This is Beirut

UK Removes Syria's HTS from 'Terrorist' Organizations List

This is Beirut, 21/10 22:35 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

United Kingdom Syria Hayat Tahrir al-Sham

The UK on Tuesday removed Syria's Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) from its list of banned "terrorist" organizations after the group ousted Bashar al-Assad last December and took control of the government. The move comes after the United States announced in July it would revoke HTS's "terrorist" designation. HTS was proscribed by the UK in 2017 over ...

Syria: 12 Million Captagon Pills Seized

This is Beirut, 21/10 13:30 - Reading : less than a minute

Damascus Syria Captagon

Nearly 12 million Captagon pills were seized in Al-Dumayr, near Damascus. The smuggling ring leader was arrested and the drugs will be destroyed. Despite ongoing crackdowns, Captagon – Syria’s main export during the civil war – continues to flood the region.

Jews in Damascus: A Historic Return

Maroun Chahine, 20/10 15:10 - Reading : less than a minute

Damascus Syria Synagogues Jews

In the heart of the Old City, the Faranj synagogue reopens after decades. Prayers, ceremonies and gatherings bring life back to a long-forgotten community. This symbolic return marks a historic turning point for Syria and reflects the revival of a community erased for generations.

Syria: Arrest of Nemir al-Assad and Qossay Ibrahim

This is Beirut, 17/10 18:05 - Reading : less than a minute

Syria Assad security arrests

Syrian Interior Minister Anas Khattab announced the arrest of Nemir al-Assad and Qossay Wajih Ibrahim, the former commander of the Mountain Brigade under the ousted regime of Bashar al-Assad. In a post on X, Khattab said, “Nemir al-Assad and his terrorist group, as well as the criminal Qossay Wajih Ibrahim, former commander of the Mountain ...

SDF Commander Mazloum Abdi Announces Preliminary Deal to Join Syrian Army

This is Beirut, 17/10 13:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Damascus United States Syria FDS Kurds Army

The commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Mazloum Abdi, has announced a “preliminary agreement” with the Syrian government to integrate SDF fighters into a unified military structure within the Syrian army, according to Al Hadath. In an interview with the Associated Press (AP) on Thursday, Abdi discussed what could be a ...

Syria Bus Blast Kills Five Defense Ministry Personnel

This is Beirut, 16/10 12:30 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Damascus USA Syria Deir Ezzor

A blast targeting a bus in Syria's eastern province of Deir Ezzor on Thursday killed at least five defense ministry personnel, an official from the ministry told AFP. "An explosive device detonated as a bus carrying oil facility guards affiliated with the defense ministry passed by, killing five of them and wounding 13 others, including civilian ...

More than 400 Syrian Refugees Voluntarily Return Home from Lebanon

This is Beirut, 16/10 11:40 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Refugees Lebanon Syria Repatriation UNHCR Migration

More than 400 Syrian refugees departed Lebanon on Wednesday morning as part of the fifth convoy of the voluntary repatriation plan organized by the Lebanese government, in coordination with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the Lebanese Red Cross, and several humanitarian partners. The group ...

Syrian Prisoners in Lebanon: One of Many Unresolved Cases

Natasha Metni Torbey, 15/10 16:15 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Damascus Syria Lebanon Prisons

A high-level Syrian delegation arrived in Beirut on Tuesday to address a long-neglected issue in strained bilateral relations: the case of Syrian detainees in Lebanese prisons. Officially, the meeting aimed to finalize a judicial agreement to organize the transfer of Syrian nationals incarcerated in Lebanon back to Syria within a legal framework ...

Extradition Treaties and the Assad Case

Mario Chartouni, 15/10 14:55 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Syria Russia Ahmad al-Sharaa Vladimir Putin Bachar el-Assad extradition

This Wednesday, Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa is visiting Moscow to meet Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin. According to Reuters, he may request the extradition of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who has been taking refuge in Russia since fleeing Damascus in December 2024. Behind this politically charged episode lies a longstanding and ...

Aoun Urges Truth and Transparency as Members of National Commission for Missing Persons Take Oath

This is Beirut, 15/10 11:30 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Damascus Joseph Aoun lebanon Syria Beirut

On Wednesday, members of the National Commission for Missing and Forcibly Disappeared Persons were sworn in before the President of the Republic, General Joseph Aoun, who reaffirmed that “the right to know the truth is a sacred right for every family.” The president also called on all parties to cooperate and “break the wall of silence” ...

Syria to Hand Over Data on Political Assassinations in Lebanon

This is Beirut, 14/10 19:10 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

lebanon Syria Adel Nassar Beirut Bachar el-Assad

During a two-hour meeting in Beirut, Lebanon and Syria reached an agreement for Syria to provide all available information related to security incidents that occurred in Lebanon during the period of Syrian control, particularly concerning political assassinations. The meeting was held on Tuesday between a Lebanese delegation headed by Minister of ...

After Gaza’s Deal, A Momentum in the Region for More Peace Stability in Syria, Lebanon?

Seth J. Frantzman , 13/10 20:00 - Reading : 7 minute(s)

Lebanon Syria Gaza Hezbollah Iran Donald Trump United States

U.S. President Donald Trump’s push for a peace deal to end the Gaza war has proven to be initially successful. He was able to bring together delegations from Qatar, Egypt, Turkey, Israel, and Hamas in Egypt’s Sharm el-Sheikh in mid-October. In the wake of the deal, Trump flew to Israel and Egypt and chaired a peace summit ...

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