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Context:

More than 1,000 people died due to intense clashes and revenge killings between anti-government groups and security forces in Syria.

Background

Anti-government groups are fighting against security forces and groups loyal to the exiled leader, Bashar al-Assad.

The main anti-government group that has come to power is Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which is a node of al-Qaeda.

Bashar al-Assad belongs to the Alawite community, a Shia sect of Islam. Under Assad, Alawites, although a minority, dominated government positions, and they remained loyal to him.

Other Syrian minorities like Christians and the Druze are also concerned about potential persecution under the new hardline Sunni regime led by HTS.

Why has Syria been in a civil war?

Syria was under the control of Hafez al-Assad, Bashar's father, from 1971. Many considered him a dictator.

Bashar took over in 2000 after his father's death. In 2011, during the Arab Spring, which saw the fall of dictators in West Asia, protests against Assad started.

Initially, Peaceful protests were organised against price increases and unemployment, however, they faced harsh crackdown. With time, the situation resulted in the rise of armed civil war.

The conflict was complicated by the involvement of multiple foreign powers, including the US, Israel, Turkey, Iran, and Russia, who backed different armed groups.

Following Assad's removal in December 2024, Israel bombed Syria to prevent advanced weapons from falling into the wrong hands. Russia maintains a military base in Hmeimim, located in the Latakia region.       

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Source: 

INDIAN EXPRESS