China’s envoy to Syria urges parties to continue efforts to secure a political settlement through negotiations, adding that recent chemical attacks in Idleb’s countryside should be investigated through an independent commission, state news agency reports
Opposition outlet Ain al-Medina reports on the preparations for the upcoming battle for control of Tabqa, explaining that around 650 ISIS fighters are holed up inside the city awaiting close-range fighting with the Western-backed forces
Opposition media center reports that Syrian government forces and allied militias continue to target rebel-held areas with heavy bombardment, now for the 40th day in a row, as the death toll rises in some residential districts
Unnamed source claims Walid al-Muallem told U.S. official that Syria cannot be held accountable for killing civilians as long as America is responsible for civilian deaths in ISIS-held Mosul, opposition website Zaman al-Wasl reports
Syrian president addresses his ruling Baath Party during committee meeting, calling for placing greater importance on helping the party adapt to a changing society and attracting younger members, state media reports
‘We as Syrians abroad undergo many situations that show how low the bar is for other people’s expectations of us.’ Enab Baladi speaks with four refugees living in Germany and Turkey about the common misconceptions of Syrians voiced by locals on a day to day basis
Opposition outlet All4Syria reports on a recent decision to remove the old stalls from the grounds of the Umayyad Mosque, one of the most important Shiite pilgrimage sites in Damascus, with local council citing ‘abuse of antiquities’ as reason for action
Assad’s top political and media advisor speaks to Lebanese television, framing the U.S. strike in the scope of CIA efforts to punish Damascus, claiming that the attack on the base came in the wake of victories by government forces against terror groups, state media reports
U.N. envoy tells reporters in Switzerland that cease-fire guarantors Russia, Turkey and Iran worked actively to ensure the success of a possible political settlement during trilateral meetings in Tehran, state news media reports
Activists and monitoring groups claim FSA troops kill over 50 Shiite militants in four weeks of fighting throughout Hama province, meanwhile a rebel missile attack kills Russian and regime personnel in the province’s northern countryside, opposition website Zaman al-Wasl reports
Opposition members and activists decry the forced relocation of thousands of civilians from the “four Syrian towns” as part of a negotiation deal to release kidnapped Qatari businessmen, Paula Istih writes for Saudi-owned Asharq Al-Awsat
Led by the United States, an international consensus has finally formed that the rule of the Assad family has reached its end, but Syrians must understand that the battle is not yet over, writes Walid al-Bunni for All4Syria
Report by U.K.-based human rights group documents regime violations in the Al-Waer neighborhood of Homs, including the killing of nearly 900 civilians, in the lead-up to resettlement operations being carried out, opposition media reports
Kurdish-Arab alliance readies for the takeover of ISIS’ self-styled capital in Syria’s northeast, as the Western-backed forces look to completely cut off Raqqa from surrounding areas before its liberation, Saudi-owned Al-Hayat reports
Russia will continue to support a peaceful settlement and protect Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity against the international forces of terrorism and extremism, Putin tells Assad in cable, state media reports
U.N. head says organization will work to limit the impact of recent U.S. strike and violence in Aleppo and Idleb on any upcoming political talks, Syrian state media reports
UNSC Resolution 2254 is the only plan to settle crisis in Syria and covers all aspects of a peaceful solution, Russian foreign minister tells journalists during press conference in the breakaway republic of Abkhazia, Syrian state media reports
The negative impacts of the Islamic State’s time administering the province still mark the economy of the northern and eastern countryside of Aleppo, Alsouria writes
With many beginning their work in coordination councils around the country, large numbers of activists have upskilled in a move aimed at providing professional coverage of the Syrian crisis in a place where most foreign outlets cannot, opposition outlet Enab Baladi writes
Reconciliation Minister Ali Haidar says media and political delegations can play an important role in conveying the reality of events in Syria to Western audiences, during meeting with delegation of visiting journalists
