The civil war in Syria is an armed conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic between supporters of President Bashar al-Assad (Syrian Arab army) forces "moderate" Syrian opposition (Free Syrian army), Kurdish regionalista (people's defence Units) and various Islamist terrorist groups (ISIS, al-Nusra Front, etc.).
Started the wave of Arab spring anti-government protests in March 2011 led to riots in various cities of Syria, as early as the summer of the same year escalated into full-scale armed conflict. The main demands of the opposition were: the resignation of President Bashar al-Assad, the abolition (in effect since 1962) of a state of emergency and the holding of democratic transformation.
Initially the fighting was between the government army and militias of the "Free Syrian army" (FSA). Umbrella organization of the Syrian opposition was the Syrian national Council (SNC), which at the time consisted of all anti-government factions. Subsequently, however, the opposition was split — the first of its membership left the Kurdish organization, have formed their own government (Supreme Kurdish Council), and in 2013 the most radical Islamist groups formed the Islamic front.
However, in the future, because of the split in the ranks of rebel positions FSA has significantly weakened and secular opposition has faded into the background. A leading role in the confrontation with government forces, began to play various kinds of Islamist groups, among which are the most capable terrorist organization "Nusra Front" (the local branch of al-Qaeda) and the "Islamic state" (IG).
Rapid advance of ISIS and the terrorist takeover of large areas of Syria and Iraq in the summer of 2014 became an occasion to start military intervention, the U.S. and its allies since September 2014 air strikes on the positions of Islamists in Syria (without the permission of the Syrian leadership). From 30 September 2015 to 15 March 2016 a similar operation in Syria was carried out by the Russian VKS (according to the official request of the President of Syria), they coordinate with government forces and with some of the units, claiming to be FSA.
The parties to the conflict receive military assistance from other countries — support to the government forces have Russia and Iran, the Syrian opposition receives aid from the Western powers and the Gulf monarchies. On the government side are Shiite militias (in particular the Lebanese Hezbollah), as well as Pro-government paramilitary formations (National defence force). On the side of the opposition — sunnitskie Islamist groups such as Ansar al-Islam. In view of the considerable involvement of foreign powers and organizations, several experts characterized the conflict as a proxy war.
All, according to the UN, during the conflict killed 220 thousand people, the economy and the country's infrastructure suffered enormous damage. The conflict, characterized by bitter fighting, indiscriminate shelling of cities and towns, mass murder and numerous war crimes against the civilian population. On the territories controlled by the Islamists, Sharia law, legalized slavery, persecuted religious minorities, but also destroyed the cultural heritage.