Biden approves airstrike on Iran-backed militias in Syria following Iraq attacks

Officials suggested the late-night precision bombing was designed to minimize casualties while avoiding backlash from the Iraqi government.

Iraq

The Israel-Russia-Syria deal: Cost, beneficiaries and future deals

As Israel and Syria conclude a deal on the return of an Israeli woman from Syria, questions arise regarding the cost and what the future of such transactions with Russian mediation should be.

Israel

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham intensifies campaign against al-Qaeda affiliate in Idlib

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham presses on with its campaign to weaken Hurras al-Din.

Syria

Syrian opposition gears up for coronavirus vaccine drive

The Syrian opposition's self-styled interim government is seeking to bring the coronavirus vaccine to a specific category of the population of northwestern Syria.

Syria

German court convicts ex-Syrian regime officer in historic case

Eyad al-Gharib, a former low-ranking officer in Syria's intelligence services, was sentenced to four and a half years in prison for aiding and abetting crimes against humanity.

Syria

Authorities in northeast Syria struggle to impose Kurdish curriculum

The Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria has been sanctioning private schools and institutes in its areas of control in northeast Syria and arresting teachers for not following the Kurdish curriculum in their educational systems.

Syria

Rise of Turkish lira is not felt by citizens in Syria’s Idlib

Civilians in the areas controlled by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham in northwest Syria are reeling under exorbitant prices of goods and the lack of a strict supply control, while the Turkish lira, which is in circulation in those areas, rises against the US dollar.

Syria

Syrian opposition preparing for possible regime expansion on al-Bab fronts

There are fears of a new military operation near al-Bab in Aleppo countryside, after the Syrian regime forces and their allied militias positioned there received fresh military reinforcements.

Syria

Iranian forces form new groups to boost influence in east Syria

The Fatemiyoun Brigade and the Iranian militias have beefed up their presence in Deir ez-Zor province in eastern Syria by bringing in more Syrian elements into their ranks and intensifying their religious, military and cultural activities in order to expand and preserve their interests.

Syria

How the Syrian government benefits from opening crossings with opposition-held areas

Russia announced that the Syrian government was getting ready to open several crossings with the Syrian opposition in Idlib, a move that is mainly seen as an attempt by the regime to alleviate the economic strain of US sanctions.

Syria

In Syria’s Deir ez-Zor, SDF conscription ‘severs livelihoods’

The Syrian Democratic Forces' recent campaign to conscript youth for military service is compounding economic hardship in Deir ez-Zor province, one of the poorest areas of Syria. In villages where the campaign is most active, young men are staying home for fear of arrest, forgoing daily wages and delaying grocery purchases to avoid passing by checkpoints.

Syria

Report: Israel to purchase vaccines for Syria in prisoner exchange deal

According to foreign publications, Israel has agreed to purchase Russian Sputnik V coronavirus vaccines for Syria, as part of a Russia-mediated deal to release an Israeli woman who crossed the border into Syria.

Palestine