The spillover of the Syrian Civil War is the impact of the Syrian Civil War in the Arab world. Since the first protests during the Arab Spring, the increasingly violent Syrian Civil War has been both a proxy war for the major Arab powers, Turkey and Iran, and a potential launching point for a wider regional war. Fears of the latter were realized when the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), a Salafi Jihadist militant group and alleged former al-Qaeda affiliate, established itself in Syria in 2013, and later combined with the Iraqi Civil War into a single conflict the following year. The spillover of the Syrian Civil War is often dubbed as the Arab Winter.
Lebanon (2011–present)
| Syrian opposition al-Qaeda network and allies |
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant | Lebanon Allies of the Syrian government Other militias |
|---|---|---|
| Free Syrian Army Islamic Front Supported by:
|
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
|
Lebanon
Syrian Social Nationalist Party Supported by: |
Turkey (2012–present
Further information: Syrian–Turkish border clashes (2012–14), June 2012 interception of Turkish aircraft, Reyhanlı bombings, PKK rebellion (2015-present), Turkey–ISIL conflict, Turkish involvement in the Syrian Civil War and Syrian Kurdish–Islamist conflict (2013–present)
Israel (2012-present)
Further information: Israeli–Syrian ceasefire line incidents during the Syrian Civil War
Syrian government and allies |
al-Qaeda network Syrian National Council |
Israel |
|---|---|---|
Syria |
Al-Nusra Front |
Israel |
Jordan (2012-present)
Further information: Jordanian–Syrian border incidents during the Syrian Civil War and Jordanian intervention in the Syrian Civil War
Jordan and allies |
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant |
|---|---|
Jordan |
 Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
|
Iraq (2013–present)
Further information: Akashat ambush, Operation al-Shabah, Northern Iraq offensive (June 2014), Northern Iraq offensive (August 2014) and Iraqi Civil War (2014–present)
Detailed list
Syrian government and allies
| Name | Leader | Involved since | Strength | Description | Ideology |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Syrian Armed Forces | Bashar al-Assad | March 2011 | Approximately 178,000[280] | Government’s primary military force. | Syrian nationalism Secularism |
| National Defense Force | Bashar al-Assad | 2013[281] | 100,000[282] | Government counter-insurgency force. | Syrian nationalism Secularism |
| Syrian Social Nationalist Party | 6,000-8,000[283] | Lebanese-Syrian militia allied with the government | Syrian nationalism Secularism |
||
| Ba’ath Brigades | Bashar al-Assad | 2012 | 7,000[284] | Pro-government counter-insurgency militia. | Ba’athism Syrian nationalism Secularism |
| Syrian Resistance | Mihraç Ural | 2011 | 2,000 | Pro-government Marxist militia composed of mostly Alawites. | Socialism Marxism-Leninism Secularism |
| Arab Nationalist Guard | 2013 | 1,000+[285] | Pan-Arabic group from various Arab Countries. | Secularism Pan-Arabism Anti-Zionism |
|
| Shia Militias: | |||||
| Hezbollah | Hassan Nasrallah | 2012[281] | 2,000[286] | Militant group based in Lebanon. | Shia Islamism |
| Liwa Abu al-Fadhal al-Abbas | Abu Ajeeb | 2012 | 10,000[13] | Shia Syrian militant group formed due to desecration of shrines, heritage sites and place of worship by the rebels. It is active around Damascus. | Shia Islamism |
| Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq | Akram al-Kaabi | 2012 | An offshoot of Iraqi Shia insurgent group. It is active around Aleppo. | Shia Islamism | |
| Kata’ib Hezbollah | 2012 | An Iraqi Shia militia | Shia Islamism | ||
| Badr Organization | 2012 | An Iraqi Shia militia | Shia Islamism | ||
| Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada | 2013 | An Iraqi Shia militia | Shia Islamism | ||
Syrian opposition and allies
