the Golan Heights.
On March 19, the Syrian Army captured Ras al-Ain near Yabrud, after two days of fighting and al-Husn in Homs Governorate, while rebels in Daraa Governorate arrested Daraa prison, and freed hundreds of prisoners. On March 20, the Syrian Army took over the Krak des Chevaliers in al-Husn. On March 29, the Syrian Army took control of the village of Flitah and Ras Maara near the border with Lebanon.
On March 22, the rebels took control of the Kesab border post in Latakia Governorate. On March 23, the rebels had taken most of Khan Sheikhoun in Hama. During the clashes near the rebel-controlled Kesab border post in Latakia, Hilal Al Assad, the NDF leader in Latakia and one of Bashar Al Assad's cousins ​​was killed by insurgent fighters. On April 4, rebels seized the town of Babulin, Idlib. On April 9, the Syrian Army took over Rankous in the Qalamoun region. On April 12, rebels in Aleppo stormed Ramouseh industrial district held by the government in an attempt to bypass the Army's supply route between the airport and the large army base. The rebels also took on the Rashidin neighborhood and part of the Jamiat al-Zahra district. On April 26, the Syrian Army took over Al-Zabadani. According to SOHR, rebels controlled Tell Ahrmar, Quneitra. The rebels in Daraa also took over the Base Brigade 61 and the 74th battalion.
On April 26, the FSA announced that it had initiated an attack on ISIS in Raqqa Governorate, and had seized five towns west of Raqqa city. On April 29, activists said that the Syrian Army captured Tal Buraq near the town of Mashara in Quneitra without any clashes. On May 7, a truce came into force in the city of Homs, SOHR reported. The terms of the agreement include the safe evacuation of Islamic fighters from the city, which will then fall under the control of the government, in exchange for the release of prisoners and the safe passage of humanitarian aid to Nubul and Zahraa, two Shiite areas surrounded by rebels. On May 18, Syrian Air Defense chief General Hussein Ishaq died of injuries sustained during a rebel attack at an air defense base near Mleiha the previous day. In Hama Governorate, rebel forces seized the town of Tel Malah, killing 34 pro-Assad fighters at a military post near the city. His plunder marked the third time the rebels had taken over the city.
Syria held a presidential election in a government-held region on June 3, 2014. For the first time in Syrian history more than one person was allowed to stand as a presidential candidate. More than 9,000 polling stations were established in government-held areas. According to the Supreme Constitutional Court of Syria, 11.63 million Syrians vote (the number of voters is 73.42%). President Bashar al-Assad won the election with 88.7% of the vote. Asad's challenger, Hassan al-Nouri received 4.3% of the vote and Maher Hajjar received 3.2%. Assad's allies from over 30 countries are invited by the Syrian government to join the presidential election, including Bolivia, Brazil, Cuba, Ecuador, India, Iran, Iraq, Nicaragua, Russia, South Africa and Venezuela. Iranian official Alaeddin Boroujerdi read a statement by a group that said the election was "free, fair and transparent". The Gulf Cooperation Council, the European Union and the United States all rejected the election as illegal and a joke.
State employees are required to choose or face interrogations. In the field there were no independent monitors stationed at the polls. It is claimed in the opinion that at least 6 million voters remain in Syria. Because of the rebels, Kurds and ISIS control of the Syrian region there is no noise in about 60% of the country.
ISIS-government conflicts intensify
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, on July 17, 2014 ISIL took over the Shaar oil field, killing 90 pro-government troops while losing 21 fighters. In addition, 270 guards and fighters aligned by the government are missing. About 30 government officials managed to escape to the nearby Hajjar field. On July 20, the Syrian Army secured the field, although the fighting continued at its periphery. On July 25, the Islamic State took over the base of the 17th Division near Raqqa.
