In the vanguard of Syrian revolt before being ripped apart by division and indiscipline, the Free Syrian Army has returned as a key component of Turkey's offensive against Kurdish militants.
The broad-ranging coalition styled itself as the moderate force against Syrian President
Bashar al-Assad, but lacked the funding and support to compete with extremist groups such as Al-Nusra and the
Islamic State (IS) when they emerged around 2012.
Having all but disappeared for several years, the Free Syrian Army regained the spotlight in 2016 when it participated alongside
Turkish forces in Ankara's first incursion into northern
Syria against IS.