Protest outside Russian embassy in Lebanese capital Beirut against continued bombings in Ghouta, east of Syrian capital Damascus. (Photo: AP)

Responding to queries on the Syrian crisis yesterday in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), UN humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock, out of sheer frustration, said: "More bombing. More fighting. More deaths. More destruction. More maiming of women and children. More hunger. More misery. More, in other words, of the same."

Mark Lowcock was reporting on the situation in Ghouta in Syria where continued bombing entered 11th day yesterday. The bombings by the Syrian armed forces continued even after a UN resolution for ceasefire agreed on Saturday. It is estimated that nearly 60 people, many of them civilians have lost their lives since ceasefire resolution.

Ghouta is located merely 15 km South-East of capital Damascus. The rebel forces are occupying the city and Eastern Ghouta is the current theatre of war with the Syrian army.

BUT WHY ARE THEY FIGHTING?

The story began in 2010-11 in a non-violent uprising that took the entire Arab world by surprise. It was called the Arab Spring that sprang from a small country, Tunisia and spread across West Asia capturing the imagination of the whole world.

The issues were same across the length and breadth of the Arab Spring territory - very high unemployment, skyrocketing prices and widespread corruption in the government. The protesters, in hundreds of thousands, took to streets demanding democracy, free elections, constitutional and economic reforms, employment and guarantee of fundamental human rights.

Rebel fighters at Ghouta, Syria. (Photo: AP)

The bloodless protests were so powerful that it led to regime change in Tunisia, where President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali was ousted, charged and exiled. Same template was followed in Egypt, where President Hosni Mubarak was ousted, arrested and charged.

In Libya, Muammar Gaddafi was killed following a civil war. Regime change happened. Yemen's President Ali Abdullah Saleh was also ousted. But in Syria, President Bashar al-Assad stuck his ground and got necessary support when he launched offensive on the protesters.

HOW BLOODLESS SPRING TURNED INTO CIVIL WAR?

When protesters mounted pressure on the Bashar al-Assad government in Syria, they were concentrated only in the southern city of Daraa on the international border with Jordan. Bashar al-Assad tried to crush the agitation that began in March 2011 close on the heels of regime change in Tunisia.

Bashar al-Assad succeeded his father Hafez al-Assad in 2000. The family has been ruling Syria since 1971. As Bashar al-Assad resorted to use of extreme force, a nationwide protest erupted. Bashar countered it with greater might. The protesters were killed in large numbers.

In retaliation, the protesters armed themselves for self-defence. Soon, the self-defence groups launched attacks on pro-Bashar forces. The number of such militant groups ranged into hundreds. Several Jihadi groups infiltrated among the protesters. And, a full-fledged civil war ensued.

Currently, the main fight is going on between an umbrella group called Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and the Syrian army under President Bashar al-Assad. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham is an alliance formed by erstwhile al-Nusra Front which was affiliated to al-Qaeda. It controls vast areas in North West Syria.

WHY OTHER POWERS ARE THERE?

Meanwhile ISIS gained immense ground in Syria holding sway over a large tract in the North East portion of the country. ISIS expansion led the US allied with Saudi Arabia to step in. They came in supporting "moderate" jihadi forces fighting Bashar al-Assad.



The US and Saudi Arabia have been demanding resignation of Bashar al-Assad to be followed by an interim government before new constitutional framework is agreed upon between the rival forces. Support to "moderate" jihadi forces was also aimed at keeping them away from the influence of ISIS, which the US considers as bigger threat.

Russian President Vladimir Putin's special envoy Alexander Lavrentiev with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus early this month. (Photo: AP)

The geostrategic power game got complicated in September 2015 when Russia jumped into the ring to rescue Bashar al-Assad regime. Russian President Vladimir Putin, fresh from takeover of Crimea from Ukraine the previous year, ordered air strike on the rebel forces as well as ISIS in support of Bashar al-Assad.

Russian entry in Syrian crisis both helped and alarmed the US-led bloc. Russia helped the US and allied forces as it launched a series of attacks on ISIS pushing the terror outfit to the margins in Syria.

On the other hand, Russia's presence had altered the strategic advantage of the US. Russia needs Bashar al-Assad in Syria to protect its interests. Russian oil and weapon supplies to the region are crucial for its economy and Bashar al-Assad is a willing ally.

READ | Syria's 'Hell on Earth': Video shows children being pulled out of rubble in Eastern Ghouta

THEN THERE IS A SHIA ANGLE

Syria is a Sunni majority country ruled by Shia Bashar al-Assad. While Saudi Arab backs Sunni groups in Syria, Shia Iran is the strongest ally of Bashar al-Assad in West Asia. Iran also needs Bashar to keep its supplies smooth to Lebanon's Shia outfit Hezbollah.

Iran has been arming Hezbollah and extending other help to the outfit. Bashar al-Assad's regime helps Iran in maintaining links with Hezbollah. But arming Hezbollah by Iran has brought Israel in the Syrian crisis.

Israel has already launched several missile attacks on the supply route and targeted Iranian and Syrian assets. There is growing concern that greater involvement of Israel in the Syrian crisis may a new dimension to the civil war and challenge the regional security equation.

Then there is Turkey, which is also supporting the rebel forces. But there is a catch. While the US and Saudi Arabia are supporting an alliance between Arab and Kurdish militias, called Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Turkey is wary of Kurdish outfits.

Civil war in Syria has brought widespread devastation in the country. (Photo: AP)

The SDF is dominated by Kurshish Popular Protection Units (referred to as YPG), which Turkey considers, an extension of the Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK). Turkey has outlawed PKK for terrorist activities. So, Turkey is against Bashar al-Assad and supports rebel groups minus Kurdish outfits.

WHAT ABOUT PEOPLE OF SYRIA?

The UN stopped keeping records of deaths in Sryian civil war after August 2015 due to increasing attacks on the human rights workers. It estimated that around 2,50,000 people were killed in Syrian civil war.

According to Syrian Observatory Human Rights, a UK-based group, 3,46,000 people have lost their lives in Syria. Nearly 60,000 others are missing and presumed dead. Another estimate said that the total number of deaths in Syrian in the past seven years could be around 4,70,000.

Over 55 lakh Syrians have headed to Europe as refugee causing sharp divisions among the governments of European Union with regard to providing shelters and other humanitarian help. Another 60 lakh people are estimated to be internally displaced in Syria due to ongoing civil war.

Total population of Syria is 180 lakh. About 70 per cent population of Syria, as per UN estimates, is living under extreme poverty. Nearly 60 lakh people are facing acute shortage of food. In most of the active conflict regions, people facing severe drinking water crisis. They are reported to be spending upto one-fifth of their income on drinking water alone.

Ghouta, where most intense attack has been launched by Syria is practically under siege since 2013, when Bashar al-Assad allegedly used chemical weapons nearly 300 people. The number of deaths in the latest series of attacks is said to in hundreds in absence of authentic figures.

WATCH | The White Helmets shared the video on Twitter:

(The video is extremely distressing, viewer's discretion is advised.)

After six hours of work, @SyriaCivilDefe teams pulled two children out of the rubble, caused by brutal air raids targeting their home in #Duma city in #EastGhouta. #SaveGhouta #Syria 26 Feb pic.twitter.com/rJaFUIx7eO February 26, 2018



