As fighting intensifies in Aleppo, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighters have refused to withdraw under a ceasefire agreement, reigniting clashes. Violence has displaced at least 162,000 people from the Ashrafieh and Sheikh Maqsoud neighbourhoods and killed at least 22 people, including civilians, since clashes flared on Tuesday. The Himalayan Post explains who is fighting whom, and on whose behalf.
Fourteen years after Syria’s uprising began, the country remains fractured into rival zones of control, making it one of the world’s most complex and crowded battlefields.
Syria’s conflict began in 2011 when peaceful protests against President Bashar al‑Assad erupted during the Arab Spring. The government’s violent response transformed demonstrations into an armed revolt. Over time, the uprising splintered into multiple fronts, extremist groups emerged, foreign powers intervened, and state authority steadily eroded across large parts of the country.
Today, when media refers to the Syrian government, it often means a transitional authority formed by opposition forces operating from Damascus under the leadership of transitional president Ahmed al‑Sharaa.
The deployment of army tanks in Aleppo reflects the aim of asserting control over contested areas. Although government forces regained most of the city in 2016, pockets of influence have remained disputed, particularly in Kurdish-held neighbourhoods.
The collapse of the ceasefire shows how fragile arrangements remain, with transitional authority overlapping with rival armed forces. Those rivals include the SDF, a US-supported alliance dominated by Kurdish fighters from the People’s Protection Units (YPG). The SDF controls much of northeastern Syria and parts of Aleppo’s outskirts. It rose to prominence as the most effective ground force against ISIS and continues to receive limited, tactical American support.
The SDF does not seek to overthrow the transitional government or declare an independent Kurdish state. Its stated goal is autonomy within Syria, with local self-administration and security guarantees. However, this ambition puts it on a collision course with Damascus, which rejects decentralisation, and Turkey, which considers the group a national security threat.
Turkey views the YPG as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which has waged a decades-long insurgency inside Turkey. Even as the PKK has recently moved toward disarmament, Ankara insists Kurdish armed groups must not entrench themselves along its southern border. Turkey has repeatedly intervened inside Syria, backing local militias and carving out buffer zones as acts of self-defense.
This fragmentation explains why ceasefires across Syria rarely hold. They are tactical pauses rather than political solutions, negotiated to manage immediate violence rather than resolve the underlying conflict. With no comprehensive settlement, every agreement remains vulnerable to collapse as rival forces test boundaries and external powers pursue competing interests.
Separately, Abu Mohammad al‑Jolani leads Hayat Tahrir al‑Sham (HTS), an Islamist group that originated from al-Qaeda’s Syrian branch but later formally severed ties, rebranding itself as a local governing authority. HTS maintains its presence largely for strategic and territorial reasons.
The fighting in Aleppo is not a return to the early days of the war, but a reminder of what Syria has become: a country where sovereignty is divided, alliances shift, and multiple wars unfold simultaneously on the same ground. In that reality, peace remains provisional, and every ceasefire is only as strong as the interests it temporarily serves.
Who’s Who in Syria’s Current Conflict
Ahmed al‑Sharaa – Transitional President of Syria, leading the opposition-formed government operating from Damascus. Oversees efforts to establish governance and maintain stability following the collapse of Assad’s central authority.
Some remnants of Assad-loyal forces exist, but they don’t represent national control.
Abu Mohammad al‑Jolani – Leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an Islamist group that originated from al-Qaeda’s Syrian branch. HTS now functions as a local governing authority, maintaining its presence for strategic and territorial reasons.
Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) – A Kurdish-led military alliance controlling much of northeastern Syria and parts of Aleppo. Emerged as the main force against ISIS. Receives limited tactical support from the US. Seeks autonomy and local self-administration within Syria.
People’s Protection Units (YPG) – The main Kurdish fighting force in Syria, forming the backbone of the SDF. Turkey views them as linked to the PKK and a national security threat.
Turkey – Conducts military operations inside Syria to counter Kurdish groups near its border. Supports local militias and creates buffer zones for national security reasons.
Russia & Iran – External powers supporting Syria’s transitional government and influencing battlefield decisions. Play key roles in diplomacy, military strategy, and maintaining balance among rival forces.
ISIS / Extremist Remnants – Though largely defeated, pockets of extremist groups remain active, posing ongoing security threats across northeastern and central Syria.