List of active rebel groups

This is a list of active rebel groups around the world whose domains may be subnational, transnational or international. A "rebel group" is defined here as a political group that uses armed conflict in opposition to established government or governments for reasons such as to seek political change or to establish or maintain independence.

Groups that control territory

The following rebel groups control a certain amount of land or territory. Such control may be contested and might be temporary or fluctuating especially within situations of conflict.

It does not include the governments of stable breakaway states or other states with limited recognition.

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
Rebel group Country Conflict Control
since
Territory controlled Notes Headquarters
Al-Qaeda  Somalia
 Syria
 Yemen
Somali Civil War
Syrian Civil War
Yemeni Civil War
2006 Somalia Parts of southern Somalia[1]
Syria Parts of Idlib province[2] and Aleppo province
Yemen The city of Al Mukalla, parts of Aden, and other areas.[3][4]
In Syria: Salqin[5]
In Yemen: Al Mukalla
 Donetsk People's Republic  Ukraine War in Donbass 2014 Parts of the Donetsk Oblast in the country's east.[6] Declared independence, 7 April 2014 Donetsk
FARC  Colombia Colombian conflict 1964 Territory scattered all over Colombia.[7]
Houthis  Saudi Arabia
 Yemen
Yemeni Civil War 2004 Saudi Arabia Areas near Najran.[8]
Yemen Most of former North Yemen and parts of southern Yemen, including the capital Sana'a.
Houthis controls the government of Yemen,[9] but is not recognized by the international community. Sa'dah
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant  Iraq
 Nigeria
 Libya
 Syria
Iraqi Civil War
Boko Haram insurgency
Syrian Civil War
Second Libyan Civil War
2013 Iraq Parts of northwestern Iraq[10]
Nigeria Towns in northeast Nigeria[11]
Libya Parts of Libya[12]
Syria North and Eastern Syria[10]
Designated a terrorist organization by the United Nations[13] Ar-Raqqah
Kachin Independence Army  Myanmar Kachin conflict 2011 Northern Myanmar; parts of Kachin State.[14] Military wing of Kachin Independence Organisation Laiza
 Lugansk People's Republic  Ukraine War in Donbass 2014 Parts of the Luhansk Oblast in country's east.[6] Declared independence, 12 May 2014 Luhansk
Mai-Mai  Democratic Republic of the Congo Kivu conflict 2015 Parts of north-eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo[15]
National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad  Mali Northern Mali conflict 2012 Parts of the northern Mali[16] Kidal[17]
New General National Congress  Libya Second Libyan Civil War 2014 Tripoli and surrounding areas[18] Tripoli
Rojava  Syria Syrian Civil War 2011 Federation of Northern Syria Qamishli
SPLM-IO  South Sudan South Sudanese Civil War 2013 Territories west of Bentiu, Unity.[19] Pagak[20]
Sudan Revolutionary Front  Sudan Sudan–SRF conflict 2011 Parts of South Kordofan and Blue Nile state.[21]
Syrian opposition  Syria Syrian Civil War 2011 See Cities and towns during the Syrian Civil War. Various groups not necessarily allied, but difficult to say which group controls which areas. Idlib[22]
Taliban  Afghanistan
 Pakistan
War in Afghanistan
War in North-West Pakistan
1996 Afghanistan Kunduz Province,[23] 80% of the territory in Faryab Province[24] and Oruzgan Province.[25]
Pakistan 10% of territory in North Waziristan province[26]
Taliban controlled territory is also shared with Uzbek Islamists. Quetta[27]
Tuareg Militias of Ghat  Libya Second Libyan Civil War 2014 Western Libya Ghat
United Wa State Army  Myanmar Internal conflict in Burma 1989 Northeastern Myanmar; Wa Self-Administered Division.[28] Military wing of the United Wa State Party Pangkham[29]
Central African Republic Séléka  CAR Central African Republic Civil War 2012 Northern CAR Kaga-Bandoro [30]
Zapatistas  Mexico Chiapas conflict 1994 The Councils of Good Government; parts of Chiapas.[31] Established various de facto autonomous anarchist regions.
This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

Other groups

Other rebel groups are listed by the states within which they operate. Because the above list of rebel groups controlling territory may be incomplete, this list may still contain some groups which do control territory.

International

Afghanistan

Algeria

Angola

Burma

Main source Myanmar Peace Monitor.

Central African Republic

Central African Republic Séléka

Lord's Resistance Army

China

Further information: Xinjiang conflict

East Turkestan Islamic Movement

Colombia

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Egypt

Ethiopia

France

Greece

India

Indonesia

Iran

Iraq

Group Strength
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant 80,000-100,000[55]
Supreme Command for Jihad and Liberation 100,000
Army of the Men of the Naqshbandi Order 5,000
Islamic Army of Iraq 10,000
Free Iraqi Army 2,500-3,000
General Military Council for Iraqi Revolutionaries

Ireland

Italy

Lebanon

Libya

Mali

Further information: Northern Mali conflict
Group Strength
Azawad National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad 10,000[56]
Ansar Dine 2,000
Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa
al-Qaeda 800
ISIL
Ansar al-Sharia (Mali)

Mexico

Mozambique

Nigeria

Group Strength
Islamic State of Iraq and Levant 15,000
Ansaru
Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta 15,000
Niger Delta People's Volunteer Force
Niger Delta Liberation Front 2,500
Niger Delta Vigilante 4,000

Pakistan

Palestine

Paraguay

Paraguayan People's Army

Peru

Further information: Internal conflict in Peru

Shining Path

Philippines

Russia

Senegal

South Sudan

Sudan

Further information: War in Darfur and Sudan–SRF conflict

Syria

Main coalitions

Group Strength
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant 50,000[55]
Islamic Front 50,000[72]
People's Protection Units 47,000
Syria Free Syrian Army 40,000
al-Qaeda 15,000
Ajnad al-Sham Islamic Union 15,000
Authenticity and Development Front 13,000
Army of Mujahedeen 8,000
Jabhat al-Akrad 7,000
Muhajirin wa-Ansar Alliance 6,000
Muslim Brotherhood of Syria 6,000
Jabhat Ansar al-Din 3,000
Syrian Revolutionary Command Council
Levant Front
Euphrates Volcano
Mujahideen Shura Council
Kurdistan Workers' Party
Ghuraba al-Sham
Jund al-Sham
Abdullah Azzam Brigade
Fatah al-Islam
Ansar al-Islam
Ahrar al-Jazeera
Sutoro
Syriac Military Council
Shammar
Asayish
Kurdistan Democratic Party
Patriotic Union of Kurdistan
Group of the One and Only 300[73]
Syria Aleppo Liberation
Syria Ansar Brigade
Islamic Muthanna Movement
Jabhat Ansar al-Islam

Thailand

Further information: South Thailand insurgency

Turkey

Uganda

Ukraine

Further information: War in Donbass
Group Strength
Donetsk People's Republic Donetsk People's Republic
Luhansk People's Republic Lugansk People's Republic
10,000–20,000[76][77][78]

United Kingdom

Uzbekistan

Yemen

See also

References

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