In recent developments across Syria, the region continues to grapple with intensified Israeli airstrikes, militia repositioning, refugee crises, and complex political maneuvers. Strong explosions were reported in Damascus, allegedly targeting Hezbollah militant Salim Ayyash, as Israeli airstrikes in other parts of Syria claimed the lives of pro-Iran fighters. Meanwhile, Hezbollah and Iran-backed militias are reportedly repositioning within Syria to evade these strikes, while Russia increases its presence along the Golan Heights border to balance Israeli and Iranian activities. Amid escalating violence, hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees are returning from Lebanon, pressured by deteriorating conditions, which Lebanese and Syrian officials view as a possible relief from sanctions and economic strain. Turkey, facing military and political roadblocks in Syria, explores new approaches to address the Kurdish threat, aiming for political solutions while balancing relations with Russia, the U.S., and Syria.
Strong explosions were heard in the Sayeda Zainab district, a Hezbollah stronghold in Damascus, Syria, Israeli media reported, citing Syrian reports.
Syrian state media claimed that Israel struck a residential building, which has resulted in a number of deaths and injuries, Reuters reported.
The target of the assassination is allegedly Hezbollah terrorist Salim Ayyash, who was accused of killing former Lebanese prime minister Rafic Hariri, Saudi Al-Hadath reported.
Israeli raids on Syria kill 4 militants, war monitor says
Four pro-Iran fighters were among five people killed in overnight Israeli strikes in north and northwest Syria, a war monitor said on Saturday, AFP reported.
“Four Syrian pro-Iran fighters were killed in Israeli air strikes on the scientific research center and warehouses near Safira east of Aleppo,” the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
The Britain-based monitor said two other raids further west targeting Saraqeb in Idlib province killed a fifth person.
Israeli authorities rarely comment on such strikes but have repeatedly said they will not allow archenemy Iran to expand its presence in Syria.
The Observatory said the strikes targeted two headquarters of Syrian regime forces frequented by members of the Iran-backed Hezbollah group.
Late Saturday, the Observatory reported “two Israeli strikes” targeting a Syrian army radar position in the southern province of Suweida, without immediately giving further details.
Syrians, Iraqis Archive IS Jail Crimes In Virtual Museum
After jihadists jailed him in 2014, Iraqi religious scholar Muhammad al-Attar said he would sometimes pull his prison blanket over his head to cry without other detainees noticing, AFP reports.
Islamic State group extremists arrested Attar, then 37, at his perfume shop in Mosul in June 2014 after overrunning the Iraqi city, hoping to convince the respected community leader to join them.
But the former preacher refused to pledge allegiance, and they threw him into prison where he was tortured.
In his group cell of at least 148 detainees at Mosul’s Ahdath prison, at times “there was nothing left but to weep”, Attar said.
But “I couldn’t bear the thought of the younger men seeing me cry. They would have broken down.”
So he hid under his blanket.
The militants banned smoking, mandated beards for men and head-to-toe coverings for women, publicly executed homosexuals and cut off the hands of thieves.
They threw perceived informants or “apostates” into prison or makeshift jails, many of whom never returned.
Attar’s story is one of more than 500 testimonies that dozens of journalists, filmmakers and human rights activists in Syria and Iraq have collected since 2017 as part of an online archive called the ISIS Prisons Museum.
The website, which includes virtual visits of former jihadist detention centers and numerous tales about life inside them, became public this month.
The project is holding its first physical exhibition, including virtual reality tours, at the Paris headquarters of UNESCO, the UN’s culture and education agency, until November 14.
Syrian journalist Amer Matar, 38, is director of the web-based museum.
“IS abducted my brother in 2013, and we started to look for him,” he told AFP.
Salim Ayyash, who participated in murder of Lebanese PM, eliminated in Syria
Salim Ayyash, who was sentenced to five life sentences for the murder of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, was killed in an airstrike in Syria, Israel National News reports.
Salim Ayyash, a senior figure in the Hezbollah terror organization, was eliminated on Sunday in an Israeli airstrike, al-Arabiya reported.
