Opposition website speaks to source who claims first batch of detainees – which include those sentenced for violent crimes – will be sent to fight on the Deir-ez-Zor front against ISIS
Gen. Ali Abdullah Ayoub says Iran, Russia and Hezbollah are the only forces who can foil the conspiracy against Syria, government outlet reports
Army of Islam accused of firing on civilians protesting against the ongoing clashes between powerful rebel groups, opposition media reports
Syrian state media reports Israeli attack targeted area southwest of Damascus airport, as opposition sources claim strike destroyed weapons cache for Lebanese Hezbollah militants fighting inside Syria
Fighters and their families from Foua and Kafraya have taken up new residence in an area cleared by Iran and Hezbollah in 2013 with a view of creating a Shiite presence there, opposition outlet Zaman al-Wasl reports
The Assad regime is scrambling to receive assurances from allies and make sense of U.S. policy after the Trump administration’s surprise strike on a Syrian air base. But Damascus is failing to see that rules of the game have already changed, Yahya Al-Aridi writes for opposition outlet All4Syria
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
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
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
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
Government outlet SANA reports on a closed-door meeting between the three guarantors of a nationwide cease-fire which came into effect on Dec. 30 last year
Donald Trump’s decision to strike the Shayrat base earlier this month was less about changing the balance of power in Syria, but instead represented a nod to his domestic rivals showing his willingness to act as a strong and decisive leader, Abdel Moneim Ali Eissa writes for loyalist outlet Al-Watan
Trump had to send a message to all parties supporting Assad that he won’t just resort to Syrian talks but will be part of the joint offensives in Syria, Tariq Alhomayed writes
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
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
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
