Footage on social media shows activists in the southern city of Suweida waving the flag of independence, an opposition symbol, while demanding freedom from the rule of the Assad regime, opposition website Zaman al-Wasl reports
Donald Trump’s decision to strike the Shayrat base earlier this month was less about changing the balance of power in Syria, but instead represented a nod to his domestic rivals showing his willingness to act as a strong and decisive leader, Abdel Moneim Ali Eissa writes for loyalist outlet Al-Watan
Legal expert says Lebanese security agencies are ‘selectively’ deporting and refusing to issue residence permits to certain refugees who come from specific areas of Syria, while those who are at risk claim state agencies are enacting a deliberate policy to make life hard for Syrians to encourage their flight, opposition website Enab Baladi writes
Opposition site Alsouria Net reports on attack which targeted convoy of around 5,000 people who had been granted safe passage out of the besieged Shiite villages
Syrian government welcomes Chinese business representatives to discuss investment opportunities for the reconstruction of Syria’s industrial sector, state media reports
Moscow’s behavior will further complicate the Syrian issue, opposition says, after Russia doubled down on its support for the Assad regime following the sarin gas attack earlier this month
Trump had to send a message to all parties supporting Assad that he won’t just resort to Syrian talks but will be part of the joint offensives in Syria, Tariq Alhomayed writes
During Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s first trip to Moscow, Russian president slams U.S. for act of aggression on Syrian territory, calling last week’s strike a violation of international law, government news agency reports
Russia considers fighting terrorism and a successful political solution in Syria as its key goals, says Kremlin spokesman, adding that calls to withdraw Russian support from the Assad regime are short-sighted, Syrian government media reports
Opposition outlet Zaman al-Wasl reports that Kurdish forces are targeting Arab residents of Syria’s northern region in campaigns of discrimination and forced displacement, amid rapid advances by the Western-backed forces against ISIS positions in the area
Activists claim scores of people are being killed in Idleb and Hama by the Russian air force in retaliation for the U.S. missile strike on the Shayrat air base late last week, opposition media office writes
Iraqi Shiite militias fighting in the Hama countryside recently launched a media campaign alongside their military efforts to take back the town, attempting to win public support among Christian residents by falsely claiming to have recaptured a number of churches, opposition outlet All4Syria writes
Loyalists call for public apology after producers fail to tell locals of plans to film a controlled explosion in the capital, opposition site All4Syria reports
Local officials claim Ankara — alongside a number of defected judges and lawyers — is backing the overhaul of the judiciary in Jarablus after Turkish-led forces pushed ISIS out of the northern Syrian city last year, opposition outlet writes
Russian military would respond with direct action in the event its units are threatened in Syria, Duma defense committee deputy tells Russian media in a warning to the Trump administration
Sources tell Zaman al-Wasl that regime and Baathist figures rallied disaffected tribesmen to join pro-Assad paramilitary units amid heightened resentment toward the Kurdish administration in the northern province
Al-Hayat columnist Ibrahim Hamidi highlights four observations in the aftermath of the first American strike on Syrian army positions, explaining that the coming days will show which of two tracks will be taken by Russian and the U.S. in response — military escalation between the two superpowers, or a renewed interest in a military-political agreement
Talks between ministers touch on Belarusian investments in Syrian infrastructure aimed at helping ensure sustainable development within industrial cities, government media reports
Activists report numerous attacks on the rebel-held province over recent days, likely in response to last week’s missile attack by U.S. forces on a Syrian air base, opposition outlet Zaman al-Wasl writes
Iranian president rejects U.S. actions a blatant violation of sovereignty, following Friday’s attack on a Syrian air base in Homs province, opposition website reports
