Syrian civil war

Syrian civil war
	Part of the Syrian Revolution, First Arab Spring, Arab Winter, Second Arab Spring, war in Iraq, war against the Islamic State, war on terror, Kurdish–Turkish and Arab–Israeli conflicts; and the Iran–Turkey, Iran–Israel, Iran–Saudi, Qatar–Saudi and Russia–U.S. proxy wars
	; Military situation as of 13 April 2025 at 2:00 pm ET Syrian Arab Republic: Syrian Armed Forces including ex-Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham Syrian Free Army and American occupation; Turkish occupation and ex-Syrian National Army; Local Druze factions Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria: Syrian Democratic Forces and recent defectors in Deir ez-Zor Others: Israeli occupation and invasion Russian occupation and Assadist insurgent presence (full list of factions, detailed map)
Date	15 March 2011 – present; (14 years, 1 month and 4 days)
Location	Syria (with spillovers in neighboring countries, particularly Iraq and Lebanon)
Status	Ongoing Bashar al-Assad is overthrown; Rebels capture most of Syria and establish the first transitional government; The second transitional government is formed under Ahmed al-Sharaa;
Belligerents
	Full list of factions
Casualties and losses
	Total deaths; 656,493+; Civilian deaths; 219,223–306,887+ ; Displaced people 6.7 million internally; ; 6.6 million externally (refugees) (March 2021);

The Syrian civil war, also known as the Syrian uprising or Syrian crisis, is an ongoing conflict in Syria that began with the Syrian Revolution in March 2011 when popular discontent with the Ba'athist regime ruled by Bashar al-Assad triggered large-scale protests and pro-democracy rallies across Syria, as part of the wider Arab Spring protests in the region. The Assad regime responded to protests with lethal force, sparking a civil war that culminated in the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024. All revolutionary factions united into the First Syrian transitional government by 12 March 2025.

The Syrian opposition to Bashar al-Assad began an insurgency, formings groups such as the Free Syrian Army. Anti-Assad forces received arms from states such as Qatar and Turkey. Pro-Assad forces received financial and military support from Iran and Russia: Iran launched a military intervention in support of the Syrian government in 2013 and Russia followed in 2015. By this time, rebels had established the Syrian Interim Government as they captured the regional capitals of Raqqa in 2013 and Idlib in 2015.

In 2014, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) seized control over Eastern Syria and Western Iraq, prompting a United States-led coalition to launch an aerial bombing campaign against ISIS, while providing ground support and supplies to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a Kurdish-dominated coalition led by the People's Defense Units (YPG). In 2016, Turkey launched an invasion of northern Syria, in response to the creation of the Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (Rojava), while also establishing the Syrian National Army (SNA) to help it fight ISIS and pro-Assad forces.

The December 2016 victory of pro-Assad forces in the four-year Battle of Aleppo marked the recapture of what had been Syria's largest city before the war. In Idlib Governorate, the Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) militia formed the Syrian Salvation Government, a technocratic government which governed the region from 2017 until 2024. ISIS was defeated in Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor. In December 2019 regime forces launched an offensive on Idlib province which ended in a ceasefire from 2020 to November 2024. During this time there were regular clashes between pro-Assad forces and HTS.

HTS launched a major offensive on 27 November 2024, with support from the SNA. Aleppo fell in three days, giving momentum to revolutionaries across the country. Southern rebels launched their own offensive, capturing Daraa and Suwayda. HTS captured Hama while the Syrian Free Army and the SDF launched their own offensives in Palmyra and Deir ez-Zor, respectively. On 8 December, Bashar al-Assad fled to Moscow as Homs and Damascus fell to the revolutionaries, his prime minister transferred power to the new government, and Israel launched an invasion of Syria's Quneitra Governorate (including the UN buffer zone) from its 58-year occupation of the Syrian Golan Heights.

At the Syrian Revolution Victory Conference held at the Presidential Palace in Damascus on 29 January 2025, the new government announced the dissolution of several armed militias and their integration into the Syrian Ministry of Defense, as well as the appointment of former HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa as president of Syria. The Syrian peace process integrated all revolutionary factions into the new Syrian state institutions by 12 March 2025.

