<Table> <Tr> <Th colspan="4"> Syrian Civil War </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td colspan="4"> Part of the Arab Spring , the Arab Winter , the spillover of the Iraq conflict and the Iran -- Saudi Arabia proxy conflict </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td colspan="4"> Military situation in May 2018 : Syrian Arab Republic Syrian opposition Democratic Federation of Northern Syria Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant Tahrir al - Sham ( For a full list of combatants see order of battle ) ( For a more detailed , up - to - date , interactive map , see Template : Syrian Civil War detailed map ) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td colspan="4"> <Table> <Tr> <Th> Date </Th> <Td> 15 March 2011 ( 2011 - 03 - 15 ) -- present ( 7 years , 3 months and 4 days ) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Location </Th> <Td> Syria ( with spillovers in neighboring countries ) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Status </Th> <Td> Ongoing </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Territorial changes </Th> <Td> As of 4 May 2018 : the government held 60.2 % of Syrian territories ; ( SDF ) - held territory constituted 26.7 % ; 10.1 % was controlled by rebel groups ( including HTS ) and Turkey ; 3 % was held by ISIL </Td> </Tr> </Table> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th colspan="4"> Main belligerents </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Syrian Arab Republic <Ul> <Li> Pro-government armed groups </Li> </Ul> Hezbollah Iran Russia ( from 2015 ) Support : ( show ) <Ul> <Li> Iraq </Li> </Ul> </Td> <Td> Syrian opposition <Ul> <Li> Free Syrian Army </Li> </Ul> <P> Turkey ( from 2016 ) </P> <Ul> <Li> Turkish - backed armed groups </Li> </Ul> Support : ( show ) <Ul> <Li> United States ( 2011 -- 17 ) </Li> <Li> Saudi Arabia </Li> <Li> Qatar </Li> </Ul> <P> Syrian Liberation Front ( Ahrar al - Sham ) </P> <Ul> <Li> Islamic Front / SIF ( 2012 -- 15 ) </Li> </Ul> <P> Jaysh al - Islam </P> Support : ( show ) <Ul> <Li> Turkey </Li> <Li> Saudi Arabia </Li> <Li> Qatar </Li> </Ul> <P> Tahrir al - Sham </P> <Ul> <Li> Al - Nusra Front ( 2012 -- 17 ) </Li> <Li> Guardians of Religion Organization </Li> </Ul> </Td> <Td> Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant ( from 2013 ) Support : ( show ) <Ul> <Li> Saudi Arabia </Li> <Li> Al - Qaeda ( 2013 -- 14 ) </Li> </Ul> </Td> <Td> Democratic Federation of Northern Syria ( SDF ) ( from 2012 ) <Ul> <Li> YPG / YPJ </Li> <Li> Other armed groups </Li> </Ul> Support : ( show ) <Ul> <Li> United States ( from 2014 ) </Li> <Li> Russia ( 2015 -- 18 ) </Li> <Li> France ( from 2016 ) </Li> <Li> PKK </Li> <Li> PUK ( from 2013 ) </Li> <Li> KDP ( 2013 -- 15 ) </Li> </Ul> CJTF -- OIR ( from 2014 ) ( show ) <Ul> <Li> Current participants : Australia </Li> <Li> France </Li> <Li> Germany </Li> <Li> Jordan </Li> <Li> Netherlands </Li> <Li> Norway </Li> <Li> United Kingdom </Li> <Li> United States </Li> <Li> Withdrew in 2017 : Belgium </Li> <Li> Withdrew in 2016 : Bahrain </Li> <Li> Denmark </Li> <Li> Morocco </Li> <Li> Qatar </Li> <Li> Saudi Arabia </Li> <Li> UAE </Li> <Li> Withdrew in 2015 : Canada </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th colspan="4"> Commanders and leaders </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> <Ul> <Li> </Li> <Li> Bashar al - Assad ( President of Syria ) </Li> <Li> Ali Abdullah Ayyoub ( Minister of Defense ) </Li> <Li> Issam Hallaq ( Chief of Staff of the Air Force ) </Li> <Li> Suheil al - Hassan ( Commander of Tiger Forces ) </Li> <Li> Ali Mamlouk ( Director of the National Security Bureau ) </Li> <Li> Rafiq Shahadah ( Head of the Military Intelligence Directorate ) </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> Ali Khamenei ( Supreme Leader of Iran ) </Li> <Li> Qasem Soleimani ( Commander of Quds Force ) </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> Vladimir Putin ( President of Russia ) </Li> </Ul> Killed in action : ( show ) <Ul> <Li> </Li> <Li> Issam Zahreddine ( Major General of the Republican Guard ) </Li> <Li> Assef Shawkat ( Deputy Minister of Defense ) </Li> <Li> Dawoud Rajiha ( Minister of Defense ) </Li> <Li> Rustum Ghazaleh ( Head of Syrian National Intelligence ) </Li> <Li> Hilal al - Assad </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> Hossein Hamadani ( IRGC Major General ) </Li> <Li> Hassan Shateri ( Senior Commander of IRGC ) </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> Samir Kuntar ( Senior Commander of Hezbollah ) </Li> <Li> Mustafa Badreddine ( Military Leader of Hezbollah ) </Li> <Li> Mohamad Issa ( Hezbollah Chief of Operations in Syria ) </Li> <Li> Jihad Mughniyah ( Hezbollah Head
