This is the course of the great events of the Syrian Civil War. It only covers major territorial changes and attacks and does not include any events.
Uprising against Syrian president Bashar al-Assad has gradually turned into a civil war full scale, with two significant milestone into a protest early Spring in March 2011 Arab and declaration of July 15, 2012 by the International Committee of the Red Cross that the battle has gradually become so broad that the situation should be considered a civil war.
It's been 7 years, 2 months and 4 weeks since the protest of Rage Syria Day which was staged on March 15, 2011.
It's been 5 years, 10 months and 4 weeks since the Red Cross declared the situation to be a civil war.
Protest, civil rebellion, and defection (January-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 the protesters, and according to witnesses who spoke to the BBC, government forces detained six of them. The protest was triggered by the arrest of a boy and his friends by the government for writing in graffiti, "The people want the downfall of the regime", in the city of Daraa. 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 were taking place in twenty cities. On April 25, the Syrian Army began a series of deadly massive military offensive in cities with tanks, infantry carriers, and artillery, which caused hundreds of civilian deaths. 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.
Unverified reports claim that some security forces in Jisr al-Shugur defected after secret police and intelligence officers executed soldiers who refused to fire civilians. Later, more protesters in Syria took up arms, and more soldiers defected to protect the protesters. Initial_armed_insurgency_ (July_2011-April_2012) "> 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 insurrection against the Syrian Arab Republic authorities. Although incidents of armed insurrection began as early as June 2011 when the rebels killed 120-140 Syrian security personnel, the beginnings of organized uprisings were usually marked by the formation of the Syrian Liberation Army (FSA) on 29 July 2011, when a group of defected officers announced the formation 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 forces Ba'ath and opposition militants continued to fight throughout the country and the Syrian Ba'athist government prevented foreign observers from active battlefield tours, including a besieged opposition fortress.
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.
Video Course of events of the Syrian Civil War
Try truce (April-May 2012)
Kofi Annan acts as the Joint United Nations-League Special Representative for Syria. His peace plan provided a ceasefire, but even when negotiations were made, Syrian armed forces attacked several towns and villages, and briefly executed several people. Incommunicado detention, including children, also continued. In April, Assad began using attack helicopters against rebel forces.
On 12 April, both sides, the Syrian Government and the FSA rebels entered the period of a UN-mediated truce. It was a failure, with truce violations by both sides resulting in several dozen casualties. Admitting failure, Annan called for Iran to be "part of the solution", although the country has been excluded from the initiative of Friends of Syria. Practical peace plans collapsed in early June and the UN mission was withdrawn from Syria. Annan officially resigned in frustration on August 2, 2012.
Update updated (June-October 2012)
Following the Houla massacre on May 25, 2012, in which 108 people were executed and the OJK ultimatum for the Syrian government, the practical ceasefire collapsed, as the FSA initiated a national offensive against government troops. On June 1, President Assad vowed to crush an anti-government insurgency.
On 5 June, fights broke out in Haffa and surrounding villages in the coastal governor region of Latakia Governorate. Government troops backed by helicopter gunships in the heaviest clashes in the governor since the uprising began. Syrian troops seized the area after days of fighting and shooting. On June 6, 78 civilians were killed in the Al-Qubeir massacre. According to activist sources, government troops began by firing on villages before the Shabiha militia moved. UN observers head to Al-Qubeir in hopes of investigating the alleged massacre, but they meet with roadblocks and small arms fire and are forced. to back off.
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. In both cities, peaceful protests - including the general strike by Damascus shopkeepers and the small strike in Aleppo are interpreted as demonstrating that the historical alliance between government and business establishment in the big cities has become weak.
On June 22, Turkish F-4 fighter jets were shot down by Syrian government forces, killing both pilots. Syria and Turkey denied whether the jet had flown in Syrian or international airspace when it was shot down. Although Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdo? An oath to retaliate against the Assad government, no such intervention materialized. Bashar al-Assad publicly apologized for the incident. On July 10, rebel forces captured most of Al-Qusayr city, in Homs Governorate, after weeks of fighting. In mid-July, the rebels had seized the town of Saraqeb, in Idlib Province.
