The Kurdish SDF has rejected the US demand to fully disarm and withdraw from key areas and border crossings in northeast Syria, saying that the idea of laying down arms is “non-negotiable.” SDF representative Sihanouk Dibo said that the group’s long-term vision was to...
Syria, Israel Hold ‘De-Escalation’ Talks in Paris, Agree To Hold Second Round
With US envoy Tom Barrack in attendance in Paris, Syrian and Israeli government ministers met in what is being called “de-escalation” talks aimed to reduce the growing tensions amid the ongoing Israeli invasion of southwestern Syria and the sectarian violence in the...
Over 1,100 Killed in the Past Week in Syria’s Suwayda, Calm May Not Last
Sunday saw relative calm return to the Suwayda Governorate in southern Syria, after a solid week of fighting among the Druze and Bedouins left in excess of 1,100 documented deaths so far and a final toll that is likely to be even higher. A majority of the slain were...
Syrian Government Forces Kill Civilians in Suwayda and Declare Ceasefire
The Syrian Defense Ministry has announced a ceasefire between Druze forces and Bedouin tribes in and around the city of Suwayda, following Syrian security forces entering the city aiming to bring an end to multiple days of fighting. Today’s reports suggest around 200...
89 Killed, Around 200 Wounded as Druze-Bedouin Fighting in Southern Syria Rages
Fighting between the Druze population in Syria’s Suwayda Governorate and local Bedouin tribes continues to escalate after breaking out Sunday in the Suwayda neighborhood of Maqus. The most recent figures suggest at least 89 people have been killed in the fighting as...
Report: Syria Talks With Israel Involve Seizing North Lebanon
Israeli media began reporting new specificities about the Syria-Israel peace talks that have been ongoing for awhile, and incredibly they seem to suggest that the deal is centering around discussions of carving off parts of Lebanon to give to Syria’s Islamist...
Israel Seeks Normalization With Syria, But Not at the Cost of the Golan Occupation
Since the December regime change in Syria, the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) government has repeatedly talked up improving the nation’s relationship with Israel. That talking point hasn’t gone away, even if it seemed less probable with Israel actively invading...
HTS Offshoot Claims Credit for Damascus Church Bombing
On Sunday, a massive suicide bomb attack tore through the important Greek Orthodox church Mar Elias in Damascus, killing 27 and wounding dozens more. The huge attack just added to the spate of sectarian violence across Syria, which undercuts the Islamist Hayat Tahrir...
Killing of Alawites Continues in Syria, Civilians Are Asked Religion at Checkpoints
Sectarian violence remains a recurring problem in Syria, with reports that the nation’s Alawite minority continue to bear the brunt of the attacks. Though some killings are being carried out by unknown gunmen, many are taking place at official government checkpoints....
Syrian Islamist Leader Sharaa to Visit US in September to Address UN
In December after the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) took power in Syria, the Biden Administration lifted the $10 million bounty on the head of Ahmed al-Sharaa, formerly known by the nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Jolani. Sharaa has gone on quite an effort to...