Free Palestine Movement

Organization in Syria

For other uses, see Palestinian liberation (disambiguation).

For the U.S. based 501(c)(3) human rights group, see Free Palestine Movement (California).

Free Palestine Movement

حركة فلسطين حرة

Logo of the Free Palestine Movement

Leaders|

* Yasser Qashlaq (political leader)
* Saed Abd Al-Aal (military commander)[1]

Dates of operation| c. 2003 – present
Group(s)|

* Al-Aqsa Shield Forces
* Abd al-Qadir al-Husayni Battalions
* Saraya Bader

Active regions| Palestine, Syria, Lebanon
Ideology| Palestinian nationalism[2][3]
Anti-Zionism[2]
Allies|  Syrian Armed Forces
Fatah al-Intifada
Opponents|  Syrian opposition and allied mujahideen
Islamic State
Israel
Battles and wars| Israeli–Palestinian conflict

* Blockade of the Gaza Strip
* Israeli–Syrian ceasefire line incidents during the Syrian Civil War

Syrian Civil War

* Siege of Yarmouk Camp
* Southern Damascus offensive (March 2018)
* Southern Damascus offensive (April–May 2018)
* Siege of Eastern Ghouta
* Rif Dimashq offensive (February–April 2018)
* Eastern Syria campaign (September–December 2017)
* Battle of Deir ez-Zor (September–November 2017)
* Syrian Desert campaign (December 2017–present)
* Northwestern Syria offensive (April–August 2019)
* Northwestern Syria offensive (December 2019–March 2020)

The Free Palestine Movement (Arabic: حركة فلسطين حرة) is a Palestinian Syrian armed movement and community organization that is led by the businessman Yasser Qashlaq and supports the Ba'athist government of Syria. The organization opposes the existence of Israel, and was mostly known for political activism and social services in favor of Palestinians in Syria and the Gaza Strip before 2012. Upon the outbreak of the Syrian Civil War, however, the Free Palestine Movement formed its own militias and has since then openly fought for the Syrian government against various rebel groups.

## History[edit]

### Early activities[edit]

The Free Palestine Movement was founded by Yasser Qashlaq, a Syria-born Palestinian businessman of considerable wealth[2] who heads several organizations including the Lebanese Institute of International Studies, the Syrian-Palestinian Investment House, the Palestinian Businessmen's Club, and also owns a small Lebanese newspaper.[4] Furthermore, Yasser is known for his antisemitic views, having repeatedly called Jews "dregs of European garbage", a "gang of criminal murderers",[3] and "human pieces of filth"[5] that should be deported to Europe.[3][5] He has also stated that there is "no reason for coexistence" between Israelis and Palestinians, as the latter would reclaim their lands and "hunt [the Israelis] down to the end of the world, and prosecute them for their massacres".[3] Though close to the Syrian government,[2][4] Yasser has denied any links with Hezbollah.[6]

When Yasser first became politically active in the Palestinian Yarmouk Camp of Damascus in 2003, he consequently presented himself as supporting the Second Intifada. Since then, he organized the Free Palestine Movement as community organization which provided social services for Palestinians in Syria and rallied support for the Baa'athist government. Atlantic Council expert Tom Rollins also argued that the organization serves as "vehicle for [Yasser Qashlaq's] political ambitions".[2] According to Qashlaq, the Free Palestine Movement took part in organizing the Freedom Flotilla II for the Gaza Strip in 2010/11.[3][7] The group armed itself in 2011, with the news site Syria Indicator arguing that this was motivated by the need to suppress anti-Assad protests in the Yarmouk Camp.[8]

### Syrian Civil War[edit]

The unit uses both the flag of Palestine as well as the Ba'athist flag of Syria[9]

After the Syrian Civil War's start, the Free Palestine Movement began to recruit for pro-government militias and founded its own paramilitary wing, the "Al-Aqsa Shield Forces" in 2012. The Al-Aqsa Shield Forces mostly operate in Damascus,[2] especially after an informal power-sharing agreement between the Free Palestine Movement and Fatah al-Intifada, another pro-government militia, in 2016. According to this agreement Yasser Qashlaq paid Fatah al-Intifada a substantial sum for handing over parts of their frontline at the Yarmouk Camp to the Free Palestine Movement. In consequence, Yasser and his movement could gain "valuable political capital" as defenders of Yarmouk which is of great symbolic importance to the Palestinian diaspora, while Fatah al-Intifada got much-needed funds.[2] Since then, the Free Palestine Movement mostly fought the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant militants in Yarmouk Camp,[10] notably participating in the Southern Damascus offensives of March[11][12] and April and May 2018.[13][14] In the latter operation the organization's military commander, Saed Abd Al-Aal, was wounded in combat.[15] Fighters of the Free Palestine Movement have also fought in other areas of Damascus, including at Harasta in August 2017[16] and at al-Shaghour during the Rif Dimashq offensive of early 2018.[17]

