✦ History

Syrian civil war

March 15, 2011 – December 8, 2024

Result Syrian opposition and allied victory

War that began when the Assad government crushed Arab Spring protests. Rebels, jihadist groups including the Islamic State, and Kurdish forces fought the government, with Russia and Iran backing Assad and others backing his opponents; about half a million people died and millions fled. Rebels took Damascus in December 2024 and Assad fled.

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Battles and events 130

2011
Turkish involvement in the Syrian civil war Turkish-Syrian opposition victory Syria Bashar al-Assad, Ahmed al-Sharaa, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
March 15, 2011 – June 12, 2012
Syrian revolution Syria
May 6, 2011 – May 21, 2017
Siege of Homs Syrian government victory Homs
May 14–19, 2011
Siege of Talkalakh (May 2011) Talkalakh
May 28 – June 4, 2011
Siege of Rastan and Talbiseh Al-Rastan
July 29, 2011 – April 20, 2012
Early insurgency phase of the Syrian civil war Bashar al-Assad
November 3, 2011
Rif Dimashq clashes (November 2011–March 2012) Damascus centre under Government control Rif Dimashq Governorate
November 14, 2011 – July 31, 2018
Daraa Governorate campaign Daraa Governorate
November 26, 2011 – April 10, 2014
Deir ez-Zor clashes (2011–2014) Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, Issam Zahr ad-Din
January 18, 2012
Battle of Zabadani (2012) Al-Zabadani
January 30, 2012
Battle of Douma Syrian Army victory Douma
March 6 – July 23, 2012
Battle of Azaz (2012) Syrian opposition victory Azaz
March 10–13, 2012
Battle of Idlib (2012) Syrian government victory Idlib
April 3–5, 2012
Battle of Taftanaz Syrian Army victory Taftanaz
May 25, 2012
Houla massacre Houla
July 12, 2012
Battle of Tremseh Syrian government victory Hama
July 19, 2012 – December 22, 2016
Battle of Aleppo (2012–2016) Syrian Arab Army and allied victory Aleppo Suheil al-Hassan, Maher al-Assad, Ali Abdullah Ayyoub
July 19, 2012
Rojava Revolution Hasakah Governorate
July 19, 2012 – February 3, 2016
Siege of Nubl and al-Zahraa Syrian government victory Nubl
August 2, 2012 – August 6, 2013
Siege of Menagh Air Base Rebel victory Menagh Air Base
September 22 – November 19, 2012
Siege of Base 46 Rebel victory * FSA capture Base 46 in mid-November 2012 following a two-month siege Urum al-Sughra
November 2012 – December 17, 2012
Battle of Ras al-Ayn (2012–2013) YPG-led victory Ras al-Ayn
November 2, 2012 – 2015
Quneitra Governorate clashes (2012–2014) Golan Heights · Quneitra Governorate Bashar al-Assad, Wael al-Halqi
December 16–31, 2012
2012 Hama offensive Hama Governorate
February 12–14, 2013
Battle of Shaddadi (2013) Al-Nusra Front victory Al-Shaddadeh
March 2–6, 2013
Battle of Raqqa (2013) Rebel victory Raqqa
April 4 – June 8, 2013
Al-Qusayr offensive Decisive Syrian Army & Hezbollah victory Qasem Soleimani
April 7, 2013
Siege of Eastern Ghouta Syrian Army and allies victory Ghiath Dallah, Suheil al-Hassan
April 16–21, 2013
Battle of Jdaidet al-Fadl Syrian government victory Rif Dimashq Governorate
May 19, 2013
Second Battle of al-Qusayr Decisive Syrian Army & Hezbollah victory Al-Qusayr
August 4–19, 2013
2013 Latakia offensive Latakia Governorate
August 21, 2013
Ghouta chemical attack Ghouta
September 4–15, 2013
Battle of Maaloula Syrian government victory Maaloula
October 21–28, 2013
Battle of Sadad Syrian government victory Sadad
December 15, 2013
Battle of Qalamoun (2013–2014) Syrian government victory
January 2, 2014
Inter-rebel conflict during the Syrian civil war Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham victory
February 26, 2014
Al-Otaiba ambush Hezbollah victory Ghouta
March 5 – May 25, 2014
2014 Idlib offensive Idlib Governorate
March 20, 2014
Battle of Hosn Syrian government victory
March 21 – June 15, 2014
2014 Latakia offensive Syrian government victory Kesab Mihraç Ural, Ali Abdullah Ayyoub
April 10 – July 14, 2014
Deir ez-Zor offensive (April–July 2014) Decisive ISIS victory Deir ez-Zor Governorate Ahmed al-Sharaa, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi
June 13, 2014
War against the Islamic State Iraq Donald Trump, Andy Burnham, Emmanuel Macron
July 14, 2014 – September 10, 2017
