o fighters known as rebels, who don't want Assad to be in power anymore, and

o the group that call themselves the Islamic State.

♤ The group, called the opposition, who want the president to step down is made up of several kinds of people. These include groups of rebel fighters, political parties who disagree with Assad, and those living in exile who cannot return to the country.

♤ According to the United Nations (UN), almost five million Syrians have had to leave the country. Many have gone to neighbouring countries, like Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey or Iraq. Six million more people have tried to find safety elsewhere in Syria as internally displaced people.

♤ Many refugees made the decision to try to reach Europe. This is because some countries in Europe said they would accept refugees who wanted to start a new life here.