🕷️ Crawler Inspector

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Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 115 (from laksa124)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa115.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.usip.org/syria-timeline-uprising-against-assad\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.usip.org/syria-timeline-uprising-against-assad\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/www.usip.org\/syria-timeline-uprising-against-assad","crawl_time":1764240158,"first_indexed_time":1604692668,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"org,usip!www,\/syria-timeline-uprising-against-assad s443","src_root_hash":"4367961689013780315","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"Syria Timeline: Since the Uprising Against Assad | United States Institute of Peace","meta_descriptions":["Protests during the 2011 Arab uprisings triggered one of the deadliest wars of the early 21st century. It produced one of the gravest humanitarian crises, as hundreds of thousands were killed, millions fled their homes, and more than half the population relied on aid for daily sustenance."],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"The first phase was ignited by protests in early 2011. Inspired by the Arab Spring uprisings across the Middle East, Syrian  adolescents  in southern Daraa scrawled anti-regime graffiti on public walls. They were arrested, held for days and tortured, in turn prompting local demonstrations that called for their release. Peaceful protests rapidly spread across Syria as the focus shifted to the regime of President Bashar Assad. As the marches gained momentum, the regime unleashed its military firepower. The second phase witnessed the onset of an armed insurgency and Syria’s descent into  full-scale civil war . By 2012, an array of poorly organized opposition groups had formed rebel brigades—many armed by foreign patrons—that seized key cities in the north, including parts of Aleppo, Syria’s largest city. As the government lost territory in 2013, Lebanon’s Hezbollah openly deployed its fighters and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) dispatched military advisors to prop up the Assad government.  The third phase was marked by the rise of ISIS and other hardline Islamist groups that tapped local sympathizers as well as foreign fighters. In 2014, the creation of the Islamic State caliphate—which claimed roughly a third of Syrian territory, with Raqqa as its capital—generated a different set of flash points and frontlines. It was, basically, a different war. It also prompted direct U.S. military intervention. Meanwhile, moderate rebel groups fighting the government were increasingly eclipsed by extremist factions. The fourth phase, in 2015 and 2016, featured growing Russian military intervention, especially airpower, against moderate rebel factions. Russia deployed some of its most sophisticated weaponry and air defense systems. The roles of Hezbollah and Iran deepened too. During the fifth phase, the Assad regime retook territory and consolidated its control over most of the country. By the end of 2016, it had retaken major cities, including Aleppo, as well as areas across Syria’s strategic western spine. In 2017, it knit together patches of the countryside to cement the restoration of government power. By mid-2018, it also recaptured strategic suburbs surrounding Damascus for the first time in five years. It then turned its sights further south to Daraa, the birthplace of the uprising. It seized the city as well as most of southwest Syria by the summer of 2018. Each of these phases featured failed efforts at diplomacy, initially led by the United Nations and backed by the United States. But the negotiations, in Geneva, repeatedly deadlocked. In 2017, Russia launched a separate initiative, with Iran and Turkey as partners, that included negotiations in Astana, the Kazakh capital, and Sochi in Russia. Erupting in the heart of the Levant, Syria’s war had a rippling impact throughout the Middle East; it also reverberated deep into Europe. It sparked the largest humanitarian crisis since the end of World War II (only surpassed in 2018 by Yemen’s war). Millions of refugees poured into Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon and even Iraq and Egypt as well as several European countries, where the refugee crisis redefined the political landscape. At home, more than half of Syria’s population was displaced and dependent on humanitarian aid for daily subsistence. Destruction—of homes, schools, businesses, hospitals, roads and infrastructure—was estimated in the hundreds of billions of dollars. The multiple layers of Syria’s war reflect broader trends in the Middle East—and potentially future conflicts. They include: The rise of a new generation of jihadists who have espoused a more virulent Salafi-jihadist ideology and focused on seizing territory and creating their own states. Battlefield tactics that transgressed the modern norms of armed conflict, especially the indiscriminate bombing of civilians and the repeated use of chemical weapons. One chemical weapon attack by the Syrian government, in August 2013,  killed  more than 1,000 civilians. The government has  used  various chemical