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104-559: The Fastaqim Union takes its name from a Quranic verse, and was founded as an "Islamist umbrella movement" of pro- Free Syrian Army factions in December 2012. Its first overall commander was Sheikh Tawfiq Shahabuddin who headed the Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement which was one of the Fastaqim Union's member groups at the time. Later on, Peace Brigade commander Mustafa Berro ("Saqr Abu Quteiba") became

208-451: A Christian anti-government activist in Aleppo, and demanding that she wear a hijab . Shehwaro refused to do so, and was detained and forced by the fighters to sign an agreement pledging to wear a hijab from then on. A Fastaqim and Mujahideen commander released a statement which apologised and claimed that the arrest was a mistake by local commanders. However, he still demanded that Shehwaro wear

312-416: A military strategy of guerrilla tactics in the countryside and cities, with a tactical focus on armed action in the capital of Damascus . The campaign was not meant to hold territory, but rather to spread government forces and their logistical chains thin in battles for urban centers, cause attrition in the security forces, degrade morale , and destabilize the government. The FSA considered itself to be

416-624: A "neighborhood level". It had around 1,500-3,000 fighters by 2015 and was supported by the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood , Turkey, and Qatar. The Fastaqim Union attempted to improve the fighting quality of its member groups through training by defected Syrian officers. As part of the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army , the Fastaqim Union and its former member group the Peace Brigade are nominally organized as part of

520-609: A checkpoint in Hama province, according to activists. On 16 November, in a coordinated attack , an air force intelligence complex in the Damascus suburb of Harasta was attacked. According to the Free Syrian Army, they did so with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades, leading to the death of at least six soldiers with twenty others wounded. A western diplomat said the assault was "hugely symbolic and tactically new". The attack on

624-664: A convoy in Idlib, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. This attack was allegedly done to avenge the deaths of 11 civilians previously killed. A Syrian officer was also killed in a revenge attack. Loyalist soldiers reportedly fired upon a civilian car near Homs on 14 December, killing five people, in response, the Free Syrian Army staged an ambush against a loyalist convoy consisting of four jeeps, killing eight soldiers. The same day, three anti-government military defectors were wounded in clashes with Syrian security forces in

728-616: A direct threat to their security. "A country we call an ally is insisting on forming a terror army on our borders," Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said in a speech in Ankara. "What can that terror army target but Turkey? Our mission is to strangle it before it's even born." According to media reports with reference to sources in the Syrian Kurdish leadership, shortly before the Turkish incursion, as an alternative option, Russia proposed that

832-498: A few kilometres short of the town. After Syrian government forces pulled out of Afrin in 2012, Kurdish YPG forces took control of the territory. Afrin managed to maintain trust with both the Syrian government and its neighboring rebel groups. In February 2016, during the latter part of the Battle of Aleppo , Syrian government forces cut off the rebel supply route to Aleppo. Subsequently,

936-696: A hijab. On 26 April 2015, along with other major Aleppo based groups, they established the Fatah Halab joint operations room. On 2 November 2016, during the Aleppo offensive , Fastaqim Union fighters captured a military commander of the Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement. In response, al-Zenki fighters attacked the Fastaqim Union's headquarters in the Salaheddine District and al-Ansari district of Aleppo. At least one rebel were killed and more than 25 wounded on both sides in

1040-683: A new coalition of Syrian rebel groups, including many that were in the FSA; the core of this new coalition was the Hawar Kilis Operations Room . Initially referred to as the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army (TFSA), this force would adopt the name Syrian National Army (SNA) in 2017. A majority of the FSA militias are currently under the command of the Syrian Interim Government ; while the rest have either allied with

1144-592: A quagmire" and has advised that Turkey "try to contain this adventure". Tehran's position is that the Kurdish fighters are not acting independently, but rather are receiving support from multiple sides in the conflict. In the days prior to the offensive, Turkey and the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army exchanged artillery fire with YPG militants along the Turkish-Syrian border near Afrin. The YPG shelled

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1248-701: A result (if they were soldiers, defectors or civilians was not stated). At least fifty tanks and other armoured vehicle opened fire with 50 cal. machine guns and anti-aircraft weapons on positions held by the Free Syrian Army on Rastan's outskirts. Deaths were also reported in Daraa and Homs On 24 November 11 defectors were killed and four wounded during clashes on the western outskirts of Homs. In an attack on an airbase in Homs province on 25 November, six elite pilots, one technical officer and three other personnel were killed. The Syrian government vowed to "cut every evil hand" of

1352-557: A separate incident, 10 security agents and a deserter were killed in a bus ambush near the Turkish border , opposition activists reported. The Syrian Observatory of Human Rights reported that the bus was transporting security agents between the villages of Al-Habit and Kafrnabuda in Idlib province when it was ambushed "by armed men, probably deserters". In November 2011, the FSA operated throughout Syria, both in urban areas and countryside, in

1456-406: A spokesman for the FSA, said that Brigadier-General Salman al-Awaja was given instructions to fire on residents of al-Quseir in Homs. When he refused, Nueimi said, he was killed. The FSA says that a large number of defections took place after the killing, as clashes broke out between al-Awaja's supporters in the army and the other soldiers who killed him. The Observatory said two people were killed in

