syria

The Damask Rose, Defiant Memory of a Wounded Syria

South of Damascus, each spring returns with a scent that war could not wipe away. In the fields of Al Marah, the same quiet wonder unfolds again. The Damask rose blooms with stubborn grace. As every year, the steady ritual of renewal stirs a sense of hope, and Roula Ali Adeeb walks the rose-a tad tweaked but close lined paths, gathering each ...

Syria: Three Wounded in Israeli Incursion

Three people were wounded on Tuesday by Israeli gunfire during an incursion in southern Syria, state television reported, while the Israeli army described the incident as a “clash” with “suspects.” According to state television, “three people were wounded by fire from the Israeli occupation forces” in the Quneitra region, on the Golan ...

Syria's Sharaa Vows to Promote Coexistence, Reconciliation One Year after Assad's Ousting

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa vowed to usher in an era of justice and coexistence a year after the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad, with tens of thousands taking to the streets to mark the anniversary. Sharaa's Islamist-led alliance launched a lightning offensive in late November last year and took Damascus on December 8, bringing a sudden ...

Syria's Sharaa Calls for United Efforts to Rebuild a Year After Assad's Ouster

President Ahmed al-Sharaa on Monday urged Syrians to work together to rebuild their country, still marred by insecurity and divisions, as they marked a year since the ousting of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad. The atmosphere in Damascus was jubilant as thousands of people took to the streets of the capital, AFP correspondents said, after mosques ...

From Jihadist to President: Who is Ahmad al-Sharaa?

One year after the fall of Bashar al-Assad, Ahmad al-Sharaa has become the central figure guiding Syria’s transition. His swift ascent to power, the advance that reshaped the country, and the decisions made over the past year continue to define Syria’s uncertain path forward.

Syria: One Year Without Assad

December 2024 marks a historic turning point for Syria. After more than fifty years under the Assad regime, the country enters its first political transition, with Bachar Assad fleeing and Ahmed al-Sharaa emerging as interim president. With international diplomatic meetings, the reopening of the U.S. Embassy, and initial agreements with the ...

Sharaa Says Israeli Push for Buffer Zone Would Endanger Syria

President Ahmed al-Sharaa warned Saturday that Israel's demand for a demilitarized zone in southern Syria would endanger his country, as Israeli forces continue to operate in the area. Israel sent troops into a UN-patrolled buffer zone, which has separated Israeli and Syrian forces on the Golan Heights since 1974. Sharaa's Islamist forces ...

Syria Applauds Canada’s Decision to Remove Sanctions

Syria on Friday welcomed the Canadian government’s decision to lift sanctions on Damascus, calling it a positive step that acknowledges the humanitarian and economic toll such measures have had on the Syrian population and key sectors of the country’s economy. In a statement, the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates said the ...

Syria’s Sweida on Edge: Clerics’ Deaths Expose Fractures in Druze Heartland

Four months after a ceasefire agreement halted a weeklong wave of clashes between Bedouin tribes and Druze fighters in Syria’s southern province of Sweida, insecurity continues to plague the region. The truce, reached on July 19 with U.S. and Jordanian mediation, remains volatile and has been repeatedly violated by renewed outbreaks of violence, ...

UN Security Council Makes Historic First Visit to Syria Ahead of Assad Ouster Anniversary

A United Nations Security Council delegation arrived in Syria on Thursday, state media reported, the first-ever visit to the country just days before the anniversary of the ousting of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad. The delegation arrived via the Jdeidet Yabus border crossing between Lebanon and Syria and "is scheduled to meet a number of Syrian ...

Daraya Rises Again

Daraya, just seven kilometers from Damascus, was once the city of roses and workshops, a symbol of creativity and spirit. In 2011, its residents greeted soldiers from the Assad regime with flowers during peaceful demonstrations. The response was a massacre, followed by a four-year siege that emptied the city of its 250,000 inhabitants. Destroyed ...

Syrian Security Forces Foil Hezbollah Landmine Smuggling Operation

Syrian authorities said on Wednesday they had killed a man and arrested four others who were attempting to smuggle hundreds of landmines to Hezbollah. In a statement, the interior ministry said it launched a raid in Al-Jebbe, near the capital Damascus, during which "four people were arrested and a fifth neutralized after a clash." Khaled Abbas ...