Siege of Deir ez-Zor (2014–2017) Syrian government victory Deir ez-Zor Issam Zahr ad-Din, Daas Hassan Ali, Gulmurod Khalimov
July 17–26, 2014
First Battle of Sha'ir Syrian government forces recapture the gas field Homs Governorate
August 28, 2014
2014 Eastern Syria offensive Decisive ISIL victory; Major SAA retreat Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi
September 13, 2014 – January 26, 2015
Siege of Kobanî Rojava Federation victory Aïn al-Arab Abu Ali al-Anbari, Abdullah Qardash
September 19, 2014
Opération Chammal Iraq François Hollande, Emmanuel Macron, Manuel Valls
September 19, 2014
2014 Hama offensive Hama Governorate
2015
2015–2016 Latakia offensive Latakia Governorate
January 24–31, 2015
Daraa offensive (January 2015) Daraa Governorate
February 21 – March 17, 2015
Eastern Hasakah offensive YPG & Syrian Army victory Hasakah Governorate Abu Waheeb, Abu Ali al-Anbari
March 17 – April 27, 2015
Battle of Sarrin (March–April 2015) Sarrin Barack Obama, Masoud Barzani, Abu Ali al-Anbari
March 21–25, 2015
Battle of Bosra (2015) Rebel victory Bosra Issam Zahr ad-Din, Ahmad al-Awda
March 24–28, 2015
Battle of Idlib (2015) Rebel victory Idlib
March 28, 2015 – July 19, 2018
Siege of al-Fu'ah and Kafriya Rebel victory Al-Fu'ah
April 1–20, 2015
Battle of Yarmouk Camp (2015) Shefa-Amr Ahmed Jibril
April 22 – June 14, 2015
Northwestern Syria offensive (April–June 2015) Army of Conquest victory Idlib Governorate Suheil al-Hassan
May 2015 – July 2015
Tell Abyad offensive Major YPG-led victory Abu Ali al-Anbari
May 2015
Western Hasakah offensive Hasakah Governorate Abu Ali al-Anbari
May 2015 – June 2015
Hasakah city offensive Syrian Army/YPG victory Hasakah
May 13–25, 2015
Palmyra offensive (May 2015) Major ISIL victory Palmyra
June 18 – July 27, 2015
Battle of Sarrin (June–July 2015) YPG-led victory Sarrin Abu Ali al-Anbari
June 23 – August 1, 2015
Battle of Hasakah (2015) Decisive Syrian Army & YPG/J victory Hasakah Issam Zahr ad-Din
July 10, 2015
Daraa offensive (June–July 2015) Syrian Army victory
August 4, 2015
Palmyra offensive (July–August 2015) Indecisive * The Syrian Army comes within 3–5 kilometers of Palmyra city Tadmur District
August 5, 2015
Battle of al-Qaryatayn (2015) Islamic State victory Al-Qaryatayn, Homs
August 28 – September 9, 2015
Siege of Abu al-Duhur Airbase Rebel victory Abu al-Duhur
September 2015
Russian–Syrian hospital bombing campaign * Campaign ended with the fall of the Assad regime
September 24, 2015
Battle of Zabadani (2015) Al-Zabadani
September 30, 2015 – December 8, 2024
Russian intervention in the Syrian civil war Syrian opposition victory Raqqa Governorate Vladimir Putin, Ahmed al-Sharaa, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi
October 31 – November 30, 2015
2015 al-Hawl offensive SDF victory Hasakah Governorate Abu Ali al-Anbari
November 10, 2015
Northwestern Syria offensive (October–November 2015) Inconclusive Hama Governorate
November 18, 2015 – February 21, 2016
East Aleppo offensive (2015–2016) Suheil al-Hassan, Qasem Soleimani
November 24, 2015
2015 Russian Sukhoi Su-24 shootdown Syria–Turkey border
December 27, 2015
Battle of Al-Shaykh Maskin (2015–2016) Syrian Army victory Al-Shaykh Maskin
December 30, 2015
Tishrin Dam offensive Major SDF victory
January 21, 2016
Deir ez-Zor offensive (2016) ISIL victory Deir ez-Zor Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, Issam Zahr ad-Din, Ali Abdullah Ayyoub
February 11 – March 5, 2016
Ithriyah-Raqqa offensive (February–March 2016) Offensive stalls; limited Syrian Army advances
February 17–22, 2016
Al-Shaddadi offensive (2016) Hasakah Governorate Abu Waheeb, Abu Ali al-Anbari
February 29, 2016
2016 Khanasir offensive Aleppo Governorate Suheil al-Hassan
March 1, 2016
Battle of Tell Abyad (2016) SDF victory Tell Abyad
March 3 – April 3, 2016
Battle of al-Qaryatayn (2016) Decisive Syrian Army victory Al-Qaryatayn, Homs
March 9–27, 2016
Palmyra offensive (March 2016) Syrian government victory Tadmur District Suheil al-Hassan
March 13, 2016
Battle of Maarat al-Numan (2016) Ma'arrat Nu'man
March 30 – August 27, 2016
Manbij offensive (2016) Major SDF victory Manbij
June 29, 2016
2016 Abu Kamal offensive ISIL victory Abu Kamal District
August 12, 2016
2016 Latakia offensive Latakia Governorate Ali Abdullah Ayyoub
August 20, 2016
Battle of al-Rai (August 2016)
