Syrian opposition
In 2011, anti-government uprisings and protests inspired by the Arab Spring movements in Egypt and Tunisia took place in the city of Daraa, and later spread throughout the entire country. Shortly after, in 2012, a civil war was declared in Syria. As government militias continuously cracked down on protests with violence, and many detainees testified experiencing torture by government forces while detained, the formation of opposition groups has expanded due to the increase of anti-regime attitudes. More recently, Russian support has escalated the war. In 2015, Russia began providing weapons, ammunition, private military contractors, and war advisors to support the Syrian regime. Russia additionally commanded a series of areal strikes in Syria, specifically targeting Free Syrian Army- affiliated groups that receive US support.