On August 7, 2014, ISIL took the 93rd Brigade base in Raqqa using weapons taken from their attacks on Iraq. Several suicide bombs also exploded before the base was invaded. On August 13, ISIL forces captured the town of Akhtarin and Turkmanbareh from rebels in Aleppo. The ISIL forces also took several nearby villages. Other confiscated towns include Masoudiyeh, Dabiq and Ghouz. On August 14, after being captured by Front Al Nusra, the commander of the Free Syrian Army Sharif As-Safouri confessed to working with Israel and receiving anti-tank weapons from Israel and the FSA army also received medical treatment. It is possible that this recognition was obtained under pressure. On August 14, the Syrian Army and Hizbullah militia retook Mleiha city in Rif Dimashq Governorate. The Supreme Military Council of OJK has denied the claim of Mleiha's seizure, but the rebels have been relegated from recent advances to other lines of defense. Mleiha has been held by the Islamic Front. The rebels have used the city to fire mortars into government-held areas in Damascus.
Meanwhile, ISIL forces at Raqqa launched the siege at the Tabqa air base, Syria government's last army base in Raqqa. Kuwait's air base in Aleppo was also attacked fiercely by ISIL. On August 16, 2014, there were reports that 22 people were killed in the village of Daraa by a car bomb outside the mosque. The bomb was allegedly detonated by ISIS. Also on August 16, the Islamic State seized the village of Beden in Aleppo Governorate from the rebels.
On August 17, 2014, the SOHR said that in the past two weeks ISIL jihadists have killed more than 700 tribal members in the oil-rich Deir ez-Zor Governorate. On August 19 Abu Abdullah al-Iraq, a senior figure in ISIL who helped prepare and plan car bombs and suicide in Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq, was killed. Some reports say that he was killed by Hezbollah fighters. There are also reports that he was killed by the Syrian Army in the Qalamoun region, near the border with Lebanon.
At Raqqa, the Syrian Army took over the town of Al-Ejeil. ISIL reportedly sent reinforcements from Iraq to the governor of Raqqa. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 400 ISIL fighters were also wounded in the previous five days in clashes with the Syrian Army and the National Defense Force at Raqqa alone. At the same time, some senior British and US figures have urged Turkey to stop allowing ISIL to cross the border into Syria and Iraq. It was at this time that Americans realized that the Turks did not intend to seal their border side, and thus Washington decided to work with the Syrian Kurds to close the border on the Syrian side. A year later, with the Kurds controlling most of the Turkish-Syrian border, and Syrian troops advanced under Russian air support to seal the rest, the situation caused major ructions in Ankara.
On August 26, 2014, the Syrian Air Force launched an air raid on ISIL in Deir ez-Zor province. This is the first time the Syrian Army has attacked them in Deir ez-Zor when the Syrian Army withdrew from Raqqa and shifted to Deir ez-Zor for its oil and natural gas resources and strategically dividing the ISIL region. American jets began bombing ISIL in Syria on September 23, 2014, increasing US involvement in the country. At least 20 targets in and around Raqqa were hit, the Syrian opposition Observatory for Human Rights group said. Foreign partners who participated in the strike with the United States were Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Jordan. The US and "partner nation forces" began attacking ISIL using fighters, bombers and Tomahawk missiles, Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby said.
US intervention in Raqqa and Kobani
US aircraft include B-1, F-16, F-18 and Predator drone bombers, with F-18 flying mission from USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77) in the Persian Gulf. Tomahawk missiles fired from the destroyer USS Arleigh Burke (DDG-51) in the Red Sea. The Syrian Foreign Ministry told the Associated Press that the United States informed Syrian envoys to the UN that "strikes will be launched against terrorist groups in Raqqa". The United States informed the former Syrian Liberation Army of the upcoming airstrike, and the rebels said that the transfer of arms to the Syrian Liberation Army had begun. The United States also attacked a special faction al-Nusra called the Khorasan Group, which according to the United States has a training camp and plans to attack the United States in the future. For its part, Turkey launched an official request to the US for a no-fly zone over Syria. On the same day, Israel shot down a Syrian warplane after entering the Golan area of ​​Quneitra.
