Basic Guide to Factions in the Syrian Civil War - November 2014 - Part II - Syrian Rebels

It's been quite some time since the last update in the faction list, which is now severely outdated. 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 the Syrian rebels.

Abdullah Azzam Brigades - Salafi Islamist rebel group. One of al-Qaeda's outlier groups in the Middle East. Designated by the US and UK as a terrorist organization.

Ajnad al-Sham Islamic Union - Islamist rebel group. Supported the Geneva II talks. Headed by Shaykh Najib Razak. Claims to have 15,000 active fighters. Operates in Damascus province. Allied with JAN, Army of Mujahideen, Sham Legion, Criterion Brigades, and Islamic Front. Enemies of the SAA and IS.

Al-Nusra Front (JAN) - Sunni Islamist rebel group. al-Qaeda's branch in Syria and Lebanon. Designated by the UN, US, UK, Australia, and Turkey as a terrorist organization. Recently decimated the Hazzm Movement and the SRF in Idlib following a heated rivalry. Headed by Abu Muhammad al-Jolani. Has 5,050-6,050 active fighters. Allied with the FSA, Islamic Front, Army of Mujahideen, Harakat Sham al-Islam, Ajnad al-Sham Islamic Union, and Ghuraba al-Sham. Enemies of the SAA, Syrian Resistance, Al-Abbas Brigade, LAF, Hezbollah, US, IS, SRF, Hazzm Movement, and Dawn of Freedom Brigade.

• Khorasan - al-Nusra's senior leadership and bomb-making experts. Target of recent Coalition bombing campaigns. Headed by Muhsin al-Fadhli (allegedly dead). Has 50 active fighters. Operates in Idlib. Allied with AQAP. Enemies of of the US and EU.

Ansar al-Deen Front - Salafi Islamist rebel alliance, made up of Harakat Sham al-Islam, Jaysh al-Muhajirin wal-Ansar, and Harakat Fajr Sham al-Islamiya. Operates in Aleppo, Idlib, Homs, Hama, and Latakia provinces.

• Harakat Sham al-Islam - Salafi Islamist rebel group. Made up of almost entirely Moroccan foreign fighters. Designated by the US as a terrorist organization. Has 500 active fighters. Operates in Latakia and Aleppo provinces. Allied with JAN, Ahrar al-Sham, Jaish al-Muhajirin wal-Ansar, and the IS. Enemies of the SAA.

• Jaysh al-Muhajirin wal-Ansar - Islamist rebel group. Made up of primarily Chechen and other Russian foreign fighters. Designated by the US as a terrorist organization. Headed by Salahuddin al-Shishani. Has 1,000 active fighters. Operates in Aleppo and Latakia provinces. Allied with SRF, JAN, Islamic Front, and Army of Mujahideen. Enemies of the SAA and NDF.

Ansar al-Islam - Salafi Islamist rebel group. Comprised of separatists who rejected the pledge of allegiance of the Ansar al-Islam central leadership to the Islamic State. Designated by Australia, Canada, Israel, UK, US as a terrorist organization. Headed by Abu Hashim al-Ibrahim. Had 1300+ active fighters before the split. Allied with JAN.

Army of Mujahideen - Islamist rebel group. Formed in order to fight IS. Currently being vetted by the US to receive TOWs. Headed by Mohammed Shakerdi. Has 5,000-12,000 active fighters. Operates in Aleppo, though has plans to expand to Idlib. Allied with SRF, Islamic Front, JAN, Ajnad al-Shma, Sham Legion, and Criterion Brigades. Enemies of the SAA and IS.

Authenticity and Development Front - Moderate Islamist rebel group. Headed by Abd al-Qadir Da'fis. Has 13,000 active fighters. Operates in Aleppo province. Enemies of the SAA.

• Harakat Nour al-Din al-Zenki - Islamist rebel group. Recipient of US TOWs. Headed by Shaykh Tawfiq Shahabuddin. Operates in Aleppo province. Allied with the FSA and Islamic Front. Enemies of the SAA.

