Ten years of Syria conflict, from protest to war to economic decline

FILE PHOTO: Smoke rises after an air strike during fighting between members of the Syrian Democratic Forces and Islamic State militants in Raqqa, Syria August 15, 2017. REUTERS/Zohra Bensemra

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Ten years into Syria's conflict, President Bashar al-Assad has survived the bloody insurgency which started out with peaceful protests in March 2011.

He holds sway over many parts of the country, helped by Russia's military presence and Iran's Shi'ite militias.