On 3 October 2014, ISIL forces fired on the town of KobanÃÆ'® and are within a kilometer of the city. In 36 hours since October 21, the Syrian air forces carried more than 200 air strikes in rebel-held areas across Syria and US and Arab jets attacked IS positions around KobanÃÆ'®. Syrian Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi says the YPG troops at KobanÃÆ'® have received military and logistical support. Syria reported its air force had destroyed two jet fighters operated by IS. On January 26, the Kurdish YPG forced ISIL to withdraw from KobanÃÆ'®, thus retaking the city completely. The US later confirmed that the city had been cleared of ISIL troops, and ISIL admitted defeat in the town of KobanÃÆ' three days later, although they vowed to return.
Southern Front and Northern Conquest (October 2014 - June 2015)
In February 2014, the Southern Front of the Free Syrian Army was formed in southern Syria. Six months later, they embarked on a series of victories in Daraa and Quneitra during Quneitra 2014 attacks, Daraa offensive, Battle of Al-Shaykh Maskin, Battle of Bosra (2015) and Battle of Border Crossing Fight. A government counterattack (South Syria 2015) during this period, which included IRGC and Hezbollah, recaptured 15 towns, villages and hills, but the operation slowed down shortly after and stalled. Since the beginning of 2015, the opposition military operating room based in Jordan and Turkey has begun to increase cooperation, with Saudi Arabia and Qatar also reportedly agreeing the need to unite opposition factions against the Syrian government.
In late October 2014, conflicts erupted between Front al-Nusra on one side and the Western-backed SRF and Hazzm Movement on the other (the Al-Nusra Front-SRF/Hazzm Movement conflict). At the end of February 2015, al-Nusra had defeated both groups, seized the entire Mount Zawiya region of Idlib province and several towns and military bases in other governors, and confiscated weapons provided by the CIA to two moderate groups. A large number of seized weapons including a small number of BGM-71 anti-tank missiles similar to previous Al-Nusra Front weapon systems have been taken from government reserves such as French MILAN, Chinese HJ-8 and Russian 9K111 Fagots. Reuters reports that this represents al-Nusra destroying pro-Western rebels in the north of the country. According to the FSA commander in northern Syria, however, the removal of Harakat Hazm and the SRF is a welcome development by leaders of factions allegedly involved in corruption. The Western-backed FSA's 30 divisions remain active elsewhere in Idlib.
On March 24, 2015, Front al-Nusra dominated most of Idlib province, except for the provincial-controlled capital of Idlib, which they circled on three sides along with their Islamic allies. Therefore, they joined together to form the Army of Conquest on this day. On March 28, a coalition of Islamic armies, the Army of Conquest, captured Idlib. This left the north largely taken over by Ahrar ash-Sham, the Front al-Nusra and other Islamic militants, with the southern part of the country becoming the last important foothold for the mainstream non-jihad opposition fighters.
On April 22, a new rebel attack was launched in northwestern Syria and on April 25, the rebel Conqueror coalition had seized the town of Jisr al-Shughur. At the end of the following month, the rebels also captured Al-Mastumah military base, and Ariha, leaving government troops controlling the small pockets of Idlib, including the military airport of Abu Dhuhur. In addition, according to Charles Lister (Brookings Doha Center), the Coalition of Conquest forces is a broad opposition effort to ensure that Al-Qaeda's affiliated Front al-Nusra is contained, with the involvement of the back row of Western-backed factions considered equally important. Still, according to some, the FSA in northern Syria at this point is all but lost. Many moderate fighters joined extremist organizations, such as Ahrar ash-Sham, the greatest faction in the Conquest of the Army, which led to the emergence of the coalition forces of the next Army of Islam Conquest.
The rebels' advances caused Hezbollah's government and morals to plunge dramatically. In north-western Syria, the loss was reciprocated by a Hezbollah-led attack on the Qalamoun mountains north of Damascus, on the border with Lebanon, which gave Hezbollah effective control over the entire region.
Rise of ISIL (May 2015 - September 2015)
On May 21, ISIL took control of Palmyra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, after eight days of fighting. The jihadists also captured the nearby towns of Al-Sukhnah and Amiriya, as well as some oil fields. After Palmyra's arrest, ISIL mass executions in the area, killing around 217-329 supporters and civilian government troops, according to opposition activists. Government sources say the death toll at 400-450. In early June, ISIL reached the city of Hassia, located on the main road from Damascus to Homs and Latakia, and reportedly took a position on its west, creating a potential catastrophe for the government and increasing the threat of Lebanon being sucked farther into the war.