In mid-July 2012, with fighting spread across the country and 16,000 people dead, the International Committee of the Red Cross declared the conflict a civil war. The fighting in Damascus intensified, with the impetus of the great rebels to seize the city. On July 18, Syrian Defense Minister Dawoud Rajiha, former defense minister Hasan Turkmani, and brother-in-law of president Assef Shawkat were killed by suicide bombings in Damascus. Syrian intelligence chief Hisham Ikhtiyar, who was wounded in the same explosion, then succumbed to his injuries. Both the FSA and Liwa al-Islam claimed responsibility for the killing.
In mid-July, rebel forces attacked Damascus and were repulsed within two weeks, though fighting continued on the margins. After this, the focus shifts to the battle to rule Aleppo. On July 25, sources reported that Assad's government used fighter jets to attack rebel positions in Aleppo and Damascus, and on August 1, UN observers in Syria watched government jet fighters firing on rebels in Aleppo. In early August, the Syrian Army retook the district of Salaheddin, an important rebel stronghold in Aleppo. In August, the government began to use fixed-wing aircraft against the rebels.
On July 19, Iraqi officials reported that the FSA had seized four border checkpoints between Syria and Iraq, raising concerns for the security of Iraqis trying to flee violence in Syria. On September 19, rebel forces seized border crossings between Syria and Turkey at Raqqa Governorate. It is thought that this crossing can provide opposition and strategic and logistical forces due to Turkey's support of the rebels, whose headquarters were then moved from southern Turkey to northern Syria.
In October rebel forces took control of Maarat al-Numan, a city in Idlib Governorate on the highway connecting Damascus with Aleppo and capturing Douma, marking an increase in influence on Rif Dimashq. Lakhdar Brahimi set a ceasefire during Idul Adha in late October, but quickly collapsed.
On September 6, 2012 Kurdish activists reported that 21 civilians were killed in the Kurdish Sheikh Maqsud neighborhood of Aleppo, when the Syrian Army fired on the local mosque and its surroundings. Although the district was neutral during the Battle of Aleppo and free of government and FSA clashes, local residents believed the district was pared in retaliation for protecting anti-government civilians from other parts of the city. In a statement released shortly after death, the Kurdish People's Protection Unit (YPG) vowed to retaliate. Several days later, Kurdish troops killed three soldiers in Afrin (Kurdi: EfrÃÆ'®n ?) And arrested a number of other government troops in Ayn al-Arab (Kurdish: KobanÃÆ'® ?) And Al-Malikiyah (Kurdish: DÃÆ'ªrika Hemko ?) from where they drive the remaining government security forces. It has also been reported that the government has started arming Arab tribes around Qamishli in preparation for possible confrontation with Kurdish forces, which still do not fully control the city.
At least 8 government soldiers were killed and 15 wounded by a car bomb in al-Gharibi Qamishli district on September 30, 2012. The blast targeted the Political Security office.
Maps Course of events of the Syrian Civil War
Insurgent attacks (November 2012 - April 2013)
After the Brahimi ceasefire agreement ended on 30 October, the Syrian military expanded its air bombing campaign in Damascus. The bombing of Damascus district in Jobar is the first example of a fighter jet used to bomb Damascus. The next day, General Abdullah Mahmud al-Khalidi, a Syrian Air Force commander, was killed by armed opposition men in the Damascus district of Rukn al-Din. In early November 2012, the rebels made significant gains in northern Syria. The capture of rebels from the Saraqib in Idlib Governorate, located on the M5 highway, further alienates Aleppo. Due to insufficient anti-aircraft weapons, the rebel unit sought to overturn the government's air force by destroying ground and aircraft helicopters at the air base. On 3 November, the rebels launched an attack on Taftanaz air base.
On November 18, the rebels took control of Base 46 in Aleppo Governorate, one of the largest Syrian Army bases in northern Syria, after weeks of fierce fighting. Defected General Mohammed Ahmed al-Faj, who led the attack, said that nearly 300 Syrian soldiers have been killed and 60 have been arrested, with rebels seizing a large number of heavy weapons, including tanks. On November 22, the rebels seized Mayadin's military base in the eastern state of Deir ez-Zor Governorate. Activists say this gives rebel controls to a large number of areas east of the base, stretching to the Iraqi border. On November 29, at around 10:26 UTC, Syria's Internet and Syria phone service was shut down for a two-day period. Syrian government sources deny responsibility and blame power outages on fiber optic lines near Damascus exposed and damaged; Edward Snowden in August 2014 claimed that this internet damage has been caused, albeit unintentionally, by NSA hackers during an operation to intercept Internet communications in Syria.
