Russian FM urges joint action from countries involved in the Syrian file, whether they were ‘invited to Syria by the legitimate government’ or not
Defense Ministry spokesperson rejects claims made by militant group that rebel fighters shot down a Russian helicopter, saying that all aircraft in in Syria can be accounted for, Syrian government media writes
Fate of crew remains unknown after key rebel group claims responsibility for hitting a possible regime helicopter near the Suffiyat area in Kurds Mountain, opposition media Zaman al-Wasl reports
Rebel commander claims opposition has succeeded in wearing down ISIS forces in Syria’s western desert areas and mountain ranges, following a number of campaigns involving key FSA and armed Islamist groups, a Lebanese newspaper reports
As ISIS prepares for urban warfare, Kurdish YPG boasts of superior fighting forces ahead of the looming battle for ISIS’ stronghold in Syria, as residents and U.S. defense officials voice skepticism over the likelihood the battle will be swift and decisive
Turkish deputy prime minister announces between 20,000 and 22,000 families have been identified to obtain citizenship, opposition website Alsouria Net reports, adding that about 35,000 refugees have so far returned to their homes in northern Syria after Turkish-backed forces cleared the area of ISIS militants
Pro-regime paramilitary group faces further losses at the hands of opposition fighters in central Hama, as renewed rebel advance seizes over a dozen towns and villages in the province, Zaman al-Wasl reports
Toxic gas attack on the Latamaneh hospital kills medic and patient, as a medical relief agency releases a report claiming over 100 hospitals were hit by Syrian or Russian strikes in 2016
High Negotiations Committee representative Hariri says talks with U.N. envoy in the Swiss city were ‘fruitful’ and elaborated on the particulars of a transitional body and its structure, the opposition’s media office reports
Second batch of aid to arrive within a month raises the total amount of soft wheat provided by Russia to over 50,000 tons, government media reports
As intense fighting continues in areas of the capital, a Russian daily newspaper rebukes the regime and backs opposition claims that government forces fled from battles and that Republican Guard units suffered heavy losses, website Alsouria Net reports
Opposition website Alsouria tells the story of Mahmoud, a doctor spared from the terror of ISIS after fleeing his hometown Al-Bab, only to have his loved ones ripped from him when regime jets targeted their new home in opposition-held Idleb
News outlet ARA quotes Turkey’s deputy PM during speech in the capital, in which he warns that handing control of the ISIS stronghold over to a Kurdish-led administration will compromise peace and security in the region
State-run media claims over 157 militants killed in anti-terrorism operations in the countryside of the capital, while government forces reportedly push back on opposition offensive in the northern countryside of Hama
Opposition media reports that rebels located in the mountains of the regime’s coastal stronghold launched 17 Grad missiles at Hameimim airbase
International community must assume its responsibilities and work to stop future massacres by coalition air forces, loyalist outlet quotes ministry as saying, after reports emerge of over 30 deaths in the fatal strikes
Gen. Hassan Sultan, of the pro-regime Fifth Corps unit, killed after a largely successful effort to drive out ISIS forces from the central Syria city weeks ago, opposition Zaman al-Wasl website says
Assad tells a Tunisian delegation that political parties can help fight terrorism through progressive pan-Arab projects that help preserve Arab identity and culture, state news media reports
Army forces succeed in maintaining siege on terrorists trapped in Jobar as clashes intensify in the Damascus neighborhood, resulting in hundreds of killed and injured militants, pro-government newspaper reports
Moderate rebel forces continue their advance in the Syrian desert, gaining territory from ISIS in eastern Qalamoun and near the Iraqi border