Criterion Brigades - Islamic democratic rebel group. Largest rebel faction in Quneitra. Headed by Muhammad Majid al-Khatib. Has less than 2,000 active fighters. Operates in Quneitra, Damascus, and Daraa provinces. Allied with FSA and Islamic Front. Enemy of the SAA.

Fatah al-Islam - Salafi Islamist rebel group. Formerly designated by the US as a terrorist organization as of 2010. Has less than 200 active fighters. Operates in Lebanon and Syria. Allied with the IS, Jund al-Sham, Osbat al-Nour, and the FSA. Enemies of the LAF, SAA, and Fatah al-Intifada.

Free Syrian Army (FSA) - Blanket anti-Assad rebel group, comprising rebels of all ideologies, though most democratic. Headed by Abdullah al-Bashir. Has 40,000 active fighters. Allied with JAN, the Islamic Front, YPG, and MFS. Enemies of the SAA, NDF, and the IS.

• 5th Corps - Islamic democratic/Secularist rebel group. Comprises of 5 FSA brigades. Has received TOWs. Has a few thousand active fighters. Operates in northern Syria.

• Ahmad al-Abdo Martyrs Brigades and Battalions - Rebel group. Has received US TOWs and Chinese anti-tank missiles from Qatar and Sudan. Headed by Colonel Bakur Salim al-Salim. Operates in Rif Dimashq province.

• Al-Qassas Army - Rebel group. Operates primarily in Kobane, and also in Aleppo province.

• Brigade of the Chargers - Rebel group. Has received TOWs. Funded and trained by Qatar. Headed by Muhammad Haj Ali. Operates in Idlib and Latakia provinces.

• Council of Aleppo Rebels - Islamic democratic/Secularist rebel coalition. Comprised of 14 revolutionary councils. Operates in Aleppo province.

• Damascus Military Council - Rebel group. Formed in response to Israel's bombing of Syria in March 2012. Claimed responsibility for JAN's suicide attack on the General Staff Command of Damascus. Headed by Colonel Abu al-Wafa. Operates in Damascus province.

• Daraa Military Council - Rebel coalition. Comprised of 4 FSA brigades. Recently had leader arrested by JAN. Headed by Colonel Ahmed al-Nemeh. Operates in Daraa province.

• Dawn of Freedom Brigades - Rebel coalition. Operates in Aleppo and Ar-Raqqa provinces.

• Hazzm Movement - Islamic democratic/Secularist rebel group. Has received TOWs. Recently was attacked and decimated by JAN as part of their ongoing anti-SRF campaign. Headed by Bilal Atar and Abdullah Awda. Has 5,000 active fighters. Operates in Idlib, Aleppo, Hama, and Homs provinces.

• Southern Front - Islamic democratic/Secularist rebel coalition. Comprises of 58 FSA brigades. Headed by General Bashar al-Zoubi. Has 38,000 active fighters. Operates in Daraa, Quneitra, As-Suwayda, and Damascus provinces.

• Syrian Revolutionaries Front - de jure Non-ideology, de facto Islamist rebel group. Recently was attacked and decimated by JAN as part of their ongoing anti-SRF campaign, after having accused JAN of blocking reinforcements during the assault on Idlib City. Headed by Jamal Maarouf. Has 10,000-15,000 active fighters. Operates in Damascus, with a few fighters left in Idlib. Allied with the Islamic Front, the Army of Mujahideen, and Jaysh al-Muhaijirin wal-Ansar. Enemies of the SAA, IS, JAN, and Jund al-Aqsa.

Ghuraba al-Sham - Islamist rebel group. Made up of mainly Turkish and Eastern European foreign fighters. Primarily assists in the smuggling of foreign fighters into their respective countries. Operates in Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq. Allied with JAN, Ahrar al-Sham, and Ahrar al-Jazeera. Enemies of the SAA and YPG.

Group of the One and Only - Islamst rebel group. Primarily made up of Chechen foreign fighters. Headed by al-Bara Shishani. Has 250-300 active fighters. Operates in Latakia province. Allied with Junud al-Sham. Enemy of the SAA.

