AT A GLANCE - Rebel groups in Syria

Al-Nusra Front fighters stand among destroyed buildings near the front line in Yarmuk Photo: AFP/Getty

Jabhat al Nusra:

 

Al Qaeda's official Syrian affiliate, Jabhat al Nusra, is one of the most powerful armed groups in Syria.

Jaish al-Fateh: 

 

A coalition of seven rebel groups, dominated by Jabhat al-Nusra and Ahrar al Sham, a more moderate Islamist group. The two enjoy an uneasy relationship.

Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant:

 

The brutal extremist group which has established what it describes as an 'Islamic Caliphate' across swathes of Iraq and Syria.

Tajammu al-Izzah:

 

A rebel group apparently targeted by Russian airstrikes in northern Hama at the end of September 2015. Aligned with the relatively moderate Free Syrian Army and thought to be part of a CIA-backed training programme. 

Free Syrian Army:

 

This group of largely moderate fighters who initially dominated Syria's uprising. Often marginalised by more radical groups, but an important presence in the south and parts of the north.