On June 25, ISIL launched two attacks. One is a surprising diversion attack on KobanÃÆ'®, while the latter targets the government-held section of Al-Hasakah. The ISIL attack on Al-Hasakah has left 60,000 people displaced, with UN estimates a total of 200,000 displaced. In July 2015, an attack by US special forces in a residential compound of "Islamic finance chief" Abu Sayyaf produced evidence that Turkish officials directly deal with ISIS member ratings.
ISIS captured Qaryatayn from the government on 5 August 2015. Australia joined the ISIL bombing in Syria in mid-September, an expansion of their efforts in Iraq over the past year. On Aug. 2, US officials told Reuters that the United States had decided to "allow air strikes to help defend against any attack on Syrian rebels trained by the US, even if the attackers came from forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad." The next day the Pentagon announced that it would start flying its first unmanned aerial mission in Syria.
Russian intervention and Aleppo attack (September 30, 2015 - February 2016)
On September 30, 2015, in response to an official request by the Syrian government, the Russian Air Force initiated a sustained air campaign against ISIL and the FSA anti-Assad. Initially, the raids were conducted only by Russian aircraft stationed at Khmeimim base in Syria. Shortly after the start of Russian operations, US President Barack Obama is reported to have allowed the supply of Syrian Kurds and Arab-Syrian opposition, Obama reportedly emphasized to his team that the US will continue to support the Syrian opposition now that Russia has joined the conflict.
On October 7, 2015, Russian officials said that the Macan Fleet ships had previously fired 26 sea-based cruise missiles at 11 ISIL targets in Syria that destroyed them and caused no civilian casualties. That day, the Syrian government launched a north-west Syria attack that in the next few days managed to reclaim some of the territories north of Hama Governorate, close to the heart of the government's coast in the western part of the country. On October 8, 2015, the US officially announced the end of the Pentagon's half-billion dollar program to train and equip Syrian rebels and admit that it had failed. However, other covert and significantly larger CIA secret programs to arm anti-government fighters in Syria continue.
Two weeks after the start of the Russian campaign in Syria, The New York Times argued that with an anti-government commander receiving for the first time an abundant supply of US-made anti-tank missiles and with Russia increasing the number of air strikes against opponents- opponents of the government that has raised morale on both sides, expanding the purpose of war and hardened political position, the conflict turned into a thorough proxy war between the US and Russia. Despite some of the top-ranking casualties issued by Iranian forces advising fighters in Syria, in mid-October Russia-Syria-Iran-Hezbollah attacked the target of the rebels in Aleppo going forward.
In late October 2015, US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter signaled a shift in a US-led campaign strategy that says there will be more air strikes and more power in the use of direct ground attacks, a battle in Syria that concentrates mostly on Raqqa. On October 30 and two weeks later, Syrian peace talks were held in Vienna, initiated by the United States, Russia, Turkey and Saudi Arabia, where on 30 October Iran participated for the first time in negotiations on Syrian settlements. The participants disagreed about the future of Bashar Assad.
On November 10, 2015, Syrian government forces completed operations to break through the Islamic State rebel blockade at Kweires air base in Aleppo province, where government troops have been besieged since April 2013. In mid-November 2015, it was woken up from Russian bombing attacks on Sinai and Paris attacks , Russia and France significantly stepped up their attacks in Syria, France in close coordination with the US military. On November 17, Putin said he had issued an order for the Moskva cruiser that had been in the eastern Mediterranean since the beginning of Russia's operation to "work as with allies", with the French navy group led by the leading < i> Charles De Gaulle who has been on his way to the eastern Mediterranean since early November. Shortly thereafter, a Russian foreign ministry official denounced France's anti-Assad stance and French air strikes on Syria's oil and gas installations that seemed designed to prevent those returning under the control of the Syrian government; Russian officials indicated that such attacks by France could not be justified because they were carried out without the approval of the Syrian government. In his remarks to a French delegation that included members of the French parliament, on November 14, President Bashar Assad sharply criticized the actions of France and other Western countries against the Syrian government which showed that French support for Syrian opposition forces has led to an Islamic State-claimed attack on Paris.
