This news roundup from Syria highlights escalating regional tensions, including Israeli airstrikes on Hezbollah facilities in Syria, as well as recent developments on the homefront. Israeli forces targeted Hezbollah command centers and weapon depots in al-Qusayr near the Lebanese border, aiming to block arms transfers from Iran to Hezbollah in Lebanon. Additionally, Syrian regime forces intensified their shelling in Idlib and Aleppo, injuring civilians, while reports from human rights organizations warn of the impact on local communities. Meanwhile, a group of Syrian Americans has endorsed Kamala Harris, hoping for her administration’s support of humanitarian aid to Syria. Also included is a report on Syrian authorities’ rare raid on a Captagon smuggling network, spotlighting the nexus between narcotics trade and Iran-backed groups. Finally, a new report reveals how former President Donald Trump’s approval of Turkey’s 2019 invasion of Syria led to civilian casualties, underscoring ongoing concerns over his foreign policy dealings.
Israeli Fighter Jets Struck Hezbollah Weapon Depots, Command Centers in Syria
Israeli fighter jets struck weapons depots and command centers belonging to Hezbollah in Syria a short while ago, the IDF says.
The strikes were carried out in the al-Qusayr area, close to Lebanon’s border with Syria.
The sites belonged to Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force and the terror group’s armament unit, according to the military.
The armament unit is responsible for storing weapons in Lebanon, and according to the IDF, it recently expanded its activities to Syria, where it stored weapons in al-Qusayr.
The strikes come as part of the IDF’s efforts to prevent weapon transfers from Iran to Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Group of Syrian Americans endorse Harris in open letter
A group of nearly two dozen Syrian Americans endorsed Harris in a letter, obtained first by NBC News from a Harris campaign official.
“We are not only proudly integrated in every part of American life, but we have helped shape it,” the letter said. “We intend to vote for a Harris-Walz administration precisely for that reason, to preserve freedom and democracy for our children.”
Much of the letter zeroed in on policies toward Syria that they hope a future administration would maintain, including humanitarian and development aid in the country.
The signers said they want to work with a Harris administration to “bring a sense of justice to a people looking to the U.S. for leadership and compassion” as Syrians experience “suffering” due to Syria’s dictator, Bashar al-Assad, during the civil war.
The letter urges a Harris administration to end the war in Gaza, saying, “America’s support for this war is only losing the hearts and minds of people across the world.”
Some Arab Americans and Muslims have expressed reluctance to endorse Harris over the White House’s support for Israel in the war in Gaza. A Harris campaign official said the campaign did not organize the letter.
The fight against ISIS continues in Syria, but faces hurdles – analysis
The Jerusalem Post reports that the U.S. fight against ISIS in Syria remains mired in complexities, largely due to the absence of a cohesive military and diplomatic approach. Recent U.S. airstrikes on October 28 killed approximately 35 ISIS members, including key leaders, in Syria’s Deir ez-Zor region, marking a significant blow to the terror group. However, the campaign faces considerable challenges as the U.S. attempts to balance its commitment to eliminating ISIS with navigating the shifting dynamics of its partnerships and political tensions in the region.
A key complication in the fight against ISIS is the strained relationship with Turkey, a NATO ally that routinely targets the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The SDF, a Kurdish-led group, has been an essential U.S. ally in combatting ISIS and controls eastern Syria.
Despite this, Turkey views the SDF as affiliated with the PKK, which both Turkey and the U.S. classify as a terrorist organization. Turkish airstrikes against the SDF destabilize areas where ISIS was once strong, undermining SDF efforts to hold territory and prevent ISIS resurgence. Amnesty International has reported that Turkish incursions in Syria result in civilian harm, compounding the humanitarian issues caused by these military strikes.
Another source of discord lies within U.S. policy itself. While the Pentagon works closely with the SDF to dismantle ISIS networks, diplomatic statements from U.S. officials frequently omit mention of the SDF’s role. For example, recent comments from the U.S. Embassy about the seventh anniversary of Raqqa’s liberation from ISIS referred to “local forces” without acknowledging the SDF’s central involvement.
Additionally, the U.S. diplomatic approach leans toward avoiding actions that might provoke Turkey, complicating support for the SDF and diminishing recognition of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), a governance body linked to the SDF. The ambiguity in public statements has frustrated Kurdish forces who have borne significant losses in the fight against ISIS.
