syria

Syria’s Path to Recovery: Can It Outpace Lebanon?

As the Lebanese endure rolling blackouts, relentless crises and a daily reality that often borders on the absurd, a piece of unexpected news has prompted a collective raised eyebrow – or two: Syria might well be rebuilt before Lebanon. Yes, you read that correctly. On Sunday, April 27, in a move as symbolic as it was strategic, Saudi Arabia ...

From Homs to Damascus: An Alarming Escalation of Tensions Between Sunnis and Druze

Sectarian tensions between the Sunni and Druze communities are alarmingly resurging in Syria. From Homs to the outskirts of Damascus, to Sweida, a Druze heartland south of Syria, several violent incidents have reignited sectarian divisions in a country still deeply scarred by more than a decade of war. Clashes in the Damascus suburb of Jaramana ...

Akkar Under Pressure: Over 24,000 Syrian Refugees in One Month

The fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime on December 8 did not defuse the Syrian displacement crisis in Lebanon. Since March 10, 24,975 Syrians (or 5,188 families) have fled Syria’s coastal areas to seek refuge in northern Lebanon. These displaced people are spread across about thirty border towns and villages, particularly in Akkar, along the ...

Syria Group Says Military Chief Arrested in UAE

Two sources from Jaish al-Islam, a military faction now part of Syria's transitional authorities, told AFP on Monday that its leader had been arrested at Dubai airport several days ago. Since 2015, Issam Buwaydani has been head of Jaish al-Islam, a group that fought against now ousted ruler Bashar al-Assad and once controlled the Eastern Ghouta ...

Aoun Stresses Need for Israeli Withdrawal to Boost Border Security

President Joseph Aoun underscored the urgent need for Israeli forces to withdraw from five strategic points in southern Lebanon to facilitate the full deployment of the Lebanese Army (LAF) along the border. “This withdrawal is essential to enable the state to assume full responsibility for border security,” Aoun stated. Following the ...

US Roadmap for Lifting Sanctions on Syria Takes Center Stage

As Syria stands at a pivotal crossroads, the urgent question of lifting US and international sanctions takes center stage. These sanctions have profoundly impacted the nation's economy and governance since the outbreak of the civil war. With the Syrian interim government, now led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa, striving to stabilize the country and ...

Syria: 11 Alawite Civilians Killed in Homs

A monitor of Syria's conflict said Friday that 11 civilians from the Alawite minority had been killed in security raids in the center of the country over the past 24 hours. The killings follow a wave of sectarian bloodshed last month, the worst since Islamist-led forces overthrew longtime president Bashar al-Assad, with massacres taking place ...

Lebanon Resumes Repatriation of Syrian Refugees After Years-Long Pause

General Security (GS) has resumed the repatriation of Syrian refugees from Lebanon, marking a significant shift after years of suspension, Al-Jadeed TV reported on Friday. According to the report, the renewed efforts came after a prolonged halt in the implementation of the so-called “voluntary return” process, which was previously organized ...

Gunfire Exchange at Lebanese-Syrian Border Triggers Army Crackdown on Smuggling Network

Tensions flared along the Lebanese-Syrian border near Hermel on April 24 after gunfire erupted between armed individuals and Syrian forces, reportedly triggered by disputes over smuggling activities. According to a Lebanese Army post on its X account, shots were first fired from the Lebanese side toward Syrian territory, prompting a swift ...

Renewed Lebanese-Syrian Border Clashes

Tensions flared once again along the Syrian-Lebanese border Thursday night, as clashes reportedly resumed between unidentified fighters on both sides of the border, with Syrian officials accusing Hezbollah of initiating the escalation. A Syrian Ministry of Defense source told SANA that Hezbollah “fired five artillery shells from Lebanese ...

Support for Syrian Refugees: Lebanon Says Stop

Lebanon, which is facing a prolonged crisis, is raising its voice once again. For more than 15 years, the Land of the Cedars has borne the direct consequences of the war in Syria, hosting more than two million Syrian refugees—nearly 40% of its population. According to the World Bank, the annual cost of this presence exceeds two billion ...

Lebanese Army Arrests 16 Individuals for Various Crimes

The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) issued a statement on Monday detailing a series of arrests and security measures conducted by its Intelligence Directorate in different regions of Lebanon. In the Lailaki area, the LAF arrested a citizen (H.H.) implicated in numerous offenses, including kidnapping, theft, drug abuse, causing disturbances, shooting, ...