WHO ’S WHO INSIDE SYRIA — A PRIMER

ISIL

The most powerful and notorious group, the Islamic State of Syria and the Levant, is an al-Qaida offshoot that ascribes to an extreme interpretation of Sunni Islam known as Jihadi-Salafism. ISIL controls significant swaths of north and central Syria, including its stronghold of Raqqa. It likely has between 30,000 and 70,000 fighters across the region, says Bessma Momani, a Middle East expert at the Centre for International Governance Innovation in Waterloo, Ont.

Jabhat al-Nusra

Also known as the Nusra Front, it is al-Qaida’s official affiliate in Syria. Thanks to al-Qaida’s international network of support, the Nusra Front is one of the best-equipped rebel groups in Syria. Like ISIL, it hopes to replace the Assad regime with a Sunni Islamist regime — some analysts say it’s just as dangerous to the West. But Momani says that, for the Syrian population, they’re not the enemy. They make sure people are fed and don’t indiscriminately kill civilians. Their main stronghold is in Northwest Syria in Idlib.

Ahrar Al-Sham

Also known as the Islamic Movement of the Free Men of the Levant and another relatively powerful member of the Syrian opposition, it was founded in 2011 and aspires to build a Sunni state that follows Shariah law. Many of its founders were once political prisoners of the Assad regime. One of the largest military organizations operating in Syria, the group has links to al-Qaida, led the creation of the Syrian Islamic Front and reportedly receives funding from Islamist networks in the Persian Gulf, as well as Qatar.

Army of Conquest

A coalition of rebel groups including jihadist groups, such as Jabhat al Nusra and Ahrar al-Sham, as well as CIA-backed groups, that was established last March. The groups have different ideologies and visions for Syria, but are united in their opposition of the Assad regime and ISIL. They remain independent, but pool resources and have co-ordinated actions in northwest Syria around Idlib and Latakia.

Free Syrian Army

The FSA was founded in 2011 by officers who had defected from the Syrian army. Since then, its banner has been taken up by a loosely co-ordinated alliance of rebel groups, including the CIA-backed Tajamu Alezzah, which was targeted by Russia this week with airstrikes. The FSA counts Sunni Muslims, Shiite Muslims and members of the Druze minority among its fighters, and would like to rebuild Syria as a pluralist state. It is present in northern and western Syria, around Aleppo, Homs and Deraa.