70 countries playing a part in brutal war
SYRIA’S war started almost seven years ago with the Arab Spring and morphed into a hugely complex conflict of overlapping sides.
As many as 70 countries are now involved, providing jihadists, military personnel, weaponry and finance. The main forces are:
SYRIA: Despot Bashar al-Assad’s army, navy and air force, fighting rebels.
FREE SYRIA ARMY: Defected Syrian soldiers fighting the regime.
RUSSIA: Assad’s main ally in fighting rebels, especially the Western-backed ones.
LEBANON: Shia Hezbollah fighters who are backing Assad. ISLAMIC STATE: Multinational and brutal jihadist group fighting everyone.
AL-QAEDA: Multinational, though weakened, jihadist group fighting everyone.
SYRIAN DEMOCRATIC FORCES: Westbacked multi-ethnic force, sworn enemies of ISIS and al-Qaeda.
USA: Special forces, warplanes blitzing Isis. Has hit Syria’s air force with missiles once.
BRITAIN: Special forces and other units plus warplanes blitzing Isis. FRANCE: Special forces and warplanes blitzing Isis. AUSTRALIA: Warplanes blitzing Isis. BELGIUM: Warplanes blitzing Isis. AUSTRIA: Warplanes blitzing Isis. CANADA: Warplanes blitzing Isis. GERMANY: Some special forces on ground JORDAN: Troops and warplanes against Isis. QATAR: Warplanes blitzing Isis. SAUDI ARABIA: Riyadh has part-financed ISIS and al-Qaeda but the rulers are supplying air support against Isis. TURKEY: Fighting Kurdish groups, protecting homeland from Russian incursions but has supported jihadists against their common enemy Assad.