As time went on, some Salafi groups, including al-Qaeda linked al-Nusra Front, attempted to benefit from the current chaotic atmosphere. Supported by Gulf States, they became part of the war. Affiliated with al-Qaeda, these groups are not in favor of democracy, but a regime based on their controversial interpretation of Islam.
Groups opposing the Syrian regime
The Free Syrian Army (FSA): The FSA was established under the leadership of Commander Riad al-Asaad on July 29, 2011. It operates under the Syrian National Council (SNC). The members of the FSA are mainly composed of the military officers who left the Syrian State Army under al-Assad. The official number of its members is not known. According to the FSA's website, the army has 40,000 soldiers.
Al-Nusra Front: Al-Nusra Front emerged as an opposition group against the Syrian regime at the end of 2011 and came to the fore following a bombing attack against the Syrian General Staff 's building and Military Officers' Club at Aleppo. It operates in the northern parts of Syria, was placed on the blacklist by the U.N. Security Council and declared as a terrorist organization by the U.S. in Dec. 2012.
ISIL: ISIL was founded in 2006 under Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in Iraq and has been active in Syria for almost two years. ISIL comprises both Syrians and foreign fighters. ISIL has fought to gain control over Syria's petroleum resources and controls the oil-rich region of al-Raqqah.
ISIL broke ties with al-Qaeda in June 2013 for a variety of reasons. First, ISIL attempted to order other opposition groups to follow its orders. Additionally, the group declared the FSA an enemy and was at odds with the official al-Qaeda affiliate, the al-Nusra Front.
Instead of fighting against al-Assad's forces, ISIL turned its attention to other opposition groups. The group penetrated into Aleppo's Azzez district close to Turkey and advanced toward Bab al-Salam border region, where it was repelled by the Syrian Islamic Front.
The Syrian Islamic Front: The Syrian Islamic Front is currently active in Aleppo, Homs, al-Kuseyr and Deir al-Zor, along with the rural areas of Damascus. It comprises of numerous groups previously operating independently
of one another.