Demonstrations in Daraa and other cities demand political change. Arrests and lethal repression fuel a widening uprising against Bashar al-Assad.

Defections and armed resistance expand. The uprising increasingly becomes a conflict involving government forces and a fragmented opposition.

Battles reach Damascus and Aleppo. Territorial fragmentation, civilian displacement, and destruction deepen as the conflict becomes a nationwide civil war.

A major chemical attack kills civilians near Damascus. International pressure leads to an agreement to dismantle Syria’s declared chemical-weapons arsenal.

Islamic State, also known as ISIS or Daesh, controls extensive territory in Syria and Iraq, adding another major front to the conflict.

A US-led coalition launches airstrikes against Islamic State in Syria. Counter-ISIS operations become a central component of international involvement.

Russia deploys air power in support of the government. Its intervention helps reverse opposition gains and changes the military balance.

Turkish forces and allied Syrian groups intervene against Islamic State and to limit Kurdish territorial expansion along the border.

Government forces and their allies defeat opposition forces in eastern Aleppo after prolonged siege and bombardment, marking a major turning point.

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, backed by the US-led coalition, capture Raqqa from Islamic State. The group’s territorial control contracts.

Türkiye and allied Syrian forces capture Afrin from Kurdish forces, expanding Turkish influence in the northwest and displacing residents.

Government offensives restore control over Eastern Ghouta and much of southern Syria. Opposition control becomes increasingly concentrated in the northwest.

Syrian Democratic Forces capture Baghouz. Islamic State’s territorial project collapses, although the organization continues operating as an insurgency.

Turkish forces and allied groups attack Kurdish-led forces after a US withdrawal from some border positions. New ceasefire arrangements reshape territorial control.

An agreement reduces fighting after a major government offensive in the northwest. Most front lines subsequently remain broadly stable for several years.

Arab states readmit Syria after years of suspension, advancing Assad’s regional diplomatic rehabilitation without resolving the country’s internal crisis.

An offensive led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and allied groups advances through major cities, exposing the rapid collapse of Assad’s military position.

Bashar al-Assad flees Syria as opposition forces capture Damascus. His government collapses, opening a new and contested political transition.

Israel strikes military assets and deploys forces into the separation zone near the occupied Golan Heights. Its actions add another challenge to the transition.

Ahmed al-Sharaa is appointed president for the transitional period. The new authorities begin reorganizing political institutions and armed forces.

Clashes involving former regime-linked fighters and government forces are followed by mass violence against civilians, particularly Alawites, intensifying demands for accountability.

Al-Sharaa and SDF commander Mazloum Abdi agree on a framework for integrating northeastern institutions into the state. Implementation subsequently encounters obstacles.

A constitutional declaration establishes the transitional framework. The concentration of presidential authority and protections for different communities remain debated.

Fighting involving Druze groups, Bedouin groups, and government forces causes civilian deaths and displacement. Israeli intervention further complicates the crisis.

Western and regional governments increase engagement with the new authorities and ease sanctions. Reconstruction remains constrained by insecurity and economic devastation.

Government forces expand their control during fighting with the SDF. A renewed ceasefire and integration agreement establishes further steps toward incorporating Kurdish-held areas.

Armed-group integration, Kurdish arrangements, minority protection, and institutional reform remain contested. Islamic State activity continues to pose a security threat.

Foreign investors explore reconstruction and tourism projects. Damaged infrastructure, uneven security, and unresolved governance questions continue to complicate recovery.