Here is our guide to the major players in the Syrian conflict and what they are fighting for
With the war raging for more than seven years and nearly 500,000 killed, the conflict has escalated from a pro-democracy uprising into a conflict that is allowing some of the world’s most powerful nations to settle old scores
FIGHTING continues to rage in Syria as the latest ceasefire attempt broke down on the first day.
The five-hour pause in hostilities was meant to allow for humanitarian aid in the rebel-held area of Eastern Ghouta, which has been under government siege since 2013.
It is the latest setback in a a war that has been raging for seven years, claiming the lives of nearly half a million people.
Having started as a peaceful pro-democracy uprising, the conflict has escalated to leave Syria a war-torn playground for some of the world’s most powerful nations to settle old scores.
Russia is backing President Bashar al-Assad, pictured, and has vetoed 11 UN resolutions against him. The US and UK are bombing parts of the country to target IS, who are also being fought by Syria’s Kurdish resistance groups.But our Nato allies Turkey are attacking the Kurds as they fear their own Kurdish people will push for independence.
Iran is backing Assad’s forces stationed near Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. In response, Israel shot down an Iranian drone that entered its airspace but has since lost an F16 strike plane to Iran.
And earlier this week, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson warned the UK would back airstrikes against Assad if chemical weapons were used again.
Here is our guide to the major players in this humanitarian tragedy, and an outline of what they are fighting for.
United Kingdom
THE RAF has been bombing IS targets in Syria for just over two years.
In 2013, Parliament voted against sending in the bombers in response to Assad launching a chemical attack in Eastern Ghouta.
But in December 2015, MPs voted to allow airstrikes against IS fighters in the country.
It followed an RAF drone attack in September that killed two British-born IS fighters, Reyaad Khan and Ruhul Amin, who had been plotting an attack in Britain.
In the hours after that Commons vote in 2015, four Tornado GR4 strike aircraft left Cyprus and hit the Omar oilfield in Eastern Syria, a major source of cash for IS terrorists.
Israel
FOR years Israel has been fighting to stop Iran getting nuclear weapons and fears the Iranians could use Syria as the launchpad for a strike. Tensions between the countries reached an all-time high this month.
An Israeli F-16 jet was shot down on its return from a raid on a Syrian position that was blamed for launching an Iranian drone across the border.
Peter Korzun, an expert on war and conflicts, said the move had escalated into a “major fight” as he warned that the “drumbeat of war” was getting louder.
Saudi Arabia
THE Saudis have been secretly backing rebels – as a defeat for Assad would be a defeat for Iran and give Saudi Arabia the chance to exert its influence there.
U.S.A
AFTER pledging to drive IS out of Syria, US warplanes have been conducting a targeted bombing campaign since 2014.
President Obama refused to bomb in retaliation to chemical attacks. But last April Donald Trump ordered US warships to fire Tomahawk cruise missiles on an Assad base used to launch a chemical attack on rebels in Idlib, killing 89 including 30 children.
The US is working with Kurds in northern Syria and several thousand troops are on the border with Iraq.
Syria
INSPIRED by the Arab Spring uprisings, pro-democracy campaigners took to the streets in the city of Deraa in 2011. They were met with deadly force by President Assad, whose security forces opened fire.
Seven years on, Assad’s forces control the capital Damascus, second city Aleppo and are closing in on the rebel stronghold of East Ghouta.
Russia
RUSSIA, which leases the Mediterranean port of Tartus from Syria, entered the war in 2015 and is now the biggest supplier of arms there.
Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to flex his muscles on the world stage by backing the Syrian government.
The country has vetoed a string of UN resolutions against Assad.
Turkey
ON Monday the Turkish army took control of Kurdish-held Afrin in northern Syria.
The Turks are readying for a new battle against Kurds from the YPG, who have been battling IS in Syria, backed by foreign countries including the UK.
Turkey’s large Kurdish population have long wanted independence and Turkey fears the Kurds will use the Syrian conflict to launch their own fight for freedom. Earlier this month the Kurds shot down their first Turkish military helicopter.
Al Qaeda and I.S
THE chaos also attracted Al Qaeda and IS. Within a year, these Jihadi terrorists had seized Raqqa and a series of oilfields that provided them with cash.
After the battle for Raqqa last autumn, IS has lost 98 per cent of the land it once held. Their only foothold is Abu Kamal, surrounded by Assad forces to the west and Kurdish fighters in the east.
Iran
IRAN backed Assad with ground troops to establish its presence in the Middle East.
The country funnels money and fighters through militant group Hezbollah, based in Lebanon, and believes the West and almost all Arab countries are in league to bring down Assad.
It counted Syria as its only Arab ally during its eight-year war with Iraq in the Eighties.
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Free Syrian Army
REBEL group the Free Syrian Army (FSA) is a loose band of armed brigades formed in 2011 by civilians and defectors from the Syrian army.
They control the Damascus suburb of Eastern Ghouta, where 400,000 people are trapped by Russian-backed bombing raids.
They lost control of second city Aleppo in December 2016 after a four-year battle with government forces.
They remain in control of limited areas in north-west Syria.
Other rebel groups include Al Qaeda offshoot Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, Iran-backed Hezbollah and the Syrian Democratic Forces, dominated by the Kurdish People’s Protection Units, known as YPG.