Though the Free Palestine Movement's activity is mostly concentrated in Damascus, the organization is known to have committed forces to fronts in other regions of Syria as well. In a notable incident in May 2013, the "Abd al-Qadir al-Husayni Battalions", another armed group affiliated with the movement, fired two mortar shells at Israel Defense Forces positions on Mount Hermon. This was reportedly done in commemoration of Nakba Day.[18][19] Troops of the Free Palestine Movement also operated in Hama in late 2017,[20] and fought in the Battle of Deir ez-Zor (September–November 2017).[21]

After the Yarmouk Camp was fully secured by government forces in May 2018, some locals started to burn down their own houses to prevent them from being looted. In response, the Free Palestine Movement declared that these people would have to account for their actions, and that it would try to prevent further burnings.[22] The group, along with as-Sa'iqa and Fatah al-Intifada, also started to lay off many of its fighters due to the decreasing need for them and lack of funds.[23] Commander Saed Abd Al-Aal denied this, however, and claimed that the Free Palestine Movement had simply redeployed its fighters from Damascus to other war zones.[24] When an Irish parliamentary delegation visited Yarmouk Camp in late July 2018 to evaluate the damage caused by the years-long combat, it was accompanied by Saed Abd Al-Aal.[25] The Free Palestine Movement took part in a festival in honor of Yasser Arafat on 11 November 2018.[26]

At some point in early 2019, the Free Palestine Movement sent detachments to take part in counter-insurgency operations in Deir ez-Zor Governorate, and contributed troops to the Northwestern Syria offensive (April–August 2019). In course of the latter campaign, its troops fought at Halfaya and al-Zakah.[27][28] In October 2019, a FPM member was shot dead by unknown assailants in Da'el.[29] Meanwhile, the FPM continued to demobilize fighters due to a lack of funds.[30] From late 2019, the party's troops took part in the government's Northwestern Syria offensive (December 2019–March 2020).[31] Around the same time, the Free Palestine Movement was also active in Latakia Governorate, where one of its fighters was killed at Salma.[32] After the Northwestern Syria offensive's conclusion, the Free Palestine Movement continued to be active in Idlib, where it held border posts at the frontline. In February 2020, seven members of the group were killed during clashes in the region.[33]

By 2021, the hashtag #freepalestine became increasingly popular in social media; the hashtag along with the slogan "Free Palestine" were used by activists as a "standalone phrase, not connected to any one movement or institution". However, The Jerusalem Post journalists Shira Silkoff and Eve Young argued that the existence of the Free Palestine Movement of Syria resulted in "many" regarding the slogan "Free Palestine" as "a call to violent resistance against the State of Israel as a Jewish state".[34]

In December 2023, the Free Palestine Movement organized a "solidarity stand" in the Yarmouk Camp to protest against the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip. Other Syrian Palestinian individuals and representatives such as several Palestine Liberation Army officers and PPSF leader Khalid ʽAbd al-Majid also took part in the protest.[35]

## Organization[edit]

The Free Palestine Movement is officially led by Yasser Qashlaq,[2] while Saed Abd Al-Aal serves as the commander of the organization's paramilitary wing.[1][15] Saed Abd Al-Aal is the son of Muhammad Abdel-Al, a member of the leadership of the Ba'ath Party's Palestinian branch in Syria and former Yarmouk Camp official.[8] The armed forces of the Free Palestine Movement have been described as "rag-tag militia"[10] and include the Saraya Bader,[33] the Al-Aqsa Shield Forces[2] as well as the Abd al-Qadir al-Husayni Battalions.[19] Like other pro-government militias in Syria, the Free Palestine Movement reportedly attracts new recruits with relatively high monthly salaries, as many young Syrian Palestinians are in precarious economic conditions due to the civil war and mass unemployment.[36] By November 2018, 24 fighters had died while fighting in the Syrian Civil War for the FPM.[37]