On November 19, 2015, US President Barack Obama, speaking of the Vienna process, said he could not "foresee a situation in which we can end the civil war in Syria while Assad remains in power"; he urged Russia and Iran to stop supporting the Syrian government. On 20 November 2015, the UN Security Council, while failing to invoke Chapter VII of the UN, authorizing a specific law to use force, unanimously passed a resolution in 2249 urging UN members to "redouble and coordinate their efforts to prevent and suppress terrorist acts Special performed by ISIL also known as Da'esh and ANF, and all other individuals, groups, businesses and entities associated with Al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups, as determined by the UN Security Council, and may be subsequently approved by the International Syrian Support Group (ISSG) and endorsed by the UN Security Council ". The resolution adopted by the French designed and sponsored by the British on the next day after Russia introduced the latest version of the draft resolution previously blocked by the Western powers as an attempt to legitimize the authority of Assad.
On November 24, 2015, Turkey shot down a Russian warplane that allegedly violated Turkish airspace and crashed in northwestern Syria, causing the death of a Russian pilot. After the accident, it was reported that Syrian Turkmen rebels from the Syrian Army Brigades attacked and shot down Russian rescue helicopters, killing a Russian naval infantry. A few days later, Russian aircraft reportedly attacked the target in the Syrian town of Ariha in Idlib province controlled by the Conquest of the Army which caused many casualties to fall on the ground. On December 2, 2015, the Royal Parliament voted to expand Operation Shader to Syria with a majority of 397-223. That day, two British Tornadoes took off from RAF Akrotiri shortly after ten-thirty, each carrying three Paveway bombs. Two other aircraft were deployed at 00:30 on December 3, and all aircraft flew back at 6:30 without their bombs. Defense Minister Michael Fallon said that the attack hit Omar's oil field in eastern Syria, and that eight more jets (two Tornadoes and six Typhoons) were sent to RAF Akrotiri to join the eight already there.
On December 7, 2015, the Syrian government announced that US-led coalition aircraft had fired nine missiles at its military camp near Ayyash, Deir al-Zour province on the previous night, killing three soldiers and wounding 13 others; three armored vehicles, four military vehicles, heavy machine guns and an armory and ammunition were also destroyed. The government condemned the attacks, the first time government troops would be hit by a coalition, as an act of "flagrant aggression"; a coalition spokesman denied responsibility. Pentagon official Anonymous suspects in the future that the Pentagon "believes" that Russian warplanes (probably a TU-22 bomber) have carried out the attack. The claim was rejected by Russian military spokesmen. On December 14, 2015, Russian state news media reported that Syrian government forces recaptured Marj al-Sultan military base in eastern Damascus held by Jaysh al-Islam.
UN Resolution 2254 dated December 18, 2015 which endorsed the ISSG transition plan but did not specify who would represent the Syrian opposition, while condemning terrorist groups such as ISIL and al-Qaeda; it does not mention the future role of Syrian President Bashar Assad.
On January 12, 2016, the Syrian government announced that its troops and allied forces had formed a "complete control" of the strategic Salma city, whose Sunni pre-war populations were, in the northwestern province of Latakia, and continued advancing the north.. On January 16, 2016, ISIL militants launched an offensive into government-held areas in the city of Deir ez-Zor and killed up to 300 people. Counter-strikes by Russian Air Force fighter jets, to support Syrian army troops, are reported to take back the area.
On January 21, 2016, Russian activity was likely to set up a new base at the government-controlled Kamishly Airport, first reported; the northeastern city of Qamishli in Al-Hasakah Governorate was largely under the control of the Syrian Kurds since the start of the Kurdish-Islamist conflict in Al-Hasakah governorate in July 2013. Similar activity by US forces was suspected in the Rmeilan Air Base in the same province, 50 kilometers (31 miles) from Kamishly Airport; This area is also controlled by the US-backed Kuro People Protection Unit (YPG). On January 24, 2016, the Syrian government announced its troops, continuing their attacks on Latakia, had captured the predominantly Rabia city, the last city held by rebels in western Latakia province; Russian troops are said to have played an important role in recapture. The capture of Rabia is said to threaten the supply lines of rebels from Turkey. On January 26, 2016, the Syrian government established a "full control" of the city of Al-Shaykh Maskin in Daraa Governorate, thus completing the operation that had begun in late December 2015. The taking of the city by the Syrian government is referred to as "turning the tide in the Syrian war" by Al- Jazeera.
