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
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
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
Vladimir Putin is a game-maker and a surprise-organizer. His counterpart in the Oval Office wants to be too
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
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
President Bashar al-Assad gave an interview to Croatian newspaper Vecernji List published Thursday, in which he reflects on six years of conflict, the negotiation process and the fight against terrorism. The following is the full text as published by government news agency SANA
Media activist Mohammed al-Saheli claims Russians stationed at the Hmeimim airbase in Lattakia denied Iran century-long rights to obtain land in the Qandil Valley in exchange for power supply to the coastal areas, opposition outlet writes
Operations by the U.S.-led coalition to liberate Raqqa will not be enough as long as Assad and his regime continue their abuse against their own people, the real source of resentment which allows terrorism to thrive, Randa Taqi al-Din writes for Saudi-owned Al-Hayat newspaper
Contributing to Saudi-owned Al-Hayat, Elias Harfoush writes that the U.S.’ recent change in tone toward the removal of Assad from power ignores important facts about the source of true terror in Syria and the regime’s manipulative strategy for survival
With the power balance in northern Syria looking as if it could tip the way of the Kurds, will Syria’s previously neglected community repeat the mistakes of Assad’s dominant minority experience, Eyed al-Jaafari asks in Lebanese Al-Modon
Syrian rebel commander tells opposition media that FSA fighters which participated in Turkey’s Euphrates Shield operation will join U.S. and Kurdish forces for upcoming battle to liberate Raqqa
As the battle for Raqqa city draws closer, a rebel spokesperson laments Kurdish domination of upcoming operations, also predicting that American forces will remain in Raqqa for years at the airbase they seized from ISIS last week, Alsouria Net writes
Coalition media office quotes HNC head as saying opposition will not accept any participation from Assad or his inner circle at any point during a transitional period in Syria
As key players look to fill the vacuum after the expected fall of ISIS’ capital of Raqqa, Al-Hayat columnist Ibrahim Hamidi breaks down the serpentine motivations behind the recent surge in international action on Syrian soil
Russian FM urges joint action from countries involved in the Syrian file, whether they were ‘invited to Syria by the legitimate government’ or not
As intense fighting continues in areas of the capital, a Russian daily newspaper rebukes the regime and backs opposition claims that government forces fled from battles and that Republican Guard units suffered heavy losses, website Alsouria Net reports
After an Israeli attack against an Iranian weapons shipment to Hezbollah in Syria, the writing is on the wall that Assad no longer commands respect anywhere as Russia and Iran try in vain to prop up a discredited regime
Head of government delegation calls the Astana talks a major achievement, as the issue of terrorism was resolved satisfactorily with the world acknowledging its existence in Syria