In mid-December 2012, American officials said that the Syrian military had fired Scud ballistic missiles at insurgent fighters inside the Syrian region. Reportedly, six SCUD missiles were fired into the headquarters of Suleiman Sheikh north of Aleppo, which rebel forces have occupied. It is not clear whether Scuds reached the intended target. The government denies this claim. Later that month, the next Scud attack took place near Marea, a town north of Aleppo near the Turkish border. The missile appears to have lost its target. In the same month, the UK Daily Telegraph reported that OJK has now penetrated to the coast of the Latakia Governorate through Turkey. In late December, rebel forces pushed further into Damascus, seizing control of neighboring Yarmouk and Palestinian camps, pushing the pro-government Special Front for the Liberation of Palestinian-Palestinian Fighters commanders with the help of other factions. The rebel forces launched an attack on Hama Governorate, then claimed to have forced regular troops to evacuate several towns and bases, and stated that "three quarters of the western rural pests are under our control." The rebels also captured the town of Harem near the Turkish border in Idlib Governorate, after weeks of fierce fighting.
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. Air bases are often used by the Syrian military to carry out helicopter attacks and send supplies. The rebels claimed to have seized helicopters, tanks and rocket launchers before being forced backwards by government counterattacks. The leader of Front al-Nusra said the number of weapons they took was a "game changer". On February 11, Islamist militants seized the town of Al-Thawrah at the Raqqa Governorate and nearby Tabqa Dam, Syria's biggest dam and the main source of hydroelectric power. The next day, the rebel forces controlled the Jarrah airbase, located 60 kilometers (37 mi) east of Aleppo. On February 14, fighters from Front al-Nusra took control of Shadadeh, a town in Al-Hasakah Governorate near the Iraqi border.
On February 20, a car bomb exploded in Damascus near the Syrian Regional Branch headquarters, killing at least 53 people and injuring more than 235. None of the groups claimed responsibility. On February 21, the FSA in Quasar began firing on Hezbollah positions in Lebanon. Before this, Hezbollah had fired on villages near Quasar from within Lebanon. The 48-hour ultimatum was released by the FSA commander on Feb. 20, warning militants to halt attacks.
On March 2, a fierce clash between rebels and the Syrian Army erupted in the city of Raqqa, with many reportedly killed on both sides. On the same day, Syrian troops recaptured several villages near Aleppo. On March 3, the rebels have taken control of Raqqa's central prison, allowing them to release hundreds of prisoners, according to SOHR. The SOHR also stated that rebel fighters now control most of Aleppo's police academies in Khan al-Asal, and that more than 200 rebels and government troops have been killed fighting to control it.
On March 6, the rebels had seized the city of Raqqa, effectively making it the first provincial capital lost by Assad's government. Raqqa residents rolled a bronze statue from his late father, Hafez al-Assad in the city center. The rebels also seized two top government officials. On March 18, the Syrian Air Force attacked rebel positions in Lebanon for the first time. The attack took place in the Wadi al-Khayl Valley area, near the town of Arsal. On March 21, alleged suicide bombings at the Iman Mosque in Mazraa district killed 41 people, including Sunni pro-Assad cleric Sheikh Mohammed al-Buti. On March 23, rebel groups seized the 38th airborne division base south of Daraa Governorate near a highway linking Damascus to Jordan. The next day, the rebels took a plot of land 25 km near the Jordanian border, covering the towns of Muzrib, Abdin, and al-Rai military checkpoints.
