As ISIS prepares for urban warfare, Kurdish YPG boasts of superior fighting forces ahead of the looming battle for ISIS’ stronghold in Syria, as residents and U.S. defense officials voice skepticism over the likelihood the battle will be swift and decisive
News outlet ARA quotes Turkey’s deputy PM during speech in the capital, in which he warns that handing control of the ISIS stronghold over to a Kurdish-led administration will compromise peace and security in the region
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
Jaafari, while highlighting the success of the third round of Astana talks, blames Turkey for the absence of the opposition delegation
In a conference held in Turkey, plans for reestablishment of the Army of Tribes are discussed, with the specific aim of delegitimizing other groups in control of the area such as PYD
U.S.-led coalition airstrikes hit a school sheltering displaced families in Al-Kesrat village in Raqqa, killing at least 19 civilians and wounding 15 more, SOHR reports
Assad says U.S. forces in Syria are ‘invaders’ and he has yet to see ‘anything concrete’ emerge from President Donald Trump’s vow to prioritize the fight against ISIS. Below is the full interview as published by SANA.
Following a terrorist attack that struck Damascus city, the Syrian government calls on the U.N. to issue a statement of condemnation and urge certain states to stop sponsoring terrorism
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu says that Turkey is bent on striking PYD-led Kurdish militas if they remain in Manbij, as Euphrates Shield forces advance toward the city
Regime airstrikes on residential neighborhoods and a school in the town of Kafranbel in Idleb kill seven civilians, including four children and a woman
Kurdish displays of multi-directional alliances with Russia, Iran and the U.S. come as no surprise, as all sides, united in curtailing Turkey’s influence in the region, contemplate the preservation of an Alawite state
Kurdish militias ally with Assad forces to try and thwart Turkish-backed FSA groups’ advance toward Manbij, because of the importance the city holds in the battle against ISIS
Turkish lawyers file lawsuits against a Syrian regime pilot captured in Turkey, on charges of committing crimes against Syrian civilians
De Mistura’s incompetence led to the failure of the talks at Geneva as every platform vied for divergent interests, giving hope that his exclusion as a special envoy at Astana will bring about good results
Many of the displaced Syrians who have found their way into Turkey are struggling to find work, and when they do, they struggle with low wages and a constant risk of unemployment
Following the opposition’s downing of a Syrian plane, Russian and Syrian jets retaliated through air raids in Idleb, killing and wounding many Syrian citizens
The Manbij Military Council, an ally of the US-backed SDF, agrees to hand over villages on the front line with the Turkish army to Syrian border guards as Turkish army captures al-Bab and advances towards Manbij
Hanadi, a refugee, relates the story of how she suddenly found herself in regime detention centers where she faced brutal interrogation, torture, and a sham trial
FSA forces clash with SDF over control of villages in al-Bab and advance further towards Manbij hours after Turkey greenlights them
