Popular Committees (Syria)The Popular Committees (also called Lijan militias; Arabic: اللجان الشعبيةal-Lijan al-Sha'biyah, meaning "people's committees") were militias that emerged in Syria during the Syrian Civil War. They originated as neighborhood vigilante groups in the Christian, Druze and Alawi and Shia Muslim quarters of Damascus and elsewhere to prevent the infiltration of Sunni-dominated rebel groups.
Syrian civil war2011–2024 armed conflict in SyriaBelligerentsFull list of factionsCasualties and lossesTotal deaths656,493+Civilian deaths219,223–306,887+ Displaced people6.7 million internally6.6 million externally (refugees) (March 2021)See Casualties of the Syrian civil war for detailsThe Syrian civil war was an armed conflict that began with the Syrian revolution in March 2011, when popular discontent with the Ba'athist regime ruled by Bashar al-Assad triggered large-scale protests and pro-democracy rallies across Syria, as part of the wider Arab Spring.
ShabihaShabiha (Levantine Arabic: شَبِّيحَة Šabbīḥa, pronounced [ʃabˈbiːħa]; also romanized Shabeeha or Shabbiha; lit. 'thugs') is a colloquial and generally derogatory term for various loosely-organised Syrian militias loyal to the Ba'athist government and the Assad family prior to the regime's collapse in 2024, used particularly during the initial phase of the Syrian civil war.
Al-Nusra FrontJabhat Al-Nusra, also referred to as Al-Nusra Front and later known as Jabhat Fatah Al-Sham was a Sunni Islamist political organization and paramilitary group that fought against Ba'athist regime forces in the Syrian civil war. Its aim was to overthrow Syrian president Bashar al-Assad and establish an Islamic state ruled by Sharia in Syria.
Ba'athist SyriaSyrian state from 1963 to 2024Today part ofSyriaBa'athist Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, was the Syrian state between 1963 and 2024 under the one-party rule of the Syrian regional branch of the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party. From 1970 until its collapse in 2024, it was ruled by the Assad family, and is therefore commonly referred to as the Assad regime. Ba'athist Syria was also, until its downfall, the only state member of the "Axis of Resistance" beside Iran.
Syrian ArmyThe Syrian Arab Army is the land force branch of the Syrian Armed Forces. It originated in local military forces formed by the French after World War I, after France obtained a mandate over the region. It was officially formed in 1945, before Syria obtained full independence in 1946.
MilitiaA militia ( mil-ISH-ə) is a military or paramilitary force that comprises civilian members, as opposed to a professional standing army of regular, full-time military personnel. Militias may be raised in times of need to support regular troops or serve as a pool of available manpower for regular forces to draw from. When acting independently, militias are generally unable to hold ground against regular forces.
National Coalition of Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition ForcesCoalition of Syrian opposition groups The National Coalition of Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces, commonly named the Syrian National Coalition (SNC), or the Syrian National Revolutionary Coalition (SNRC) was a pro-democracy political organization founded in Doha, Qatar, in November 2012 during the Syrian civil war in an attempt to coalesce the various opposition movements to Bashar al-Assad's Ba'athist regime.
Syrian Armed ForcesThe Syrian Armed Forces (Arabic: القُوَّاتُ المُسَلَّحَةُ السُورِيَّةُ, romanized: al-Quwwāt al-Musallaḥah as-Sūrīyyah) are the military forces of Syria. They consist of the Syrian Army, Syrian Air Force and Syrian Navy. According to Article 32 of the Constitutional Declaration of the Syrian Arab Republic, the President of Syria serves as the commander-in-chief of the Army and the Armed Forces.
ParamilitaryA paramilitary is an armed, militarized-like force or unit that functions and is organized in a manner analogous to a military force, but does not have professional or legitimate status. The Oxford English Dictionary traces the use of the term "paramilitary" as far back as 1934. It has been used by many different political organizations from around the world throughout history.
Islamic StateSalafi jihadist militant organisation
Suwayda GovernorateSuwayda Governorate (Arabic: مُحافظة السويداء, romanized: Muḥāfaẓat as-Suwaydāʾ) is one of the fourteen governorates (provinces) of Syria. It is the country's southernmost governorate, covering an area of 5,550 km, and is bordered by Daraa Governorate in the west, Rif Dimashq Governorate in the north and northeast, and the country of Jordan in the south and southeast. The capital and largest city of the governorate is Suwayda.
AlawitesEthnoreligious group centered in SyriaAlawites (Arabic: العلويون, romanized: al-ʿAlawiyyūn) are an ethnoreligious group, many of whom identify as Arabs, who live primarily in Syria and elsewhere in the Levant. They follow Alawism, an offshoot of Shia Islam as a ghulat branch during the ninth century. Alawites venerate Ali ibn Abi Talib, the first Imam in the Twelver school, as a manifestation of the divine essence.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.