Exclusive Rubio said 'no meeting' with Syria’s Shibani in Munich unless Kurdish commander included Rubio’s insistence was aimed at satisfying lawmakers demanding stronger US support for the SDF. By Amberin Zaman Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
Syria begins prisoner exchange with Druze militia in south: What to know The Suwayda area has seen significant instability since the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, complicating government efforts to address sectarian factionalism. Syria
Turkey to repatriate its ISIS fighters from Iraq as jihadis escalate Syria attacks Ankara will repatriate its nationals from among thousands of fighters transferred from Syria, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said. Turkey
Canada becomes latest Western country to lift Syria sanctions: What to know Like the US, Canada had strained relations with Syria during the civil war but is now showing signs of engagement. Syria
Feature After SDF-Damascus truce, is Kurdish haven still safe for Syria's Alawites? By Amberin Zaman Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
US military pulls out of Syria’s Al-Tanf garrison in major shift By Jared Szuba In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military
Russia oversees Syrian forces’ military exercises in northwest Syria Russia is testing the readiness of the Syrian government forces in their area of deployment on the outskirts of Idlib, in what some fear is a prelude to a wide-scale military operation to uproot the opposition in northwest Syria. Syria
Syrian jihadist group HTS, armed groups agree to uneasy truce Hayat Tahrir al-Sham has seized several cities and towns in areas under the control of the Turkish-backed factions after days of clashes between rival factions. Syria
Chechen fighters leave Syria to battle Russians in Ukraine Abdul Hakim al-Shishani, a veteran of the Chechen-Russian war in the 1990s and commander of the Ajnad al-Kavkaz group fighting Syrian government forces in Latakia, arrived in Ukraine with a group of Chechen fighters to battle Russian forces. Syria
Syrian government retaliates for killing of soldiers by Islamic State The Syrian government and Russia accused the Islamic State of blowing up a troop bus of the Syrian army’s Fourth Division in its main headquarters near Damascus. Syria
Is Turkey using HTS to strengthen its hand in Syria? Amid Ankara’s overtures to Damascus, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham — the radical group controlling Idlib — has seized Afrin and is seeking a deal to expand its control further into territories held by factions allied with Turkey. Turkey
Archive Upfront from Oct 17, 2022 Are Syria’s HTS jihadis Turkey’s new friends? After Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the jihadi faction that runs the northwestern province of Idlib, moved into Afrin, the question of where Turkey stands in this power grab is of critical importance. Turkey
Islamic State claims over 125 people killed in Syrian operations in 2 months The Islamic State announced the largest number of operations it has so far carried out in the span of two months in the countryside of Deir ez-Zor, which is under the control of Kurdish forces in northeast Syria. Syria
Russian warplanes hit targets in northwest Syria Russian warplanes escalated their shelling of Idlib amid field clashes between Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and the Syrian government forces in the countryside of Aleppo. Syria
Turkey bullish about F-16 deal with Washington, despite Menendez's vow to block it The New Jersey senator has vowed to block any deal until the Turkish president "halts his campaign of aggression against the region." Turkey
Islamic State terrorizes business owners in northeast Syria Islamic State cells have been active in the areas controlled by the Kurdish forces in the countryside of Deir ez-Zor, forcing business owners to pay taxes under the pretext of zakat. Syria
Syrian farmers trapped by 'Erdogan's wall' Military unrest combined with drought is making it much harder to draw a living from the soil along the Turkish-Syrian border. Syria
Turkish-backed Syrian group cuts off water to Hasakah Hasakah residents in northeast Syria have relied on buying water from private suppliers as their underground wells have dried up, while the Turkish-backed factions suspended pumping operations from the only water station supplying the city. Syria
