2012–2013 escalation of the Syrian Civil War
Part of the Syrian Civil War
Bombed out vehicles Aleppo.jpg
For a war map of the current situation, see here.
Date21 April 2012 (2012-04-21)– 31 December 2013 (2013-12-31)
(1 year, 8 months, 1 week and 3 days)
Location
Syrian territories, with minor spillovers in neighboring countries
ResultIndecisive
Belligerents

SyriaBa'athist Syria:

  • Syrian Armed Forces
  • National Defense Force
    • Shabiha
    • Jaysh al-Sha'bi
  • Al-Abbas brigade

 Iran

  • Revolutionary Guards

Allied armed groups:

  • Hezbollah
  • PFLP–GC
  • Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq

 Syrian opposition

  • Free Syrian Army
  • Islamic Front (SIF & SILF)
  • Ahfad al-Rasul Brigades
Supported by:
  •  Qatar
  •  Saudi Arabia
  •  Turkey
  •  United States

Al-Qaeda

  • Al-Nusra Front
  •  Islamic State

Rojava
(DBK & TEV-DEM)

  • People's Protection Units (YPG)
  • Women's Protection Units (YPJ)
  • Asayish
  • Syriac Military Council (MFS)
  • Sutoro

Allied armed groups:

  • Kurdish Front
  • Army of Dignity
  • PKK
Supported by:
 Iraqi Kurdistan
Commanders and leaders

SyriaBashar al-Assad
(Commander in Chief)
SyriaMaher al-Assad (WIA)
SyriaFahd Jassem al-Freij
SyriaDawoud Rajiha 
SyriaAssef Shawkat 
SyriaAli Abdullah Ayyoub
SyriaIssam Hallaq
SyriaGhassan Ismail

SyriaMohammad al-Shaar (WIA)

Syrian oppositionFree Syrian Army

  • Salim Idris
  • Mustafa al-Sheikh
  • Riad al-Asaad (WIA)

Syrian oppositionZiad Haj Obaid


Islamic Front

  • Ahmed Issa al-Sheikh (Suqour al-Sham)
  • Zahran Alloush (Jaysh al-Islam)
  • Hassan Aboud (Ahrar al-Sham)
  • Abdul Qader Saleh (al-Tawhid Brigade)

Al-Qaeda

  • Abu Mohammad al-Julani (WIA)
  • Islamic State of Iraq and the LevantAbu Bakr al-Baghdadi

Autonomous Administration of North and East SyriaSalih Muslim Muhammad
Autonomous Administration of North and East SyriaSîpan Hemo (YPG)
Alaa Ajabu (Kurdish Front)

Humaydi Daham al-Hadi (Army of Dignity)
Strength

Syrian Armed Forces: 178,000(by Aug 2013)
General Security Directorate: 8,000
Shabiha: 10,000 fighters
National Defense Force: 60,000 soldiers
Jaysh al-Sha'bi: 50,000 fighters
al-Abbas brigade: 10,000 fighters
Hezbollah: 3,000–5,000 fighters
Iran: 150–1,500 IRGC

Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq: 1,000 fighters

Free Syrian Army: 40,000 – 50,000 Islamic Front: 45,000 – 60,000
Ahfad al-Rasul Brigades: 7,000–9,000


Al-Nusra Front: 5,000–7,000

Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant: 3,000–5,000
People's Protection Units (YPG): 15,000 – 35,000
Casualties and losses

Syrian government15,000–31,174 soldiers and policemen killed
19,256 militiamen killed
1,000 government officials killed
5,000 soldiers and militiamen captured
Hezbollah
232–250 killed
Other non-Syrian Shiite fighters
265 killed

  • Iranian IRGC
    16 killed

27,746–50,930 fighters killed 979 protesters killed

16,000–46,601 opposition fighters and supporters captured
265+ fighters killed
120,000killed overall (September 2013 French estimate)

91,875–125,835deaths documented by opposition groups December 2013**
165,835killed overall (December 2013 SOHR estimate)
760–1,806foreign civilians killed


Iraq16 Iraqi soldiers killed
Lebanon5 Lebanese soldiers killed
Turkey3 Turkish servicemen killed
Jordan1 Jordanian soldier killed


4.5 million (UN, Sep 2013) – 5.1 million (iDMC, Sep 2013) internally displaced
3,000,000 refugees (by November 2013)

130,000 missing or detained

aAlso part of the FSA, but opposes ISIL & al-Nusra.
bThe al-Nusra Front and ISIL cooperated with various other rebel groups during this time, while fighting other groups.
cNumber possibly higher due to the opposition counting rebels that were not defectors as civilians.

dNumber includes foreign fighters from both sides, as well as foreign civilians