| Name | Leader | Involved since | Strength | Description | Ideology |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunni Militias: | |||||
| Free Syrian Army | Abdul-Ilah al-Bashir | July 2011 | 40,000[287] | Main opposition group. Initially an umbrella term for defected Syrian soldiers, later became more organized. Includes some non-Sunnis unlike other opposition groups. | Syrian nationalism Anti-Ba’athism |
| Ajnad al-Sham Islamic Union | Muhammad Abu al-Fatih | December 2013 | 15,000[288] | Merger of Damascus area rebel groups[288] | Sunni Islamism |
| Sham Legion | Mondher Saras[102] | 10 March 2014[102] | Alliance of 19 different groups[289] | Islamic democracy[102] | |
| Authenticity and Development Front | Khalid al-Hammad | November 2012 | 13,000[290] | Sunni Islamism | |
| Army of Mujahedeen | January 2014[291] | ≈5,000[292] | Coalition of Aleppo area Islamist rebels formed to fight ISIL. | SunniIslamism | |
Al-Qaeda network
| Name | Leader | Involved since | Strength | Description | Ideology |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Al-Nusra Front | Abu Mohammad al-Jolani[294] | January 2012 | 7,000[295]–15,000[296] | Designated by the US as a terrorist group. Pledged allegiance to Al-Qaeda. | Salafist jihadism Islamic fundamentalism |
| Jabhat Ansar al-Din[159] | 25 July 2014[159] | Alliance of independent jihadist groups[159][297] | Salafist jihadism |
Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant
| Name | Leader | Involved since | Strength | Description | Ideology |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant | Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi | April 2013 | 80,000 (up to 50,000 in Syria and 30,000 in Iraq)[298][299] | Formerly Al-Qaeda‘s branch in Iraq, it has declared itself a Caliphate and is now in conflict with most other rebel groups, the Assad government and Kurdish militias. Designated or called a terrorist group by the United Nations Security Council, the US and other states. | Salafist jihadism Islamic fundamentalism Caliphate |
Syrian Democratic Forces and allies
| Name | Leader | Involved since | Strength | Description | Ideology |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| People’s Protection Units (YPG) / Women’s Protection Units (YPJ) |
Sipan Hemo | 2012 | 50,000 [300][301][302] | YPG and YPJ are the armed forces of the People’s Council of West Kurdistan (MGRK), which is dominated by the Democratic Union Party (PYD). While the PYD wants it to be the armed forces of all Kurdish Supreme Committee, the Kurdish National Council (ENKS) member parties prefer their own parties’ militias. | Democratic Confederalism Communalism Kurdish autonomy.[301][303][304][305] |
| Jabhat al-Akrad | Hajji Ahmed Kurdi | 2012 | 7,000[306] | Ex-Free Syrian Army brigade, close to YPG and the PYD party, formed the Army of Revolutionaries in May 2015. | Pro-Kurdish rights Anti-Assad government |
| Northern Sun Battalion | Raizan Abu Muhammad | 2014 | Unknown | The main part of the Dawn of Freedom Brigades of the FSA, formed the Army of Revolutionaries in May 2015. | Unknown |
| Al-Sanadid Forces | Bandar al-Humaydi | 2013 | 2,500[307] | Militia made of Shammar tribesmen in the Hasakah Governorate. | Unknown |
| Kurdish National Council(KNC) | Feysel Yusuf | 2012 | 1,500[192] Note: Figure claimed by the leader of one minor party within the bloc, but no known participation in any conflict. |
Opposition alliance of smaller Kurdish parties within the Supreme Committee Note: Largely dominated by the KDP-S, which also formed a separate caucus called the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union. Most members are politically tied to either the KDP or the PUK in Iraqi Kurdistan. |
Kurdish nationalism Kurdish autonomy Liberal democracy |
Coalitions
Note:
- Groups that are part of multiple coalitions or sub-groups are listed twice, although their subsequent sub-groups will not necessarily be repeated.
- This section aims to include all sub-groups involved in the Syrian Civil War. It is incomplete.