August 23, 2016
Battle of Hasakah (2016) Hasakah
August 24, 2016 – March 29, 2017
Operation Euphrates Shield Turkish and TFSA victory Syria–Turkey border Zekai Aksakallı, İsmail Metin Temel
August 29 – November 6, 2016
2016 Hama offensive Hama Governorate Suheil al-Hassan
September 28 – October 16, 2016
2016 Dabiq offensive Zekai Aksakallı, İsmail Metin Temel
November 6, 2016 – February 23, 2017
Battle of al-Bab Turkish and SNA victory al-Bab Zekai Aksakallı, İsmail Metin Temel
November 6, 2016
Raqqa campaign (2016–2017) Decisive SDF / CJTF-OIR victory Raqqa Governorate Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi
December 8–22, 2016
Palmyra offensive (December 2016) Partial ISIL victory Tadmur District Suheil al-Hassan
January 2017 – March 2, 2017
Palmyra offensive (2017) Syrian government victory Tadmur District Andrei Kartapolov, Suheil al-Hassan
January 2017 – February 2017
Deir ez-Zor offensive (January–February 2017) Deir ez-Zor Governorate Issam Zahr ad-Din
January 20 – March 9, 2017
Idlib Governorate clashes (January–March 2017) Idlib Governorate
February 27, 2017
Southwestern Daraa offensive (February 2017)
April 5, 2017
East Aleppo offensive (2017) Suheil al-Hassan, Zekai Aksakallı, İsmail Metin Temel
April 7, 2017
2017 Shayrat missile strike Shayrat Air Base
April 15, 2017
2017 Aleppo suicide car bombing Aleppo
April 28, 2017
Hama offensive (March–April 2017) Suheil al-Hassan, Qasem Soleimani
May 7 – July 13, 2017
Syrian Desert campaign (May–July 2017) Syrian Desert Qasem Soleimani
May 29, 2017
Qaboun offensive (2017) Al Qaboun
June 7–23, 2017
Daraa offensive (June 2017) Indecisive * Syrian Army captures at least 50% of the Daraa Refugee Camp
June 8, 2017
Maskanah Plains offensive Aleppo Governorate Suheil al-Hassan
June 13–30, 2017
2017 Southern Raqqa offensive
June 20 – August 14, 2017
2017 Jobar offensive Offensive stalled * Syrian Army advance on Jobar repelled by rebels.
July 14 – October 21, 2017
Central Syria campaign Issam Zahr ad-Din, Gulmurod Khalimov, Suheil al-Hassan
September 8, 2017 – March 23, 2019
Deir ez-Zor campaign (2017–2019) Deir ez-Zor Governorate Haider Al-Abadi, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi
October 9, 2017
Northwestern Syria campaign (October 2017 – February 2018) Syrian government victory Ahmed al-Sharaa, Mustafa Bakour, Suheil al-Hassan
October 12, 2017
Turkish military operation in Idlib Governorate Turkish–Syrian opposition victory Aleppo Governorate · Idlib Governorate
November 28, 2017 – January 2, 2018
Beit Jinn offensive Syrian government victory Syria
December 29, 2017
Battle of Harasta (2017–2018)
February 7–8, 2018
Battle of Khasham American and Syrian Democratic Forces victory Jim Mattis, Paul E. Funk II, Jeffrey L. Harrigian
June 11, 2018
Deir ez-Zor offensive (2018) Syrian government and allies victory Deir ez-Zor Governorate Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi
September 17, 2018
Syria missile strikes (September 2018)
November 19, 2018
Suwayda offensive (August–November 2018) Suwayda Governorate
2019
December 2019 United States airstrikes in Iraq and Syria Syria
April 2019 – August 2019
Northwestern Syria offensive (April–August 2019) Syrian Arab Army and allies victory
December 19, 2019 – March 6, 2020
Northwestern Syria offensive (2019–2020) Syrian government victory Idlib Governorate Ahmed al-Sharaa, Mustafa Bakour, Hulusi Akar
February 27 – March 6, 2020
Operation Spring Shield Ceasefire Idlib Governorate Hulusi Akar, Suheil al-Hassan, Yaşar Güler
January 20–30, 2022
Battle of Hasakah (2022) SDF tactical victory, minor ISIL strategic victory
October 5, 2023
2023 Homs drone strike Homs Military Academy
November 27 – December 8, 2024
Fall of the Assad regime Damascus Bashar al-Assad, Ahmed al-Sharaa
November 27 – December 8, 2024
2024 Syrian opposition offensives Syrian opposition victory Bashar al-Assad, Ahmed al-Sharaa, Ahmad al-Awda
November 29 – December 7, 2024
Southern Syria offensive (2024) Syrian opposition victory Daraa Governorate Ahmad al-Awda
December 8, 2024
Israeli invasion of Syria (2024–present) Quneitra Governorate Ahmed al-Sharaa, Benjamin Netanyahu, Herzi Halevi
December 8, 2024
Hezbollah–Syria clashes (2024–present) Lebanon–Syria border Ahmed al-Sharaa, Joseph Aoun, Murhaf Abu Qasra