weapons—from sarin, a toxic nerve agent banned by international law, to chlorine, a dual-use chemical—at least 50 times, according to U.S. government sources. The leveraging of emerging technologies—including drones, encryption and social media, and electronic warfare—across virtual and real battle spaces. Massive civilian displacement and humanitarian need that overwhelmed the international assistance infrastructure and imperiled neighboring countries that tried to host refugees. Originally posted February 2019. Updated January 2021.","attrs_markdown":"[Skip to main content](https:\/\/www.usip.org\/syria-timeline-uprising-against-assad#main-content)\n\n[Menu](https:\/\/www.usip.org\/syria-timeline-uprising-against-assad)\n\n# [United States Institute of Peace](https:\/\/www.usip.org\/)\n- [About USIP](https:\/\/www.usip.org\/about) *\/*\n- [Countries & Regions](https:\/\/www.usip.org\/regions-countries) *\/*\n- [Research & Analysis](https:\/\/www.usip.org\/research-analysis) *\/*\n- [Gandhi-King Global Academy](https:\/\/www.usip.org\/academy\/gandhi-king-global-academy)\n\nSearch\n\n[Close](https:\/\/www.usip.org\/syria-timeline-uprising-against-assad)\n\n# [United States Institute of Peace](https:\/\/www.usip.org\/)\n\n[About USIP](https:\/\/www.usip.org\/about) [Countries & Regions](https:\/\/www.usip.org\/regions-countries) [Research & Analysis](https:\/\/www.usip.org\/research-analysis) [Gandhi-King Global Academy](https:\/\/www.usip.org\/academy\/gandhi-king-global-academy)  [Connect](https:\/\/www.usip.org\/connect)   [Press](https:\/\/www.usip.org\/press)   [Projects](https:\/\/www.usip.org\/projects)   [The Olive Branch Blog](https:\/\/www.usip.org\/blog)\n\n## We provide analysis, education, and resources to those working for peace around the world.\n[More About USIP](https:\/\/www.usip.org\/about)\n\n# [United States Institute of Peace](https:\/\/www.usip.org\/)\nClose\n\nSearch for experts, projects, publications, courses, and more.\n\n## There are no contents that meet the filtering criteria.\n\n[Home](https:\/\/www.usip.org\/) ▶ [Research & Analysis](https:\/\/www.usip.org\/research-analysis)\n\n# Syria Timeline: Since the Uprising Against Assad\nFriday, January 1, 2021 *\/*\n\n**By:**  Mona Yacoubian\n\n**Publication Type:** [Analysis](https:\/\/www.usip.org\/research-analysis?publication_type%5B0%5D=12#filters)\n\n[Share This](https:\/\/www.addtoany.com\/share#url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.usip.org%2Fsyria-timeline-uprising-against-assad&title=Syria%20Timeline%3A%20Since%20the%20Uprising%20Against%20Assad)\n\n[Print the Page](https:\/\/www.usip.org\/syria-timeline-uprising-against-assad)\n\nSyria’s war has been the most complex conflict to emerge from the 2011 Arab uprisings. At least twice—in the spring of 2013 and in mid-2015—the Assad regime almost collapsed. Its comeback is attributable largely to outside players. The war has evolved through five phases that, along the way, have embroiled foreign figures and militias (often on different sides) from dozens of countries, regional governments, and global powers.\n\nThe first phase was ignited by protests in early 2011.Inspired by the Arab Spring uprisings across the Middle East, Syrian [adolescents](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2018\/03\/15\/middleeast\/daraa-syria-seven-years-on-intl\/index.html) in southern Daraa scrawled anti-regime graffiti on public walls. They were arrested, held for days and tortured, in turn prompting local demonstrations that called for their release. Peaceful protests rapidly spread across Syria as the focus shifted to the regime of President Bashar Assad. As the marches gained momentum, the regime unleashed its military firepower.\n\nThe second phase witnessed the onset of an armed insurgency and Syria’s descent into [full-scale civil war](https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/article\/us-syria-crisis-un-idUSBRE85B11V20120612). By 2012, an array of poorly organized opposition groups had formed rebel brigades—many armed by foreign patrons—that seized key cities in the north, including parts of Aleppo, Syria’s largest city. As the government lost territory in 2013, Lebanon’s Hezbollah openly deployed its fighters and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) dispatched military advisors to prop up the Assad government.\n\nThe third phase was marked by the rise of ISIS and other hardline Islamist groups that tapped local sympathizers as well as foreign fighters. In 2014, the creation of the Islamic State caliphate—which claimed roughly a third of Syrian territory, with Raqqa as its capital—generated a different set of flash points and frontlines. It was, basically, a different war. It also prompted direct U.S. military intervention. Meanwhile, moderate rebel groups fighting the government were increasingly eclipsed by extremist factions.\n\nThe fourth phase, in 2015 and 2016, featured growing Russian military intervention, especially airpower, against moderate rebel factions. Russia deployed some of its most sophisticated weaponry and air defense systems. The roles of Hezbollah and Iran deepened too.