The fall of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad's regime, culminating in a years-long civil war, has created a power vacuum with various factions defending their interests and vying for power in the Middle Eastern country.
Concerned about the resurgence of ISIS strongholds, the United States attacked IS-related targets in central Syria.
Turkey, which controls Syria's northern border area, continues to attack Kurdish forces backed by the United States.
Both work with different proxy groups.
Let's take a look at the various factions vying for control of the region.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has fled the country. (Getty Images)
Hayat Tahrir Al Sham (HTS)
HTS was the main faction behind the fall of Damascus and Assad's flight, and currently controls the capital. But the Islamic extremist group is far from an ally of the United States. Its leader, Abu Mohammed al-Golani, has a $10 million bounty placed on his head by the United States and has been designated as a terrorist since 2013. The group controlled a small part of northwestern Syria in Idlib. .
Israel sends paratroopers to Syria in 'defense operations' after fall of Assad regime
Founded as an affiliate of al-Qaeda, it remains largely aligned with al-Qaeda, but is focused on establishing Islamic fundamentalist rule in Syria rather than a global caliphate.
The United Nations, the United States, and Turkey have all designated HTS as a terrorist organization. The group has worked to soften its image in recent years, emphasizing government services in Idlib and pledging to protect Aleppo's religious and cultural sites, as well as churches, and avoiding its designation as a terrorist organization. We are working to have it lifted.
Experts believe Turkey, which has long sought to topple Assad, may have been involved in the HTS attack.
A $10 million bounty has been placed on the head of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani.
Syrian government forces
Syrian forces loyal to Assad have thwarted coup attempts since 2011, often through violent crackdowns on protests and rebellions.
By 2020, government forces backed by Iran, Russia, and Lebanese Hezbollah had pushed the rebels back into Syria's northwest corner.
Towards the end of November, rebels quickly overran government forces and took control of Aleppo, a city recaptured by Assad's forces in 2016. Eight days later, the rebels succeeded in capturing not only Aleppo but also Hama, Homs, and Damascus.
On Monday, the HTS granted Assad's forces “amnesty for all military personnel conscripted under compulsory service.”
“Their lives are safe and no one will attack them,” the group said in a statement.
HTS jihadists fight against government forces in Aleppo. (Bakr Alkasem/AFP via Getty Images)
Syrian National Army (SNA)
The SNA is a loose coalition of Turkish-backed forces aimed primarily at fighting Kurdish forces. However, Turkish President Recep Erdoğan's coalition forces carrying out anti-Assad operations were also involved in the fall of Damascus. These groups have also fought HTS and other Islamic State terrorists in the past.
The SNA coalition believes that U.S.-backed Kurdish forces in Syria are linked to Turkey's Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), an armed group that has launched Kurdish nationalist attacks in Turkey.
Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)
The SDF is a coalition of U.S.-backed Kurdish forces based in northeastern Syria. They have long cooperated with the United States in the fight against Islamic State forces in Syria.
In addition to fighting Islamic State, they have fended off attacks from Turkish-backed fighters.
US attacks dozens of ISIS camps and operatives in Syria amid fall of Assad regime
Kurdish forces were not involved in the attack to topple Assad, but praised the operation.
Mazloum Abdi said: “In Syria, we are living through a historic moment as we witness the fall of the dictatorship in Damascus. This change must be based on democracy and justice that guarantees the rights of all Syrians. “We offer an opportunity to build a new Syria,” he said. Sunday morning, the Self-Defense Forces commander said.
turkey
Turkey has maintained relatively friendly relations with Syria throughout the early 2000s, but criticized Assad over a violent crackdown on protesters in 2011.
Turkey and the United States are allies and have a duty to protect each other through NATO, but they are on opposing sides in Syria, even though both countries have praised the overthrow of Assad. Turkish forces opened fire on US-backed forces in Syria over the weekend, and fighting broke out between rebels in the Kurdish-controlled city of Manbij near the Syrian-Turkish border. Turkey has long had a goal of expelling Kurds from its borders and is using the current turmoil to seize control along the border and decimate the local Kurdish population.
Kurdish separatists have been fighting Turkey for years, aiming to carve out their own autonomous state.
Russia
Russia has long supported Assad's regime, but just days ago granted asylum to the ousted leader.
Since 2015, Russia has effectively functioned as Assad's air force, but its ability to intervene on the dictator's behalf has diminished as resources are needed for the war with Ukraine.
Opposition fighters remove a government flag from a government building in Salamiah, east of Hama, Syria, Saturday, December 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Ghaith Al-Sayed)
Iran
Iran is Assad's biggest supporter, providing weapons and military advice and directing his Lebanese proxy, Hezbollah, to fight the rebels. But Hezbollah had to return troops to Lebanon to fight Israel, leaving Assad's forces weakened.
In a speech on Sunday, HTS leader al-Golani lamented that Syria has become a “playground for Iranian ambitions.”
Israel
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has acknowledged that his military's weakening of Hezbollah played a key role in Assad's fall. Israel has consistently launched attacks against Syria with the strategic goal of cutting off routes used by Iran to supply weapons to Hezbollah.
After the fall of Assad's regime, Israel on Sunday attacked Assad's chemical weapons facilities in Syria, fearing what they would fall into in his absence.
Israel also took control of the buffer zone within the Golan Heights, marking the first time it occupied Syrian territory since the 1973 war.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) moved in on Sunday and instructed residents to remain in their homes until further notice. They said they needed to occupy territory to ensure border security.
They also captured Mount Hermon, the highest point on the two countries' border and a defensive blind spot that Iran had exploited to fly low-flying drones.
Entrance to Kwailis military airfield in eastern Aleppo province, December 3, 2024. A portrait of President Bashar al-Assad and the national flag were found thrown away in the garbage. (Rami Al Said/AFP via Getty Images)
us
Approximately 900 US troops remain in Syria, working with the SDF to fight ISIS.
President Biden said Sunday that U.S. troops would be present to “ensure stability.”
Over the weekend, the United States conducted dozens of precision strikes against more than 75 ISIS targets in central Syria in an effort to prevent the terrorist group from exploiting the chaos to rebuild.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“We clearly recognize the fact that ISIS will take advantage of any vacuum to reestablish its ability to create a safe haven,” Biden said. “We won't let that happen.”
Biden said the United States would support Syria's neighbors – Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Israel – “if any threat arises from Syria during this transition.”
The president added that the fall of the Assad regime created “a historic opportunity for the long-suffering Syrian people.”