Key commanders

Syrian government 19

Bashar al-Assad President of Syria, Led the government side; fled in 2024 Suheil al-Hassan military commander Andrei Kartapolov military commander Vladimir Putin belligerent leader Sergei Shoigu military commander Valery Gerasimov military commander Sergei Surovikin military commander Alexander Lapin military commander Ahmad al-Awda military commander Maher al-Assad military commander Ali Abdullah Ayyoub military commander Issam Zahr ad-Din military commander Daas Hassan Ali military commander Qasem Soleimani military commander Ahmed al-Sharaa military commander Murhaf Abu Qasra military commander Ghiath Dallah military commander Mihraç Ural military commander Ahmed Jibril military commander

Turkey and Syrian National Army 9

Zekai Aksakallı military commander İsmail Metin Temel military commander Ahmed al-Sharaa military commander Recep Tayyip Erdoğan belligerent leader Hulusi Akar military commander Yaşar Güler military commander Hakan Fidan military commander Mustafa Bakour military commander Salim Idris military commander

Islamic State 9

Abu Ali al-Anbari military commander Abdullah Qardash military commander Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi military commander Abu al-Hasan al-Hashimi al-Qurashi military commander Abu al-Hussein al-Husseini al-Qurashi military commander Abu Hafs al-Hashimi al-Qurashi military commander Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi military commander Gulmurod Khalimov military commander Abu Waheeb military commander

France 6

François Hollande participant Emmanuel Macron belligerent leader Manuel Valls belligerent leader Édouard Philippe belligerent leader Jean Castex belligerent leader Sébastien Lecornu belligerent leader

Anti-IS coalition 6

Donald Trump military commander Andy Burnham military commander Emmanuel Macron military commander Anthony Albanese military commander Bart De Wever military commander Pete Hegseth military commander

Syrian Democratic Forces 7

Jim Mattis belligerent leader Paul E. Funk II military commander Jeffrey L. Harrigian military commander Mazlum Abdi military commander Haider Al-Abadi belligerent leader Barack Obama belligerent leader Masoud Barzani military commander

Syrian opposition 5

Ahmed al-Sharaa military commander Ahmad al-Awda military commander Murhaf Abu Qasra military commander Abdullah al-Muhaysini military commander Hashim al-Sheikh military commander

Al-Qaeda 5

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi belligerent leader Sami al-Oraydi military commander Khalid al-Aruri military commander Gulmurod Khalimov military commander Abu Humam al-Shami military commander

DAANES 2

Hediya Yousef military commander Talal Silo military commander

Israel 4

Benjamin Netanyahu military commander Herzi Halevi military commander Israel Katz military commander Eyal Zamir military commander

Syria and allies 4

Issam Zahr ad-Din military commander Suheil al-Hassan military commander Qasem Soleimani military commander Ali Abdullah Ayyoub military commander

Free Syrian Army 3

Ahmad al-Awda military commander Ahmed al-Sharaa military commander Mustafa Bakour military commander

Syria 4

Ahmed al-Sharaa military commander Murhaf Abu Qasra military commander Bashar al-Assad military commander Wael al-Halqi belligerent leader

Lebanon 1

Joseph Aoun military commander