1560-522: A strategy of quickly eliminating the regime's top leadership; successfully assassinating intelligence chief Assef Shawkat and Defence Minister Dawoud Rajiha in July 2012. In early 2012, Iran's IRGC launched a co-ordinated military campaign by sending tens of thousands of Khomeinist militants to prevent the collapse of the Syrian Arab Army; polarising the conflict along sectarian lines . After 2013,

1664-630: A third checkpoint killing and wounding several loyalists. More than a dozen people, including 11 soldiers, were killed in clashes between defectors and loyalists in Basr al-Harir , a town in southern Daraa Governorate , according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Shelling and gunfire were also reported in Deir ez-Zor by the LCC. On 14 January, the Syrian Observatory For Human Rights said there

1768-501: A video on the Internet where Riad al-Asaad spoke alongside several other defectors. Paying homage to the victims killed by the "criminal gangs" of regime's apparatus, Riad Al-Asaad declared the formation of Free Syrian Army: "Proceeding from our nationalistic sense, our loyalty to this people , our sense of the current need for conclusive decisions to stop this regime's massacres that cannot be tolerated any longer, and proceeding from

1872-539: Is 6,400 soldiers from the Turkish Armed Forces along with armored and air force support. Sunni Islamist rebels were also seen fighting alongside the Turkish-backed forces, including Ahrar al-Sham and Sham Legion . In addition, The Independent reported that Turkey had a contingent of ex-ISIL fighters within the ranks of its allied military during the assault on Afrin. Several Jihadist fighters among

1976-533: Is a big-tent coalition of decentralized Syrian opposition rebel groups in the Syrian civil war founded on 29 July 2011 by Colonel Riad al-Asaad and six officers who defected from the Syrian Armed Forces . The officers announced that the immediate priority of the Free Syrian Army was to safeguard the lives of protestors and civilians from the deadly crackdown by Bashar al-Assad 's security apparatus; with

2080-458: Is an objective of the Syrian revolution". Despite the January 2017 merger of the remaining members of Fastaqim Union with Ahrar al-Sham, some members of the group remained independent. Lord Fourati, the former office director of the Fastaqim Union, called his group pledging allegiance to Ahrar al-Sham "shameful and illogical". On 11 May 2017, a former military commander of Fastaqim Union, Abu Hasanayn,

2184-637: Is estimated to have cost 40,000 lives. The Turkish government has publicly stated that it does not recognize a difference between the Syrian YPG forces and PKK, and says both are terrorist organizations. While the PKK has been designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the United States, the United States' position on the YPG is that it is not a terrorist organization, a stance that has generated much conflict between

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2288-464: The Damascus countryside while one of the armed individuals died, additionally that day, two explosive devices were dismantled. More army defections were reported in Damascus on 10 November, three out of at least nine defectors were shot dead by loyalist gunmen after abandoning their posts. The same day, clashes reportedly resulted in the death of a fifteen-year-old boy in Khan Sheikhoun , when he

2392-630: The Gendarmerie General Command . In Turkey , the government issued restrictions on press coverage , with Reporters Without Borders noting that the Turkish media was expected to be in "service of the government and its war goals". Hundreds of people were arrested for demonstrating against the operation, and over 800 social media users and nearly 100 politicians and journalists were arrested for criticizing it. Turkish police also arrested numerous leaders and high-ranking members of pro- Kurdish and left-wing political parties. The use of

2496-777: The Grey Wolves , a Turkish fascist, ultranationialist extremist organisation, fought alongside the pro-Turkish forces in Afrin. The DFNS forces include the Syrian Democratic Forces (with the Kurdish-led Democratic Union Party ’s armed wing the People's Protection Units (YPG), Afrin Region regional defense and police forces. There have been reports that some of the YPG fighters in Afrin were child soldiers . The DFNS

2600-755: The Lebanese border , according to Reuters. According to Reuters, two rocket propelled grenades hit a Baath party building in Damascus on 20 December, which if confirmed would indicate the FSA had a greater reach than previously believed. However, an AFP reporter went to the area and saw no signs of the claimed attack while residents said that there had been no explosions. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, on 24 November soldiers and Shabiha with armoured vehicles started operations in farmland west of Rastan in Homs province to track down defectors. 24 people died as

2704-586: The SDF insurgency in Northern Aleppo began. Between 395 and 510 civilians were reported killed in the operation. Other reported war crimes include the mutilation of a female corpse by SNA fighters, the killing of civilians due to indiscriminate shelling by Turkish forces, the alleged use of chemical gas by the Turkish Army, and the indiscriminate shooting of refugees fleeing from the conflict area into Turkey by

2808-617: The Syrian National Council (SNC) in November 2011, agreed to not attack Syrian army units that are staying in their barracks, and concentrate on protecting and defending civilians. In November 2011, "The Free Syrian Army boasts it has as many 25,000 fighters in its ranks, a number challenged by its critics who say the true figure is closer to 1,000". early December, the US International Business Times stated that