\n\nDuring the fifth phase, the Assad regime retook territory and consolidated its control over most of the country. By the end of 2016, it had retaken major cities, including Aleppo, as well as areas across Syria’s strategic western spine. In 2017, it knit together patches of the countryside to cement the restoration of government power. By mid-2018, it also recaptured strategic suburbs surrounding Damascus for the first time in five years. It then turned its sights further south to Daraa, the birthplace of the uprising. It seized the city as well as most of southwest Syria by the summer of 2018.\n\nEach of these phases featured failed efforts at diplomacy, initially led by the United Nations and backed by the United States. But the negotiations, in Geneva, repeatedly deadlocked. In 2017, Russia launched a separate initiative, with Iran and Turkey as partners, that included negotiations in Astana, the Kazakh capital, and Sochi in Russia.\n\nErupting in the heart of the Levant, Syria’s war had a rippling impact throughout the Middle East; it also reverberated deep into Europe. It sparked the largest humanitarian crisis since the end of World War II (only surpassed in 2018 by Yemen’s war). Millions of refugees poured into Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon and even Iraq and Egypt as well as several European countries, where the refugee crisis redefined the political landscape. At home, more than half of Syria’s population was displaced and dependent on humanitarian aid for daily subsistence. Destruction—of homes, schools, businesses, hospitals, roads and infrastructure—was estimated in the hundreds of billions of dollars.\n\nThe multiple layers of Syria’s war reflect broader trends in the Middle East—and potentially future conflicts. They include:\n\n- The rise of a new generation of jihadists who have espoused a more virulent Salafi-jihadist ideology and focused on seizing territory and creating their own states.\n- Battlefield tactics that transgressed the modern norms of armed conflict, especially the indiscriminate bombing of civilians and the repeated use of chemical weapons. One chemical weapon attack by the Syrian government, in August 2013, [killed](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-middle-east-23927399) more than 1,000 civilians. The government has [used](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2018\/04\/13\/world\/middleeast\/un-syria-haley-chemical-weapons.html) various chemical weapons—from sarin, a toxic nerve agent banned by international law, to chlorine, a dual-use chemical—at least 50 times, according to U.S. government sources.\n- The leveraging of emerging technologies—including drones, encryption and social media, and electronic warfare—across virtual and real battle spaces.\n- Massive civilian displacement and humanitarian need that overwhelmed the international assistance infrastructure and imperiled neighboring countries that tried to host refugees.\n\n*Originally posted February 2019. Updated January 2021.*\n\n*This timeline was assembled with the help of graphic research by Lindsay Jodoin and editorial research by Garrett Nada, Sarah Timreck, Lindsay Jodoin and Joud Monla-Hassan.*\n***\n\n### Countries\n[![Syria Flag](https:\/\/www.usip.org\/sites\/default\/files\/2016-12\/syria.svg) Syria](https:\/\/www.usip.org\/regions\/middle-east-and-north-africa\/syria)\n\n## Related Research & Analysis\n[![Sectarian Violence Threatens Syria’s Shaky Transition ](https:\/\/www.usip.org\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/summary_image\/public\/2025-03\/20250310_syria-clashes_nyt_ac.jpg?itok=V8n2Te8s)](https:\/\/www.usip.org\/publications\/2025\/03\/sectarian-violence-threatens-syrias-shaky-transition)\n\n### [Sectarian Violence Threatens Syria’s Shaky Transition](https:\/\/www.usip.org\/publications\/2025\/03\/sectarian-violence-threatens-syrias-shaky-transition)\nMonday, March 10, 2025\n\n**By:**  Mona Yacoubian\n\nSyria is witnessing the most significant sectarian violence since the fall of the Assad regime on December 8, 2024. Unverified estimates put the death toll over 1,000, with civilians comprising the vast majority of those killed. Clashes have largely been centered in Alawite strongholds along Syria’s Mediterranean coast, from the city of Tartus north to Latakia. The violence prompted large-scale protests in Damascus and other cities, while many anxious Alawite families have fled their homes along the coast. Syria’s interim president, Ahmed al-Shara, has called for “civil peace” and announced the launching of an independent committee to investigate the killings.\n\n**Type:**  [Question and Answer](https:\/\/www.usip.org\/research-analysis?publication_type%5B0%5D=19171#filters)\n\n### [The Current Situation in Syria](https:\/\/www.usip.org\/publications\/2025\/02\/current-situation-syria)\nMonday, February 10, 2025\n\nThe collapse of the Assad regime on December 8, 2024, is a watershed moment for Syria, marked by significant opportunities as well as several potential challenges. The end of more than 50 years of Assad family rule could open the way for a new, more inclusive Syria. Yet, the country must contend with the aftermath of nearly 14 years of brutal conflict where it is estimated that least 500,000 people were killed and more than 13 million forcibly displaced.