Earlier this week, leaders of the SDF signaled a willingness to proceed with the integration of their forces into the national army of Syria, something which was agreed to back on March 10 but which has been stalled by persistent questions about federalization within...
Two Syrian Soldiers, One SDF Fighter Killed as Eastern Aleppo Military Tensions Mount
Military tensions between Syria and the Kurdish SDF continue to grow in the eastern part of the Aleppo Governorate. Both sides have reported deaths as a result of attacks by the other side in the past 48 hours. On Wednesday, the SDF reported that one of their fighters...
Syrian Army, SDF Trade Blame as Seven Civilians Killed in Strikes
The village of Umm Tineh in eastern Aleppo Governorate was attacked overnight, with at least seven civilians killed and four others wounded, according to media reports. Who actually did it though is a matter of substantial disagreement. The village was hit in a drone...
Turkish Defense Ministry: We Will Only Withdraw From Syria If Borders Are Secured
Turkish Defense Ministry has issued a statement on Thursday saying that the country will only consider pulling its military out of Syria if the border is completely secured and if they are satisfied that the “terrorism” threat is fully resolved. Ministry spokesman...
Report: Israeli Strike on Homs Targeted Turkish Missile Warehouse
On Monday evening, Israel carried out a series of attacks against sites near major Syrian cities. The first and largest of those strikes was against Homs, though subsequent strikes targeted areas near Palmyra and Latakia. Details were scant and there was never an...
Turkish DM: Failure of Syrian Kurds to Disarm a Threat to Turkey’s Security
A full-scale Syrian invasion of the Kurdish northeast continues to loom, and now Turkey is chiming in once again, with a Defense Ministry spokesman threatening to move against the Kurdish SDF if they don’t follow through on a March agreement to integrate within the...
Israeli Ground Troops Raid Damascus Airbase
Following up on the deadly Israeli drone strikes against Kiswah, in the southern part of metro Damascus, Israel conducted an overnight raid of an old airbase there, with dozens of IDF troops arriving via helicopters and spending over two hours in the base. The troops...
Turkey Defense Deal With Syria Includes Training and Arms – Stops Short of Turkish Bases
As Syria’s Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) tries to grow its national military after the takeover of the country in December, it was inevitable that Turkey, a heavy backer of the HTS during its offensives last year, would end up playing a big role. Syria and Turkey have...
Turkey FM Warns He Won’t Tolerate Syrian Kurds Becoming Israeli Pawns
Syria’s Foreign Minister was in Ankara today meeting with his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan, and Fidan took the opportunity, as Turkish officials so often do, to rail about the Kurds threatening regional stability. This time, the warnings were directed at the...
Kurdish PKK Will Disarm and Disband, Seeking End to Decades of Conflict in Turkey
In an announcement on Monday, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) announced that they have agreed to totally disarm and disband, aiming to end a multi-decade conflict with the Turkish government. Turkish President Erdogan praised the move, calling it a move toward...