Intensive shelling by regime forces in northwestern Syria
Enab Baladi reported intense shelling in northwestern Syria on Thursday, as regime forces launched heavy artillery, rockets, and suicide drones across multiple locations in Idlib and Aleppo countrysides. In eastern Idlib, olive harvest workers in the village of San were targeted by suicide drones, injuring a man, his wife, and their son, according to Civil Defense documentation.
In Aleppo’s countryside, Enab Baladi’s correspondent noted that the towns and villages of Darat Izza, al-Abzamo, Kafr Amma, Kafr Taal, Kafr Nouran, and nearby farmlands in al-Asaasous were hit by heavy artillery and rocket fire, though no injuries were reported.
The Military Observatory, via Telegram, detailed that regime forces shelled Aleppo countryside villages with six “elephant” rockets, 30 Grad rockets, 25 heavy artillery shells, 45 mortar shells, and three suicide drones. The Observatory also reported seven suicide drone strikes on the vicinity of San in Idlib, causing injuries and damage to a vehicle and an olive-harvesting workshop. The village of Kadura, near a Turkish observation point, also experienced artillery shelling, though the extent of damage remains unclear.
The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) released a report on October 23, attributing the deaths of 11 civilians to Russian shelling on the outskirts of Idlib city, which also destroyed the al-Kilani power station in Ain al-Zarqa, cutting off water for thousands. This report, spanning 16 pages, documented “intense” military escalation in northwestern Syria between October 14 and 16, including daily Russian airstrikes involving heavy explosives and missiles.
The Civil Defense continues to warn of “serious” threats from ongoing regime escalation, cautioning that continued shelling of residential areas could lead to a humanitarian disaster, further displacement, and a worsening humanitarian crisis in the region.
Syria seizes Captagon intended for Iraq in rare narcotics raid
Syrian authorities on Thursday seized 600,000 Captagon pills that were to be smuggled into Iraq, in a rare raid on narcotics trade dominated by Iran-backed groups, as Damascus comes under pressure from Israel over its ties with Tehran, Abu Dhabi The National reported.
A security unit in Damascus foiled the smuggling attempt and confiscated the amphetamine-type stimulant from a car after storming a farm on the outskirts of the capital, the Interior Ministry said in a statement. A man was arrested, it said, without revealing his nationality. He is part of a network that transports and smuggles drugs to Iraq through Syria, the statement said, adding that a search is on for his accomplices.
Iraq is one of the transit points to Saudi Arabia and Europe for Captagon manufactured in Syria. Iraq is also a conduit for raw materials from Afghanistan for Captagon and other drugs produced in Syria, where cartels in areas of Iranian influence have developed economies of scale.
Elite Syrian army and intelligence units, which underpin the ruling system, have come under attack by Israel in the past several months, straining the alliance between Damascus and Tehran. Since the 2011 Syrian revolt, Iran has deployed proxy militia in Syria that became interlinked with a multi-billion dollar trade in narcotics sourced from the country. Together with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the militias control a corridor from Iraq to the border with Lebanon.
Israeli planes on Thursday struck a road and workshops in the central area of Qusayr, residents said on WhatsApp groups, in the latest raid of the area on the border with Hezbollah’s strongholds in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley. Official media quoted a Syrian military official as saying Israel targeted residential buildings.
Trump Told Turkey’s Dictator He Could Invade Syria. Dozens of Civilians Died.
According to a new report by Mother Jones, in 2019, then-President Donald Trump gave Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan the go-ahead to invade northern Syria, a move that abruptly shifted US policy and drew bipartisan criticism. This approval forced US troops to evacuate the area and led to significant civilian harm, with at least 70 civilian casualties and widespread displacement reported by Amnesty International.
In addition to allowing the invasion, Trump repeatedly intervened in legal matters to aid Turkey. He pressured US Department of Justice officials to favorably handle the case against Halkbank, a Turkish bank implicated in violating US sanctions on Iran—a case that also implicated Erdogan’s allies. Former officials later revealed that Trump’s initial support for Erdogan soured following public backlash over the invasion, leading Trump to suddenly permit Halkbank’s indictment, which was filed within a day.
Trump’s actions fit a broader pattern of appeasing autocratic leaders for personal benefit, a tendency evident in his friendly exchanges with both Erdogan and China’s President Xi Jinping. Trump’s relationship with Erdogan also highlights conflicts of interest, including millions in payments from a licensing deal for Trump Towers Istanbul, which persisted during his presidency.
Now, as Trump campaigns for a return to office, concerns have arisen that his business interests and connections could once again influence US foreign policy, raising questions about his priorities if he were to win the 2024 election.
