Side by side comparison
{{Syrian civil war infobox}}{{Syrian civil war infobox/sandbox}}
Syrian civil war
Part of the Arab Spring, Arab Winter, the spillover of the War in Iraq, war against the Islamic State, war on terror, Iran–Saudi Arabia proxy conflict, Iran–Israel proxy conflict and the Kurdish–Turkish conflict


Top: A ruined neighborhood in Raqqa in 2017.
Bottom: Military situation in September 2023:
     Syrian Arab Republic (SAA)
     Syrian Interim Government (SNA) & Turkish occupation
     Syrian Free Army & American occupation
     Syrian Salvation Government (HTS)[a]
     Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (SDF)
     Opposition groups in reconciliation
     Islamic State
(full list of combatants, detailed map)
Date15 March 2011 (2011-03-15)[1] – present
(13 years, 1 month and 3 days)
Location
Syria (with spillovers in neighboring countries)
Status Ongoing, ceasefire since 6 March 2020, with sporadic clashes
Territorial
changes
As of 1 January 2023: the SAAF controlled 63.38% of Syrian territories; SDF controlled 25.64%; and Syrian opposition forces (SFA, SNA and HTS) controlled 10.98% of Syrian territories.[2]
Casualties and losses

Total killed
580,000[3]–617,910+[4]
Civilians killed
219,223–306,887+[4][5][6]

Displaced
Syrian civil war
Part of the Arab Winter, the spillover of the War in Iraq, War against the Islamic State, War on terror, Iran–Saudi Arabia proxy conflict, Arab–Israeli conflict, Iran–Israel proxy conflict and the Kurdish–Turkish conflict


Top: A ruined neighborhood in Raqqa in 2017.
Bottom: Military situation as of 9 September 2021:

     Syrian Arab Republic (SAA)      Syrian Arab Republic & Rojava (SAA & SDF)      Rojava (SDF)      Syrian Interim Government (SNA) & Turkish occupation      Syrian Salvation Government (HTS[i])      Syrian Free Army & United States' occupation      Opposition groups in reconciliation

     Islamic State
(full list of combatants, detailed map)
Date29 July 2011 (2011-07-29) – present
(12 years, 9 months, 2 weeks and 6 days)
Location
Syria (with spillovers in neighboring countries)
Status Ongoing
Territorial
changes
As of 31 March 2020: the Syrian Armed Forces held 63.57% of Syrian territories; SDF 25.57%; rebel groups (incl. HTS) & Turkey 9.72%; Islamic State 1.14%[40]
Main belligerents
 Iran
 Russia
(2015–present)

 Hezbollah
Support:
Syrian
Interim Government
(Syrian National Army)[c]
 Turkey (2016–present)[d]
Support:

 Al-Qaeda[14][15]

Jabhat al-Nusra
(2012–2016)

Jabhat Fatah
al-Sham
(2016–2017)

Hurras al-Din
(2018–present)[16]
Support:

Islamic State Islamic State[f]
(2013–present)
CJTF–OIR
(2014–present)
Support:

Maghaweir al-Thowra (Syrian Free Army) (2015–present)

Support:
Commanders and leaders
Killed:


Killed:
  • Abu Khaled al-Shamy (Spokesman of the HTS military wing)[70]
  • Abu Ubeidah al-Kansafra (Senior commander and member of HTS Shura council)[71]
Killed:

Killed:
Killed:

Units involved
See order See order See order See order
Strength
Syrian Armed Forces: 142,000 (2019)[97]
General Security Directorate: 8,000[98]
National Defense Force: 80,000[99]
Liwa Fatemiyoun: 10,000–20,000 (2018)[100]
Liwa Abu al-Fadhal al-Abbas: 10,000+(2013)[101]
Ba'ath Brigades: 7,000
Liwa Al-Quds: 4,000–8,000
Russia: 4,000 troops[102] & 1,000 contractors[103]

Iran: 3,000–5,000[104][105]
Iranian forces:up to 15,000[106]
Hezbollah: 6,000–8,000[104]
Egyptian Army: 150[107][108]
Other allied groups: 20,000+

Free Syrian Army: 20,000–32,000[109] (2013)
Syrian Islamic Front: 40,000–70,000[110][111] (2014)
Other groups: 12,500[112] (2015)
Turkish Armed Forces: 4,000–8,000[113][114]


