Sadeq Sharafeddin is said to have been a close confidante of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, Zaman al-Wasl reports
Foreign Ministry labels move to set up Kurdish-led militia as a violation of international law, official media reports
Alsouria Net describes the arrest of an academic forced to seek shelter in Damascus’ public spaces
Opposition groups reject decision by judges to implement legal reforms without appropriate consultations, Ain al-Medina writes
Leading opposition figures claim Assad regime ordered the murder of the Cairo platform member, while others close to Darwish have ruled out homicide
Kremlin had previously hinted that America may have aided groups in attacking the Russian air base in Syria
Lavrov says his country’s diplomatic initiatives have been invaluable to the progress of the political track, Al-Hayat reports
Locals dispute the number of purported returned residents, saying the actual figure is lower, Enab Baladi reports
The SDF-backed council has been tasked with overseeing the rebuilding and administration of a post-ISIS Raqqa
Authorities are taking measures to combat the varying costs of goods in Assad’s heartland, loyalist Al-Watan writes
Khalid bin al-Walid Army militants fled after advancing in the southern village of Jabiliya, Enab Baladi writes
Lead opposition negotiator offers signals possible involvement in the Russian track, but says achieving progress in Geneva would make Sochi pointless
Moscow has alerted the opposition that the de-escalation zone agreement will end in the middle of next month, Zaman al-Wasl reports
Syrian army and its allies have taken control of dozens of villages in the southeast of the rebel-held province, Smart reports
Several Kurdish bodies are vying for a place at the negotiating table ahead of the National Dialogue Conference in Russia’s Sochi, Al-Modon writes
President of Russia’s Muslim region says his republic is ready to assist Syria in rehabilitating former fighters, Enab Baladi reports
Turkish vehicle damaged in RPG attack carried out by unknown assailants in Idleb, Kurdish website reports
Offensive mounted by Iranian-backed militias and ISIS forces the retreat of the key opposition group, Smart reports
Fighting escalates after sides fail to reach a deal ensuring safe passage of ISIS fighters to the Iraqi border, Zaman al-Wasl reports
Houla region targeted by pro-government forces despite being covered under the Moscow-backed de-escalation deal, Enab Baladi reports