Partial truce (February 26-July 2016)
On February 26, 2016, the United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 2268 which authorized a mediated US-Russian agreement on "cessation of hostilities". The truce began on February 27, 2016 at 00:00 (Damascus time). The ceasefire does not include attacks on UN-designated terrorist organizations. At the close of February 2016, despite individual clashes, a ceasefire was reported. At the end of March, Syrian government forces with support from Russia and Iran captured Palmyra from ISIL.
In early July 2016, the ceasefire was said to have largely unraveled, violence has escalated, and battles between all major parties and the conflict have continued. At the end of July 2016, fighting between the government and Islamic militants in and around Aleppo intensified.
On August 12, 2016, Syrian Democratic forces arrested Manbij from ISIL. A few days later, the SDF announced a new attack on Al-Bab, which could eventually connect the Kurdish region of Northern Syria.
A few days later, al-Hasakah's battle began. On 22 August, the Kurdish YPG, having captured Ghwairan, the only major Arab neighborhood in Hasaka in the hands of the government, launched a major offensive to seize the last government-controlled area of ​​Hasaka city, northeastern Syria, after the Russian mediation Team failed to repair gap between the two parties; the next day the city capture is over. A few days earlier, the Pentagon rebuked the Syrian government for not "disrupting coalition forces or our partners" in the region, and added that the United States has the right to defend its troops.
On August 24, 2016, Turkish armed forces invaded Syria in the ISIL-controlled area of ​​Jarabulus beginning what the Turkish president of Operation Euphrates Perisai called for, according to his statement, both the IS and Kurdish terror groups threatening our country in northern Syria. "The Syrian government condemned the intervention as a" blatant violation of its sovereignty "and said that" fighting terrorism is not done by expelling ISIS and replacing it with other terrorist organizations directly backed by Turkey. "PYD leader Salih Muslim says Turkey is now in the "Syrian swamp" and will be defeated as IS. Speaking in Ankara on the same day, US vice-president Joe Biden indirectly supported Turkey's move and said that the US has explained to the Syrian Kurdish forces that they must return east across the Euphrates River, or lose US support.
When Turkish troops and Turkish Syrian rebels took control of Jarablus and moved further south towards the city of Manbij in Syria, they clashed with the Kurdish YPG, which prompted US officials to voice concerns and issue warnings to both sides. On August 29, US Defense Secretary Ash Carter mentioned that the US did not support Turkey's progress in southern Jarablus. The warning and the US-made announcement of a tentative truce between Turkish and Kurdish forces in the Jarablus region were immediately and angrily fired by Turkish officials. However, the battle between Turkish and SDF forces subsided, and instead the Turkish troops moved to the West to confront IS. Meanwhile, the SDF, including Western volunteers, continues to strengthen Manbij.
At sunset on September 12, 2016, a Russian-Russian-brokered ceasefire came into effect. Five days later, the US and other coalition jets bombed the position of the Syrian Army near Deir ez-Zor - purportedly by chance, but with Russia arguing that it was deliberate - killing at least 62 Syrian soldiers fighting ISIL militants. Shortly thereafter, the truce broke down, and on September 19 the Syrian Army declared no longer observing a ceasefire. Also on September 19, a relief convoy in Aleppo was attacked with a US coalition blaming the Russian and Syrian governments for the attack and this same government denied this accusation and instead blamed the terrorists for the attack.
On September 22, Syrian troops announced a new attack on Aleppo. The attack was successful on December 14, when the last rebel stronghold in Aleppo was recaptured by the Syrian government followed by a ceasefire agreement.
