Syrian Civil War Begins
Sparked by the Arab Spring and the Assad regime's brutal suppression of peaceful protests, Syria descended into a multi-sided civil war in 2011. Rebel groups, jihadist factions including ISIS, Kurdish forces, and foreign powers — Iran, Russia, Turkey, the United States — all intervened. The war killed over 500,000 people and displaced more than half of Syria's pre-war population. Assad retained power with Russian and Iranian support; large swaths of the country remain outside government control.
- Year: 2011 CE
- Category: Military