## Alleged criminal activities and war crimes[edit]

According to the pro-opposition site Zaman AlWasl and other investigators, two (ex-)members of the Free Palestine Movement, namely Mofeq AlDaouah and Mahmoud Arnaout, were involved in war crimes during the Syrian Civil War. They allegedly targeted and killed civilians during the Siege of Yarmouk Camp. In addition, Zaman AlWasl accused Mofeq of several cases of rape in Yarmouk Camp.[38][39] Mofeq was nicknamed the "Butcher of Yarmouk" for his actions.[39] After moving to Germany as a refugee,[39] Mofeq was arrested by the German police in Berlin on 4 August 2021. He was accused of having fired an anti-tank weapon into a crowd of civilians, who were waiting for UN food handouts on 23 March 2014 in Yarmouk Camp. At least seven people were killed in the attack.[39][40] In February 2023, Mofeq was sentenced to life imprisonment by a German court.[39]

According to local activists, the Free Palestine Movement is also involved in criminal business schemes which pressured residents of Yarmouk Camp to sell property under value to make way for a major reconstruction plan of the cityscape.[41] The militia is reportedly connected to and supported by the Al-Shihabi Contracting Company, a company accused of embezzling funds for the reconstruction of Yarmouk Camp. Yasser Qashlaq has been described as the "most famous real estate dealer in the Yarmouk Camp".[8]

