Syrian workers have exhumed more than 500 bodies from one of the largest mass graves near the northern city of Raqqa, once the capital of the Islamic State group’s self-styled caliphate, and are still uncovering remains, a local official said Tuesday. Continue reading →
{FD} In Syria’s Sweida, young men take up arms to defend villages
Maysoun Saab’s eyes filled with tears as she recalled finding her parents bleeding to death on the fround outside their home, minutes after they were shot by Islamic State militants on a killing spree across once tranquil villages they infiltrated in a… Continue reading →
{FD} Syria hopes to jumpstart rebuilding despite massive hurdles
With back-to-back trade fairs held in Damascus this month, Syria is hoping to jumpstart reconstruction of its devastated cities by inviting international investors to take part in lucrative opportunities. Continue reading →
{FD} Q&A: Idlib battle a climactic end to Syria rebellion?
The Syrian army, backed by allies Iran and Russia, is preparing for a military offensive to retake the country’s last major rebel stronghold —the province of Idlib. Continue reading →
{FD} Iran summit seeks to avert a bloodbath in northwestern Syria
When the presidents of Russia, Turkey and Iran meet Friday in Tehran, all eyes will be on their diplomacy reaching a last-minute deal to avert a bloodbath in Idlib, Syria’s crowded northwestern province and last opposition stronghold. Continue reading →
{FD} Analysis: Iran role in Syria key item at Trump-Putin summit
When President Donald Trump meets Russia’s Vladimir Putin on Monday, the Syrian conflict will be one of the most immediately pressing issues on a wide-ranging agenda. Continue reading →
{FD} Trump’s move likely to worsen Mideast proxy battles
There may not be much Iran can do about President Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the nuclear deal, but across the Middle East, it has a variety of ways it can hit back at the United States and America’s regional allies. Continue reading →
{FD} Syrian TV reports Israeli attack near capital Damascus
Syrian state-run media is reporting an Israeli attack near the capital Damascus, saying Syrian air defenses shot down two missiles. Continue reading →
{FD} Syrian state media report new missile attack in Homs region
Syrian state-run television has reported that the country’s defenses have confronted a new “aggression,” shooting down missiles over the central Homs region. Continue reading →
{FD} AP Explains: What’s next after Turkey seizes Syria’s Afrin
Turkey’s seizure of the town of Afrin in northern Syria is a significant military achievement for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that gives him control over a large chunk of Syrian territory but also entrenches his troops as an occupying force … Continue reading →
{FD} Aid convoy in Syria enters besieged rebel-held Damascus suburbs
Desperate for food and basic medicines, many of the besieged and bombarded Syrian civilians in Damascus’ eastern suburbs of Ghouta waited on Monday as a 46-truck convoy organized by the United Nations and key aid agencies began entering the rebel-held … Continue reading →
{FD} AP Explains: Syria’s starved, rebellious suburb under attack
The airstrikes came at a rate of one a minute, with horrible results: civilians fleeing collapsing buildings, children trapped under slabs of concrete, paramedics grimly rushing the bloodied victims away on stretchers. Continue reading →
{FD} New fronts emerge in Syria as Assad, allies push for victory
New fronts have opened up in Syria as President Bashar Assad and his allies push toward final victory and the fight against the Islamic State group draws to an end. Continue reading →
{FD} AP FACT CHECK: Shades of gray in Turkey’s stated Syria goals
The Turkish attack on the Syrian border town of Afrin, controlled by Kurdish fighters, has been long in coming — Turkish officials have been threatening to launch the offensive and preparing for it for months. Continue reading →
{FD} Despite Trump claim, Hezbollah operation boosts Lebanon role
As President Donald Trump recently stood beside the Lebanese prime minister praising his government for standing up to Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed militants were busy demonstrating just how wrong he was. Continue reading →
{FD} AP FACT CHECK: Trump misfires on Mideast
President Donald Trump is not up to speed on who’s fighting whom in the Middle East. Continue reading →