Rebel coalitions
Active nationwide coalitions
Free Syrian Army
 Free Syrian Army |
|---|
 Syrian Turkmen Brigades[308]
Former members
|
Islamic Front
 Islamic Front |
|---|
Al-Tawhid Brigade (absorbed in Northern Storm Brigade) Ahrar ash-ShamJaysh al-Islam (Damascus) Ansar al-Sham (Lattakia) Liwa al-Haqq (absorbed into Ahrar ash-Sham) Suqour al-Sham (Idlib) (absorbed into Ahrar ash-Sham) Kurdish Islamic Front (absorbed into Ahrar ash-Sham) |
Muhajirin wal-Ansar Alliance
| Muhajirin wa-Ansar Alliance[164][329] |
|---|
 Jund al-Aqsa Liwaa al-UmmaLiwa al-Haqq Omar Brigade |
Authenticity and Development Front
| Authenticity and Development Front |
|---|
Southern Front
Eastern Front |
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
| Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant[333] |
|---|
 Jaysh al-Jihad |
 Yarmouk Martyrs Brigade
Former members |
Army of Mujahedeen[
| Army of Mujahedeen[336] |
|---|
al-Noor Islamic Movement
Former members |
Syrian Revolutionary Command Council
Jabhat Ansar al-Din
| Jabhat Ansar al-Din[345] |
|---|
| Harakat Sham al-Islam Harakat Fajr ash-Sham al-Islamiya[159] |
Euphrates Volcano
Syrian Democratic Forces
 Syrian Democratic Forces |
|---|
| Syriac Military Council People’s Protection Units Women’s Protection Units Syrian Arab Coalition: |
Active regional coalitions
Levant Front
| Levant Front (only in Aleppo Governorate) |
|---|
| Islamic Front (Aleppo only) Army of Mujahedeen Harakat Nour al-Din al-Zenki Fastaqim Kama Umirt Authenticity and Development Front (Aleppo only)[339] Hazzm Movement[350] |
Ansar al-Sharia
Fatah Halab
Ajnad al-Sham Islamic Union
| Ajnad al-Sham Islamic Union [107] (only in Damascus Governorate) |
|---|
| al-Habib al-Mustafa BrigadesSahaba Brigades Shabab al-Huda Brigades Amjad al-Islam Rally Capital’s Shield Brigade |
Unified Military Command of Eastern Ghouta
| Unified Military Command of Eastern Ghouta (only in Ghouta region) |
|---|
| Jaysh al-Islam Ajnad al-Sham Islamic Union Ahrar ash-Sham (Damascus branch only) Al-Habib al-Mustafa Brigade al-Rahman Legion[119] |
Army of Conquest
 Army of Conquest (only in Idlib Governorate) |
|---|
| al-Nusra Front Ahrar ash-Sham Liwa al-Haqq Jaysh al-Sunna Ajnad ash-Sham |
Defunct coalitions
Mujahideen Shura Council
| Mujahideen Shura Council (only in Deir ez-Zor Governorate)[351] |
|---|
| Al-Nusra Front Jaysh al-Islam Army of Ahl al-Sunni wal Jamaa Authenticity and Development Front al-Qaaqaa Jabhat al-Jihad wal Bina Bayareq al-Shaaitat Liwa al-Qadisiya Army of Maoata al-Islami Army of al-Ikhlas Liwa al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar |
Hawks of the South
| Hawks of the South[319] |
|---|
| 18 March Division Yarmouk Army Fallujah of Houran Brigade Black Islam Brigade[352] |
Ahl al-Sham
| Ahl al-Sham (only in Aleppo Governorate)[353] |
|---|
| Islamic Front Al-Nusra Front Jaish al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar Army of Mujahedeen |
Aleppo Liberation[edit]
| Aleppo Liberation (only in Aleppo Governorate) |
|---|
| 16th Division Jabhat Ansar al-Din Sham Legion Jabhat al-Nusra (Aleppo branch only) Levant Front Abu Amarah Battalions Sultan Murad Brigade[354] |
Jaysh al-Sham[edit]
| Jaysh al-Sham[329] |
|---|
| Liwa Suyuf al Haq Liwa Ansar Allah Liwa Suqour al Sharq Liwa al Fuqara ila Allah Liwa Fityati al Islam Liwa Asood al Ghab Liwa Nusoor al Islam Former members Liwa Dawood[355] |
Syrian Islamic Front[edit]
 Syrian Islamic Front |
|---|
|
Syrian Islamic Liberation Front[edit]
 Syrian Islamic Liberation Front |
|---|
Suqour al-Sham Brigade
|
Further information: Spillover of the Syrian Civil War
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