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b "Reports that agreement between armed opposition factions and Syrian regime "Al-Qadam" has started". Action Group for Palestinians of Syria. 25 September 2017. Archived from the original on 24 March 2018. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Tom Rollins (19 July 2017). "Palestinian-Syrian Militarization in Yarmouk". Atlantic Council. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
3. ^ a b c d e "Yasser Qashlaq, a Lebanese Flotilla Organizer, on Hizbullah's Al-Manar TV: I Hope Our Ships Will 'Carry These Dregs of European Garbage Back to Their Own Countries' From Israel". Middle East Media Research Institute. 23 June 2010. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
4. ^ a b Eli Stutz (18 June 2010). "New Flotilla Organizer is Wife of Hizbullah Supporter". Arutz Sheva. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
5. ^ a b Elad Benari (27 May 2011). "Lebanese Businessman: Send 'Filthy Jews' to their True Countries". Arutz Sheva. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
6. ^ Ian Black (18 June 2010). "Hizbullah 'bans' Lebanese singer from all-woman Gaza mission". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
7. ^ "50 Ships To Join Second Freedom Flotilla". IMEMC Agencies. 16 May 2010. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
8. ^ a b c "The Fall of Yarmouk: War Economy Laws Leave Capital of Palestinian Diaspora in Ruins". Syria Indicator. 28 April 2023. Archived from the original on 19 May 2023. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
9. ^ "The Free Palestine Movement holds honorary ceremony for families of the martyred student". Syrian Arab News Agency. 14 November 2016. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
10. ^ a b Tom Rollins (24 October 2017). "Escalation Threatens South Damascus "De-Escalation" Deal". Atlantic Council. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
11. ^ "Fighting between ISIS and the Free Palestine Movement on the Martyrs' sector axis in Yarmouk camp". Action Group for Palestinians of Syria. 1 March 2018. Archived from the original on 24 March 2018. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
12. ^ "Bombardment hits a vehicle transporting members of ISIS in Yarmouk camp". Action Group for Palestinians of Syria. 7 March 2018. Archived from the original on 24 March 2018. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
13. ^ "11 Palestinian refugees died in the ongoing clashes in south Damascus". Action Group for Palestinians of Syria. 23 April 2018. Archived from the original on 30 April 2018. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
14. ^ Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi (27 April 2018). "The South Damascus Campaign: Interview with Quwat al-Sa'iqa". Retrieved 29 April 2018.
15. ^ a b "Victims and large-scale destruction after the hysterical bombardment of Yarmouk camp". Action Group for Palestinians of Syria. 21 April 2018. Archived from the original on 17 July 2018. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
16. ^ "2 Members of Filasteen AlHurra Battalion Killed in Rif Dimashq". Action Group for Palestinians of Syria. 7 August 2017. Archived from the original on 24 March 2018. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
17. ^ "Free Palestine Movement mourns one of its members". Action Group for Palestinians of Syria. 12 March 2018. Archived from the original on 24 March 2018. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
18. ^ "Warning Syria". The Jerusalem Post. 16 May 2013. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
19. ^ a b "Assad And His Allies Threaten To Open A Front In Golan Heights". Middle East Media Research Institute. 21 May 2013. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
20. ^ "Palestinian refugee dies while fighting in the suburbs of Hama". Action Group for Palestinians of Syria. 22 January 2018. Archived from the original on 24 March 2018. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
21. ^ "Member of Free Palestine Movement killed in Deir ez-Zor". Action Group for Palestinians of Syria. 6 August 2017. Archived from the original on 24 March 2018. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
22. ^ "Pro-regime groups vow to burn the homes of Yarmouk camp". Action Group for Palestinians of Syria. 4 June 2018. Archived from the original on 17 July 2018. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
23. ^ "Pro-Government Palestinian Factions Lay off Scores of Gunmen". Action Group for Palestinians of Syria. 24 August 2018. Archived from the original on 29 August 2018. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
24. ^ "Free Palestine Movement Denies Laying off Gunmen". Action Group for Palestinians of Syria. 28 August 2018. Archived from the original on 29 August 2018. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
25. ^ "Irish parliamentary delegation visits Yarmouk camp". Action Group for Palestinians of Syria. 25 June 2018. Archived from the original on 17 July 2018. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
26. ^ "Festival Held in Yarmouk Camp for Palestinian Refugees". Action Group for Palestinians of Syria. 18 November 2018. Archived from the original on 9 December 2018. Retrieved 9 December 2018.
27. ^ "Pro-Gov't Squad in Syria Mobilizes Forces against Opposition Outfits". Action Group for Palestinians of Syria. 13 June 2019. Archived from the original on 11 August 2019. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
28. ^ "Palestinian Group Fighting alongside Syria's Gov't Forces in Hama". Action Group for Palestinians of Syria. 8 August 2019. Archived from the original on 11 August 2019. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
29. ^ "Member of Pro-Gov't Squad Killed in War-Torn Syria". Action Group for Palestinians of Syria. 20 October 2019. Archived from the original on 11 November 2019. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
30. ^ "Pro-Gov't Palestinian Groups in Syria Cash-Strapped". Action Group for Palestinians of Syria. 26 October 2019. Archived from the original on 11 November 2019. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
31. ^ "Palestinian Group Engaged in Pro-Govt Battles in Syria's Idlib Province". Action Group for Palestinians of Syria. 30 December 2019. Archived from the original on 5 February 2020. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
32. ^ "Free Palestine Movement announced the death of one of it's [sic] members". Action Group for Palestinians of Syria. 25 December 2019. Archived from the original on 20 September 2020. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
33. ^ a b "7 Members of Pro-Govt Palestinian Group Killed in Syria". Action Group for Palestinians of Syria. 28 February 2020. Archived from the original on 20 September 2020. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
34. ^ Shira Silkoff; Eve Young (12 June 2021). "War of the words: The social media battleground of Israel-Gaza clashes". Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
35. ^ Hamda Mustafa (30 December 2023). "Solidarity stand held in Al-Yarmouk Camp in support for the Palestinian people and resistance". Syria Times. Archived from the original on 1 January 2024. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
36. ^ "Palestinian Refugee injured in Yarmouk Clashes". Action Group for Palestinians of Syria. 18 February 2018. Archived from the original on 24 March 2018. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
37. ^ "713 Palestinians Killed while Fighting alongside Syria's Pro-Gov't Forces". Action Group for Palestinians of Syria. 1 November 2018. Archived from the original on 8 December 2018. Retrieved 8 December 2018.
38. ^ "Palestinian Refugee in Germany Allegedly Involved in Syria War Crimes". Action Group for Palestinians of Syria. 15 August 2020. Archived from the original on 20 September 2020. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
39. ^ a b c d e "EXCLUSIVE: The Syrian survivors who brought the 'Butcher of Yarmouk' to justice speak". The New Arab. 21 March 2023. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
40. ^ "Festnahme eines mutmaßlichen Mitglieds der Miliz "Free Palestine Movement" wegen Kriegsverbrechen u.a." [Arrest of a suspected member of the "Free Palestine Movement" militia for war crimes, among other things.]. press release Public Prosecutor General (Germany). 4 August 2021. Archived from the original on 4 August 2021. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
41. ^ "Activists Warn Yarmouk Residents against Attempts to Turn Their Property into Bargaining Chips". Action Group for Palestinians of Syria. 27 July 2020. Archived from the original on 20 September 2020. Retrieved 16 October 2023.

