Basic Guide to Factions in the Syrian Civil War - November 2014 - Part I - Syrian Government

It's been quite some time since the last update in the faction list, which is now severely updated. For all those who desire an as-simple-as-possible faction guide to the Syrian Civil War, here is a list for those fighting on the side of Assad's government.

Assad government - The secularist Arab nationalist Ba'athist government has been headed by Bashar al-Assad since mid-2000.

• Syrian Armed Forces (SAA) - National military force of the Syrian government. Has 250,000 active personnel. Has arms supplied by Belarus, Bulgaria, China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Romania, Russia and Slovakia.

• National Defense Force (NDF) - Semi-official national military force of the Syrian government. Made up primarily of reserve SAA forces. Has 80,000-100,000 active personnel. Has a wing of women personnel numbering at 500.

Al-Abbas Brigade - Shia Islamist group dedicated to protecting Shia holy sites from rebel attacks in both Iraq and Syria, and named for Abbas ibn Ali, son of Ali (RA). Headed by Abu Ajeeb. Has 10,000+ active fighters. Operates in Rif Dimashq, Syria, but primarily in Iraq. Allied with the SAA, the NDF, Hezbollah, Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq, Kata'ib Hezbollah, and the ISF (Iraqi Security Forces).

Arab Nationalist Guard - Syrian Pan-Arab Anti-Sectarian militia. Espouses abolishing all sectarian, ethnic, and religious tensions in favor of Arab unity. Has 1,000 active fighters. Operates in Aleppo, Damascus, Daraa, and Homs provinces. Allied with the SAA, NDF, and Hezbollah. Enemies of the FSA and JAN.

Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq - Iraqi Shia Islamist political party and militia which split off from the Mahdi Army in 2006. Headed by Qais Khazali. Estimated to have 3,000-10,000 active fighters. Operates in both Iraq and Syria. Allied with the ISF, the SAA, Iran, Kata'ib Hezbollah, the Promised Day Brigades, and the al-Abbas Brigade. Enemies of the IS, the FSA, the Islamic Front, and JAN.

Ba'ath Brigades - Syrian Sunni Ba'athist militia. Headed by Mohammed Khaddour. Claims to have 7,000 active fighters. Operates in Aleppo, Damascus, Latakia, Raqqa, and Tartus provinces. Allied with the SAA and the NDF. Enemies of the FSA, JAN, and the IS.

Badr Organization - Iraqi Conservative Shia Islamist political party and militia, named for the Battle of Badr in which the Prophet ﷺ and the Muslims defeated Quraysh forces while heavily outnumbered. Headed by Hadi al-Amiri, the Iraqi Minister of Transport. Estimated to have 10,000-50,000 active fighters in Iraq, with an unknown number in Syria.

Fatah al-Intifada - Syrian-based Palestinian nationalist militia. Headed by Abu Hazim. Has 3,000-3,500 active fighters. Operates in Lebanon, Syria, the West Bank, and Jordan. Allied with As-Sa'iqa, the PFLP-GC, the SAA, and the Palestine Liberation Army. Enemies of the FSA, Fatah al-Islam, and the JAN.

Hezbollah - Lebanese Shia Islamist political party and militia. Designated by Canada, EU, US, and the UK as a terrorist organization. Headed by Hassan Nasrallah. Has 50,000 active fighters, with an estimated 150,000 total in reserves. Operates in Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq.

Iran - Shia Islamist democratic republic. Headed by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and lead by President Hassan Rouhani.

• Basij - Shia Islamist government militia. Accused by the US of training the NDF. Has 90,000 active fighters. Operates in Iran and Syria.

• Quds Force - Shia Islamist government spec ops force. Has 15,000 active fighters.

Jaysh al-Muwahhideen - Syrian Druze militia. Operates in Aleppo, As-Suwayda, Daraa, and Damascus provinces. Allied with the SAA, Hezbollah, the al-Abbas Brigade, the Ba'ath Brigades, and the Popular Committees. Enemies of the FSA, JAN, and the Islamic Front.

Kata'ib Hezbollah - Iraqi Shia Islamist militia. Designated as a terrorist organization by the US. Estimated to have 2,000 active fighters. Operates in both Iraq and Syria. Allied with Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq and the Promised Day Brigades. Enemies of the US and the IS.

Palestine Liberation Army - Lebanon-based Syrian Palestinian nationalist militia. Originally set up as the PLO's military wing, it later became a Syrian puppet army. Headed by Wajih al-Madani and Mohammad Tareq al-Khadraa. Has 4,500 active fighters. Allied with As-Sa'iqa, the PFLP-GC, Fatah, and the SAA. Enemies of the FSA and the IDF.

Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – General Command (PFLP-GC) - Syria-based Palestinian nationalist militia. Designated as a terrorist organization by the US and the EU. Headed by Ahmed Jibril.

Promised Day Brigade - Iraqi Shia Islamist militia. Designated by the US government to one of the 3 main dangers to Iraq's future security. Headed by Muqtada al-Sadr. Has 5,000 active fighters. Operates in both Iraq and Syria. Allied with the SAA, Iran, Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq, and Kata'ib Hezbollah. Enemies of the FSA.

Revolutionary People's Liberation Party–Front (RPLP-F) - Turkish communist militia. Designated by Turkey, the US, and the EU as a terrorist organization.

Syrian Resistance - Syrian Marxist-Leninist Nationalist militia. Headed by Mihraç Ural. Has 2,000 active fighters. Operates in Latakia, Idlib, Aleppo, and Homs. Allied with the SAA and the NDF. Enemies of the FSA and JAN.

Syrian Social Nationalist Party - Lebanese-Syrian Secularist Pan-Syrian Nationalist political party and militia. Advocates for a Syrian super-state comprised of Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan, and Iraq. Headed by Ali Haidar in Syria and Assaad Hardan in Lebanon. Has 100,000 members.