On 25 March, the rebels launched one of their heaviest bombardment in the center of Damascus since the uprising began. Mortars achieve Umayyad Square, where the headquarters of the Ba'ath Party, Air Force Intelligence and state television is located. On March 26, near the Syrian town of al-Qusayr, rebel commander Khaled al-Hamad, who led the Brigades of Al Farooq al-Mustakilla and is also known by the prospective de guerre Abu Sakkar, eat the liver and heart of a soldier who died and "I swear to God, you're the soldiers of Bashar, the dogs, we would eat from the heart and heart! O the heroes of Bab Amr, you slaughter the Alawites and remove their heart to eat it! " in a concerted effort to increase sectarianism. Video event came two months later and resulted in considerable resentment, especially from Human Rights Watch that classify the incident as a war crime. According to the BBC, it is one of the most terrifying videos that has emerged from the conflict to date. On March 29, the rebels seized the city of Da'el after a fierce battle. The city is located in Daraa Governorate, along a highway connecting Damascus to Jordan. On April 3, the rebels seized a military base near the town of Daraa.
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. Clashes broke out from January 14th to 19th between army and YPG fighters in the village of Kurdi Gir ZÃÆ'®ro (Tall Adas), near al-Maabadah (Kurdish: GordÃÆ'ª LegÃÆ'ª ?), where an army battalion of about 200 soldiers has been blockaded since 9 January. YPG troops claimed to have ousted the government after the clashes. One soldier was reported killed and eight others injured, while seven others were arrested (later released) and 27 others defected. The fighting in the oil field near Gir ZÃÆ'®ro ended on January 21, when government troops withdrew after receiving no assistance from Damascus. At Rumeilan, just west of al-Maabadah, another 200 soldiers were surrounded by YPG troops, and 10 soldiers were reported to have defected.
From February 8 to 11, fierce clashes broke out between YPG and government forces in the PYD/YPG-controlled Ashrafi district, where according to the SOHR, at least 3 soldiers and 5 pro-government militias were killed. The fighting followed a deadly shooting on January 31 in Ashrafiyah, where 23 civilians were killed after the FSA unit moved into the Kurdish sector of Aleppo. According to his own report, YPG lost 7 of its members in combat, while also claiming that 48 soldiers were killed and 22 arrested, and 70 others wounded.
In early March, YPG forces formed full control over oil fields and installations in northeastern Syria after government troops stationed there surrendered. Also, YPG attacked government troops and captured Tall cities? Fennel, which is adjacent to the Rumeilan oilfield, and Al-Qahtaniya (Kurdish: TiranapÃÆ'® span lang = "ku" dir = "rtl"> TirbespÃÆ'® ?).
Government attack (April-June 2013)
On April 17, government troops broke a six-month-old rebel blockade at 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. On April 18, the FSA took control of Al-Dab'a Air Base near the city of al-Qusayr. The base is used primarily for garrison ground troops. Meanwhile, the Syrian Army again seized Abel city. SOHR said the loss of the city would hamper the rebel movement between al-Qusayr and Homs cities. Arrest the airport would relieve the pressure on the rebels in the area, but Abel's loss made the situation more complicated. The same day, the rebels reportedly killed Ali Ballan, who was a government official, in the Mazzeh district of Damascus. On April 21, government troops captured the town of Jdaidet al-Fadl, near Damascus.
In April, government troops and Hezbollah launched an attack to capture the area near al-Qusayr. On April 21, pro-Assad troops captured the cities of Burhaniya, Saqraja and al-Radwaniya near the Lebanese border. At this point, eight villages have fallen into government attacks in the area. On April 24, after five weeks of fighting, government troops regained control of the town of Otaiba, east of Damascus, which has served as the main arms supply route from Jordan. Meanwhile, in the north of the country, the rebels took over positions on the edge of Mennagh's strategic military base, on the outskirts of Aleppo. This allowed them to enter the air base after months of siege.
On May 2, government forces captured Qaysa town in a drive north from the city airport. The troops also recaptured the central district of Wadi al-Sayeh in Homs, riding a wedge between two rebel camps. SOHR reported the massacre of more than 100 people by the Syrian Army in the coastal city of Al Bayda, Baniyas. However, this can not be independently verified due to restrictions on movement in the field. However, some of the video images people say they have recorded - especially young children, are shocking that even some government supporters rejected the official Syrian television show that soldiers simply "destroyed a number of terrorists."
On June 15, the Syrian Army captured the Damascus suburb of Ahmadiyah near the city airport, and on June 22, seized the rebel insurgent city of Talkalakh.