* v
* t
* e

Syrian civil war

Overviews

| Main overviews|

* Syria
* Rojava
* Syrian civil war
* Timeline
* Background and causes
* Syrian peace process
* Syrian government reactions
* Belligerents
* Inter-rebel conflict
* Spillover
* Cities and towns
* Sectarianism and minorities
* Syrian Desert campaign (December 2017–present)

|

Effects and ongoing concerns|

* Casualties of the Syrian civil war
* Refugees of the Syrian civil war
* Humanitarian aid during the Syrian civil war
* Human rights violations during the Syrian civil war

Phases and processes|

* Syrian revolution
* Early insurgency phase
* 2012–2013 escalation
* Ceasefires
* Syrian peace process

World reaction|

* International reactions to the Syrian civil war
* Foreign involvement in the Syrian civil war

Specific groups and countries|

* Russian involvement
* Russian intervention
* Turkish involvement
* Turkish occupation of northern Syria
* Second Northern Syria Buffer Zone
* Russian-Turkish agreement on Syria
* American intervention in the Syrian civil war
* 2023 attacks on U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria
* Kurdish Area in Syria
* Syrian Democratic Forces
* Rojava conflict
* U.S. task force

Agreements and dialogues|

* Russian-Turkish agreement on Syria
* Relations between Syrian government and Kurdish groups in Syria

Timeline

| Background|

* 1963 coup
* 1966 coup
* Corrective Movement
* Islamist uprising
* Latakia protests
* Damascus Spring
* Qamishli riots
* Syrian occupation of Lebanon
* Damascus Declaration
* Human rights in Syria
* 2010s in Syria political history

|

2011
Jan–Apr
May–Aug
Sep–Dec|

* Syrian Revolution
* Death of Hamza Ali Al-Khateeb
* Siege of Daraa
* Siege of Baniyas
* May Talkalakh siege
* Siege of Rastan and Talbiseh
* June Jisr ash-Shughur operation
* Siege of Hama
* Siege of Homs
* Jabal al-Zawiya operation
* Siege of Latakia
* Deir ez-Zor clashes (2011–2014)
* Rif Dimashq clashes (Nov 2011-Mar 2012)
* Battle of Zabadani
* Battle of Douma
* Daraa Governorate clashes
* Battle of Rastan
* Shayrat and Tiyas airbase ambush
* Idlib Governorate clashes
* December Jabal al-Zawiya massacres

2012
Jan–Apr
May–Aug
Sep–Dec|

* January al-Midan bombing
* Battle of Rastan
* First Battle of Idlib
* Battle of al-Qusayr
* Idlib Governorate operation (Apr)
* Battle of Taftanaz
* May Battle of Rastan
* Houla massacre
* Battle of al-Haffah
* Al-Qubeir massacre
* Battle of Tremseh
* Battle of Damascus
* 18 July 2012 Damascus bombing
* Battle of Aleppo
* Battle of Anadan
* Siege of Base 46
* Al-Hasakah Governorate campaign (2012–2013)
* Rif Dimashq offensive (Aug-Oct)
* Darayya massacre
* Battle of Khirbet Al-Joz
* Battle of Maarrat al-Numan
* First siege of Wadi Deif
* Battle of Harem
* Rif Dimashq offensive (Nov 2012–Feb 2013)
* Battle of Darayya
* Aqrab massacre
* Hama offensive
* Halfaya massacre
* Battle of Darayya
* Quneitra Governorate clashes
* Talbiseh bakery massacre

2013
Jan–Apr
May–Dec|

* Battle of Safira
* Battle of Shadadeh
* Damascus offensive
* Raqqa campaign (2012–2013)
* Battle of Raqqa (Mar)
* Daraa offensive
* Rif Dimashq offensive (Mar–Aug)
* Battle of Jdaidet al-Fadl
* Ghouta chemical attack
* Al-Qusayr offensive
* Battle of al-Qusayr
* Bayda and Baniyas massacres
* Hama offensive
* Hatla massacre
* Khan al-Assal chemical attack
* Khan al-Assal massacre
* Adra massacre
* Battle of Ras al-Ayn
* Battle of Tell Abyad
* Rif Dimashq offensive (Sep–Nov)
* Aleppo offensive (Oct–Dec)
* Battle of al-Yaarubiyah
* Battle of Tell Hamis and Tell Brak (Dec–Jan)

2014
Jan–Jul
Aug–Dec|

* First Inter-rebel conflict
* Battle of Markada
* Deir ez-Zor offensive
* Battle of Morek
* Daraa offensive (Feb–May)
* Maan massacre
* Al-Otaiba ambush
* Idlib offensive
* Battle of Hosn
* Latakia Offensive
* Battle of Al-Malihah
* Kafr Zita chemical attack
* Second siege of Wadi Deif
* Qalamoun offensive (Jun–Aug)
* Battle of Arsal
* First Battle of the Shaer gas field
* Eastern Syria offensive
* Battle of Tabqa Airbase
* Northern Aleppo offensive (Feb–Jul)
* Hama Offensive
* Quneitra offensive
* Rif Dimashq offensive (Aug–Nov)
* Siege of Kobanî
* Homs school bombing
* Daraa offensive (Oct)
* Al-Safira offensive
* Idlib Raid
* Second Inter-Rebel Conflict
* Second Battle of the Shaer gas field
* Battle of Al-Shaykh Maskin
* Deir ez-Zor offensive (Dec)