^ "Iran Update > Syria". The Institute for the study of War. 4 February 2025. Retrieved 5 February 2025. US-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) Commander Salem Antari, who controls US-backed "Free Syrian Army" forces in the al Tanf zone, stated on February 3 that the FSA is negotiating with the interim government to integrate into the interim Defense Ministry. Antari added that the FSA is prepared to assume any duties assigned to it by the new Defense Ministry.
^ "Türkiye says all Syrian armed groups must join state army". Daily Sabah. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
^ "Forging a united front: The challenges of building Syria's new army". The New Arab. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
^ "Syrian Leader Ahmed Al-Sharaa Delivers 'Victory Speech,' Outlines Syria's Future Roadmap, Announces Dissolution Of Ba'ath Party, Armed Factions Into New 'Syrian Army'; Military Operations Command Declares Al-Sharaa President Of Syria During Transitional Phase". MEMRI. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
^ "Syrian Interim Government (SIG) Prime Minister Congratulates President Ahmed Al-Sharaa, Puts SIG Resources At His Government's Disposal". MEMRI. Retrieved 4 February 2025.
^ "Mustafa Places Interim Government at the Disposal of the Syrian State". Syrian Observer. 5 February 2025.
^ "Syria merges Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces into state institutions". Al Jazeera English. 10 March 2025. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
^ González, Ricard (31 December 2024). "On the Syrian border with Israel: 'The troops threatened to do the same thing to us as in Gaza'". EL PAÍS English. Israel took advantage of the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime to extend its occupation of the Golan Heights — Syrian territory partly taken by Israel in 1967 — by several hundred square miles.
^ "Golan Heights: Trump signs order recognising occupied area as Israeli". BBC News. 25 March 2019.
^ "The Golan Heights: What's at Stake With Trump's Recognition". www.cfr.org. Council on Foreign Relations. 28 March 2019.
^ "Hundreds killed as Syria security forces battle al-Assad loyalists". Al Jazeera English. Retrieved 8 March 2025.
^ Cite error: The named reference 10March2025 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Evrensel, Kouachi, Rasa, Ikram (8 March 2025). "Intense clashes erupt in Syria's Latakia after Assad loyalists attack hospitals". Anadolu Ajansi.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ "Syrian Civil War Enters 10th Year". Voice of America. RFE/RL. 15 March 2020. Archived from the original on 3 April 2024.
^ "Syria: Grim 10-year anniversary of 'unimaginable violence and indignities'". UN News. 15 March 2021. Archived from the original on 13 March 2024.
^ Sherlock, Ruth; Neuman, Scott; Homsi, Nada (15 March 2021). "Syria's Civil War Started A Decade Ago. Here's Where It Stands". NPR. Archived from the original on 18 April 2024.
^ Ozcan, Ethem Emre (14 March 2021). "10 years since start of Syrian civil war". Anadolu Ajansı. Archived from the original on 26 November 2023.
^ Romey, Kristin (9 March 2022). "11 years into Syria's civil war, this is what everyday life looks like". National Geographic. Photographs by Keo, William. Archived from the original on 9 March 2022.
^ "Twelve years on from the beginning of Syria's war". Al Jazeera. 15 March 2023. Archived from the original on 3 July 2024.
^ Nawaz, Amna; Warsi, Zeba; Cebrián Aranda, Teresa (15 March 2023). "Syrians mark 12 years of civil war with no end in sight". PBS News. Archived from the original on 20 June 2024.
^ "Why has the Syrian war lasted 12 years?". BBC News. 15 March 2016. Archived from the original on 4 July 2024.
^ "14th anniversary of Syrian Revolution | Nearly 657,000 persons killed since the onset of the revolution in March 2011". Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. 20 March 2025. Retrieved 20 March 2025.
^ "Syria". GCR2P. 1 December 2022. Archived from the original on 28 January 2023.
^ "Assad, Iran, Russia committed 91% of civilian killings in Syria". Middle East Monitor. 20 June 2022. Archived from the original on 4 January 2023.
^ "UN Human Rights Office estimates more than 306,000 civilians were killed over 10 years in Syria conflict". United Nations. 28 June 2022. Retrieved 23 April 2023.
^ "Civilian Deaths in the Syrian Arab Republic: Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights". United Nations. 28 June 2022. Archived from the original on 28 June 2022. Over the past ten years, civilians have borne the brunt of the conflict, with an estimated 306,887 direct civilian deaths occurring.
^ "Syria emergency". United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).

[1] "Iran Update > Syria". The Institute for the study of War. 4 February 2025. Retrieved 5 February 2025. US-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) Commander Salem Antari, who controls US-backed "Free Syrian Army" forces in the al Tanf zone, stated on February 3 that the FSA is negotiating with the interim government to integrate into the interim Defense Ministry. Antari added that the FSA is prepared to assume any duties assigned to it by the new Defense Ministry.