\n\n**Type:**  [Fact Sheet](https:\/\/www.usip.org\/research-analysis?publication_type%5B0%5D=6#filters)\n\n[![The Current Situation: Israel, The Palestinian Territories, Egypt and the Levant](https:\/\/www.usip.org\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/summary_image\/public\/2025-03\/the-current-situation-in-israel-the-palestinian-territories-egypt-and-the-levant-cover.jpg?itok=SBUIaiMB)](https:\/\/www.usip.org\/publications\/2025\/02\/current-situation-israel-palestinian-territories-egypt-and-levant)\n\n### [The Current Situation: Israel, The Palestinian Territories, Egypt and the Levant](https:\/\/www.usip.org\/publications\/2025\/02\/current-situation-israel-palestinian-territories-egypt-and-levant)\nMonday, February 10, 2025\n\nFor over seven decades, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict — and its broader regional reverberations — has shaped Middle East politics and impacted U.S. interests in the region. Hamas’ unprecedented terror attack on October 7, 2023, the Israeli military response in Gaza and the implications for neighboring Jordan and Egypt — as well as seismic ripples in Lebanon and Syria — have sparked a new phase in the conflict’s and the region’s trajectory.\n\n**Type:**  [Fact Sheet](https:\/\/www.usip.org\/research-analysis?publication_type%5B0%5D=6#filters)\n\n[![After Assad’s Fall, Jordan Deals with New Dilemmas](https:\/\/www.usip.org\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/summary_image\/public\/2025-01\/20250113_refugees-transformation-11_nyt_ac.jpg?itok=OruWrAhd)](https:\/\/www.usip.org\/publications\/2025\/01\/after-assads-fall-jordan-deals-new-dilemmas)\n\n### [After Assad’s Fall, Jordan Deals with New Dilemmas](https:\/\/www.usip.org\/publications\/2025\/01\/after-assads-fall-jordan-deals-new-dilemmas)\nMonday, January 13, 2025\n\n**By:**  Farah Bdour\n\nThe collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime has marked a turning point in Syrian-Jordanian relations. For Jordan, Assad’s fall removes a regime that destabilized the country through smuggling networks and alliances with Iran. However, it also ushers in a new era of uncertainty, with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a terrorist group with Islamic Salafist roots, emerging as the dominant force in post-Assad Syria. Syria’s transition will force Jordan to address regional instability and the potential ideological spillover from HTS into its already delicate post-October 7 landscape.\n\n**Type:**  [Analysis](https:\/\/www.usip.org\/research-analysis?publication_type%5B0%5D=12#filters)\n\n[View All Research & Analysis](https:\/\/www.usip.org\/research-analysis)\n\n### Latest News\n#### [What the New Houthi Terrorist Designation Means for Yemen - Time](https:\/\/time.com\/7265418\/houthi-terrorist-fto-status-us-relations-yemen\/)\nFriday, March 7, 2025\n\n#### [Crisis in the Sahel Can Muslim extremist violence in the region be stopped? - CQ Researcher](https:\/\/cqpress.sagepub.com\/cqresearcher\/report\/cqpromo\/zpjNKw\/crisis-in-the-sahel-cqresrre20250228)\nFriday, February 28, 2025\n\n#### ['Contemplated suicide': Ethiopians recount horror of SE Asia scam centres - AFP](https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/news\/contemplated-suicide-ethiopians-recount-horror-020421352.html?guccounter=1)\nThursday, February 27, 2025\n\n#### [Military, police, MILF join forces in friendly basketball match - GMA News](https:\/\/www.gmanetwork.com\/news\/topstories\/nation\/937258\/military-police-milf-join-forces-for-basketball-match\/story\/)\nMonday, February 24, 2025\n\n[View All News](https:\/\/www.usip.org\/press)\n\n# [United Status Instute of Peace](https:\/\/www.usip.org\/)\n2301 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037  \nTel: +1.202.457.1700\n\n- [About USIP](https:\/\/www.usip.org\/about)\n- [Countries & Regions](https:\/\/www.usip.org\/regions-countries)\n- [Research & Analysis](https:\/\/www.usip.org\/research-analysis)\n- [Gandhi-King Global Academy](https:\/\/www.usip.org\/academy\/gandhi-king-global-academy)\n\n[Connect](https:\/\/www.usip.org\/connect) [Press](https:\/\/www.usip.org\/press) [Projects](https:\/\/www.usip.org\/projects) [The Olive Branch Blog](https:\/\/www.usip.org\/blog)\n\n- [Facebook](https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/usinstituteofpeace \"usinstituteofpeace\")\n- [Instagram](https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/usipeace\/ \"@usipeace\")\n- [LinkedIn](https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/united-states-institute-of-peace \"United States Institute of Peace\")\n- [Youtube](https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/usinstituteofpeace \"usinstituteofpeace\")\n\nThe United States Institute of Peace [Legal and Privacy Information](https:\/\/www.usip.org\/legal\/privacy) \\| [FOIA Inquiries](https:\/\/www.usip.org\/freedom-information-act-foia)\n\n![](https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/tr?id=289839664888464&ev=PageView&noscript=1)\n\n![](https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/tr?id=289839664888464&ev=PageView&noscript=1)\n\n✓\n\nThanks for sharing\\!\n\n[AddToAny](https:\/\/www.addtoany.com\/ \"Share Buttons\")\n\n[More…](https:\/\/www.usip.org\/syria-timeline-uprising-against-assad#addtoany \"Show all\")","attrs_readable_markdown":null,"meta_canonical":null}

