The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said on Wednesday that more than 60,000 people have been killed in Syria since the uprising started.
A timeline of the conflict to date:
MARCH 2011
- 15: First protests after calls on Facebook for a "Day of Dignity."
- 18-27: Crackdowns in Damascus, Banias and Daraa, cradle of the uprising, where 100 people are reportedly killed on the 23rd.
APRIL 2011
- 25-26: Protests spread and strengthen, with calls for the regime of Bashar al-Assad's fall.
AUGUST 2011
- 18: US President Barack Obama and his allies urge Assad to quit. Western and Arab states later impose sanctions on his regime.
OCTOBER 2011
- 2: Creation of the opposition Syrian National Council (SNC).
MARCH, 2012
- 21: The UN Security Council demands that Syria implement a peace plan drawn up by UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan calling for a ceasefire and democratic transition.
JUNE 2012
- 16: UN observers, deployed to monitor the April ceasefire deal, which was not respected, suspend operations.
JULY 2012
- 18: Four top security officials, including Assad's brother-in-law Assef Shawkat, killed in a Damascus attack.
- 19: Russia and China for the third time veto a UN Security Council resolution that would threaten sanctions against Assad.
- 23: Regime forces say they have reclaimed most of Damascus after days of unprecedented clashes.
- 28: The military launches a dawn assault on Syria's economic capital Aleppo.
NOVEMBER 2012
- 5-7: Attacks spiral in Damascus and its outskirts, with dozens killed.
- 11: The opposition signs a unity deal in Doha to form a national coalition against Assad's regime.
- 29: The regime launches a major offensive on a radius of eight kilometres (five miles) around the capital. The area becomes the major battleground in the Syria conflict.
DECEMBER 2012
- 11: Washington puts key Syrian rebel group, the Al-Nusra Front, on its terror blacklist, citing Al-Qaeda links, a day after the jihadist faction captures a key army base.
- 22: NATO accuses the Syrian regime of firing Scud-style missiles at rebels.
- 28: Russia urges Assad to talk to the opposition.
- 30: International envoy Lakhdar Brahimi announces a peace plan he believes could find support from world powers.
JANUARY, 2013
- 1: Syria ushers in the New Year with new violence with regime air strikes, as Aleppo airport is closed after repeated rebel attacks.
