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70-409: [REDACTED] Free Syrian Army The Conquest Brigade ( Arabic : لواء الفتح , romanized :  Liwa al-Fath ), also known as Battalion of Conquest or al-Fatah Brigade , is a Sunni Islamist Free Syrian Army group that takes part in the Syrian Civil War . One of the largest rebel factions active in Aleppo Governorate during the early civil war , the militia played a major part in

140-607: A Sunni Islamist and Syrian nationalist ideology. By late 2012, it was not yet Salafist , but still supported a declaration in November 2012 that called for the establishment of a "state that rules according to the law of God" in Syria. By 2013, the militia was considered to be "moderate Islamist" in its views by some observers, though it already exhibited strong links to ISIL by this stage. While besieging Menagh Military Airbase in August 2013,

210-677: A partner for dialogue . The Syrian National Council was recognized or supported in some capacity by at least 17 member states of the United Nations , with three of those (France, United Kingdom and the United States) being permanent members of the Security Council . A broader opposition umbrella group, the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces , was formed in November 2012 and has gained recognition as

280-616: A "key figure" in the Syrian opposition, and Haytham Manna , who resigned from the SDC in March 2016 in protest of its announcement of the Northern Syria Federation . The SDC was rejected by some other opposition groups due to its system of federalism. The Syrian Democratic Council was invited to participate in the international Geneva III peace talks on Syria in March 2016. However, it rejected

350-522: A history of dissidence against the Syrian state. The first opposition structures to form in the Syrian uprising were local protest-organizing committees. These formed in April 2011, as protesters graduated from spontaneous protests to protests organized by meetings beforehand. The Syrian uprising phase , from March 2011 until the start of August 2011, was characterized by a consensus for nonviolent struggle among

420-867: A part of the Syrian National Coalition, withdrew on 20 January 2014 in protest at the decision of the coalition to attend the Geneva talks . Despite tensions, the Syrian National Council retained a degree of ties with the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces. Syrian opposition groups held reconciliation talks in Astana, Kazakhstan in October 2015. In late 2015, the Syrian Interim Government relocated its headquarters to

490-637: A permanent transitional council in form of the Syrian National Council . The Syrian opposition does not have a definitive political structure. In December 2015, members of the Syrian opposition convened in Riyadh , Saudi Arabia: 34 groups attended the convention, which aimed to produce a unified delegation for negotiations with the Syrian government . Notable groups present included: The December 2015 convention notably did not include: The National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces

560-587: A press conference held at the Bab al-Hawa Border Crossing has also announced the formation of four commissions: Inspection Authority, Prisoners and missing Affairs, Planning and Statistics Authority, and the Union of Trade Unions. The founder of the Free Syrian Army , Col. Riad al-Asaad , was appointed as deputy prime minister for military affairs. The SSG is associated with Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and not recognised by

630-685: A stronger cooperation with other rebel factions, such as the al-Nusra Front and the al-Tawhid Brigade. The Conquest Brigade also did not support a public statement by 14 Aleppo rebel groups in November that denounced the SNC. When rebel groups in Aleppo released another, more moderate video statement that month, however, the Conquest Brigade officially supported it. A commander in the group, Captain Ismail Nadef ("Abu Mahmoud"), also said in October 2012 that several of

700-483: A whole is characterised as "terrorist" by Iran , Russia and Syria. Initially, the Free Syrian Army was perceived as the ultimate military force of the Syrian Opposition, but with the collapse of many FSA factions and emergence of powerful Islamist groups, it became clear to the opposition that only a cooperation of secular military forces and moderate Islamists could form a sufficient coalition to battle both

770-585: Is a Syrian bloc chaired by Hassan Abdel Azim and consisting of 13 left-wing political parties and "independent political and youth activists". Reuters has defined the committee as the internal opposition 's main umbrella group. The NCC initially had several Kurdish political parties as members, but all except for the Democratic Union Party left in October 2011 to join the Kurdish National Council . Some opposition activists have accused

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840-522: Is a coalition of opposition groups and individuals, mostly exilic, who support the Syrian revolutionary side and oppose the Assad government ruling Syria. It formed on 11 November 2012 at a conference of opposition groups and individuals held in Doha , Qatar . It has relations with other opposition organizations such as the Syrian National Council, the previous iteration of an exilic political body attempting to represent

