On December 8th, Syrian rebel fighters captured the Syrian capital of Damascus, toppling the Assad regime that had held power since 1971. In response, President Bashar al-Assad resigned and fled to Russia.
There are three major factions that now control territory in Syria: Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the Syrian National Army (SNA), and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). HTS is an Islamist group primarily based in northwestern Syria, and it led the most recent offensive against the Assad regime. The SNA is a Turkish-backed group based in the north. The SDF are a primarily Kurdish militant group in the northeast, historically backed by the United States.
HTS has appointed a caretaker government to serve until March 2025.