3. Robots.txt Check

Query:

Response:

4. Spam/Ban Check

Query:

Response:

5. Seen Status Check

ℹ️ Skipped - page is already crawled

📄

INDEXABLE

✅

CRAWLED

4 months ago

🤖

ROBOTS ALLOWED

Page Info Filters

Filter	Status	Condition	Details
HTTP status	PASS	`download_http_code = 200`	HTTP 200
Age cutoff	PASS	`download_stamp > now() - 6 MONTH`	4.5 months ago
History drop	PASS	`isNull(history_drop_reason)`	No drop reason
Spam/ban	PASS	`fh_dont_index != 1 AND ml_spam_score = 0`	ml_spam_score=0
Canonical	PASS	`meta_canonical IS NULL OR = '' OR = src_unparsed`	Not set

Page Details

Property	Value
URL	https://www.usip.org/syria-timeline-uprising-against-assad
Last Crawled	2025-11-27 10:42:38 (4 months ago)
First Indexed	2020-11-06 19:57:48 (5 years ago)
HTTP Status Code	200
Meta Title	Syria Timeline: Since the Uprising Against Assad \| United States Institute of Peace
Meta Description	Protests during the 2011 Arab uprisings triggered one of the deadliest wars of the early 21st century. It produced one of the gravest humanitarian crises, as hundreds of thousands were killed, millions fled their homes, and more than half the population relied on aid for daily sustenance.
Meta Canonical	null
Boilerpipe Text	The first phase was ignited by protests in early 2011. Inspired by the Arab Spring uprisings across the Middle East, Syrian adolescents in southern Daraa scrawled anti-regime graffiti on public walls. They were arrested, held for days and tortured, in turn prompting local demonstrations that called for their release. Peaceful protests rapidly spread across Syria as the focus shifted to the regime of President Bashar Assad. As the marches gained momentum, the regime unleashed its military firepower. The second phase witnessed the onset of an armed insurgency and Syria’s descent into full-scale civil war . By 2012, an array of poorly organized opposition groups had formed rebel brigades—many armed by foreign patrons—that seized key cities in the north, including parts of Aleppo, Syria’s largest city. As the government lost territory in 2013, Lebanon’s Hezbollah openly deployed its fighters and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) dispatched military advisors to prop up the Assad government. The third phase was marked by the rise of ISIS and other hardline Islamist groups that tapped local sympathizers as well as foreign fighters. In 2014, the creation of the Islamic State caliphate—which claimed roughly a third of Syrian territory, with Raqqa as its capital—generated a different set of flash points and frontlines. It was, basically, a different war. It also prompted direct U.S. military intervention. Meanwhile, moderate rebel groups fighting the government were increasingly eclipsed by extremist factions. The fourth phase, in 2015 and 2016, featured growing Russian military intervention, especially airpower, against moderate rebel factions. Russia deployed some of its most sophisticated weaponry and air defense systems. The roles of Hezbollah and Iran deepened too. During the fifth phase, the Assad regime retook territory and consolidated its control over most of the country. By the end of 2016, it had retaken major cities, including Aleppo, as well as areas across Syria’s strategic western spine. In 2017, it knit together patches of the countryside to cement the restoration of government power. By mid-2018, it also recaptured strategic suburbs surrounding Damascus for the first time in five years. It then turned its sights further south to Daraa, the birthplace of the uprising. It seized the city as well as most of southwest Syria by the summer of 2018. Each of these phases featured failed efforts at diplomacy, initially led by the United Nations and backed by the United States. But the negotiations, in Geneva, repeatedly deadlocked. In 2017, Russia launched a separate initiative, with Iran and Turkey as partners, that included negotiations in Astana, the Kazakh capital, and Sochi in Russia. Erupting in the heart of the Levant, Syria’s war had a rippling impact throughout the Middle East; it also reverberated deep into Europe. It sparked the largest humanitarian crisis since the end of World War II (only surpassed in 2018 by Yemen’s war). Millions of refugees poured into Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon and even Iraq and Egypt as well as several European countries, where the refugee crisis redefined the political landscape. At home, more than half of Syria’s population