The Free Syrian Army Capture a large number Shabiha. The Syrian civil war also referred to as the Syrian uprising is an ongoing internal armed political conflict in Syria. The conflict began on 15 March 2011 with public demonstrations as part of the wider Arab Spring and developed into a nationwide uprising, and a civil war in 2012. Protesters have demanded the end to nearly five decades of Ba'ath Party rule, as well as the resignation of President Bashar al-Assad. In the spring of 2011, the Syrian government deployed the Syrian Army to quell the uprising. Several cities have been besieged, and soldiers were reportedly ordered to open fire on civilians. According to witnesses, soldiers who refused to open fire on civilians were summarily executed by the Syrian Army. Civilians and army defectors began forming fighting units, and unified under the banner of the Free Syrian Army, fighting in an increasingly organized fashion; however, the civilian component of the armed opposition lacks an organized leadership. The Syrian government characterizes the insurgency as "armed terrorist groups".[ According to various sources, including the United Nations, up to 24,--32895 people have been killed, of which about half were civilians, but also including 12400 armed combatants consisting of both the Syrian army and rebel forces and up to 1900 opposition protesters. According to the UN, about 1.5 million Syrians have been displaced within the country. To escape the violence, tens of <b>...</b>