910-501: Is an area that extends in northeastern Syria and includes parts of the governorates Al-Hasakah, Al-Raqqa, Aleppo and Deir ez-Zor. The capital of the area is Ain Issa , a town belonging to the Al-Raqqa governorate. The Administration is headed by Siham Qaryo and Farid Atti with a joint head. In January 2014, a number of parties, social actors, and civil institutions announced the formation of

980-685: Is fully under the control of the entity. Governorates with partial opposition control include: Governorates under partial control of opposition groups aligned with the Syrian Interim Government: Governorates under partial control of opposition groups aligned with the Syrian Democratic Council: In April 2015, after the Second Battle of Idlib , the interim seat of the Syrian Interim Government

1050-909: Is in conflict with the more extreme Tahrir al-Sham , which is one of the largest armed groups in Idlib Governorate. The Syrian Salvation Government is an alternative government of the Syrian opposition seated within Idlib Governorate , which was formed by the General Syrian Conference in September 2017. The domestic group has appointed Mohammed al-Sheikh as head of the Government with 11 more ministers for Interior, Justice, Endowment, Higher Education, Education, Health, Agriculture, Economy, Social Affairs and Displaced, Housing and Reconstruction and Local Administration and Services. Al-Sheikh, in

1120-482: Is known for violently suppressing opposing political activists. The Conquest Brigade's views on an international intervention against the Syrian government changed over time. A commander of the Conquest Brigade stated in 2013 that his unit was not in favour of American-led invasion , though also said that the United States would find a "very powerful ally on the ground" in form of the militia in case they should enter

1190-818: Is the spokesman for the Syrian Free National Party , a small opposition party established in 2005. He is also a member of the Committee for Reviving the Civil Society . He was arrested by Syrian authorities on March 25, 2006 in Aleppo by agents of the military secret service after he returned from a meeting of exiled opposition figures in Washington, D.C. On March 26, the Syrian Human Rights Organisation called for his immediate release. On March 27, he

1260-729: The Alawite hegemony. Syrian Ikhwan was inspired by the Syrian Salafiyya movement led by Muhammad Rashid Rida , an influential Sunni Islamic theologian who is respected as their Imam . In line with the teachings of Rashid Rida, the Muslim Brotherhood advocates the replacement of the Ba’ath party rule with an Islamic state led by an Emir elected by qualified Muslim delegates known as Ahl al-Hall wa-al-‘Aqd . The Islamic government should implement laws based on sharia (Islamic law) with

1330-636: The Kurdish National Alliance in Syria , the Law–Citizenship–Rights Movement , and since September 2016 the Syria's Tomorrow Movement . The last group is led by former National Coalition president and Syrian National Council Ahmad Jarba . In August 2016 the SDC opened a public office in al-Hasakah . The Syrian Democratic Council is considered an "alternative opposition" bloc. Its leaders included former NCC members such as Riad Darar ,

1400-547: The Siege of Menagh Air Base in rural Aleppo. In contrast to its good relations with various Islamist factions, the Conquest Brigade's relationship with the Syrian opposition 's leadership, including the civilian SNC and the FSA's chief commanders, was more ambivalent. The group reportedly did not "listen to the orders of the regional leaders of the FSA", though was ready to meet with SNC senior member Samir Nashar in September 2012 to discuss

1470-476: The Supreme Military Council 's head Salim Idris brokered a merger of the Conquest Brigade and the al-Tawhid Brigade, with the two units holding a ceremony to facilitate their unification. They claimed to have a united strength of 13,000 fighters across all of Syria. On 3 February 2014, the Conquest Brigade and the al-Tawhid Brigade unsuccessfully attempted to defend al-Rai from ISIL. Later that month,

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1540-647: The Syrian Islamic Liberation Front in September 2012. The group was initially only active in the rural northern Aleppo Governorate, and one of its first actions was the Battle of Anadan , following which the Conquest Brigade was officially announced. Immediately after the announcement, Rifaat Khalil led the group in an attempt to storm the Air Defense Battalion 602 Base in Handarat, during which Khalil

1610-539: The Syrian civil uprising against the government of Bashar al-Assad . Initially, the council denied seeking to play the role of a government in exile , but this changed a few months later when violence in Syria intensified. The Syrian National Council seeks the end of Bashar al-Assad's rule and the establishment of a modern, civil, democratic state . The SNC National Charter lists human rights , judicial independence , press freedom , democracy and political pluralism as its guiding principles. In November 2012

1680-849: The Turkish Armed Forces during Operation Euphrates Shield against ISIL. The militia joined the Levant Front in March 2017, while also becoming part of the Division 33, a Levant Front-affiliated unit within the TFSA's 3rd Legion. The unit then took part in the Turkish-led conquest of the DFNS ' Afrin Canton from the SDF in early 2018. At the time, it was commanded by "Abu Ahmad Aleppo". After occupying Afrin city , members of