was displaced and dependent on humanitarian aid for daily subsistence. Destruction—of homes, schools, businesses, hospitals, roads and infrastructure—was estimated in the hundreds of billions of dollars. The multiple layers of Syria’s war reflect broader trends in the Middle East—and potentially future conflicts. They include: The rise of a new generation of jihadists who have espoused a more virulent Salafi-jihadist ideology and focused on seizing territory and creating their own states. Battlefield tactics that transgressed the modern norms of armed conflict, especially the indiscriminate bombing of civilians and the repeated use of chemical weapons. One chemical weapon attack by the Syrian government, in August 2013, killed more than 1,000 civilians. The government has used various chemical weapons—from sarin, a toxic nerve agent banned by international law, to chlorine, a dual-use chemical—at least 50 times, according to U.S. government sources. The leveraging of emerging technologies—including drones, encryption and social media, and electronic warfare—across virtual and real battle spaces. Massive civilian displacement and humanitarian need that overwhelmed the international assistance infrastructure and imperiled neighboring countries that tried to host refugees. Originally posted February 2019. Updated January 2021.
Markdown	[Skip to main content](https://www.usip.org/syria-timeline-uprising-against-assad#main-content) [Menu](https://www.usip.org/syria-timeline-uprising-against-assad) # [United States Institute of Peace](https://www.usip.org/) - [About USIP](https://www.usip.org/about) / - [Countries & Regions](https://www.usip.org/regions-countries) / - [Research & Analysis](https://www.usip.org/research-analysis) / - [Gandhi-King Global Academy](https://www.usip.org/academy/gandhi-king-global-academy) Search [Close](https://www.usip.org/syria-timeline-uprising-against-assad) # [United States Institute of Peace](https://www.usip.org/) [About USIP](https://www.usip.org/about) [Countries & Regions](https://www.usip.org/regions-countries) [Research & Analysis](https://www.usip.org/research-analysis) [Gandhi-King Global Academy](https://www.usip.org/academy/gandhi-king-global-academy) [Connect](https://www.usip.org/connect) [Press](https://www.usip.org/press) [Projects](https://www.usip.org/projects) [The Olive Branch Blog](https://www.usip.org/blog) ## We provide analysis, education, and resources to those working for peace around the world. [More About USIP](https://www.usip.org/about) # [United States Institute of Peace](https://www.usip.org/) Close Search for experts, projects, publications, courses, and more. ## There are no contents that meet the filtering criteria. [Home](https://www.usip.org/) ▶ [Research & Analysis](https://www.usip.org/research-analysis) # Syria Timeline: Since the Uprising Against Assad Friday, January 1, 2021 / By: Mona Yacoubian Publication Type: [Analysis](https://www.usip.org/research-analysis?publication_type%5B0%5D=12#filters) [Share This](https://www.addtoany.com/share#url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.usip.org%2Fsyria-timeline-uprising-against-assad&title=Syria%20Timeline%3A%20Since%20the%20Uprising%20Against%20Assad) [Print the Page](https://www.usip.org/syria-timeline-uprising-against-assad) Syria’s war has been the most complex conflict to emerge from the 2011 Arab uprisings. At least twice—in the spring of 2013 and in mid-2015—the Assad regime almost collapsed. Its comeback is attributable largely to outside players. The war has evolved through five phases that, along the way, have embroiled foreign figures and militias (often on different sides) from dozens of countries, regional governments, and global powers. The first phase was ignited by protests in early 2011.Inspired by the Arab Spring uprisings across the Middle East, Syrian [adolescents](https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/15/middleeast/daraa-syria-seven-years-on-intl/index.html) in southern Daraa scrawled anti-regime graffiti on public walls. They were arrested, held for days and tortured, in turn prompting local demonstrations that called for their release. Peaceful protests rapidly spread across Syria as the focus shifted to the regime of President Bashar Assad. As the marches gained momentum, the regime unleashed its military firepower. The second phase witnessed the onset of an armed insurgency and Syria’s descent into [full-scale civil