Syria arrivals surge 111% as government bets on tourism revival The country welcomed 3.52 million visitors during the first half of 2026, more than double the figure recorded a year earlier, as the government pushes to reconnect to the world and promote tourism as a pillar of economic recovery. Syria
Syria seizes arms shipment on Iraq border destined for Hezbollah The operation comes as part of the Syrian authorities' efforts to curb illicit arms smuggling through its territory, namely intended for Hezbollah. Lebanon
Syria, US hold first business forum since sanctions relief: What to know The one-day forum in Damascus was organized by Syria’s Ministry of Economy and Industry and the US-Syria Business Council, which was established in Washington last June to advance trade and investment between the two nations. Syria
Explainer How Macron seeks to carve out France's role in new Syria French President Emmanuel Macron became the first Western leader to visit Syria since the fall of the Assad regime, showcasing Paris' support for Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa while seeking to secure a share of the country's emerging reconstruction market. Syria
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