2015
Jan–Jul
Aug–Dec|

* Air Force An-26 crash
* Daraa Offensive (Jan)
* Southern Syria Offensive
* Eastern al-Hasakah offensive
* Battle of Sarrin (Mar–Apr)
* Battle of Sarrin (Jun–Jul)
* Battle of Bosra
* Idlib Offensive
* Second Battle of Idlib
* Battle of Nasib Border Crossing
* Battle of Yarmouk Camp
* Western al-Hasakah offensive
* Palmyra offensive (May)
* Qamishli bombings
* Tell Abyad offensive
* Kobanî massacre
* Quneitra offensive (Jun)
* Palmyra offensive (Jul–Aug)
* Rif Dimashq offensive (Sep)
* Northwestern Syria offensive (Oct–Nov)
* Aleppo offensive (Oct–Dec)
* Al-Hawl offensive
* Homs offensive (Nov-Dec)
* East Aleppo offensive (2015–2016)
* 2015–2016 Latakia offensive
* Tishrin Dam offensive
* Russian Sukhoi Su-24 shootdown

2016
Jan–Apr
May–Aug
Sep–Dec|

* Second Battle of Al-Shaykh Maskin
* Deir ez-Zor offensive (Jan)
* January Sayyidah Zaynab bombings
* Northern Aleppo offensive (Feb)
* Ithriyah-Raqqa offensive (Feb–Mar)
* Al-Shaddadi offensive
* February Homs bombings
* February Sayyidah Zaynab bombings
* Khanasir offensive
* Battle of Tel Abyad
* Battle of Maarrat al-Numan
* Battle of Qamishli (Apr)
* Northern Aleppo offensive (Mar–Jun)
* Palmyra offensive (Mar)
* East Ghouta inter-rebel conflict (Apr–May)
* Rif Dimashq offensive (Apr–May)
* Northern Raqqa offensive (May)
* May Jableh & Tartous bombings
* Ithriyah-Raqqa offensive (Jun)
* Rif Dimashq offensive (Jun–Oct)
* Manbij offensive
* Tokhar massacre
* Southern Aleppo campaign
* Battle of al-Rai (Aug)
* Operation Euphrates Shield
* Aleppo summer campaign
* Western al-Bab offensive (Sep)
* 5 September bombings
* September Deir ez-Zor air raid
* September Urum al-Kubra aid convoy attack
* Aleppo offensive (Sep–Oct)
* Dabiq offensive
* Western al-Bab offensive (Oct–Nov)
* Khan al-Shih offensive (Oct–Nov)
* Raqqa campaign
* Battle of al-Bab
* Aleppo offensive (Nov-Dec)
* Palmyra offensive (Dec)

2017
Jan–Apr
May–Aug
Sep–Dec|

* Wadi Barada offensive (2016–2017)
* January Azaz bombing
* Desert campaign (Dec 16–Apr 17)
* Idlib clashes (Jan–Mar)
* Deir ez-Zor offensive (Jan–Feb)
* Daraa offensive (Feb–Jun)
* Southwestern Daraa offensive (Feb)
* Qaboun offensive
* Palmyra offensive
* East Aleppo offensive (Jan–Apr)
* March Damascus bombings
* Al-Jinah airstrike
* Hama offensive (Mar–Apr)
* Battle of Tabqa
* Khan Shaykhun chemical attack
* Shayrat missile strike
* Aleppo bombing
* April Turkish airstrikes
* East Ghouta inter-rebel conflict (Apr–May)
* Desert campaign (May–Jul)
* Maskanah Plains offensive
* East Hama offensive
* Battle of Raqqa
* Daraa offensive (Jun)
* Southern Raqqa offensive (Jun)
* Jobar offensive (Jun–Aug)
* Quneitra offensive (Jun)
* Idlib clashes (Jul)
* Central campaign
* Qalamoun (Jul–Aug)
* Deir ez-Zor offensive (Sep 17–Mar 18)
* Hama offensive (Sep)
* Northwestern campaign (Oct 17–Feb 18)
* Turkish military operation in Idlib Governorate
* Battle of Harasta
* Eastern campaign (Sep–Dec)
* Euphrates Crossing offensive
* Mayadin offensive
* Battle of Deir ez-Zor (Sep–Nov)
* Abu Kamal offensive
* Beit Jinn offensive

