Please note the key figures displayed below reflect data from 2017 only. The current Syrian conflict has four major fault lines: 1) the Assad regime vs. the armed opposition; 2) armed opposition vs. the Islamic State; 3) the Assad regime vs. the Islamic State and; 4) Kurdish fighters vs. the Islamic State, Regime or armed opposition. Outside forces have joined the fray at both sides of each of these divides. However, many of these groups represent a conglomerate of disparate militias. Over 150 distinct militias were recorded in Syria in 2017, and these groups often fracture and subdivide. Each region in Syria has unique dynamics of violence and alliances. The data reveal a few key trends: 1) daily violence is extremely high; 2) the technology used sets the Syria conflict apart from any other conflicts; shelling and airstrikes are twice as common in Syria as in other conflict contexts; 3) battle-related and indiscriminate civilian casualties are most often a result of shelling, airstrikes and battle. Targeted or selective killing of civilians does happen but is less common than in other contexts.
Key Figures
Time Period: 2014-01-01 (ongoing)
Number of Events: 72,970
Reported Fatalities: 100,962
Reported Civilian Deaths from Direct Targeting: 34,269
Number of Armed Active Agents: 531
