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Syria in crisis: The key players in the deepening conflict

Russia’s intervention into Syria has been described as a “game changer.” The conflict has attracted a kaleidoscope of local, regional, and international players all vying to prevail. Here's a guide to who’s who.

4. So who are Assad’s chief opponents in Syria?

Molhem Barakat/Reuters
Members of the Islamist Jabhat al-Nusra group pose at a checkpoint at the Karaj al-Hajez crossing, a passageway separating Aleppo's Bustan al-Qasr, which was under the rebels' control, and Al-Masharqa neighborhoods, an area controlled by the regime, Dec. 17, 2013.

An ever-evolving multitude of rebel groups, both separate entities and coalitions, operate in Syria.

Among the leading formations at present is Jaish al-Fatah, a coalition dominant in northern Syria and mainly grouping the militant Islamist Ahrar ash-Sham and Al Qaeda-linked Jabhat al-Nusra along with some smaller groups.

Others include the Southern Front and the Southern Command. Both are part of the Free Syrian Army, the original mainstream secular rebel force, and are active in southern Syria. Jaish al-Islam is a powerful Islamist movement that is strong in the Damascus area.

There is also a civilian opposition, the Syrian National Coalition, which purports to be Syria’s legitimate government in exile. However, the SNC has little traction on the ground in Syria and its efforts have been overshadowed by the conflict.

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Mark Sappenfield
Editor

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