2018
Jan–Apr
May–Aug
Sep–Dec|

* Operation Olive Branch
* Battle of Khasham
* Rif Dimashq offensive (Feb–Apr)
* Southern Damascus offensive (Jan–Feb)
* Syrian Liberation Front–Tahrir al-Sham conflict
* Southern Damascus offensive (Mar)
* Douma chemical attack
* Missile strikes (Apr)
* Northern Homs offensive (Apr–May)
* Eastern Qalamoun offensive (Apr)
* Southern Damascus offensive (Apr–May)
* Deir ez-Zor clashes (Apr)
* Deir ez-Zor offensive (May–Jun)
* As-Suwayda offensive (Jun)
* Southern offensive
* As-Suwayda attacks
* As-Suwayda (Aug-Nov)
* Qamishli clashes (Sep)
* Missile strikes (Sep)
* Northern border clashes

2019
Jan–Apr
May–Aug
Sep–Dec|

* Idlib inter-rebel conflict
* Manbij bombing
* Battle of Baghuz Fawqani
* ISIL insurgency in Deir-ez-Zor
* Dêrik prison escape attempt
* Tell Rifaat clashes
* Northwestern offensive (Apr–Aug)
* June bombings
* Hass refugee camp bombing
* Missile strikes (Aug)
* Turkish offensive into northeast
* Barisha raid
* November bombings
* Israeli missile strikes (Nov)
* Qah missile strike
* Northwestern offensive (Dec 19–Mar 20)
* US airstrikes

2020
Jan–Dec|

* COVID-19 pandemic
* Afrin bombing
* Idlib Governorate clashes
* Kafr-Takharim airstrike
* Ayn Issa clashes
* Deir ez-Zor ambush

2021
Jan–Dec|

* Siege of Qamishli and Al-Hasakah
* Missile strikes (Jan)
* US airstrike (Feb)
* Battle of Qamishli (Apr)
* US airstrike (Jun)
* Daraa clashes
* Tahrir al-Sham–Junud al-Sham conflict

2022
Jan–Dec|

* Battle of al-Hasakah
* Ahrar al-Sham–Levant Front clashes
* Jabal al-Bishrī clashes
* Jarqli airstrikes
* Northern Aleppo clashes (Oct)
* Operation Claw-Sword
* Northwest clashes (Dec)

2023
Jan-Dec|

* Al-Sukhnah attack
* Damascus airstrike
* Hama attack
* Northern border clashes

Spillover|

| Israel and Golan Heights:|

* March 2017 incident
* February 2018 incident
* May 2018 Israel–Iran incidents

|

Iraq:|

* Akashat ambush
* Operation al-Shabah
* April 2014 Iraqi border airstrike

Jordanian border incidents|

* April 2014 Jordanian border airstrike

Lebanon:|

* Lebanese border clashes
* Battle of Sidon
* Iranian embassy bombing in Beirut
* North Lebanon clashes
* Qalamoun (Jul–Aug 2017)

Turkey:|

* December 2011 Turkish border clash
* 2012 Turkish F-4 Phantom shootdown
* 2012 Turkish border clashes
* 2013 Reyhanlı car bombings
* January 2014 Turkish attack in Syria
* Assassination of Andrei Karlov
* Russian Air Force Al-Bab incident
* 2020 Balyun airstrikes
* Operation Spring Shield

Elsewhere:|

* Deir ez-Zor missile strike (Iran)

Belligerents

| Syria|

| Politics of Syria|

* Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party – Syria Region
* Syrian Social Nationalist Party
* Arab Socialist Movement
* Syrian Communist Party

|

Military and militias|

* Syrian Armed Forces
* Syrian Resistance
* PFLP-GC
* al-Quds Brigade
* Palestine Liberation Army

Foreign support|

* Hezbollah involvement
* Iranian involvement
* Liwa Fatemiyoun
* Russian involvement
* medical facility targeting
* military intervention
* Wagner Group
* Russia–Syria–Iran–Iraq coalition
* Popular Mobilization Forces

Opposition|

| Interim government|

* National Coalition
* Local Coordination Committees
* Syrian National Council
* Supreme Council of the Syrian Revolution
* National Coordination Committee for Democratic Change
* Syrian Revolution General Commission
* Syrian Support Group
* Adopt a Revolution
* Syrian Patriotic Group

|

Opposition militias|

* Syrian National Army
* Free Syrian Army
* National Front for Liberation
* Army of Glory
* Authenticity and Development Front
* Army of Free Tribes
* Revolutionary Commando Army
* Muslim Brotherhood in Syria
* Grey Wolves

