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
Moscow tries to bail out Assad regime in statement claiming Syrian warplanes struck a facility for making toxic bombs, resulting in a fallout which killed scores of civilians in Idleb province on Tuesday, Al-Araby al-Jadeed reports
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
Residents in the loyalist coastal regions are expressing concerns over the increase in military activity in the area, amid greater efforts by Moscow to secure strong footing at the negotiating table, opposition outlet Zaman al-Wasl writes
Civil Defense says bombardment, possibly by Russian jets, destroys medical facilities in Khan Sheikhoun treating the victims of Tuesday’s chemical attack, opposition website Al-Souria writes
Amid heightened discontent among loyalists due to rising soldier deaths and poor social services, the wife of President Bashar al-Assad breaks with regime’s usual machismo image to appear in a video promoting the values of motherhood in Aleppo’s crippled districts
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
Coalition media office quotes HNC head as saying the Assad regime shifted focus of the talks to countering terrorism as a way to avoid discussing a political transition, adding that Moscow’s efforts to ensure a peace deal will not succeed while it supports the government on the ground
With fighting slowing on a number of fronts in Syria’s north, weapons traders face a sharp drop in arms prices as new players enter the market, bringing with them a surplus of stock, Iqtissad reports
Gatilov avoids making comments on the progress of the ongoing intra-Syrian talks, stating that a number of meetings are still to take place with different Syrian participants
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
Defense Ministry spokesperson rejects claims made by militant group that rebel fighters shot down a Russian helicopter, saying that all aircraft in in Syria can be accounted for, Syrian government media writes
Fate of crew remains unknown after key rebel group claims responsibility for hitting a possible regime helicopter near the Suffiyat area in Kurds Mountain, opposition media Zaman al-Wasl reports
Toxic gas attack on the Latamaneh hospital kills medic and patient, as a medical relief agency releases a report claiming over 100 hospitals were hit by Syrian or Russian strikes in 2016
Second batch of aid to arrive within a month raises the total amount of soft wheat provided by Russia to over 50,000 tons, government media reports
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
