Search

Foreign actors

Shiite Militias Attempt to Win Over Mahardah Christians With News of Fake Gains

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

Turkey Moves to Reform Judicial System in Liberated Jarablus

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

Assad Regime Forms New Militia from Hassakeh Tribesmen

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

U.S. Strikes Put Syria at a Crossroads: Beginning of Political Settlement or De Facto Division?

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

Russia Burns Idlib With Napalm and White Phosphorus: Activists

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

Russian Cluster Bombs Kill 21 People in Idleb Province

Activists and media report scores killed in Russian bombing of rebel-held Idleb, including a new strike on the site of last week’s chemical attack in Khan Sheikhoun, Zaman al-Wasl writes

Deportation Agreement in West Damascus Incites Discord

Political representatives in south Damascus voice their rejection of an agreement between rebels and Iran which will see the exchange of fighters and their families from areas surrounding the capital and Idleb, opposition outlet All4Syria reports

Syrians Fear Russian, Regime Retalliation After U.S. Strike

Civilians voice concern over increased air campaigns against residential areas as witnesses report white phosphorus attacks in the hours after the U.S. cruise missile strike on a Syrian air base, opposition website Alsouria Net writes

Syria Moves Warplanes to Russian Base, Civilian Airports: Source

Syrian warplanes will be decamped and transported to Hmeimym airbase and civilian airports in the capital and other cities following the U.S. strike in Homs, military source tells opposition newspaper Zaman al-Wasl

Opinion: Is a Political Solution Still Feasible in Syria?

In a special op-ed for The Syrian Observer, the coordinator-general of the High Negotiations Committee explains that untying the Syrian knot will require isolating external influence on the Syrian scene, a transition with the establishment of a new political system, and the firm application of international law in order to hold war criminals to account