[3] "Türkiye says all Syrian armed groups must join state army". Daily Sabah. Retrieved 27 January 2025.

[4] "Forging a united front: The challenges of building Syria's new army". The New Arab. Retrieved 3 February 2025.

[5] "Syrian Leader Ahmed Al-Sharaa Delivers 'Victory Speech,' Outlines Syria's Future Roadmap, Announces Dissolution Of Ba'ath Party, Armed Factions Into New 'Syrian Army'; Military Operations Command Declares Al-Sharaa President Of Syria During Transitional Phase". MEMRI. Retrieved 29 January 2025.

[6] "Syrian Interim Government (SIG) Prime Minister Congratulates President Ahmed Al-Sharaa, Puts SIG Resources At His Government's Disposal". MEMRI. Retrieved 4 February 2025.

[7] "Mustafa Places Interim Government at the Disposal of the Syrian State". Syrian Observer. 5 February 2025.

[9] "Syria merges Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces into state institutions". Al Jazeera English. 10 March 2025. Retrieved 10 March 2025.

[10] González, Ricard (31 December 2024). "On the Syrian border with Israel: 'The troops threatened to do the same thing to us as in Gaza'". EL PAÍS English. Israel took advantage of the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime to extend its occupation of the Golan Heights — Syrian territory partly taken by Israel in 1967 — by several hundred square miles.

[11] "Golan Heights: Trump signs order recognising occupied area as Israeli". BBC News. 25 March 2019.

[12] "The Golan Heights: What's at Stake With Trump's Recognition". www.cfr.org. Council on Foreign Relations. 28 March 2019.

[15] "Hundreds killed as Syria security forces battle al-Assad loyalists". Al Jazeera English. Retrieved 8 March 2025.

[10March2025-16] Cite error: The named reference 10March2025 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[17] Evrensel, Kouachi, Rasa, Ikram (8 March 2025). "Intense clashes erupt in Syria's Latakia after Assad loyalists attack hospitals". Anadolu Ajansi.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

[18] "Syrian Civil War Enters 10th Year". Voice of America. RFE/RL. 15 March 2020. Archived from the original on 3 April 2024.

[19] "Syria: Grim 10-year anniversary of 'unimaginable violence and indignities'". UN News. 15 March 2021. Archived from the original on 13 March 2024.

[20] Sherlock, Ruth; Neuman, Scott; Homsi, Nada (15 March 2021). "Syria's Civil War Started A Decade Ago. Here's Where It Stands". NPR. Archived from the original on 18 April 2024.

[21] Ozcan, Ethem Emre (14 March 2021). "10 years since start of Syrian civil war". Anadolu Ajansı. Archived from the original on 26 November 2023.

[22] Romey, Kristin (9 March 2022). "11 years into Syria's civil war, this is what everyday life looks like". National Geographic. Photographs by Keo, William. Archived from the original on 9 March 2022.

[23] "Twelve years on from the beginning of Syria's war". Al Jazeera. 15 March 2023. Archived from the original on 3 July 2024.

[24] Nawaz, Amna; Warsi, Zeba; Cebrián Aranda, Teresa (15 March 2023). "Syrians mark 12 years of civil war with no end in sight". PBS News. Archived from the original on 20 June 2024.

[25] "Why has the Syrian war lasted 12 years?". BBC News. 15 March 2016. Archived from the original on 4 July 2024.

[SOHR2025-27] "14th anniversary of Syrian Revolution | Nearly 657,000 persons killed since the onset of the revolution in March 2011". Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. 20 March 2025. Retrieved 20 March 2025.

[28] "Syria". GCR2P. 1 December 2022. Archived from the original on 28 January 2023.

[29] "Assad, Iran, Russia committed 91% of civilian killings in Syria". Middle East Monitor. 20 June 2022. Archived from the original on 4 January 2023.

[31] "UN Human Rights Office estimates more than 306,000 civilians were killed over 10 years in Syria conflict". United Nations. 28 June 2022. Retrieved 23 April 2023.

[32] "Civilian Deaths in the Syrian Arab Republic: Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights". United Nations. 28 June 2022. Archived from the original on 28 June 2022. Over the past ten years, civilians have borne the brunt of the conflict, with an estimated 306,887 direct civilian deaths occurring.

[33] "Syria emergency". United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

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