Since the Syrian uprising began in March 2011, several Islamist and jihadist groups have entered the fray. The Islamist groups range from relatively moderate factions aimed at establishing Sharia law in Syria, to extremist al Qaeda-linked groups.

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The information in the graphic below has been collected and cross-checked with activists, fighters and rebel leaders in the field. The proliferation of rebel factions, including Islamist or jihadist groups, makes it difficult to compile an exhaustive account of the conflict. Salafist-leaning groups – which are cooperating with al Qaeda-allied factions such as the al-Nusra Front and the ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) – are now united in their rejection of any political solution to the Syrian conflict that would include President Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

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