Key Syrian rebel groups

Syrian rebels who have ousted Bashar al-Assad and seized the capital Damascus include fighters from different factions, while other groups also hold territory elsewhere in the country

Ahmed al-Sharaa
HTS leader has now dropped nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Golani linked with jihadist past

Homs
Hama
Golan Heights
Al-Tanf
Daraa
Damascus
ISRAEL
LEBANON
JORDAN
SYRIA
TÜRKIYE
IRAQ
Raqqa
Idlib
Aleppo
Deir al-Zour
Latakia
Tartus
Russian bases
Future of Russia’s military presence in Syria in doubt
60 miles
100km

HAYAT TAHRIR AL-SHAM (HTS)
Main rebel group behind Assad’s ousting, first emerged as al-Qaeda affiliate at start of Syria’s 2011 uprising, but broke ranks with jihadist group in 2016.
Despite trying to shed extremist roots, U.S. and others still consider HTS a terrorist group for now

SYRIAN NATIONAL ARMY (SNA)
Umbrella alliance of Turkish-backed militias believed to have given tacit approval to HTS’ recent offensive.
Türkiye sent troops into Syria from 2016 to push Kurdish militants and so-called Islamic State (IS) group away from border

SYRIAN DEMOCRATIC FORCES (SDF)
Alliance of Kurdish-led militias, backed by U.S.
 Formed to hold back advance of IS in Syria in 2014, it now controls some of country’s biggest oil fields.
Türkiye regards SDF as terrorist group linked to Ankara’s proscribed PKK Kurdish group

Al-Tanf deconfliction zone
55km area around U.S. military base in Al-Tanf

Unidentified opposition groups

Israel Defence Forces (IDF)
Entered buffer zone in Golan Heights for “defensive purposes” on Dec 8

Lost Syrian regime territory

Sources: Reuters, BBC, Institute for the Study of War
Picture: Getty Images
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