Lebanon charges 5 in alleged Hezbollah operation to train Assad loyalists A Lebanese military court has charged the five, including an Assad-era Syrian officer and Hezbollah members, with running a cross-border security network planning attacks in Syria’s coastal region. Lebanon
Former Assad official sentenced to 60 years in US for torture Samir Ousman Alsheikh was convicted by a jury in March of three counts of torture, one count of conspiracy to commit torture, visa fraud and attempted naturalization fraud. Syria
Culture Syrian singer Assala returns to Damascus stage after 15-year exile The Syrian star, one of the Arab world’s most famous artists, had been in self-exile since 2011 after she openly supported the uprising against the since-ousted Assad government. Syria
Syria’s Sharaa talks economic ties with UAE leader: What to know The UAE is moving to boost trade and investment ties with Syria amid the conflicts in the region and following initial caution in its dealings with Damascus. 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
Rare clashes erupt between jihadist group, Turkey-backed faction in Syria's Idlib Clashes erupted between Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and Faylaq al-Sham, affiliated with the Turkish-backed FSA, due to differences over the alleged opening of a commercial crossing with the Syrian government-held areas in the eastern Idlib countryside. Syria
US military kills three senior Islamic State leaders in Syria strikes US strikes knocked off the jihadist group's second-highest Syrian commander and a smuggler believed to have helped kidnap and behead Kurdish officials. Syria
Cholera spreads in Syria as displacement camps on high alert Fears of a cholera outbreak in Syria are growing after authorities revealed that part of the Euphrates River has been contaminated. Syria