2912-657: The Syrian Salvation Government , the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria , or are in the Al-Tanf Deconfliction Zone . The first defections from the Syrian Army during the Syrian uprising may have occurred at the end of April 2011 when the army was sent into Daraa to quell ongoing protests . There were reports that some units refused to fire on protesters and had split from

3016-463: The Syrian uprising (or civil war) running since March 2011, a group of defected Syrian Army officers established the ' Free Syrian Army' to bring down the Assad government. On 29 July 2011, Colonel Riad al-Asaad and a group of uniformed officers announced the formation of the Free Syrian Army or 'Syrian Free Army', with the goals of protecting unarmed protesters and helping to "bring down this regime", in

3120-532: The "Afrin Liberation Forces", and the " Wrath of Olives " operations room; they disavowed any connection to the YPG. The groups openly declared to "liquidate all the traitors dealing with the Turkish occupation". A Middle East security analyst said that these were front organizations for the YPG, as the latter was "under pressure from the United States to disassociate itself from the most controversial assassinations in Afrin." The Turkish government announced

3224-473: The 344th Brigade of the 34th Division of the SNA's 3rd Legion, alongside the 23rd Division . Free Syrian Army Decentralised (2015–present): [REDACTED] AANES Factions : Non-state allies Non-state opponents Syrian-affiliated groups Shi'ite groups YPG and Allies The Free Syrian Army ( FSA ; Arabic : الجيش السوري الحر , romanized :  al-jaysh as-Sūrī al-ḥur )

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3328-440: The FSA became affected by decreasing discipline, absence of a centralised political leadership, lack of substantial Western support, deteriorating supply of weapons, and diminishing funds; while rival Islamist militias emerged dominant in the armed opposition. Russian military intervention in 2015 ensured Assad's survival and halted the expansion of the FSA. A series of Russian and Iranian-backed counter-offensives launched by

3432-499: The FSA counted 15,000 ex-Syrian soldiers. On 5 November, at least nine people died in clashes between soldiers, protesters and defectors, and four Shabeeha were killed in Idlib reportedly by army deserters. On the same day, the state-news agency SANA reported the deaths of 13 soldiers and policemen as a result of clashes with armed groups. According to SANA, four policemen were also wounded in clashes with an armed group in Kanakir in

3536-507: The FSA was killed by the Syrian army on 17 December according to Local Committee, and opposition source. On 19 December, the FSA suffered its largest loss of life when new defectors tried to abandon their positions and bases between the villages of Kensafra and Kefer Quaid in Idlib province . Activist groups, specifically the Syrian Observatory for Human rights, reported that 72 defectors were killed as they were gunned down during their attempted escape. The Syrian Army lost three soldiers during

3640-406: The FSA would start to receive military support from Turkey , who allowed the rebel army to operate its command and headquarters from the country's southern Hatay province close to the Syrian border, and its field command from inside Syria . The FSA would often launch attacks into Syria's northern towns and cities, while using the Turkish side of the border as a safe zone and supply route. By

3744-410: The Fastaqim Union's overall leader. Berro was described by one analyst in 2014 as "a young FSA -linked fighter". Analyst Nicholas A. Heras described Berro as moderate Islamist who regarded his uprising as being motivated by "secular idealism" yet also as part of a "jihad against the al-Assad government". By early 2014, the Fastaqim Union controlled territory in Aleppo city and the Aleppo countryside. It

3848-480: The Free Syrian Army was documented in videos. On 23 September 2011, the Free Syrian Army merged with the Free Officers Movement ( Arabic : حركة الضباط الأحرار , Ḥarakat aḑ-Ḑubbāṭ al-Aḥrār ); The Wall Street Journal considered the FSA since then the main military defectors group. From 27 September to 1 October, Syrian government forces, backed by tanks and helicopters, led a major offensive on

3952-462: The Kurdish authorities in Afrin recognise the Syrian government's control in the region; the proposal was rejected at the time. The Afrin offensive has jeopardized the Astana Peace Process by placing the major parties—Russia, Iran, and Turkey—on opposing sides of the conflict. According to an Iranian official, Tehran has warned Ankara that "many parties might want to see Turkey stuck in

4056-523: The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Clashes were also reported in the city of Binnish in Idlib province with a total of 14 fatalities for both affected towns, including rebels, loyalists and civilians. A few days later on 17 October, five government troops were killed in the town of Qusayr in the central province of Homs , near the border with Lebanon , and 17 people were reported wounded in skirmishes with defectors in

4160-645: The SDF moved eastward out of Afrin, and successfully attacked the rebels, capturing the Menagh Military Airbase and the town of Tell Rifaat . In response, Turkish forces shelled SDF positions across the border to protect the rebel-held city of Azaz . In 2017, Russian military troops stationed themselves in Afrin as part of an agreement to protect the YPG from further Turkish attacks. Turkey had been fighting PKK and other groups in southeastern and eastern Turkey for several decades. The Kurdish–Turkish conflict

