Role of Non-State Actors in Syrian Conflict: An Analysis

Abstract

The Syrian uprising that began in 2011 led to the protest against Bashar al-Assad’s regime due to the arrest of children in Daraa area. Through the growth of the violent response of the government, civil war continued for a long time because of sectarian complications and the participation of various contingents. Hezbollah was a game changer to the conflict because it supplied the military support to Assad for Syria that was important to its interests. 2013 saw an escalation of the war during the Battle of al-Qusayr as well as problems with coalition warfare being voiced. At the same time, Camp Bucca in Iraq was a home to future ISIS leaders like Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who declared jihadis’ caliphate in July 2014 leading to extreme inter jihadist competition. The emergence of such processes indicated that local and regional war and conflicts intersect, requiring single diverse approaches to counter violent extremism in the Middle Eastern countries.