syria

Syria: A New Phase of Conflict Between Pro-Assad Forces and the Authorities?

The Pandora’s box that opened in Syria in 2011 is far from closed. After the civil war that broke out 14 years ago, a new phase of tensions has begun in the wake of former President Bashar al-Assad’s ouster and his exile in Russia. On Thursday, fighting intensified across the country, particularly in the west, as supporters of the former ...

Latakia: Assad Loyalists Kill More Than 70 Security Forces in Most Violent Attack Since Ouster

More than 70 people were killed and dozens more wounded in Syria in fighting between government security forces and militants loyal to deposed ruler Bashar al-Assad, a war monitor said Friday. "More than 70 killed and dozens wounded and captured in bloody clashes and ambushes on the Syrian coast between members of the Ministry of Defense and ...

UK Eases Sanctions on Syria, Lifts Restrictions on 24 Entities

The UK government lifted sanctions imposed during the rule of the former Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad against 24 entities, including Syria's Central Bank, a statement said. The UK government said last month it planned to ease sanctions after the new Syrian government sought to persuade Western capitals that the rebels that toppled Assad after 14 ...

Syria leftover explosives kill and injure over 180 children: NGO

Landmines and unexploded ordnance in Syria have killed or injured at least 188 children since president Bashar al-Assad's overthrow in December, Save the Children charity said Thursday. Of that figure, more than 60 children were killed, the UK-based group said, warning the toll could rise as more families return to the war-ravaged country. Since ...

Syria, Such a Troublesome Neighbor

Since its independence, Lebanon has served as a mirror reflecting the events unfolding in its much larger neighboring country. Damascus has long cast a covetous eye on Lebanon, disturbed by its freedoms and economic achievements. Despite all the challenges, Lebanon has managed to preserve a semblance of political democracy, even in its darkest ...

Syria Monitor Reports 11 Killed in Ex-Assad Bastion, Clashes in South

A Syria war monitor said Wednesday that four civilians had been killed in a security operation in a former pro-government bastion this week, while clashes in the south had left at least seven security personnel and gunmen dead. Restoring and maintaining security across Syria remains one of the most pressing challenges for the country's new ...

The Druze: Riding the Tide in a Turbulent Middle East

The Druze question has reemerged at the forefront of the current regional scene, following the regime change in Syria and Israel’s incursion into Syrian territory through the demilitarized zone in the occupied Golan Heights. All this is compounded by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s warning that Israel would intervene in Syria to ...

Syria Forces Launch Latakia Operation after Deadly Ambush

Syrian forces launched a security campaign in the coastal city of Latakia after "militia remnants" supporting ousted ruler Bashar al-Assad killed two personnel in an ambush, state media reported Tuesday. "Groups of Assad militia remnants killed two members of the Syrian defence ministry in an armed ambush" in Latakia's Daatur district, the SANA ...

Israel Army Says Struck 'Military Site' in Northwest Syria

Israel's military said it struck a military site in northwest Syria on Monday, as a Syria war monitor reported an explosion in the Tartus area. An army statement said that Israeli forces "struck a military site where weapons belonging to the previous Syrian regime were stored in the area of Qardaha", the hometown of deposed Syrian ...

Syria Forces Deploy in Damascus Suburb After Deadly Unrest

The forces of Syria's new authorities deployed Sunday in a Damascus suburb following deadly clashes with Druze gunmen, state media said amid tensions after Israeli demands to protect the minority group. Jaramana, a mostly Druze and Christian suburb of the capital, saw a fatal shooting at a checkpoint on Friday, followed a day later by clashes ...

Syria Announces Committee to Draft 'Transitional' Constitutional Declaration

Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa announced on Sunday the formation of a seven-member committee to draft a constitutional declaration for the country's transition after the overthrow of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad. The new authorities are seeking to rebuild Syria and its institutions after Assad was ousted on December 8, ...