• In the beginning, the Syrian opposition was composed of local armed factions, mostly of an Islamic nature.
• Due to the dispersion of military efforts, the opposition was defeated by the regime with support from Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah.
• The unification of factions under the "Joint Operations Management" was the key to controlling Damascus and declaring the end of Bashar's rule.

Formation of Armed Opposition

Following the violent crackdown by Bashar al-Assad’s regime against Syrian revolutionaries who rose up during the Arab Spring in 2011, Syrian opposition factions began arming themselves to confront this criminal regime that responded to their demands for freedom with bullets and barrel bombs. The armed opposition factions significantly evolved during the conflict, undergoing many strategic transformations during their formation.

Initially, the Syrian opposition comprised a group of local armed factions, most of which had an Islamic orientation. Over time, larger coalitions were formed through the merger of many of these small factions, the most notable being: "Sultan Murad Division", "Sultan Suleiman Shah Division", "Hamza Division", "Army of Islam", and "Sham Front."

Other opposition armed groups also emerged, such as: "Sham Legion," "Free Idlib Army," "First Coastal Division," "Second Coastal Division," "Elite Army," "First Infantry Division," "Victory Army," "Martyrs of Islam Brigade–Daraya," "Freedom Brigade," and "23rd Division."

Disunity and Defeat

Due to this division and the dispersion of military efforts against the regime, and their lack of unity, Assad’s forces, supported by Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah, defeated the opposition, which had advanced in 2016 and controlled the eastern regions of Aleppo. However, the confrontation lines froze in the conflict since 2020, after Assad, with the help of Russian airpower, Iranian military aid, and regional armed group networks, regained most parts of the country from the opposition.

Lesson of Unity

The lesson learned by the opposition factions from this defeat was the necessity to unify their forces and manage their military operations. Thus, many of these factions began unifying, merging into nearly six major factions instead of dozens. The crucial step was uniting these six factions under the "Joint Operations Management," which was the key to making significant advances, controlling Damascus, and declaring the end of Bashar's rule.

Under the name "Deterring Aggression," the "Joint Operations Management" initiated fierce battles with Bashar al-Assad’s army after being abandoned by the Russians (except for a few airstrikes), Iranians, and Hezbollah for various reasons. Successive victories followed from Aleppo (29 November 2024) to Homs and finally Damascus, thanks to the unity of the factions and their implementation of the "pincer" tactic against Assad's forces from all sides.

Composition of Joint Operations Management

The "Joint Operations Management" consists primarily of "Hayat Tahrir al-Sham," "Ahrar al-Sham," and other groups from the "Syrian National Army" supported by Turkey, as well as national currents. "Hayat Tahrir al-Sham," the prominent group involved in toppling Assad’s criminal regime, emerged as an Islamic armed group in January 2017, resulting from the merger of several jihadist factions after many members split from the "Al-Nusra Front," which was affiliated with "Al-Qaeda" in Syria. It is led by Abu Mohammad al-Julani, who revealed his true identity after the revolution's victory as Ahmed al-Shara. He admitted that he had changed and no longer believed in the violent ideologies he grew up with and began calling for Syrian unity and equality for all, including minorities.

The second prominent group, "Ahrar al-Sham," was formed by the union of four Syrian Islamic factions: "Ahrar al-Sham Brigades," "Islamic Dawn Movement," "Islamic Vanguard Group," and "Fighting Faith Brigades." "Ahrar al-Sham" is a moderate Salafi current with roots in the Muslim Brotherhood’s ideology, like that of Muhammad Surur, Muhammad al-Abda, and Issam al-Attar.

The third Islamic-oriented force is the "Nour al-Din al-Zenki Brigades," a revolutionary Islamic movement that participated in fighting against the Syrian regime in past years and was part of the Syrian Revolution Command Council. They are moderate Islamists, followers of the "Aleppo Sheikhs School," previously headed by Sheikh Tawfiq.

Fourth and Fifth Factions

The fourth faction, the "National Liberation Front," is a coalition of armed Syrian opposition in southwestern Syria, formed by eleven factions of the "Free Syrian Army" in May 2018, in Idlib province, northwestern Syria, consisting of 30,000 fighters.

The fifth force, the "Syrian National Army," was established in December 2017 and operated as the military force of the Syrian opposition's interim government, headquartered in Turkey. It is a coalition of Turkish-backed opposition factions that primarily fought the Kurdish forces working as mercenaries for America, such as the "Syrian Democratic Forces" (SDF).

The sixth faction within the "Joint Operations Management" is the "Army of Glory," formerly called the "Glory Gathering," led by defector Major Jamil al-Saleh from Assad’s army. It is a Syrian opposition group affiliated with the "Free Syrian Army," active in northwestern Syria. The United States supplied it with weapons to assist in fighting the "ISIS" organization in Syria. On February 18, 2018, the "Army of Glory" brigades merged with the "Ahrar al-Sham" faction to form the "Syrian Liberation Front."

Pro-American Forces

The US-supported "Free Syrian Army" based at the strategic Al-Tanf base on the Syrian-Jordanian-Iraqi border, since 2015, is one of the prominent forces funded by America. It declares its alignment with the goals of the Syrian revolution and does not oppose it. Different estimates suggest that its fighters number a few hundred tribesmen from the American Al-Tanf base on the Jordanian border, which it uses as its headquarters.

This faction was formed from several armed groups led by former Syrian officers and soldiers, most of whom hail from Deir ez-Zor province (east), which was controlled by "ISIS" in its extensive campaign in Syria and Iraq in 2014 before being expelled. It underwent internal disputes and conflicts between its leaders between 2015 and 2024. Its name changed with the appointment of a new commander by American forces, initially known as the "New Syrian Army" or the "Revolutionary Commando Army," supported and trained by the United States and Jordan to fight "ISIS" and Assad’s forces.

The "Free Syrian Army" does not adhere to specific religious or ethnic ideologies, making it a preferred partner for the United States as a "moderate ally." Most of its fighters are from eastern Syria, and their goal is to combat forces linked to Iran and the Syrian regime, as reported by The Washington Post.

Alongside the "Free Syrian Army," the "Syrian Democratic Forces" (SDF) emerged, a militia armed by America controlling northeastern Syria. They claim to support the Syrian opposition factions that assumed control of Damascus. However, these mercenary forces quickly occupied cities left by Assad's army, such as Manbij, Deir ez-Zor, and Ayn al-Arab (Kobani), leading to clashes with the Syrian opposition and the "Joint Operations Management," which expelled them from these cities, indicating strong disputes between the two sides.