When the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) seized power in Syria in December, it was seen as the presumptive end of the protracted civil war in that country, since it removed President Assad from power. Since then, there seems to be quite a bit of internal conflict...
Trump Will Lift All Sanctions on Syria, Will Meet HTS Leader Wednesday
President Trump has announced that he will lift all sanctions the US has against the Syrian government, which he says will “give them a chance at greatness.” He will also meet Syria’s leader, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) leader Ahmed al-Sharaa on Wednesday. The US has...
At Least 11 Alawites Killed in Syria as Sectarian Violence Continues to Rage
Sectarian violence against Syria’s Alawite minority became a huge matter in early March, when massacres left well over 1,300 people dead and the ruling Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) insisting the matter was over and an investigation would happen. The probe has been...
Israel and Syria Have Engaged in Secret Talks Since April
Israel has made much of the idea that Syria’s new Islamist government is a direct threat to them, as they continue to invade southern Syria and carry out regular airstrikes across the country. Quietly, they’ve been carrying out negotiations since at least April under...
Israel Kills More Civilians in Syria Strikes, Insists They’re ‘Protecting Druze’
Israel continued to carry out strikes against Syria throughout the weekend, launching a number of additional airstrikes centered on the idea they are “protecting” the Druze minority in Syria after last week’s sectarian violence left over 100 people dead. The violence...
Over 100 Killed as Sectarian Fighting Surrounding Syrian Druze Community Rages
Clashes in the Damascus suburb of Jaramana earlier this week centered on Syria’s Druze minority, but like a lot of the sectarian tensions in the country seems to have grown substantially from there, with reports now putting the overall death toll in the anti-Druze...
Gunmen Attack Druze Group in Damascus Suburb, at Least 18 Killed
Violent sectarian gunbattles have erupted in the Damascus suburb of Jaramana, when Sunni gunmen from the nearby Maliha suburb attacked Druze groups in the area. At least 18 people have been confirmed killed, including seven Druze fighters. Two security force members...
14 Alawites Killed in Central Syria as Sectarian Purge Continues
March saw the beginning of a violent crackdown against Syria’s Alawite minority in the country’s northwest, with well over a thousand people killed in a very short period of time in the Tartus and Latakia Governorates. The slain were overwhelmingly civilians, dragged...
Syrian Leader Sharaa Says Willing to Normalize Relations With Israel
Syria’s leader Ahmed al-Sharaa has reportedly expressed openness to normalizing relations with Israel under certain circumstances, ending decades of acrimony between the two neighboring states. Sharaa reportedly discussed the matter with Rep. Cory Mills (R – FL)...
Syria Detains Top Palestinian Islamic Jihad Leaders After US Demands
Syria’s Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) government has been unclear about what their position will be on the Palestinians. That’s an important issue because there is a large Palestinian population within Syria. It’s also an important topic because the US has recently...