Reporting period: July 2024 – June 2025

At a glance

Originating in the 2011 protests and their repression, the Syrian conflict evolved into multiple non-international armed conflicts (NIACs) pitting the government supported by Russian forces and Iranian-aligned militias against non-State armed groups including Islamic State, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS). These conflicts occurred alongside separate operations by United States (US)-led Combined Joint Task Force of the Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR), the United States alone, Türkiye, and Israel, which involved international armed conflicts (IACs), including situations of military occupation. During the reporting period, an offensive led by HTS toppled the Assad government and produced a transitional administration. The HTS government sought to unify armed opposition, reaching a ceasefire agreement with the SDF, but it also confronted residual pro-former government fighters (PFGF) and other militias, while Islamic State attacks resurged. Türkiye kept pressure on the SDF, Israel expanded strikes and deployments, and the United States continued operations against Islamic State and Islamic Resistance in Iraq (IRI).

The Armed Conflicts

Classifications and Parties to the Conflicts

1. International armed conflict between Syria and the CJTF-OIR
2. International armed conflict between Israel and Iran
3. International armed conflict between Syria and Israel (Israeli military occupation of the Golan Heights and Mount Hermon and Israeli airstrikes across Syria)
4. Turkish military occupation of parts of northern Syria
5. Non-international armed conflict involving the CJTF-OIR and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) against Islamic State
6. Non-international armed conflict between Syria and Islamic State
7. Non-international armed conflict between the United States and the IRI (now ended)
8. Non-international armed conflict involving Türkiye and the Syrian National Army (SNA) against the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)
9. Non-international armed conflict between Israel and Hezbollah
10. Non-international armed conflict between Syria and the pro-former government fighters (PFGF)

Civilian Harm

The armed conflicts in Syria continued to involve significant civilian harm through direct and indiscriminate attacks. These included mass killings in Alawi and Druze communities that the new government failed to prevent. Across multiple armed conflicts, civilians were targeted in populated and rural areas, while mines and improvised explosive devices inflicted daily casualties, including on children. Air and artillery strikes regularly hit homes, markets, schools, hospitals, dams, airports, and cultural and religious sites. The effects were disruption to essential services and large-scale displacement. Persons in the power of parties to conflicts were murdered, tortured, and subjected to sexual violence, arbitrary detention, and enforced disappearance, amid slow and contested transitional justice efforts.

Source: https://warwatch.ch/situations/armed-conflicts-in-syria/