Foreign support|

* American-led intervention
* Jordanian intervention
* Qatar
* Saudi Arabia
* Turkey

Autonomous Administration
of North and East Syria|

| DFNS Government|

* Democratic Union Party
* Kurdish National Council
* Smaller political parties

|

SDF militias|

* People's Protection Units
* Women's Protection Units
* Anti-Terror Units
* Al-Sanadid Forces
* Army of Revolutionaries
* SDF military councils
* Syriac Military Council
* Liwa Thuwar al-Raqqa
* Northern Democratic Brigade

Support|

* Patriotic Union of Kurdistan
* Kurdistan Workers' Party
* International Freedom Battalion
* Sinjar Resistance Units
* Êzîdxan Women's Units

Islamists|

| Islamic State|

* Military activity of ISIL
* Dokumacılar
* Khalid ibn al-Walid Army
* Liwa al-Aqsa
* Group of the One and Only
* Liwa Dawud

|

al-Qaeda and allies|

* Tahrir al-Sham
* Turkistan Islamic Party in Syria
* Caucasus Emirate
* Ajnad al-Kavkaz
* Junud al-Makhdi
* Malhama Tactical
* Ansar al-Islam in Kurdistan

People

* Ammar Abdulhamid
* Ali al-Abdallah
* Adnan al-Aroor
* al-Assad family
* Bashar
* Maher
* Rifaat
* Rami Makhlouf
* Hafez Makhlouf
* Riad al-Asaad
* Anwar al-Bunni
* Fahd Jassem al-Freij
* Suheil al-Hassan
* Haitham al-Maleh
* Moaz al-Khatib
* Kamal al-Labwani
* Hamza al-Khateeb
* Tal al-Mallohi
* Fida al-Sayed
* Riad al-Turk
* Khaled Khoja
* Ammar al-Qurabi
* Suheir Atassi
* Ali Sadreddine Al-Bayanouni
* Aref Dalila
* Farid Ghadry
* Burhan Ghalioun
* Razan Ghazzawi
* Ghassan Hitto
* Salim Idris
* Randa Kassis
* Abdul Halim Khaddam
* Michel Kilo
* Bassma Kodmani
* Ali Habib Mahmud
* Ali Mahmoud Othman
* Ibrahim Qashoush
* Dawoud Rajiha
* Yassin al-Haj Saleh
* Bouthaina Shaaban
* Abdulbaset Sieda
* Riad Seif
* Fadwa Souleimane
* Mohamad Anas Haitham Soueid
* Yaser Tabbara
* Razan Zaitouneh
* Rami Jarrah
* Abdurrahman Mustafa
* Fadlallah al-Haji

Related

| Elections|

* 2011 local elections
* 2012 parliamentary election
* 2014 presidential election
* 2015 Northern local elections
* 2016 parliamentary election
* 2017 Northern local elections
* 2017 Northern regional elections
* 2018 local elections
* 2020 parliamentary election
* 2021 presidential election

|

Issues|

* Casualties
* Cities and towns
* Chemical weapons
* Damaged heritage sites
* Foreign involvement
* Human rights violations
* Humanitarian aid
* International demonstrations and protests
* International reactions
* Massacres
* Refugees
* Sectarianism and minorities
* Status of the Golan Heights
* Spillover in Lebanon
* Syrian government reactions

Peace process|

* Arab League monitors
* Friends of Syria Group
* Kofi Annan peace plan
* UN supervision mission
* Lakhdar Brahimi peace plan
* U.S.–Russia peace proposals
* 39th G8 summit
* UN Security Council Resolution 2118
* Geneva II conference
* 2015 Zabadani cease-fire agreement
* Vienna talks
* 2016 Geneva talks
* Idlib demilitarization (2018–present)
* First Northern Syria Demilitarization Deal
* Second Northern Syria Demilitarization Deal
* Syrian Constitutional Committee

War crimes trials|

* Universal jurisdiction trials in Germany

Related topics|

* Exclusive mandate
* Fourth Extraordinary Session of the Islamic Summit Conference
* International recognition of the Syrian National Council
* Syria Files
* Syrian detainee report
* Syrian media coverage
* 2015 European migrant crisis
* Syrian civil war in popular culture

* Category

*[c.]: circa
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template