On October 26, 2016 US Defense Secretary Ash Carter said that the attack to retake Raqqa of IS will start in a few weeks. The SDF continues with this effort, in the Wrath of Euphrates operation. This operation was used up to 30,000 Arab, Christian and Kurdish troops, with support from the Western Coalition. In December 2016, has captured many villages and lands to the west of Raqqa, which was formerly controlled by IS. In January 2017, most of the land west of Raqqa was confiscated, and the second phase of the operation was completed.
Russian/Iranian/Turkish-backed ceasefire (December 2016 - April 2017)
In December 2016, Syrian government forces completely recaptured all the rebel-held parts of Aleppo, ending a four-year battle in the city. On December 15, when reported government troops were on the verge of recovering all of Aleppo - a "turning point" in the civil war, Assad celebrated the "liberation" of the city, and declared, "History is being written by every Syrian citizen." On December 29, 2016 Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a new ceasefire agreement had been reached between the Syrian Government and opposition groups, with Russia and Turkey acting as guarantor, and Iran as a signatory of a trilateral agreement. The ceasefire took effect at 00:00 Syria (2:00 UTC) on December 30th. This does not include UN-designated terrorist groups, such as ISIL and Jabhat Fateh al-Sham. The representative of the Syria High Negotiating Committee in Turkey confirmed that they were involved in the deal. Talks are scheduled to be held between groups in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, on January 15.
Initial reports indicate that despite sporadic combat incidents, a ceasefire seems to occur, with no civilian deaths. Also on December 29, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that four million people in Damascus and the surrounding area had no reliable water access after the main supply infrastructure became a deliberate target on December 22. They said that although the government has started an allotment program, they fear that safe water may be inaccessible to everyone and ask the parties to reach a peace agreement to guarantee basic services.
On January 2, 2017, rebel groups said they would escape from planned talks after alleged violations of a truce by government forces in the Wadi Barada valley near Damascus. The government says the region was removed from a ceasefire because of Fatah al-Sham's presence, but some local activists deny that they have a presence there. At the end of January, government troops captured Wadi Barada and Damascus water supply was restored.
On February 14, 2017, a ceasefire between Assad forces and rebels collapsed across the country, leading to fresh clashes in various locations and new rebel attacks in Daraa. The new peace conference in Geneva was held on 23 February.
On February 23, Turkish troops captured Al-Bab from ISIL northeast of Aleppo. Syrian government forces initiated an eastern attack on Aleppo to conquer Dayr Hafir from ISIL and prevent further Turkish advance.
On March 17, the Syrian military fired S-200 missiles into Israeli jets over the Golan Heights. The Israeli military claims that Arrow's anti-ballistic system intercepted a missile, while the Syrian military claimed they had dropped Israeli jets. The Russian Foreign Ministry summoned the Israeli ambassador to clarify the situation.
On March 20, 150 civilians were killed in the Al-Badia school massacre by a US strike.
The Syrian Arab Army entered Dayr Hafir, the last stronghold held by the Islamic State in East Aleppo, on March 23, and secured it on March 23. It opens the opportunity to push south into the Ar-Raqqa government where the de facto capital of the Islamic State is located; But on March 23, a contingent of Democratic Forces of Syria landed on the western peninsula of Raqqa by boat and helicopter, in an attempt to bypass the Syrian Arab Army from entering the de facto capital of the Islamic State, Raqqa. On March 28, an agreement was reportedly brokered by Qatar and Iran for evacuation to four besieged towns in Syria, where about 60,000 people live. The deal involves the evacuation of al-Fu'ah and Kafriya residents, two towns in Idlib Governorate who are besieged by rebel forces, in exchange for the evacuation of citizens and rebels in Zabadani and Madaya, two towns besieged by government forces at Rif Dimashq Governorate.