<Table> <Tr> <Th colspan="4"> Syrian Civil War </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td colspan="4"> Part of the Arab Spring , the Arab Winter , the spillover of the Iraq conflict and the Iran -- Saudi Arabia proxy conflict </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td colspan="4"> Military situation in May 2018 : Syrian Arab Republic Syrian opposition Democratic Federation of Northern Syria Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant Tahrir al - Sham ( For a full list of combatants see order of battle ) ( For a more detailed , up - to - date , interactive map , see Template : Syrian Civil War detailed map ) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td colspan="4"> <Table> <Tr> <Th> Date </Th> <Td> 15 March 2011 ( 2011 - 03 - 15 ) -- present ( 7 years , 3 months and 4 days ) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Location </Th> <Td> Syria ( with spillovers in neighboring countries ) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Status </Th> <Td> Ongoing </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Territorial changes </Th> <Td> As of 4 May 2018 : the government held 60.2 % of Syrian territories ; ( SDF ) - held territory constituted 26.7 % ; 10.1 % was controlled by rebel groups ( including HTS ) and Turkey ; 3 % was held by ISIL </Td> </Tr> </Table> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th colspan="4"> Main belligerents </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Syrian Arab Republic <Ul> <Li> Pro-government armed groups </Li> </Ul> Hezbollah Iran Russia ( from 2015 ) Support : ( show ) <Ul> <Li> Iraq </Li> </Ul> </Td> <Td> Syrian opposition <Ul> <Li> Free Syrian Army </Li> </Ul> <P> Turkey ( from 2016 ) </P> <Ul> <Li> Turkish - backed armed groups </Li> </Ul> Support : ( show ) <Ul> <Li> United States ( 2011 -- 17 ) </Li> <Li> Saudi Arabia </Li> <Li> Qatar </Li> </Ul> <P> Syrian Liberation Front ( Ahrar al - Sham ) </P> <Ul> <Li> Islamic Front / SIF ( 2012 -- 15 ) </Li> </Ul> <P> Jaysh al - Islam </P> Support : ( show ) <Ul> <Li> Turkey </Li> <Li> Saudi Arabia </Li> <Li> Qatar </Li> </Ul> <P> Tahrir al - Sham </P> <Ul> <Li> Al - Nusra Front ( 2012 -- 17 ) </Li> <Li> Guardians of Religion Organization </Li> </Ul> </Td> <Td> Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant ( from 2013 ) Support : ( show ) <Ul> <Li> Saudi Arabia </Li> <Li> Al - Qaeda ( 2013 -- 14 ) </Li> </Ul> </Td> <Td> Democratic Federation of Northern Syria ( SDF ) ( from 2012 ) <Ul> <Li> YPG / YPJ </Li> <Li> Other armed groups </Li> </Ul> Support : ( show ) <Ul> <Li> United States ( from 2014 ) </Li> <Li> Russia ( 2015 -- 18 ) </Li> <Li> France ( from 2016 ) </Li> <Li> PKK </Li> <Li> PUK ( from 2013 ) </Li> <Li> KDP ( 2013 -- 15 ) </Li> </Ul> CJTF -- OIR ( from 2014 ) ( show ) <Ul> <Li> Current participants : Australia </Li> <Li> France </Li> <Li> Germany </Li> <Li> Jordan </Li> <Li> Netherlands </Li> <Li> Norway </Li> <Li> United Kingdom </Li> <Li> United States </Li> <Li> Withdrew in 2017 : Belgium </Li> <Li> Withdrew in 2016 : Bahrain </Li> <Li> Denmark </Li> <Li> Morocco </Li> <Li> Qatar </Li> <Li> Saudi Arabia </Li> <Li> UAE </Li> <Li> Withdrew in 2015 : Canada </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th colspan="4"> Commanders and leaders </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> <Ul> <Li> </Li> <Li> Bashar al - Assad ( President of Syria ) </Li> <Li> Ali Abdullah Ayyoub ( Minister of Defense ) </Li> <Li> Issam Hallaq ( Chief of Staff of the Air Force ) </Li> <Li> Suheil al - Hassan ( Commander of Tiger Forces ) </Li> <Li> Ali Mamlouk ( Director of the National Security Bureau ) </Li> <Li> Rafiq Shahadah ( Head of the Military Intelligence Directorate ) </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> Ali Khamenei ( Supreme Leader of Iran ) </Li> <Li> Qasem Soleimani ( Commander of Quds Force ) </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> Vladimir Putin ( President of Russia ) </Li> </Ul> Killed in action : ( show ) <Ul> <Li> </Li> <Li> Issam Zahreddine ( Major General of the Republican Guard ) </Li> <Li> Assef Shawkat ( Deputy Minister of Defense ) </Li> <Li> Dawoud Rajiha ( Minister of Defense ) </Li> <Li> Rustum Ghazaleh ( Head of Syrian National Intelligence ) </Li> <Li> Hilal al - Assad </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> Hossein Hamadani ( IRGC Major General ) </Li> <Li> Hassan Shateri ( Senior Commander of IRGC ) </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> Samir Kuntar ( Senior Commander of Hezbollah ) </Li> <Li> Mustafa Badreddine ( Military Leader of Hezbollah ) </Li> <Li> Mohamad Issa ( Hezbollah Chief of Operations in Syria ) </Li> <Li> Jihad Mughniyah ( Hezbollah Head
when did the current war in syria start
when did the current war in syria start
15 March 2011 ( 2011 - 03 - 15 )
15 March 2011 ( 2011 - 03 - 15 )