1750-465: The Turkish Controlled areas . The Salvation Government extends authority mostly in the Idlib Governorate. The Syrian Free Army maintains the al-Tanf Garrison. Due to this garrison being inside an American De-Escalation zone, the garrison is not often attacked, nor does it often attempt to expand its territory. The foreign relations of the Syrian opposition refers to the external relations of

1820-619: The al-Tawhid Brigade , and three Salafist / Salafi jihadist groups ( al-Nusra Front , Ahrar al-Sham , and Harakat Fajr ash-Sham al-Islamiya ) to establish al-Hay'a al-Sharia in Aleppo. This was a unified judicial and religious authority that was supposed to implement the Sharia in the city. Furthermore, the Conquest Brigade also grew close to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), for example cooperating with ISIL's JAMWA sub-unit during

1890-604: The fighting for Aleppo city and other battles. As result of conflicts with government forces and later the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant it declined after 2013.The Conquest Brigade became part of the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army (TFSA) in 2016, also engaging in fighting with the Syrian Democratic Forces . The Conquest Brigade was founded at Tell Rifaat in late July 2012 as unification of three rebel groups that had previously operated in

1960-693: The "legitimate representative of the Syrian people" by the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (CCASG) and as a "representative of aspirations of Syrian people" by the Arab League . The Syrian National Coalition was subsequently considered to take the seat of Syria in the Arab League, with the representative of Bashar Al-Assad's government suspended that year. The Syrian National Council, initially

2030-569: The Autonomous Administration to fill the power vacuum that existed at that time in the Syrian Kurdish regions. Although its authority has not been recognized or authorized by any formal agreement involving the sovereign Syrian state or any international power, its presence in the region and its ability to wield power was unchallenged. Various Syrian opposition groups have at least some presence in seven Syrian governorates, though none

2100-507: The Committee have included: The Syrian Democratic Council was established on 10 December 2015 in al-Malikiyah . It was co-founded by prominent human rights activist Haytham Manna and was intended as the political wing of the Syrian Democratic Forces . The council includes more than a dozen blocs and coalitions that support federalism in Syria, including the Movement for a Democratic Society ,

2170-548: The Conquest Brigade was a relatively powerful and influential fighting force during the early civil war. It claimed to have about 2,500 fighters in August 2012, of which 1,800 were active in Aleppo Governorate. The group was one of the largest armed opposition militias in Aleppo city at the time. At least one of its sub-groups, the Muthanna ibn Haritha Battalion, possessed tanks , technicals , and PK machine guns in 2012, while

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2240-520: The Conquest Brigade's subgroups included Kurds in their ranks, and the group itself had established contacts with the leftist Democratic Union Party (PYD); it nonetheless disagreed with the PYD due to its ideology and affiliation with the PKK . The militia's Ghuraba al-Sham Battalion reportedly took part in the rebel conquest of Raqqa in March 2013, though left the Conquest Brigade some time later. In August 2013,

2310-649: The Council agreed to unite with several other opposition groups to form the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces , with the SNC having 22 out of 60 seats. The Council withdrew from the Coalition on 20 January 2014 in protest at the decision of the Coalition to attend talks in Geneva . Notable members of the Council include: The National Coordination Committee for Democratic Change ( NCC ), or National Coordination Body for Democratic Change ( NCB ),

2380-613: The Free Aleppo University. By late 2017, it presided over 12 provincial councils and over 400 elected local councils. It also operates a major border crossing between Syria and Turkey, which generates an estimated $ 1 million revenue each month. It is internationally recognized by the European Union and the United States, among others. It maintains diplomatic ties with some non-FSA rebel groups, such as Ahrar al-Sham , but

2450-551: The Kurdish villages north of Aleppo. Though it had enjoyed cordial relations with ISIL during the early civil war, the Conquest Brigade distanced itself from the jihadists after disagreeing with their harsh policies toward civilians in course of late 2013. The group consequently fought alongside other rebel groups against ISIL. In September 2013, it and the al-Tawhid Brigade sent some of their forces from Aleppo to al-Salameh to fortify it against an expected ISIL attack. Around this time,

2520-412: The NCC of being a " front organization " for Bashar al-Assad 's government and have denounced some of its members as ex-government insiders. The NCC generally has poor relationships with other Syrian political opposition groups. The Syrian Revolution General Commission , the Local Coordination Committees of Syria , and the Supreme Council of the Syrian Revolution oppose the NCC calls to dialogue with