4264-456: The SDF. According to Kurdish officials over 20,000 fighters rallied to defend Afrin. Haaretz reported that US-backed Kurdish forces received aid from Syrian President Bashar al-Assad after Kurds requested that Damascus send reinforcements to protect Afrin's border. In response to the request, the Syrian government allowed Kurdish fighters, civilians and politicians to enter Afrin, including fighters from Kobani and Jazira . For much of

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4368-606: The Syrian border. Turkey would allow the FSA to begin operating in nearby towns and encouraged foreign intervention in the Syrian Civil War. In August 2012, the National Unity Brigades was formed. Known for its non-sectarianism . The group included rebels from minority groups such as Christians , Druze , Ismailis , and Alawites . On 6 January 2012, General Mustafa al-Sheikh of the Syrian Army defected from

4472-403: The Syrian people's opposition to the regime", through armed operations and the encouragement of army defections. In 2012, military commanders and civilian leadership of the FSA issued a joint communique pledging to transition Syria towards a pluralistic, democratic republic , after forcing Assad out of power. As the Syrian Army is highly organized and well-armed, the Free Syrian Army adopted

4576-497: The Syrian territories without exception"; "you will find us everywhere at all times, and you will see that which you do not expect, until we re-establish the rights and freedom of our people." Riad al-Assad urged all factions of the Syrian opposition to unite and put an end to internal disputes; until liberation from the dictatorship and formation of a “free, national, democratic” civilian government in Syria. Desertion of soldiers to

4680-529: The TFSA-held town of Azaz. The Turkish state-run Anadolu Agency reported that Russian military observers in the Afrin area began withdrawing on 19 January 2018 in anticipation of a Turkish offensive on YPG positions in Afrin. On 12 February, Turkey's Interior Ministry added the former PYD co-leader Salih Muslim Muhammad to its "wanted terrorists" list along with several new names and offered money for information on his whereabouts. On 25 February, Salih Muslim

4784-512: The Turkish-backed forces released a video threatening to cut off the heads of Kurds whom they consider "infidels". A video clip surfaced on the Internet which showed several TFSA Jihadists singing praise of previous battles that they've fought including Tora Bora (former headquarters of Osama bin Laden ), Grozny , and Dagestan and then concluding: "And now Afrin is calling to us". The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also stated that members of

4888-588: The United States prior to launching the offensive. The offensive came amid growing tension between the Turkish and American governments over the latter's support of the Syrian Democratic Forces , which are made up primarily of Kurdish fighters of the YPG , which Turkey considers to be a branch of the PKK . In particular, Turkey objected to announced plans by the US to train and equip a 30,000 strong SDF border force , which Turkey stated posed

4992-469: The air force intelligence complex was a continuation of clashes in Damascus . The next day, the Free Syrian Army launched an assault against the Baath party youth headquarters in Idlib province with RPGs and small arms. The state news agency SANA reported the deaths of three Syrian troops as a result of a bomb blast, with an officer also critically wounded and two law-enforcement agents injured. Three members of

5096-413: The ambush. The FSA grew in size, to about 20,000 by December 2011. In the early days of their existence, 90% of the FSA consisted of Sunni Muslims and a small minority were ( Shia ) Alawites , Druze , Christians, Kurds and Palestinians. Western sources in December 2011 again gave estimates of 10,000 Syrian deserters, indicated that half the Syrian army conscripts had not reported to army duty in

5200-449: The armed wing of the Syrian revolution and was able to mobilise the popular anger toward Bashar al-Assad into a successful insurgency. By waging guerilla warfare across the country, it enjoyed a string of successes against far better-equipped government forces. Assad's policy of ignoring protesters' demands alongside the regime's intensifying violence on civilians and protestors led to a full-blown civil war by 2012. The FSA initially pursued

5304-533: The army and we have defected because the government is killing civilian protesters. The Syrian army attacked Hama with heavy weapons, air raids and heavy fire from tanks . … We ask the Arab League observers to come visit areas affected by air raids and attacks so you can see the damage with your own eyes, and we ask you to send someone to uncover the three cemeteries in Hama filled with more than 460 corpses." Syrian forces clashed with army deserters in an area near

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5408-512: The army in a year to a year-and-a-half, even if they are armed only with rocket-propelled grenades and light weapons". On 7 January 2012, Colonel Afeef Mahmoud Suleima of the Syrian Air Force logistics division defected from Bashar Al Assad 's regime along with at least fifty of his men. He announced his group's defection on live television and ordered his men to protect protesters in the city of Hama . Colonel Suleiman declared: "We are from

5512-483: The army's responsibility to protect this unarmed free people, we announce the formation of the Free Syrian Army to work hand in hand with the people to achieve freedom and dignity to bring this regime down, protect the revolution and the country's resources, and stand in the face of the irresponsible military machine that protects the regime.” He called on the officers and men of the Syrian army to "defect from

5616-490: The army, stop pointing their rifles at their people's chests, join the free army, and form a national army that can protect the revolution and all sections of the Syrian people with all their sects." He said that those soldiers and officers who didn't defect from the Syrian army "[represents] gangs that protect the regime", and declared that "as of now, the security forces that kill civilians and besiege cities will be treated as legitimate targets. We will target them in all parts of