Continuing the battle (July-October 2013)
On June 28, rebel forces seized a large military checkpoint in the town of Daraa. On July 12 the FSA reported that one of its commanders, Kamal Hamami, had been killed by an Islamist group the day before. The rebels claimed that the assassination by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant was tantamount to a declaration of war. On July 17, the FSA forces controlled most of the southern city of Nawa after seizing up to 40 army posts stationed in the city. On July 18, YPG Kurdish forces secured control over the northern city of Ras al-Ain, after several days of fighting with the al-Nusra Front. In the next three months, continued fighting between Kurdish rebel forces and most jihad fighters led to the capture of two dozen towns and villages in Hasakah Governorate by Kurdish fighters, while Jihadists made limited gains in Aleppo and Raqqa after they revived the Kurdish rebels of the Jabhat al-Akrad group for its relationship with YPG. In Aleppo Governorate, Islamic groups massacred Kurds, causing mass migration of civilians to the town of Afrin.
On July 22, FSA fighters took control of Aleppo's western outskirts in Khan al-Asal. The city is the last government fortress in the western part of Aleppo Governorate. On July 25, the Syrian Army secured the city of al-Sukhnah, after expelling the Front al-Nusra. On July 27, after weeks of fighting and bombing in Homs, Syrian Army captured the historic Khalid ibn al-Walid Mosque, and two days later, seized Khaldiyeh district.
On August 4, about 10 rebel brigades, launched a massive attack on the government headquarters of Latakia Governorate. Initial attacks by 2,000 opposition members seized as many as 12 villages in the mountains. Between 4 and 5 August 20 rebels and 32 government and militia troops were killed in the clashes. Hundreds of Alawit villagers fled to Latakia. On August 5, rebel fighters advanced to 20 kilometers from Qardaha, the home of the Assad family. However, in mid-August, the military struck back and recaptured all the territories previously lost to the coastal rebels during the attack. One source of Syrian security forces "told AFP that troops still had to retake Salma territory, a strategic area along the border with Turkey." According to Human Rights Watch reports, 190 civilians were killed by rebel forces during the attack, including at least 67 executed. Another 200 civilians, mainly women and children, were taken hostage.
On August 6, the rebels seized Menagh Military Base after a 10-month siege. The strategic air base is located on the road between the city of Aleppo and the Turkish border. 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. On August 24, the rebels seized the city of Ariha. However, government forces recaptured Ariha on September 3. On August 26, rebel forces took over the town of Khanasir in Aleppo Governorate which is the government's last supply route for the city of Aleppo. On September 8, rebels led by Front al-Nusra captured the Maaloula Christian city, 43 km north of Damascus, the Syrian Army launched a counterattack a few days later, retaking the city.
On September 18, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) stormed the FSA-controlled city of Azaz in the north. The fighting was the most severe since tensions escalated between militant factions in Syria earlier in the year. As soon as ISIS arrested Azaz, a ceasefire was announced between rival rebel groups. However, in early October, more fighting erupted in the city. On September 20, Alawit militia including NDF killed 15 civilians in Sunni Sheik Hadid village in Hama Governorate. The massacre took place in retaliation for the arrest of rebels in the village of Jalma, in Hama, which killed five soldiers, along with the seizure of a military checkpoint that killed 16 soldiers and 10 NDF militia members. In mid-September, the military captured the towns of Deir Salman and Shebaa on the outskirts of Damascus. The Army also captured six villages in eastern Homs. Fighting broke out in those cities again in October.
On September 28, militants seized the Ramtha border post at Daraa Governorate in Syria Jordan crossed after a battle that left 26 soldiers dead along with 7 foreign insurgent fighters. On October 3, AFP reported that Syrian troops returned to take the town of Khanasir, located on a supply line connecting central Syria to the city of Aleppo. On October 7, the Syrian Army successfully reopened the supply routes between Aleppo and Khanasir.