2590-445: The Syrian Civil War. By late 2016, however, the unit was considered loyal to the Turkish government and fully supported the Turkish occupation of northern Syria . The Conquest Brigade is an umbrella formation for various sub-units of varying strength. By August 2012, the militia claimed to consist of 27 battalions. Of these, the following are known: Though eclipsed in its prominence and military prowess by several other rebel groups,

2660-488: The Syrian Government forces and radical Jihadists such as ISIL and in some cases al-Nusra Front . In 2014, the military forces associated with the Syrian Opposition were defined by the Syrian Revolutionary Command Council , which in turn was mainly relying on the Free Syrian Army (with links to Syrian National Coalition ) and the Islamic Front (Syria) . Members of the Syrian Revolutionary Command Council: Other rebel fighting forces: Samir Nashar Samir Nashar

2730-445: The Syrian Interim Government (SIG). Hitto has announced that a technical government will be formed which will be led by between 10 and 12 ministers, with the Free Syrian Army choosing the Minister of Defense. The SIG is based in Turkey. It has been the primary civilian authority throughout most of opposition-held Syria. Its system of administrative local councils operate services such as schools and hospitals in these areas, as well as

2800-541: The Syrian Islamic Front was established the same year to topple the Assadist military dictatorship through an armed revolution. The Front got widespread support from the traditional Sunni ulema and the conservative population; enabling the Syrian Ikhwan al-Muslimeen to rise as the most powerful opposition force by the 1980s. As the revolutionary wave commonly referred to as the Arab Spring began to take shape in early 2011, Syrian protesters began consolidating opposition councils. The Istanbul Meeting for Syria ,

2870-429: The Syrian government. In September 2012 the Syrian National Council (SNC) reaffirmed that despite broadening its membership, it would not join with "currents close to [the] NCC". Despite the NCC recognizing the Free Syrian Army (FSA) on 23 September 2012, the FSA has dismissed the NCC as an extension of the government, stating that "this opposition is just the other face of the same coin". Notable former members of

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2940-709: The Syrian opposition (41 percent in the areas it controlled), compared to 47 percent who supported the Syrian Arab Republic's government (73 percent in the areas it controlled), 35 percent who supported the Al-Nusra Front (58 percent in the areas it controlled), and 22 percent who supported the Islamic State (71 percent in the areas it controlled). A March 2018 ORB International Poll with a similar method and sample size found that support had changed to 40% Syrian government, 40% Syrian opposition (in general), 15% Syrian Democratic Forces , 10% al-Nusra Front, and 4% Islamic State (crossover may exist between supporters of factions). Syria has been an independent republic since 1946 after

3010-415: The assistance of ulema who are to be consulted on solving contemporary challenges. The power of the ruler is also to be checked by the provisions laid out in an Islamic constitution through shura (consultation) with the Ahl al-Hall wa-al-‘Aqd . Assad regime introduced Law No. 49 in 1980 which banned the movement and instituted death penalty of anyone accused of membership in the Brotherhood. In response,

3080-411: The beginning of the Syrian conflict from groups calling for the overthrow of the Assad government in Syria and who have opposed its Ba'athist government . Prior to the Syrian civil war , the term "opposition" ( Arabic : المعارضة ) had been used to refer to traditional political actors, for example the National Coordination Committee for Democratic Change ; that is, groups and individuals who have had

3150-411: The city of Azaz in North Syria and began to execute some authority in the area. In 2017, the opposition government in the Idlib Governorate was challenged by the rival Syrian Salvation Government , backed by the Islamist faction Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). A July 2015 ORB International poll of 1,365 adults across all of Syria's 14 governorates found that about 26 percent of the population supported

3220-404: The countryside of northern Aleppo Governorate . Its initial member groups included 1st Lt. Rifaat Khalil's relatively powerful Muthanna ibn Haritha Battalion, the Ghuraba al-Sham (Strangers of the Levant) Battalion, and the Dir al-Wafa (Shield of Loyalty) Battalion. From its beginning, the Conquest Brigade declared its membership in the Free Syrian Army and Aleppo Military Council, and also joined

3290-413: The end of August 2012, a Conquest Brigade commander, Major Anas Ibrahim ("Abu Zeid"), claimed to have 1,300 fighters on 6 fronts in Aleppo city, who contributed to the rebel capture of more than half of the city, and 500 more around the governorate. By late 2012 and early 2013, the Conquest Brigade was already close to various radical rebel factions, fighting and working alongside them. It cooperated with