Islamic Front - Islamist umbrella group. Headed by Shaykh Ahmed Abu Issa. Has 40,000-60,000 active fighters. Allied with FSA, Army of Mujahideen, SRF, Ajnad al-Sham Islamic Union, Sham Legion, Criterion Brigades, YPG, and JAN. Enemies of the SAA, NDF, and IS. Widely backed by Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

• Al-Tawhid Brigade - Islamist rebel group. Designated by the UAE as a terrorist organization. Headed by Mohammed Hamadeen. Has 11,000 active fighters. Operates in Aleppo and Homs provinces. Allied with JAN, Ajnad al-Sham, Army of Mujahideen, Criterion Brigades, and Sham Legion. Enemies of the SAA, Ghuraba al-Sham, Hezbollah, and IS.

• Ahrar al-Sham - Salafi Islamist rebel group. Designated by the UAE as a terrorist organization. Recently had entire central leadership killed by bomb from unknown enemy. Recently targeted by a Coalition airstrike without a publicly announced reason. Headed by Shaykh Hashim Abu Jaber. Has 10,000-25,000 active fighters. Allied with JAN, FSA, Ajnad al-Sham, Army of Mujahideen, Criterion Brigades, Sham Legion, Harakat Sham al-Islam, Jaysh al-Mujahirin wal-Ansar, and Ahrar al-Jazeera. Enemies of the SAA, Syrian Resistance, NDF, IS, and the Coalition.

• Ansar al-Sham - Islamist rebel group. Only rebel group to have captured territory that reached the Mediterranean. Headed by Abu Omar al-Jamil. Has 2,500 active fighters. Operates in Latakia and Idlib. Allied with JAN, Ajnad al-Sham, Army of Mujahideen, Criterion Brigades, and Sham Legion. Enemies of the SAA and IS.

• Jaysh al-Islam - Salafi Islamist rebel group. Reportedly in control of two functional Syrian fighter jets. Headed by Shaykh Zahran Alloush. Claims to have 25,000 active fighters. Operates in Damascus, Rif Dimashq, and Daraa. Allied with FSA, Ajnad al-Sham, Army of Mujahideen, Criterion Brigades, Sham Legion, and Jabhat al-Akrad. Enemies of the SAA, PFLP-GC, Al-Abbas Brigade, and IS.

• Suqour al-Sham - Islamist rebel group. Advocates for a moderate Islamic state. Headed by Shaykh Ahmed Abu Issa. Claims to have 9,000 active fighters. Operates in Idlib and Aleppo. Allied with JAN, FSA, Ajnad al-Sham, Army of Mujahideen, Criterion Brigades, and Sham Legion. Enemies of the SAA and IS.

Junud al-Sham - Islamist rebel group. Primarily made up of Chechen and Lebanese foreign fighters. Sanctioned by the US for their foreign fighter base. Allied with the Group of the One and Only, JAN, and Ahrar al-Sham.

Muhajirin wa-Ansar Alliance - Salafi Islamist rebel alliance. Operates in Hama and Idlib provinces. Made up of Jund al-Aqsa, Liwaa al-Umma, Umar Brigade, and Haqq Brigade.

• Haqq Brigade - Salafi Islamist rebel group. Operates in Hama and Idlib provinces. Enemies of the SAA.

• Jund al-Aqsa - Salafi Islamist rebel group. Reports range from primarily Syrian to primarily non-Syrian Arabs in their ranks. Recently broke from their vow not to participate in rebel infighting to fight the Hazzm Movement and SRF alongside JAN. Has 1,000 active fighters. Operates in Hama, Idlib, and Aleppo provinces. Allied with Ahrar al-Sham, and JAN. Enemies of the SAA, SRF, and Hazzm Movement.

• Liwaa al-Umma - Salafi Islamist rebel group. Funded by a host of primarily Kuwaiti investors. Headed by Abu Farouq. Has 6,000+ active fighters. Operates in Hama province. Enemies of the SAA and NDF.

Sham Legion - Moderate Islamist rebel alliance comprised of 19 groups. Headed by Mondher Saras. Operates in Homs, Hama, and Idlib provinces. Allied with Ajnad al-Sham, Army of Mujahideen, Criterion Brigades, and Islamic Front. Enemies of the SAA and IS.