5720-412: The army. Defections, according to unverified reports, continued throughout the spring as the government used lethal force to clamp down on protesters and lay siege to protesting cities across the country, such as Baniyas , Hama , Talkalakh , and Deir ez-Zor , and there were reports of soldiers who refused to fire on civilians being summarily executed by the army. At the end of July 2011, with

5824-464: The attack. Syrian human rights activists claimed that the Free Syrian Army had killed three loyalist soldiers and captured two others on 29 November, although they did not specify where. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, seven soldiers were killed on 30 November in fighting in the town of Deal in Daraa province after security forces moved on the town in force. The fighting went on from

5928-587: The attackers as a result. On that same day, at least 10 troops and security service agents were killed in clashes with mutinous soldiers in the east of Syria. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the deaths occurred in Deir Ezzor , while early the next day a civilian was also killed in the eastern city. Several defectors were also killed or wounded. Sustained clashes in Idlib province began on 26 November between loyalist and opposition fighters. At least 8 soldiers were killed and 40 more wounded that day when

6032-477: The beginning of October, clashes between loyalist and defected army units were being reported fairly regularly. During the first week of the month, sustained clashes were reported in Jabal al-Zawiya in the mountainous regions of Idlib province . On 13 October, clashes were reported in the town of Haara in Daraa province in the south of Syria that resulted in the death of two rebel and six loyalist soldiers, according to

6136-510: The capital Damascus, opposition activists said. The town of Reef Damascus saw fighting on 1 January as the government forces were hunting for suspected defectors, according to the activists. There were no immediate reports of casualties. According to the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human rights, despite a self-declared ceasefire, Free Syrian Army soldiers in Idlib, on 2 January, overran two checkpoints belonging to security forces and captured dozens of loyalist troops, and launched an attack on

6240-2016: The city of Qusayr in Homs province was announced to have defected to the opposition. Turkish military operation in Afrin [REDACTED] Democratic Federation of Northern Syria [REDACTED] Syria (20 Feb. – 21 March) [REDACTED] Sinjar Alliance [REDACTED] International Freedom Battalion (IFB) [REDACTED] TKP/ML [REDACTED] Gen. Hulusi Akar (Minister of Defence, Army Chief until July 2018) [REDACTED] Gen. İsmail Metin Temel (Operations chief commander, until December 2018) [REDACTED] Lt. Col. Muhammad Hamadin (Third Legion and Levant Front commander) [REDACTED] [REDACTED] Bahjt Abedo ( Afrin Region defense minister) [REDACTED] [REDACTED] Mahmud Berxwedan (YPG and SDF Afrin commander) [REDACTED] 6,400 Per SOHR : [REDACTED] 616 killed [REDACTED] 96 killed Per SDF: [REDACTED] [REDACTED] 2,772 killed Per Turkey: [REDACTED] 318 killed (as of 27 March) Per SOHR: [REDACTED] 1,586 killed (as of March 2019) [REDACTED] 91 killed Per SDF: [REDACTED] 600–876 killed [REDACTED] 62 killed Per Turkey: 389–500 civilians killed in Syria (per SOHR & SDF) 7–9 civilians killed in Turkey (2 Syrians) Foreign intervention in behalf of Syrian rebels U.S.-led intervention against ISIL 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 Operation Euphrates Shield Idlib operations Operation Olive Branch Operation Peace Spring Spillover into Turkey Foreign intervention in behalf of Syrian rebels U.S.-led intervention against ISIL Operation Olive Branch ( Turkish : Zeytin Dalı Harekâtı )

6344-561: The city of Rastan in Homs province , which had been under opposition control for a couple weeks. There were reports of large numbers of defections in the city, and the Free Syrian Army reported it had destroyed 17 armoured vehicles during clashes in Rastan , using RPGs and booby traps . A defected officer in the Syrian opposition claimed that over a hundred officers had defected as well as thousands of conscripts, although many had gone into hiding or home to their families, rather than fighting

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6448-497: The city. In November, there were conflicting reports of the number of Syrian soldiers injured and killed. On 11 November, Reuters reported that 26 soldiers were killed, while Syrian state media reported the lower figure of 20 soldiers killed at this time. For the month up until 13 November, the Local Coordination Committees reported the death of about 20 soldiers, the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights reported

6552-526: The clash with defectors in Kfar Takharim and two armoured vehicles were destroyed. On 12 December, three civilians and two defectors were killed during clashes in Idlib province. Fighting in Ebita, in the northwestern province of Idlib, continued throughout the night and into the early hours on 12 December. At least one fighter was killed and another injured in the assault. The FSA killed ten troops in an ambush on

6656-434: The clashes. The next day, S.O.H.R. stated that in all 100 defectors were killed or wounded. The clashes continued into the next day, and another report, by Lebanese human rights activist Wissam Tarif, put the death toll even higher with 163 defectors, 97 government troops and nine civilians killed on the second day alone as the military tracked down the soldiers and civilian that managed to initially escape. On 21 December, it

6760-438: The conflict have been seized or looted by the SNA. In a study of 24 key informants from Afrin, all reported loss of housing, land or property following Operation Olive Branch. Although Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that the operation in Afrin would be followed by a push to the town of Manbij , which the US-backed SDF captured from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in 2016, Turkish forces stopped