war](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-syria-crisis-un-idUSBRE85B11V20120612). By 2012, an array of poorly organized opposition groups had formed rebel brigades—many armed by foreign patrons—that seized key cities in the north, including parts of Aleppo, Syria’s largest city. As the government lost territory in 2013, Lebanon’s Hezbollah openly deployed its fighters and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) dispatched military advisors to prop up the Assad government. The third phase was marked by the rise of ISIS and other hardline Islamist groups that tapped local sympathizers as well as foreign fighters. In 2014, the creation of the Islamic State caliphate—which claimed roughly a third of Syrian territory, with Raqqa as its capital—generated a different set of flash points and frontlines. It was, basically, a different war. It also prompted direct U.S. military intervention. Meanwhile, moderate rebel groups fighting the government were increasingly eclipsed by extremist factions. The fourth phase, in 2015 and 2016, featured growing Russian military intervention, especially airpower, against moderate rebel factions. Russia deployed some of its most sophisticated weaponry and air defense systems. The roles of Hezbollah and Iran deepened too. During the fifth phase, the Assad regime retook territory and consolidated its control over most of the country. By the end of 2016, it had retaken major cities, including Aleppo, as well as areas across Syria’s strategic western spine. In 2017, it knit together patches of the countryside to cement the restoration of government power. By mid-2018, it also recaptured strategic suburbs surrounding Damascus for the first time in five years. It then turned its sights further south to Daraa, the birthplace of the uprising. It seized the city as well as most of southwest Syria by the summer of 2018. Each of these phases featured failed efforts at diplomacy, initially led by the United Nations and backed by the United States. But the negotiations, in Geneva, repeatedly deadlocked. In 2017, Russia launched a separate initiative, with Iran and Turkey as partners, that included negotiations in Astana, the Kazakh capital, and Sochi in Russia. Erupting in the heart of the Levant, Syria’s war had a rippling impact throughout the Middle East; it also reverberated deep into Europe. It sparked the largest humanitarian crisis since the end of World War II (only surpassed in 2018 by Yemen’s war). Millions of refugees poured into Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon and even Iraq and Egypt as well as several European countries, where the refugee crisis redefined the political landscape. At home, more than half of Syria’s population was displaced and dependent on humanitarian aid for daily subsistence. Destruction—of homes, schools, businesses, hospitals, roads and infrastructure—was estimated in the hundreds of billions of dollars. The multiple layers of Syria’s war reflect broader trends in the Middle East—and potentially future conflicts. They include: - The rise of a new generation of jihadists who have espoused a more virulent Salafi-jihadist ideology and focused on seizing territory and creating their own states. - Battlefield tactics that transgressed the modern norms of armed conflict, especially the indiscriminate bombing of civilians and the repeated use of chemical weapons. One chemical weapon attack by the Syrian government, in August 2013, [killed](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-23927399) more than 1,000 civilians. The government has [used](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/13/world/middleeast/un-syria-haley-chemical-weapons.html) various chemical weapons—from sarin, a toxic nerve agent banned by international law, to chlorine, a dual-use chemical—at least 50 times, according to U.S. government sources. - The leveraging of emerging technologies—including drones, encryption and social media, and electronic warfare—across virtual and real battle spaces. - Massive civilian displacement and humanitarian need that overwhelmed the international assistance infrastructure and imperiled neighboring countries that tried to host refugees. Originally posted February 2019. Updated January 2021. This timeline was assembled with the help of graphic research by Lindsay Jodoin and editorial research by Garrett Nada, Sarah Timreck, Lindsay Jodoin and Joud Monla-Hassan. * ### Countries [![Syria