On October 9, rebels seized the Hajanar guard post on the Jordanian border after a month of fierce fighting. The rebels now control the area along the border from outside Daraa to the edge of the Golan Heights. On the same day, Hezbollah and Iraqi Shiite fighters, backed by artillery, airstrikes and tanks, captured the town of Sheikh Omar, on the southern outskirts of Damascus. Two days later, they also captured the cities of al-Thiabiya and Husseiniya on the southern approach to Damascus. The pickup of three cities reinforced the government to maintain the main supply line and put more pressure on the besieged rebels in the East Ghouta region. On October 14th, SOHR reported that the rebels seized the Resefa and Sinaa districts of Deir ez-Zor, as well as the military hospital Deir ez-Zor.
Government attack (October-December 2013)
The Syrian army along with its allies, Hezbollah and al-Abas brigade, launched attacks against Damascus and Aleppo. On Oct. 16, AFP reported that Syrian troops recaptured the town of Bweida, south of Damascus. On October 17, the Syrian government's military intelligence chief at Deir ez-Zor Governorate, Jameh Jameh, was killed by rebels in the town of Deir ez-Zor. SOHR reported that he had been shot by a rebel sniper during a battle with a rebel brigade. On October 24, the Syrian Army regained control of the city of Hatetat al-Turkman, located southeast of Damascus, along the Damascus International Airport road.
On October 26, Kurdish rebel fighters seized control of the strategic Yarubiya border between Syria and Iraq from al-Nusra in Al Hasakah Governorate. Elsewhere, in Daraa Governorate, rebel fighters seized the city of Tafas from government forces after weeks of clashes that left dozens dead. On November 1st, the Syrian Army regained control of the main city of Al-Safira and the next day, the Syrian Army and its allies recaptured the Aziziyeh village on the northern outskirts of Al-Safira. From early to mid November, Syrian Army troops captured several towns south of Damascus, including Hejeira and Sbeineh. Government forces also recaptured the town of Tel Aran, southeast of Aleppo, and a military base near the international airport of Aleppo.
On November 10, the Syrian Army has taken full control of "Base 80", near the Aleppo airport. According to SOHR, 63 rebels and 32 soldiers were killed during the fighting. Another report mentions the number of rebels killed between 60 and 80. The army units were supported by Hezbollah fighters and pro-government militia during the attack. The next day, government troops secured most of the area around the airport. On Nov. 13, government forces seized most of Hejeira. The rebels withdrew from Hejeira to Al-Hajar al-Aswad. However, their defense in the besieged district closer to the heart of Damascus is still reportedly solid. On November 15, the Syrian Army regained control of the town of Tell Hassel near Aleppo. On 18 November, Syrian troops stormed the town of Babbila. On November 19, government troops controlled Qara completely. On the same day, the Syrian Army captured al-Duwayrinah. On November 23, the Front al-Nusra and other Islamic militants seized the al-Omar oilfield, Syria's largest oil field, in Deir al-Zor Governorate which has left the government almost completely dependent on imported oil. On November 24, the rebels seized the cities of Bahariya, Qasimiya, Abbadah, and Deir Salman in rural Damascus. On November 28, the Syrian Army recaptured Deir Attiyeh.
On December 2, rebels led by the Free Syrian Army retook Ma'loula's historic Christian city. After the battle, reports emerged that 12 nuns had been abducted by the rebels. However, the FSA denied this and said that the nuns had been evacuated to the nearest rebel town held by Yabrud because of the shooting of the Army. In early December, the Islamic Front took over the Bab al-Hawa border with Turkey, which has been in the hands of the FSA. The groups also captured a warehouse containing equipment delivered by the US. In response, the United States and Britain say they suspend all non-lethal aid to OJK, worried that further supplies could fall into the hands of al-Qaeda militants. On December 9, the Army took full control of Nabek, with battles continuing on the periphery.
Fighting between ISIS 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.
ISIL attacks and US air strikes (June 2014 - January 2015)
Starting on 5 June, ISIL seized many parts of Iraq in addition to heavy weapons and equipment from the Iraqi Army, some of which they brought to Syria. The government air strikes target ISIL bases at Raqqa and Al-Hasakah in coordination with the counterattack of the Iraqi Army. On June 14, government troops retook the town of Kessab in northern Latakia Governorate, while rebels took over Tall al-Gomo near the town of Nawa in Daraa Governorate, and re-entered the Qalamoun area.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, on July 17 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, ISIL took the 93rd Brigade base at 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, Syarif's Syrian Liberation Army commander Sharif As-Safouri acknowledged working with Israel and receiving anti-tank weapons from Israel and the FSA army also received medical care inside Israel. 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, 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, 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, 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.