3360-408: The expulsion of the French forces . For decades, the country was partially stable with a series of coups until the Ba'ath Party seized power in Syria in 1963 after a coup d'état . The head of state since 1971 has been a member of the Assad dynasty , beginning with Hafez al-Assad (1971–2000). Syria was under emergency law from the time of the 1963 Syrian coup d'état until 21 April 2011, when it

3430-434: The first convention of the Syrian opposition, took place on 26 April 2011, during the Syrian civil uprising . There followed the Antalya Conference for Change in Syria or Antalya Opposition Conference , a three-day conference of representatives of the Syrian opposition held from 31 May until 3 June 2011 in Antalya , Turkey. Organized by Ammar al-Qurabi 's National Organization for Human Rights in Syria and financed by

3500-451: The grassroots movement; the union of the two was planned, but has failed to realize. Moderate Islamic preacher Moaz al-Khatib , who had protested on the Syrian street in the early nonviolent phase of the uprising, served a term as the president of the coalition, but soon resigned his post, frustrated with the gap between the body and the grassroots of the uprising inside Syria. Riad Seif and Suheir Atassi , both of whom had also protested on

3570-459: The group also had links to the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Syrian businessman Firas Tlass organized a meeting of the group's representatives with CIA agents in Gaziantep in August 2012, with the latter promising the former telecommunications equipment, and possibly weapons in case that the Conquest Brigade proved itself to be reliable. By 2018, the Afrin-based Conquest Brigade troops were supplied by Turkey, though those in

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3640-423: The group was prominently involved in the final rebel assault on Menagh Air Base , and produced "slick" propaganda videos about the base's fall. At the beginning of September 2013, a joint operations room was formed by the Conquest Brigade, al-Tawhid Brigade, Ahrar al-Sham, al-Nusra Front, the Northern Storm Brigade , the Kurdish Islamic Front , and Turkmen groups to fight the People's Protection Units (YPG) in

3710-433: The group's decision to leave Ahrar al-Sham on 24 February. In the following months, ISIL also launched an offensive against the FSA forces in the northern countryside of Aleppo. As result, elements of the Conquest Brigade were put under siege in Mare' , with the SDF cutting them off from the west, while ISIL forces were located to the east. The siege was broken in June 2016, with a newly formed FSA alliance evicting ISIL from

3780-428: The group's members voiced their support for ISIL's plan to exterminate all Alawites (a religious minority) in a propaganda video. The Conquest Brigade had partially adopted the ideology of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant by this point, though distanced itself from Salafi jihadism after its violent split with ISIL. Despite this, the group continued to be sympathetic toward radical Islamist groups, even joining

3850-438: The hardline Salafist Ahrar al-Sham movement for four months in 2015/16. Nonetheless, a regional expert claimed in February 2016 that the Conquest Brigade was neither Jihadist nor Salafist, and just a "nationalist group unconnected to Nusra", though also described Ahrar al-Sham (of which the militia was a part at the time) as "close battlefield ally of Nusra's". The militia claims to respect human rights and protect civilians, but

3920-460: The invitations because no representatives of the Movement for a Democratic Society , led by the Democratic Union Party , were invited. Several political parties and organizations existed inside Syria, and they reached the dome of the People's Assembly . Among these parties are included: At a conference held in Istanbul on 19 March 2013 members of the National Coalition elected Ghassan Hitto as prime minister of an interim government for Syria,

3990-490: The militia as whole had anti-tank warfare capabilities and produced its own homemade rockets and improvised explosive devices . By December 2015, the Conquest Brigade had just 600 fighters left. It had increased in strength by late 2018, with about 500 fighters stationed in the Afrin area, while 300 were posted in the northern Aleppo area. The militia received foreign aid in form of weapons and other military equipment, most prominently by Turkey and Saudi Arabia . By 2012/13,

4060-413: The militia took part in a counter-offensive against ISIL in the northern Aleppo Governorate, fighting alongside the Kurdish Front Brigade and Descendants of Messengers Brigade to recapture some areas near Menagh . The group became part of the Fatah Halab joint operations room sometime before October 2015, and joined the Ahrar al-Sham movement in November 2015. In February 2016, the Conquest Brigade