6864-425: The conflict so far. At least five soldiers, including a military officer, are reported to have been killed the same day in an unspecified location. In one of Sunday's clashes, which took place before dawn in the northwestern town of Kfar Takharim, two of the military's armored vehicles were set ablaze, said the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights . Three other vehicles were burned in another clash near

6968-748: The conflict the Syrian government and Kurdish forces have avoided one another; however, in the months leading up to the conflict Damascus began threatening to retake parts of North and Eastern Syria that had been captured by the US-backed SDF and even launched an attack against Deir al-Zor , which was met by coalition airstrikes. In late January, there were multiple reports that Western foreign fighters, including Americans, British, and Germans among others, had moved into Afrin to aid its defense against Turkish-led forces. On 12 February 2 foreign fighters, French citizen Olivier François Jean Le Clainche and Spanish citizen Samuel Prada Leon were killed in Afrin. On 24 February, Icelandic activist Haukur Hilmarsson , who

7072-422: The death of more than 100 soldiers, and the Syrian state media SANA reported the death of 71 soldiers. Increased Clashes in Daraa province began on 14 November when 34 soldiers and 12 defectors were killed in an ambush by the free army. The death toll as a result of the fighting also included 23 civilians. One day later on 15 November, eight soldiers and security forces troops were killed by an assault on

7176-407: The early morning to the late afternoon. "Two security force vehicles were blown up. Seven (troops) were killed," said Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the observatory. An activist from the town, in the province of Daraa, said some 30 busloads of security men stormed Deal and two of the buses were blown up in fighting "between security forces and defectors," the Observatory reported. One of the destroyed buses

7280-431: The edge of the town. The defectors launched an assault on the government held roadblock in retaliation for a raid on their positions the previous night. The next day on 26 October, the opposition reported that nine soldiers were killed by a rocket-propelled grenade when it hit their bus in the village of Hamrat, near the city of Hama . The gunmen who attacked the bus were believed to be defected soldiers. On 29 October,

7384-474: The free army attacked them in Idlib, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported. "A group of deserters attacked a squad of soldiers and security agents in a convoy of seven vehicles, including three all-terrain vehicles, on the road from Ghadka to Maarat al-Numaan ", the Britain-based watchdog said. "Eight were killed and at least 40 more were wounded. The deserters were able to withdraw without suffering any casualties," it added. The FSA claimed to be behind

7488-401: The government forces to join the FSA. General Mustafa al-Sheikh told Reuters that up to 20,000 soldiers in total had deserted the army since the beginning of the conflict, and that the FSA had taken control of large swathes of land. He said in an interview on 12 January 2012: "If we get 25,000 to 30,000 deserters mounting guerrilla warfare in small groups of six or seven it is enough to exhaust

7592-453: The group's former spokesperson, was also arrested by Ahrar al-Sham. Despite this, a Fastaqim Union remnant group under the command of Abu Abdo al-Zir was still active in the northern Aleppo countryside by November 2017, and under Hisham Eskif, it took part in the Turkish military operation in Afrin in early 2018. Before it mostly collapsed in 2016, the Fastaqim Union was an umbrella organization for several militias, most of them operating on

7696-593: The houses at the edges of Saraqeb and arrested three activists at dawn, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Between 1 and 7 December, the Syrian state news agency SANA reported the deaths of 48 members of the state security forces. A military tank was destroyed in Homs on 9 December. Four defected soldiers also apparently died in fighting on 9 December. On 10 December, activists say clashes between Syrian troops and army defectors killed at least two people. The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says two army armoured carriers were burned in

7800-480: The last three call-ups, and that lower-level officers were deserting in large numbers; in some cases, whole units had deserted en masse . An anonymously speaking U.S. official however estimated in December 2011 1,000 to 3,500 defectors in total. In 2011, The Turkish government provided free passage to defecting Syrian Army fighters and allowed the FSA to operate from a special refugee camp in Southern Turkey near

7904-494: The latter group surrendered and were either captured, joined Abu Amara Brigades' parent group Ahrar al-Sham , or deserted. Some remnants of the Union remained active, but they were considered very weak. As the rebel-held parts of Aleppo were finally conquered by the Syrian Army in December 2016, the loyalist remnants of the Fastaqim Union were among the rebels that were evacuated from Aleppo to Idlib Governorate . On 25 January 2017,

8008-458: The loyalist forces. The Battle of Rastan between the government forces and the Free Syrian Army was the longest and most intense action up until that time. After a week of fighting, the FSA was forced to retreat from Rastan. To avoid government forces, the leader of the FSA, Col. Riad Asaad, retreated to the Turkish side of Syrian-Turkish border. By October 2011, the leadership of the FSA consisting of 60–70 people including commander Riad al-Assad

8112-644: The northwest of Syria ( Idlib and Aleppo Governorates ), the central region ( Homs and Hama Governorates , Al-Rastan District ), the coast around Latakia , the south ( Daraa Governorate and the Houran plateau ), the east ( Deir ez-Zor Governorate , Abu Kamal District ), and the Damascus Governorate . FSA was then armed with rifles, light and heavy machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades and explosive devices. Their largest concentrations were in Homs, Hama and surrounding areas. The FSA, after consultation with

