damascus

Syrian Army Clashes with Narcotics Smugglers on Lebanese Border

The Syrian Ministry of Defense announced on Friday that army units clashed with a group of narcotics smugglers near Dabousiya, west of Homs, along the Lebanese-Syrian border. In a statement, the ministry said the confrontation led to the seizure of a batch of drugs, which was handed over to the competent authorities. It added that operations to ...

Donald Trump, Waging Battles… for Peace

Warning: the following lines may upset the delicate. Like it or not, Donald Trump keeps rewriting the script. While much of the mainstream media dedicates entire columns to tearing him down, the American president is busy bending global diplomacy to his own rhythm. A single post on X is enough to send foreign ministries into overdrive, forcing ...

Ankara, Another Tehran?

The Middle East is going through a major realignment. Iran, long at the center of regional tensions, is losing influence after years of proxy wars and direct confrontations with Israel. This decline does not mean the situation is easing. On the contrary, it creates a strategic opening that another player – Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s Turkey – ...

Progressive Socialist Party Hails Damascus Agreement on Sweida Crisis

The Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) welcomed on Tuesday the agreement signed in Damascus on the situation in Sweida, describing it as a step that echoes the party’s long-standing proposals and regional outreach. In a statement, the PSP said the deal reflected ideas it had previously advanced in meetings with US envoy Tom Perriello, during ...

Mitri Seeks Judicial Accord with Syria

Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri stressed that addressing the detainee file requires a shared legal framework with Damascus.  “We discussed establishing a judicial cooperation agreement between Lebanon and Syria to address the detainee issue,” Mitri told Syria TV. He clarified that talks on the detainees have not yet reached the stage of ...

Lebanon-Syria: Update on Missing Persons and Detainees

The two countries unveiled the creation of joint committees tasked with handling three key files: Lebanese citizens who went missing in Syria, Syrian prisoners currently held in Lebanon, and formal delineation of the common border. The announcement was made on September 1, 2025, during a visit to Beirut by a Syrian delegation composed of former ...

Second Group of Displaced Syrians Departs Lebanon

Lebanon has initiated the second phase of its organized return program for displaced Syrians through the Masnaa border crossing. The process was carried out in coordination with the Syrian government and in partnership with UNHCR, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the Lebanese Red Cross (LRC), and other humanitarian ...

Syria Announces Arrest of Hezbollah Cell in Damascus Countryside

The Syrian authorities announced Thursday the arrest of members of a terrorist cell affiliated with Hezbollah. According to Brigadier General Ahmad al-Dalati, commander of internal security in Rif Dimashq (the outskirts of Damascus), this cell was operating in the towns of Saasaa and Kanaker, in southern Syria. According to the authorities, the ...

Ahmed al-Sharaa to Visit Moscow in October

Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa is to visit Moscow next month, Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak announced in Damascus Tuesday, hailing a new page in ties after the overthrow of longtime ally Bashar al-Assad. "We place great importance on the coming visit to Moscow of the Syrian president in October to participate in the Russian-Arab ...

High-Level Russian Officials Arrive in Damascus

A Russian government delegation, led by Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, arrived on Tuesday at Damascus International Airport. According to official Syrian news agency SANA, Novak is beginning a visit during which he will meet with several high-ranking Syrian officials. The discussions will mainly focus on economic, security and defense ...

Israeli Strike Hits Near Syrian City of Homs

Israeli air strikes hit areas of the central and western Syrian cities of Homs and Latakia late Monday, state news agency SANA reported. Britain-based war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that "the Israeli strike near Homs targeted a military unit south of the city." Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes in ...

Lebanon and Syria to Form Committees to Address Prisoners, Missing Persons, and Border Issues

Lebanon and Syria are set to establish two joint committees to tackle three major issues affecting relations between the two countries, judicial and security officials said, according to the Associated Press. The committees will focus on the fate of nearly 2,000 Syrian prisoners currently held in Lebanese prisons, locating Lebanese citizens who ...