Flag](https://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/2016-12/syria.svg) Syria](https://www.usip.org/regions/middle-east-and-north-africa/syria) ## Related Research & Analysis [![Sectarian Violence Threatens Syria’s Shaky Transition ](https://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/styles/summary_image/public/2025-03/20250310_syria-clashes_nyt_ac.jpg?itok=V8n2Te8s)](https://www.usip.org/publications/2025/03/sectarian-violence-threatens-syrias-shaky-transition) ### [Sectarian Violence Threatens Syria’s Shaky Transition](https://www.usip.org/publications/2025/03/sectarian-violence-threatens-syrias-shaky-transition) Monday, March 10, 2025 By: Mona Yacoubian Syria is witnessing the most significant sectarian violence since the fall of the Assad regime on December 8, 2024. Unverified estimates put the death toll over 1,000, with civilians comprising the vast majority of those killed. Clashes have largely been centered in Alawite strongholds along Syria’s Mediterranean coast, from the city of Tartus north to Latakia. The violence prompted large-scale protests in Damascus and other cities, while many anxious Alawite families have fled their homes along the coast. Syria’s interim president, Ahmed al-Shara, has called for “civil peace” and announced the launching of an independent committee to investigate the killings. Type: [Question and Answer](https://www.usip.org/research-analysis?publication_type%5B0%5D=19171#filters) ### [The Current Situation in Syria](https://www.usip.org/publications/2025/02/current-situation-syria) Monday, February 10, 2025 The collapse of the Assad regime on December 8, 2024, is a watershed moment for Syria, marked by significant opportunities as well as several potential challenges. The end of more than 50 years of Assad family rule could open the way for a new, more inclusive Syria. Yet, the country must contend with the aftermath of nearly 14 years of brutal conflict where it is estimated that least 500,000 people were killed and more than 13 million forcibly displaced. Type: [Fact Sheet](https://www.usip.org/research-analysis?publication_type%5B0%5D=6#filters) [![The Current Situation: Israel, The Palestinian Territories, Egypt and the Levant](https://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/styles/summary_image/public/2025-03/the-current-situation-in-israel-the-palestinian-territories-egypt-and-the-levant-cover.jpg?itok=SBUIaiMB)](https://www.usip.org/publications/2025/02/current-situation-israel-palestinian-territories-egypt-and-levant) ### [The Current Situation: Israel, The Palestinian Territories, Egypt and the Levant](https://www.usip.org/publications/2025/02/current-situation-israel-palestinian-territories-egypt-and-levant) Monday, February 10, 2025 For over seven decades, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict — and its broader regional reverberations — has shaped Middle East politics and impacted U.S. interests in the region. Hamas’ unprecedented terror attack on October 7, 2023, the Israeli military response in Gaza and the implications for neighboring Jordan and Egypt — as well as seismic ripples in Lebanon and Syria — have sparked a new phase in the conflict’s and the region’s trajectory. Type: [Fact Sheet](https://www.usip.org/research-analysis?publication_type%5B0%5D=6#filters) [![After Assad’s Fall, Jordan Deals with New Dilemmas](https://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/styles/summary_image/public/2025-01/20250113_refugees-transformation-11_nyt_ac.jpg?itok=OruWrAhd)](https://www.usip.org/publications/2025/01/after-assads-fall-jordan-deals-new-dilemmas) ### [After Assad’s Fall, Jordan Deals with New Dilemmas](https://www.usip.org/publications/2025/01/after-assads-fall-jordan-deals-new-dilemmas) Monday, January 13, 2025 By: Farah Bdour The collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime has marked a turning point in Syrian-Jordanian relations. For Jordan, Assad’s fall removes a regime that destabilized the country through smuggling networks and alliances with Iran. However, it also ushers in a new era of uncertainty, with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a terrorist group with Islamic Salafist roots, emerging as the dominant force in post-Assad Syria. Syria’s transition will force Jordan to address regional instability and the potential ideological spillover from HTS into its already delicate post-October 7 landscape. 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