8216-429: The opposition reported that 17 pro-Assad soldiers were killed in the city of Homs during fighting with suspected army deserters, including a defected senior official who was aiding the rebel soldiers. Two armoured personnel carriers were disabled in the fighting. Later the number of casualties was revised to 20 killed and 53 wounded soldiers in clashes with presumed army deserters, according to Agence France Presse . In

8320-463: The opposition reported that clashes occurred between loyalists and defectors in Burhaniya , near the town of Qusayr in the central province of Homs , leading to the death of several soldiers and the destruction of two military vehicles. A week later on 25 October, clashes occurred in the northwestern town of Maarat al-Numaan in Idlib province between loyalists and defected soldiers at a roadblock on

8424-567: The pre-dawn clash in the northwestern town of Kfar Takharim. On 11 December, it was reported that a battle was fought between defectors and the Syrian army in Busra al-Harir and Lujah . Troops, mainly from the 12th Armoured Brigade, based in Isra, 40 km from the border with Jordan, stormed the nearby town of Busra al-Harir, the Reuters news agency reported. It was apparently the largest battle to take place in

8528-523: The raid. The next day, the Levant Front and the Abu Amara Brigades began to patrol the streets to arrest any rebels taking part in the clashes. At least 18 rebels were killed in the infighting. The group was mostly dissolved when the Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement and the Abu Amara Brigades eventually captured all positions of the Fastaqim Union in eastern Aleppo in November 2016. Dozens of rebels from

8632-409: The regime in 2016 eroded the significant territorial gains made by the FSA and severely weakened its command structure. After the Turkish military intervention in Syria in 2016, and as other countries began to scale back their involvement, many FSA militias became more dependent on Turkey , which became a sanctuary and source of supplies. From late August 2016, the Turkish government assembled

8736-407: The remaining members of the union's Aleppo branch joined Ahrar al-Sham. Former Fastaqim Union spokesman Ammar Sakkar explained that this move had become "a necessity", as the rebel factions had to unite in face of recent government gains, most notably the fall of rebel-held Aleppo. According to him "division has become illogical and would neither build a state nor establish a system of governance, which

8840-457: The security forces were reportedly killed on between 18 and 19 November by the Free Syrian Army. Multiple attacks on 19 December by armed groups were also reported by the state news agency SANA. State news also reported that ten wanted armed individuals were captured in Maarat al-Numan . On 23 November, five defected soldiers were killed; four in a farm near Daraa where they were hiding and one near

8944-472: The security forces, including an officer, at the southern city of Deal in Daraa province on 5 December. On 7 December, there were clashes between the Syrian regular army and groups of army defectors near the radio broadcasting centre in the town of Saraqeb , in Idib district . An armoured personnel carrier (APC) of the regular army was destroyed during the clashes. Meanwhile, joint security and military forces raided

9048-536: The southern village of Busra al-Harir , the group said. Similar battles took place in several other parts of the south, said the Observatory and another activist group called the Local Coordination Committees. Syrian army defectors, who operate under the banner of the Free Syrian Army, say that a senior army officer was killed on 11 December after refusing to fire on civilians in Homs. Maher al-Nueimi,

9152-487: The start of the offensive on 19 January 2018, with Turkish Defence Minister Nurettin Canikli stating, "The operation has actually de facto started with cross-border shelling." He added no troops had crossed into Afrin. Turkey intensified its shelling later, while People's Protection Units (YPG) stated that 70 shells had been fired overnight. On 20 January, after days of shelling, Turkish fighter jets carried out air strikes on

9256-483: The term ' olive branch ' (a traditional symbol of peace ) in the operation's name has been criticised as Orwellian and a "mockery". The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights estimates that a total of 300,000 Kurdish people have been displaced. In the aftermath of the conflict, Turkish forces implemented a resettlement policy by moving refugees from Eastern Ghouta into the newly-empty homes. Many houses, farms, and other private property belonging to those that fled

9360-457: The town of Hass in Idlib province near the mountain range of Jabal al-Zawiya , although it was unclear if the wounded included civilians. According to the London-based organization, an estimated 11 government soldiers were killed that day, four of which were killed in a bombing. It was not clear if the defectors linked to these incidents were connected to the Free Syrian Army. On 20 October,

9464-645: The two NATO allies. Despite this, the CIA named the PYD as the "Syrian wing" of the PKK in its World Factbook on 23 January 2018. On 14 February, the U.S. Director of National Intelligence described YPG as the Syrian wing of PKK in a report. During the early stages of the operation, United States Secretary of Defense James Mattis noted that Turkey was the only NATO ally with an "active insurgency" within its borders. Mattis acknowledged that Turkey has "legitimate security concerns" regarding PKK, and said Turkey had consulted