In December 2020, an international tribunal sentenced Ayyash in absentia to five concurrent life sentences on terrorism-related charges connected to the February 2005 suicide truck bombing in Beirut that killed Lebanon’s former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
Earlier in the day, reports on social media claimed he was eliminated in a strike in the al-Qusair area on the Syria-Lebanon border.
Hariri was killed only a few months after finishing his term as prime minister.
Hezbollah and Iran-backed militias reposition in Syria
Syria Direct published a report explaining that Hezbollah and Iran-backed militias are repositioning within Syria to avoid Israeli strikes, which have intensified following the recent assassination of Hezbollah leaders.
In response to these maneuvers, Russia has deployed additional forces in eastern and southern Syria, particularly near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, to maintain a balance without directly supporting either side. Analysts note that Russia aims to avoid a direct confrontation between Iran and Israel on Syrian soil, allowing Israeli strikes without obstructing Iran’s movements.
Iranian forces have increased their presence near the Iraq-Syria border, moving weapon stores and changing positions to reduce their visibility. Meanwhile, Hezbollah’s positions near the Golan Heights are viewed as strategic leverage against Israel.
Despite the pressure from the West and Israel for Syria to distance itself from Iranian influence, Tehran maintains strong ties within Syrian regime institutions, which complicates efforts to curtail its presence.
While Syrian refugees don’t want to return, officials in Lebanon and Syria see exodus as opportunity
AP reports that hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees have returned to Syria from Lebanon since Israel’s large-scale airstrikes on Lebanon in September. While most refugees did not want to leave Lebanon, the escalating violence left them little choice. Lebanese officials see the exodus as an opportunity to ease the country’s refugee burden, while Syrian authorities view the influx as leverage to push for international aid and relief from Western sanctions.
Lebanon’s General Security agency estimates over 550,000 people, mainly Syrians, have fled since mid-September. Most returnees are settling in government-controlled areas in Syria, with smaller numbers moving to Kurdish and opposition-held territories. Lebanese leaders, including Social Affairs Minister Hector Hajjar, suggest the situation in Syria may be more favorable for Syrians than Lebanon under current conditions.
Officials in Damascus argue that the returning refugees increase Syria’s economic strain, as hyperinflation and border disruptions from Israeli strikes have compounded financial pressures. Some Syrian officials are using the situation to advocate for the lifting of U.S. sanctions.
Human rights groups report concerns for returnees, with at least 130 individuals allegedly detained despite an amnesty for military draft dodgers. UNHCR has urged caution in how Lebanon handles the returnees’ refugee status, emphasizing the need for humane treatment.
While some refugees consider their return temporary, others are uncertain about their future in either Lebanon or Syria.
Turkey is searching for a way out of Syria’s impasse
The Atlantic Council published a report detailing Turkey’s efforts to navigate the complex Syrian conflict, as Ankara faces military stalemates, Russian opposition, and U.S. economic pressure. Turkey is exploring political solutions, possibly by reshaping its Kurdish policy to address its security concerns about the YPG-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
Amid rising regional tensions, Turkey seeks ways to neutralize the Kurdish threat it perceives along its borders while considering cooperation with Damascus, although attempts to establish dialogue with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad have thus far been unsuccessful.
The report highlights that Russia and the U.S. are actively blocking Turkish military operations against the SDF. With no breakthroughs in talks with Assad and facing the economic risk of U.S. sanctions, Turkey has also explored unconventional approaches to the Kurdish issue. Notably, Nationalist Movement Party leader Devlet Bahceli recently proposed that imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan could call for an end to the PKK’s armed struggle, a move that has sparked debate within Turkey.
Turkey remains wary of broader conflicts spilling into Syria, including potential Israeli involvement with Kurdish forces. The Atlantic Council’s analysis suggests that a coordinated approach with the U.S. could help Turkey find a way forward in Syria, though Washington should remain impartial to avoid complicating bilateral relations.
