As rebels make progress in their fight against Assad's government, Newsweek has mapped the regional approach to the conflict.

Assad’s regime seemingly came out of nowhere, and as the city of Aleppo fell to rebels in a matter of days, the Syrian president reportedly flew to Moscow.

Shaabi, Hezbollah, and Liwa Fatemiyoun, have entered Syria from Iraq to support the Syrian Army and Russian forces battling insurgents in northern Syria. The reinforcements aim to assist the beleaguered Syrian forces after recent rebel advances.