9568-474: The ultimate goal of accomplishing the objectives of the Syrian revolution , namely, the end to the decades-long reign of the ruling al-Assad family . In late 2011, the FSA was the main Syrian military defectors group. Initially a formal military organization at its founding, its original command structure dissipated by 2016, and the FSA identity has since been used by various Syrian opposition groups. The Free Syrian Army aims to be "the military wing of

9672-451: The village of Hirak in Daraa province. The FSA engaged loyalist army units and security service agents south of Damascus on 15 December, leading to 27 loyalist deaths and an unknown number of FSA casualties. The clashes broke out at three separate checkpoints in Daraa province around dawn Between 8 and 15 December, the Syrian state news agency SANA reported the deaths of 68 members of the state security forces. A lieutenant colonel of

9776-499: Was a cross-border military operation conducted by the Turkish Armed Forces and Syrian National Army (SNA) in the majority- Kurdish Afrin District of northwest Syria , against the People's Protection Units (YPG) of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The air war and use of major artillery ended as the Arab and Turkmen militias of the SNA entered the city of Afrin on 18 March 2018, and

9880-672: Was allegedly empty. On 1 December, FSA troops launched a raid on an intelligence building in Idlib , leading to a three-hour firefight in which eight loyalists were killed. This came the same day the United Nations announced it considered Syria to be in a state of civil war. On 3 December, clashes in the city of Idlib in the north of Syria the next day resulted in the death of seven Assad loyalist soldiers, five defectors and three civilians. On 4 December, heavy fighting raged in Homs during which at least five FSA insurgents were killed and one wounded. Defected soldiers killed four members of

9984-716: Was also supported by foreign fighters, including Iraqi fighters of the Sinjar Alliance , troops of the International Freedom Battalion , and PKK fighters. In addition, Syrian pro-government forces entered the conflict on the side of the DFNS in February 2018. It is not clear how many government loyalists eventually fought in the operation; a YPG commander said that 4,000 militiamen were planned to enter Afrin, though only about 500 were confirmed to have fought alongside

10088-658: Was caught in crossfire between Assad loyalists and the free army. Also on 10 November "at least four soldiers in the regular army were killed at dawn in an attack, headed by armed men – probably deserters – on a military checkpoint in Has region, near Maaret al-Numan town" according to the Syrian Observatory For Human Rights . However, the number has also been put at five soldiers. A checkpoint in Maarat al-Numaan three kilometers south of Homs also came under attack by defectors, resulting in an increase in tank deployment by Syrian security forces in

10192-509: Was detained in Prague at Turkey's request. The Turkish Deputy PM Bekir Bozdağ said that Turkey is requesting Muslim's extradition. However a Czech court released Muslim. The Turkish Deputy PM said this was "a move in support of terror". The largest group is between 10,000 and 25,000 Syrian Arab and Turkmen rebel fighters operating under the banner of the Syrian Interim Government and trained and supported by Turkey . The second largest group

10296-507: Was fighting between deserters and loyalist troops in Hula, Homs province, after the defectors destroyed a barricade and a number of security forces were killed or wounded. In mid-January, the FSA managed to take control over the border town of Zabadani , just 14 miles away from the capital, Damascus . Regular army forces tried to assault the town several times but as of 16 January all attacks were repelled. On 16 January General Mouaffac Hamzeh in

10400-541: Was fighting on the behalf of YPG, was killed in a Turkish airstrike in Afrin. On 9 March 3 Turkish citizen foreign fighters belonging to MLKP were reportedly killed in Afrin. On 15 March, a Briton named Anna Campbell was reportedly killed in Afrin. Following the end of open combat and the start of the insurgency, three new groups emerged which said to fight against the pro-Turkish forces in Afrin: The "Afrin Falcons",

10504-499: Was harbored in an 'officers' camp' in Turkey guarded by the Turkish military. In early November 2011, two FSA units in the Damascus area confronted regime forces. In mid-November, in an effort to weaken the pro-Assad forces, the FSA released a statement which announced that a temporary military council had been formed. In October 2011, an American official said the Syrian military might have lost perhaps 10,000 to defections. By October,

10608-648: Was one of the most important rebel groups involved in the Battle of Aleppo (2012–16) , and served as a leading faction within several operations rooms and alliances such as the Levant Front . In January 2014, it joined the Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement and other rebel factions in the Aleppo-based Army of Mujahideen coalition. The group and the overall Army of Mujahideen caused controversy in March 2014 when other opposition groups criticised it for stopping Marcell Shehwaro,

10712-527: Was reported that the FSA had taken control over large swathes of Idlib province including some towns and villages. It was also reported on 24 December that the FSA stronghold in the Bab Amr neighbourhood of Homs was under attack by security forces, with two FSA soldiers killed. A week later, a minute long fire fight erupted between FSA forces and government security forces, on a road near the village of Dael in Daraa province . Four government soldiers were killed in

10816-454: Was requested to a meeting in Idlib after coming from al-Bab . Once in Idlib, he was arrested by Ahrar al-Sham. The latter then demanded the remaining holdouts of the Fastaqim Union to surrender their weapons, leading to a clash. Less than an hour later, the Fastaqim headquarter was captured by Ahrar al-Sham. The incident was described as the "final nail in the coffin" for the group. Ammar Sakkar,

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