Backgrounder: A look at Syrian opposition groups

A meeting on Monday between a Syrian opposition delegation and UN special envoy Staffan de Mistura in Geneva marks the official start of the Geneva Intra-Syrian talks, aimed to seek a political solution to the Syrian conflict that has entered the sixth year and has incurred 250,000 deaths and over 4 million refugees.

Following are the major parties that hold sway in the opposition forces.

1. National Coalition for Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces

Founded in Doha, Qatar, in November 2012, this group is commonly known as the Syrian National Coalition. It is the largest coalition of the country's major opposition groups overseas.

The main goals of the coalition is to replace the Assad government and build a new Syria. Backed by the United States and other Western countries, the coalition founded an interim government in March 2013.

2. Syrian National Council

Formed in August 2011, this group is based in Istanbul, Turkey. Once the largest member of the Syrian National Coalition, the group has recently quit the coalition to protest the latter's participation in the Geneva Intra-Syrian talks.

The group has gained support from the United States, European countries and some Gulf countries.

3. Free Syrian Army

Formed in July 2011, the Free Syrian Army (FSA) is largely composed of defected military officers and soldiers. The FSA is considered as a mild opposition force by Western countries and the Gulf countries. Washington once offered the FSA military training and ammunition.

4. National Coordination Committee for the Forces of Democratic Change

Known as the NCC, the group is the largest mild opposition force inside Syria. Formed in Damascus in June 2011, the NCC is composed of 15 political parties. The NCC advocates democratic change through peaceful means and aims to build a modern secular Syria featuring multiparty democracy.

5. Ahrar ash-Sham

Known as the Islamic Movement of the Free Men of the Levant, the Ahrar ash-Sham is an extremist armed force. It is also a major component of the Islamic Front.

Syria, the United Arab Emirates and Russia have labelled the group as a terrorist organization.

Ahead of the Geneva talks, the group's leader stated publicly that they would not be bound by any results of the talks.

6. Islamic Front

Founded in November 2013, the Islamic Front is composed of seven Islamist armed groups with major goals to overturn the Bashar government and establish a new Syria that will implement Sharia law.

The Islamic Front opposes the Geneva Intra-Syrian talks.

7. Jaysh al-Islam

Jaysh al-Islam, or Army of Islam, is part of the Islamic Front. Formed in September 2013, the group gathered 50 rebel fractions mostly around Damascus. Syria and Russia have defined the group as an terrorist organization.

Prior to the Geneva Intra-Syrian talks, the Jaysh al-Islam urged relevant parties to provide convenience to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to the turbulent Syria.

8. Local Coordination Committees of Syria

It advocates the toppling of the Bashar government through nonviolence, as it believes an end to armed resistance and military intervention is the only way toward a political solution to the Syrian conflict.

9. Popular Front for Change and Liberation

Formed in July 2011, the Popular Front is a coalition of Syrian political parties, including the People's Will Party, the Syrian Social Nationalist Party and others.

Seen as a mild opposition group, the Popular Front has called for an end to violence and for the establishment of a coalition government with all relevant parties to solve the Syrian conflict. Endi