Ahrar al-Sham: 18,000–20,000+[115][116] (March 2017)


Tahrir al-Sham: 20,000–30,000 (per U.S., late 2018)[117]
Islamic State: 10,000+ (in Syria and Iraq, 2022) [118]

SDF: 60,000–75,000 (2017 est.)[119]

  • YPG & YPJ: 20,000–30,000 (2017 est.)[120]
  • Syriac Military Council (MFS): 1,000 (2017 est.)[121]
  • Al-Sanadid Forces: 2,000–4,000 (2017 est.)[121]
  • SDF Military Councils: 10,000+[122][123][124]
United States Armed Forces:
600[125]
Casualties and losses
Syrian Arab Republic:
91,267–103,670 soldiers & 67,242 militiamen killed[126][127]
4,100 soldiers/militiamen & 1,800 supporters captured[126]
Hezbollah:
1,712–2,000 killed[126][128]
Russia Russia:
137–160 soldiers killed & 266–284 PMCs killed[129]
Other non-Syrian fighters:
8,628 killed[126] (2,300–3,500+ IRGC-led)[130][131]
Total:
169,252–181,984 killed

Syrian oppositionSyrian Interim Government
Syrian Salvation Government:
111,576–152,173 killed[j][126][127]


Turkey Turkey:
256–313 killed (2016–20 incursions)[132]
Islamic State Islamic State:
41,101 killed[126]

NES:
14,114 killed[126]
PKK:
3,200+ killed[31]


CJTF–OIR:
13 killed[133] (United States 10, United Kingdom 1, France 1, Jordan 1)

At least 306,887 civilians killed (per United Nations)[134]

100 other foreign soldiers killed (Lebanon 60, Turkey 17 (pre-2016), Iraq 16, Jordan 7)


Total killed:
499,657–610,000 (per SOHR)[126]
580,000+ (per GCR2P)[135]


Estimated 6.7 million internally displaced & 6.6 million refugees (March 2021)[136]

  1. ^ Formed in January 2017 as a merger between Jaysh al-Ahrar (a faction of Ahrar al-Sham), Ansar al-Din Front, Jaysh al-Sunna, Jabhat Fatah al-Sham (successor of Al-Nusra Front) and Liwa al-Haqq.
  2. ^ Iraq's involvement was coordinated with the Syrian gov. & limited to airstrikes against ISIL.[1][2]
  3. ^ Since early 2013, the FSA has been decentralized. Its name is arbitrarily used by various opposition fighters
  4. ^ Turkey provided arms support to rebels since 2011 & fought alongside the SNA against SDF, IS and Syrian government since August 2016
  5. ^ a b Sep.–Nov. 2016: U.S. supported the SNA in Aleppo governorate against IS[8][9] In 2017–18, the U.S. purposely attacked the Syrian gov. 10 times, & in Sep. 2016 it accidentally hit a Syrian base, killing ≥100 SAA soldiers. Syria maintains this as intentional.[10]
  6. ^ a b al-Nusra Front, one of the predecessor organisations of HTS and IS (ISI); were allied al-Qaeda branches until April 2013. Al-Nusra Front rejected an ISI-proposed merger into ISIL & al-Qaeda cut all affiliation with ISIL in February 2014. Predecessors of Ahrar al-Sham (Syrian Liberation Front) & HTS (al-Nusra Front), were allied under the Army of Conquest (Mar. 2015 – Jan. 2017).
  7. ^ HTS was formed on 28 January 2017 as a merger between Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, the Ansar al-Din Front, Jaysh al-Sunna, Liwa al-Haqq, and the Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement. HTS describes itself as a new independent Islamist entity free from the previous factions and distanced itself from Al-Qaeda, disavowing any ties to it:[12] After coming to power in Idlib, HTS suspended Al-Qaeda activities:[13]
  8. ^ Israel provided arms to 12 unnamed rebel groups solely against Iran and ISIS.[38] Israel has also conducted multiple airstrikes against the Syrian government, Hezbollah, and Iranian positions within Syria.[39]
  9. ^ Formed in January 2017 as a merger between Ansar al-Din Front, Jaysh al-Sunna, Jabhat Fatah al-Sham (successor of Al-Nusra Front), Liwa al-Haqq and elements of Ahrar al-Sham
  10. ^ Number incl. all anti-government forces, except ISIL and SDF, which are listed in their separate columns.