Turkish president announces plans to clear Raqqa of ISIS as well as 4,000-5,000 sq. km of land in Syria’s north to establish safe zones, while regime forces set sights on the Ghouta of the capital Damascus and the country’s south
Opposition website Enab Baladi reports on the eleventh-hour struggle between political and armed opposition groups to form a delegation for next week’s negotiations in Geneva with the Assad regime
An interview with Kheder Khaddour on why, despite its weak fighting capabilities, the Syrian army remains a key element of the regime’s survival strategy. Here is the second part of the interview.
In violation of international law, a number of armed groups are exploiting eager youths, some no older than 15 years old, to report from Syria’s main conflict zones, Sada al-Sham writes
Opposition outlet AlSouria Net speaks with the Syrian actor and member of the Cairo platform about next week’s negotiations in Geneva with the Assad regime, the role rebel groups will play, as well as Moscow’s intentions surrounding the political process in Syria
Alsouria reveals the names of the 21-member delegation to the upcoming talks in Switzerland, as confirmed by the HNC late last week, despite prominent rebel groups Ahrar al-Sham and Jaish al-Islam being excluded from the final list
Various opposition groups are refusing to cooperate to form a delegation for the upcoming Geneva negotiations with the Assad regime, as rifts emerge between the HNC and rebel leaders who participated in the Astana meetings late last month, Ibrahim Hamidi writes
Assad’s coastal support-base is infuriated as gas stations run dry with many locals unable to undertake their daily responsibilities, activist tells opposition website, adding that armed groups are exploiting the remaining fuel reserves for profit
Saudi-based opposition newspaper reports on accidental killing of three Turkish soldiers in Russian operation near Syria’s northern border, as Putin attributes blunder to ineffectual military partnership between the two countries
Widows of northern Syria face immense pressures in the wake of their husbands’ deaths, as most are treated as inferior citizens and forced to comply with strict and demeaning expectations in order to receive support from family members, Asmaa al-Naasan writes in online magazine Al-Gherbal
State media SANA reports on meeting between Syrian president and Russian Duma delegation as sides look to boost cooperation in the education and health sectors following recent gains against the armed opposition
Religious and political figures pay tribute to the Aleppo-born priest and controversial activist, who was once convicted of smuggling weapons to Palestinian militants in the 1970s, after passing away earlier this month in the Italian capital
Editor-in-chief of the pro-regime online newspaper admonishes the US president for continuing to support key regional allies and failing to back Syria, Russia and Iran’s fight against terror in the Middle East
Political opposition stands its ground against attempts by Moscow to influence the make-up of its negotiating delegation at the upcoming Geneva talks, while the US presidency begins meetings with UN and regional leaders on the Syrian issue, Sada al-Sham writes
Walid Bunni argues that America’s success in reversing the Trump travel ban is evidence of the importance of a democratic system that adheres to the separation of powers between the executive, judicial and legislative branches
State rubber stamps initiative for the reconstruction of Syria, including formation of institutions and the modernization of infrastructure, loyalist media reports
Amid intensified efforts to clear Damascus and its surroundings of rebel forces following the fall of Aleppo, Enab Baladi lists the areas in which the opposition continues to hold off inside the capital region
Top opposition members weigh in on agenda of upcoming Geneva talks during meeting with HNC representatives, Coalition media reports
In Saudi-owned Al-Hayat, Ibrahim Hamidi breaks down the current struggle for representation at the upcoming negotiations as well as the tug of war around prioritizing the political and military tracks
Questions remain around how the international community will deal with and classify the new Tahrir al-Sham alliance, which has strong ties to Al-Qaeda, according to Zaman al-Wasl
