Armed Factions

There are various groups that are fighting against each other today in Syria most notably those under the Free Syrian Army, Islamic Front, and the Popular Protection Units[1]. These groups are made up of smaller brigades that have formed alliances to accomplish similar goals. The BBC reports that there are up to 1000 different groups in Syria, with around 100 000 members. All the groups have different backgrounds, alliances and sources of weapons, but together they are waging a war that has caught the attention of countries around the globe. External groups have gotten involved in the conflict, but this article will focus on the domestic groups that have risen in the conflict. syria map updated

Supreme Military Council of the Free Syrian Army (SMC)

This group was formed after rebel groups across Syria adopted the banner of the Free Syrian Army and various groups decided to form a larger alliance [1]. General Idris, the chief-of-staff, visualized the SMC as a moderate alternative to jihadist groups. There are 30 council members that represent the five fronts (north, east, central, west and south), and together they try to coordinate attacks on the Assad government [1]. This alliance has been supported by the west and Arab Gulf states that oppose the Assad regime since coordinated attacks are more effective than the individual groups randomly attacking as they see fit. This group is no longer in existence as it dissolved in June of 2014 [1].

Free Syrian Army (FSA)

The Free Syrian Army and the SMC are related; however, the SMC grew out of the FSA when alliances with other rebel groups were formed and the FSA left the SMC after General Idriss was replaced [2].
This group was formed by Colonel Riad al-Asad, an ex-air force officer from the Syrian army [2] and a group of soldiers that defected after the military killed anti-regime protesters [3]. They hoped that by defecting others would follow and they could protect protesters from being attacked [2].
It appears that they were successful in encouraging others to do so as members of the army are continuously defecting. Most of Assad’s army are part of the Sunni majority and want no part in it and secretly support the FSA and would join them if they had the choice [4].

“From the first time I joined [the Syrian Army], I wanted to defect- when I saw the [Free Syrian Army] growing.” -anonymous defector from the Syrian Army [4]

Part of the motivation to protect the protesters was because of what happened in Hama 30 years earlier.
When the Muslim Brotherhood held an armed protest in Hama against the Assad regime, the military cracked down hard on the protesters and civilians as an example of what would happen if anyone chose to challenge the regime again. This has been called the deadliest massacre in Syrian history where up to 40 000 people were killed, most of which hadn’t even been involved in the protests [5].

Islamic Front

The Islamic Front is the largest rebel alliance in Syria as of 2013, which came about after seven groups communed under one command [1]. These individual groups were in turn made up of small factions that varied in their stance on Islam. Some groups are hard-line Islamist and Salafists, while others took a more moderate stance. The Islamic front used to be under the Supreme Military Council, but it left in December of 2013, and appeared to turn on its former allies when they raided SMC headquarters on the Turkey border. These actions resulted in the US and the UK terminating their assistance to rebel groups in that area out of fear that the help may reach the wrong hands, such as the Islamists [1].

The Islamic Front’s goal is to topple Assad and in his place create an Islamic state. Although their name suggests otherwise, al-Qaeda, al-Nursa and ISIS are not official members of the coalition. However, it should be noted that they are willing to work with jihadists to attack the regime’s fighters [1].

Popular Protection Units (YPG)

Kurds area This is a Kurdish group that came about when the Syrian army withdrew from the area the Kurds occupy and are there to protect the citizens that live in that area [1].

The Kurds occupy territory in north-eastern Syria, and are a minority in the country. They were attacked by ISIS in 2013 and the YPG fought back against them and drove them out [6]. They fought against ISIS in the early days of the war and have the support of the US, as well as alliances with the FSA and other Arab fighters to continue driving them out.