Understanding the Syrian rebels is difficult, and I have prepared these lists as an indication of just how complex the situation is.
I hope that I will be able to write a little about the history and intricacies of the Syrian rebels soon.
These are the Western-recognized political opposition groups:
The Syrian National Council (SNC)
The National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces / The Syrian National Coalition (SOC)
These are the rebel command councils:
The Free Officers Movement
The Free Syrian Army (FSA)
The Higher Military Council / The Higher Revolutionary Council
The Syrian National Army
The Joint Command of the Revolutionary Military Councils
The Five Fronts Command
The Supreme Military Council / The Supreme Military Council Command (SMC)
This is a partial list of rebel groups and of rebel alliances:
Ahfad Abu Bakr al-Sadiq Battalion
Ahfad al-Rasul Brigade
Ahl al-Athar Battalions
Ahrar al-Sham Battalions
al-Furqan Brigades
al-Hamza bin Abdul-Mutallab Brigade
al-Haqq Brigade
al-Iman Combat Brigades / al-Iman Brigade
al-Kadih Homs Brigade
Ansar al-Islam
Ansar al-Sham Brigades
Ayman Battalion
Amr bin al-A’as Brigade
Damascus Military Council
Dara al-Thawra Brigade
Dawla al-Islam
Deir ez-Zour Revolutionary Council / Deir ez-Zour Military Council
Fajr al-Islam Brigade / Fajr al-Islam Battalion
Farouq al-Sham Battalion
Farouq Battalions / Farouq Brigades
Fursan al-Haq Battalion
Ghouta Commandos Brigade
Harakat Sham al-Islam
Harakat al-Fajr al-Islamiyya
Habib Moustafa Brigade
Homs Brigade
Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISI(S)) / Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
Idlib Military Council
Islam Brigade
Jabhat al-Akrad
Jabhat al-Nusrah / al-Nusrah
Jabhat Fatah al-‘Asima
Jabal al-Zawiya Martyrs Brigade
Jamaat al-Taliah al-Islamiyah
Jabhat al-Wahdet al-Tahrir al-Islamiyya
Jeish al-Tawheed
Jund Allah Battalion
Khalid bin Walid Brigade
Liwa al-Mujahideen
Liwa al-Haq
Liwa al-Islam
Liwa Dawoud
Mus‘ab bin Ameer Brigade
Mughaweer Battalion
Martyrs of Yarmouk Brigade
Moataz Billah brigade
Martyr Amjad al-Hameed Battalion
Mohammed ibn Abdullah Battalion
Nasr Brigade
Nasr Salahaddin Battalion
Qassioun Battalion
Qalamoun Martyrs Battalion
Quthayif al-Haq Brigade
Qalamoun Military Council
Qal‘at Homs Battalion
Rastan Free Officer’s movement
Rastan Military Council
Saraya al-Maham al-Khassa
Suqour Homs Battalion
Suqour al-Kurd Brigade
Suqour al-Islam
Syrian Martyrs Brigade / Shuhada Suriya Brigade
Suqour al-Sham Brigade
Suqour al-Azaz
Shield of the Revolution Brigade
Shaheed Ahmed Ouda Battalion
Shuhada Baba Amr Battalion
The Syrian Islamic Front (SIF)
The Syrian Liberation Front (SLF) / The Syrian Islamic Liberation Front (SILF)
Tawhid Brigade
Umma Brigade
Usra Brigade
Wadi Brigades
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