On August 19, American journalist James Foley was executed by ISIL, who claimed it was retaliation for US operations in Iraq. Foley was kidnapped in Syria in November 2012 by the Shabiha militia. ISIL also threatened to execute Steven Sotloff, who was abducted on the Syrian-Turkish border in August 2013. There are ISIS reports of arresting a Japanese national, two Italian citizens, and a Danish citizen as well. At least 70 journalists have been killed covering the Syrian war, and more than 80 people were kidnapped, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.
On August 22, Front al-Nusra released a video of captured Lebanese soldiers and demanded that Hezbollah resign from Syria under the threat of their execution.
On August 23, the Tabqa airbase was no longer surrounded by ISIL fighters and the Syrian Army had taken back the M-42 Highway from ISIL fighters, leading to the town of Salamiyah in Hama Governorate. Also 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.
The next day, the Islamic State seized the Tabqa air base from government troops. Battle for the base left 346 ISIL fighters and 195 soldiers killed. Prisoners taken by ISIL forces were executed and a video of the mass killings posted on YouTube. The death toll varies from 120 to 250.
On August 26, the Syrian Air Force carried out air strikes against the ISIL target in the Deir ez-Zor Governorate. 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 in an effort to seize its oil and natural gas resources and strategically divide the ISIL region.
American jets began bombing ISIL in Syria on September 23, 2014, increasing US involvement in the war-torn 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 targets using fighters, bombers and Tomahawk missiles, Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby said.
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, ISIL forces fired on the town of KobanÃÆ'® and were 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 that the air force had destroyed two fighter jets operated by IS.
As of Jan. 26, the YPG Kurdi forces ISIL forces in KobanÃÆ'® to retreat, thus completely recapturing the city. The United States confirmed that the city had been cleared of ISIL forces on January 27, and ISIL admitted defeat in the town of KobanÃÆ'® three days later, although they vowed to return.
The_Southern_Front_ (October_2014 _-_ February_2015) "> The Southern front (October 2014 - February 2015) /span>
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.
North Al-Nusra Front and takeover Islamists (October 2014 - March 2015)
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). ISIL was reportedly reinforced by al-Nusra. At the end of February 2015 al-Nusra had defeated both groups, seized all of Mount Zawiya in 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 capital of the government, Idlib, which they circled on three sides along with their Islamist allies. 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.
The Army of Conquest flourishes in Idlib (April 2015 - June 2015 )
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 Al-Qaryatayn from the government on 5 August 2015.
Australia joined the ISIL bombing in Syria in mid-September, an extension of their efforts in Iraq over the past year.
Russian intervention and government offensive (September 30, 2015-February 2016)
On September 30, 2015, at an official request by the Syrian government led by President Bashar al-Assad, 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. On the same day, the Syrian government's ground forces launched a ground offensive 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 United States officially announced the end of the Pentagon's $ 500 million program to train and equip Syrian rebels in recognition that the program has failed (CIA program is secretive and significantly greater for arming anti-government fighters in Syria continuing).
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 top-ranking casualties issued by Iranian troops advising fighters in Syria, in mid-October Russia-Syrian-Iran-Hezbollah attacked the rebel targets 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 the Islamist rebels? the blockade of Kweires air base in Aleppo Province, where government forces have been under siege since April 2013.
In mid-November 2015, after the Russian bombing of the Sinai and the Paris attacks, Russia and France significantly increased their attacks in Syria, France was closely coordinating 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 them back under the control of the Syrian government; Russian officials have pointed out that such attacks by France can not be justified because they are carried out without the approval of the Syrian government. In his address to the French delegation which included members of the French parliament, on November 14, President Bashar Assad sharply criticized France and other Western powers? action against the Syrian government indicates that French support for Syrian opposition forces has led to a State-claimed Islam offensive in 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 a Russian military spokesman who noted that four Western coalition fighter planes (other than the US) had been found in Deir az-Zor region in Syria on December 6.
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 on 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;
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