Syria -American Conflict, De-Escalation Zones (April 2017 - June 2017)
From April 2017, the United States took a more confrontational strategy in Syria. After the chemical attack on Khan Shaykhun, whose US officials blame the Syrian government, the US Navy warship launched 59 Tomahawk missiles at Syria's Syrian Air Base, which is said to be a source of chemical attacks. The US offensive, which took place on April 7, was the first officially announced official offensive against the Syrian government forces. Unveiled unlicensed by the United States Congress or United Nations Security Council, the strike sparked a UN Security Council meeting, initially requested by Bolivia and supported by Russia. A spokesman for Vladimir Putin stated that the Russian President views the US attack as "an act of aggression against a sovereign state violating the norms of international law, and under false pretenses on it". This view was presented by Deborah Pearlstein, who has stated that the US military attack on Syrian government forces violates the UN Charter, an international legal basis that has been ratified by the US and thus binds the US. In response, US representatives at the UNSC emergency meeting said that "the moral stains of the Assad regime can no longer be unanswered." US forces will attack the Syrian army again on May 18, when a Syrian army convoy advanced around the al-Tanf border town, which hosts a US-controlled airbase used to train anti-government forces, is under attack by US fighter jets. Nevertheless, the desert attack of the Syrian government continues and on June 9 the government forces secured part of the Syrian-Iraqi border for the first time since 2015. It isolated the Al-Tanf rebel region from Daesh-controlled territory, an arrest expressed as an official destination by the rebels and US troops.
Meanwhile, fierce fighting between government troops and insurgent groups started in northern Hama on 21 March, he added. On March 29, SAA, which has halted rebel attacks on the outskirts of Hama, embarked on a counterattack, and on April 16, has reversed all the rebellious gains. They started their own little offensive, and by the end of April had captured the cities of Halfaya and Taybat al-Imam.
On April 12, an agreement to swap the inhabitants of Zabadani and Madaya rebel cities with residents of the pro-government cities of Al-Fu'ah and Kafraya began to take place. On April 15, a bus convoy carrying refugees from Al-Fu'ah and Kafriya was attacked by a suicide bomber in Aleppo, killing more than 126 people.
On April 24, Turkish Air Force conducted several air strikes on YPG and YPJ positions near al-Malikiyah, killing at least 20 of their fighters. The attack was condemned by the US.
On May 4, 2017, Russia, Iran and Turkey signed an agreement in Astana to create four "de-escalation zones" in Syria. The four zones included the Idlib Province, a section controlled by the northern rebels of Homs Governorate, rebel-held eastern Ghouta, and the Jordanian-Syrian border. The deal was rejected by some rebel groups, and the Democratic Union Party also condemned the deal, saying that the ceasefire zone "divides Syria on a sectarian basis". The ceasefire took effect on May 6th.
Stop the CIA program, ISIL declared defeated, Russian forces in Syria remain (July 2017-December 2017)
On July 7, 2017, the US, Russia, and Jordan approved a ceasefire in the southwestern part of Syria. Russia gives assurances that Assad will abide by the agreement.
On July 19, 2017, it was reported that the Donald Trump government had decided to stop the CIA program to equip and train anti-government rebel groups, a move sought by Russia.
On September 5, 2017, the Central Syrian attack by the government reached its peak when it violated the ISIS siege by Deir ez-Zor for three years, with the active participation of Russian aviation and aviation. This was followed shortly thereafter by the lifting of the city's siege.
On October 17, 2017, after more than four months of fierce fighting and a coalition of US-led coalitions, the Kurdish-dominated Democratic Forces announced they had built complete control over the city of Raqqa in northern Syria, which was once the de facto capital of ISIL. In late October, the Syrian government said that it still considers Raqqa an occupied city that "can only be considered liberated when the Syrian Arab Army enters [it]."
In mid-November 2017, government troops and allied militia established full control over Deir ez-Zor and captured the eastern city of Abu Kamal in Syria, near the border with Iraq and the Iraqi city of al-Qaim, simultaneously arrested. from ISIL by the Iraqi government.
On November 28, 2017, it was reported that China would deploy troops to assist Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
On December 6, 2017, the Russian government declared Syria to be "entirely exempt" from ISIL; on December 11 Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Russian base in Syria, where he announced that he had ordered the withdrawal of some troops deployed to Syria. On December 26, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said that Russia had set about "forming a permanent group" at its naval facilities at Tartus and Hmeymim air base. Two days later, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Russia believed that US troops should leave Syrian territory completely after the terrorist remains are completely eliminated and that will happen soon.
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