4130-418: The militia took part in large-scale looting of civilian properties. Thereafter, the Conquest Brigade conducted counter-insurgency operations in the Afrin area, and was reportedly targeted by YPG/YPJ guerrilla attacks . The Conquest Brigade's stated aim has been to overthrow the al-Assad family 's rule over Syria, and to establish a "Free Syrian government". The group is "religiously conservative" and follows

4200-468: The northern Aleppo countryside were not. Syrian opposition Idlib ( de facto by SSG ) The Syrian opposition ( Arabic : المعارضة السورية al-Muʻaraḍatu s-Sūrīyah , [almʊˈʕaːɾadˤɑtu s.suːˈɾɪj.ja] ) is the political structure represented by the Syrian National Coalition and associated Syrian anti-Assad groups with certain territorial control as an alternative Syrian government . The Syrian opposition has evolved since

4270-422: The rest of the opposition, which is in conflict with HTS. There is a sharp ideological divide between the two competing opposition civil authorities: The SIG espouses secular , moderate values and regularly participates in international peace talks; the SSG enforces a strict interpretation of Islamic law and stringently rejects talks with the Syrian regime. The Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria

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4340-447: The self-proclaimed oppositional Syrian Arab Republic, which sees itself as the genuine Syria. The region of control of Syrian opposition affiliated groups is not well defined. The Turkish government recognizes Syrian opposition as the genuine Syrian Arab Republic and hosts several of its institutions on its territory. The seat of Syria in the Arab League is reserved for the Syrian opposition since 2014, but not populated. The opposition as

4410-443: The street in Syria early in the uprising, were elected as vice presidents. Mustafa Sabbagh is the coalition's secretary-general. Notable members of the Coalition include: The Syrian National Council ( al- Majlis al-Waṭanī as-Sūri ) sometimes known as SNC , the Syrian National Transitional Council or the National Council of Syria , is a Syrian opposition coalition, based in Istanbul ( Turkey ), formed in August 2011 during

4480-432: The town's outskirts. The Conquest Brigade was one of 20 rebel factions that rejected the ceasefire between government and opposition groups in September 2016, arguing that the agreement aided the government and also denouncing the exclusion of the al-Nusra Front (by then "Jabhat Fatah al-Sham") from the ceasefire. By August 2016, the Conquest Brigade had become part of the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army (TFSA), and aided

4550-504: The uprising's participants. Thus the conflict could not have been yet characterized as a "civil war", until army units defected in response to government reprisals against the protest movement. This occurred 2012, allowing the conflict to meet the definition of "civil war." Opposition groups in Syria took a new turn in late 2011, during the Syrian Civil War , as they united to form the Syrian National Council (SNC), which has received significant international support and recognition as

4620-450: The wealthy Damascene Sanqar family, it led to a final statement refusing compromise or reform solutions, and to the election of a 31-member leadership. After the Antalya conference, a follow-up meeting took place two days later in Brussels , then another gathering in Paris that was addressed by Bernard Henri Levy . It took a number of further meetings in Istanbul and Doha before yet another meeting on 23 August 2011 in Istanbul set up

4690-432: Was expelled from some of its territory in the northern Aleppo countryside, including its main bases in Tell Rifaat and Menagh Air Base, by the Syrian Democratic Forces ' YPG, YPJ , and Army of Revolutionaries in the course of a Russian -backed offensive . This event caused great resentment among the Conquest Brigade, and resulted in a lasting enmity toward the SDF. The loss of its main bases might have also contributed to

4760-453: Was fatally shot, dying in a hospital in Kilis on 9 August. The Conquest Brigade also helped to lay siege to the government-held towns of Nubl and al-Zahraa . It later expanded its operations, taking part in the Battle of Aleppo (2012–2016) . It also fought in Raqqa Governorate and al-Hasakah Governorate ; its Ghuraba al-Sham Battalion took part in the capture of Tell Abyad and its border crossing with Akçakale in September 2012. By

4830-425: Was proposed to be Idlib, in the Idlib Governorate. However, this move was rejected by the al-Nusra Front and Ahrar al-Sham -led Army of Conquest , which between them controlled Idlib. According to the Syrian National Coalition, in 2017 there were 404 opposition-aligned local councils operating in villages, towns, and cities controlled by rebel forces. In 2016, the Syrian Interim Government became established within

4900-433: Was rescinded by Bashar al-Assad , Hafez's eldest surviving son and the current President of Syria . The rule of Assad dynasty was marked by heavy repression of secular opposition factions such as the Arab nationalist Nasserists and liberal democrats . The biggest organised resistance to the Ba’athist rule has been the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood ; which successfully capitalised on the widespread Sunni resentment against

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