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Thursday’s strike on the Homs Military Academy killed 89 people, including 31 women and five children, and wounded as many as 277, according to the health ministry. No group immediately claimed responsibility for Thursday's attack as Syria endures its 13th year of conflict that has killed half a million people. Syrian Defense Minister Gen. Ali Abbas was present Friday outside the hospital, where he comforted the families of victims. An opposition war monitor reported Thursday that Abbas had left the graduation ceremony shortly before the attack. The tide turned in Assad’s favor against rebel groups in 2015, when Russia provided key military backing to Syria, as well as Iran and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

Persons: —, Thursday’s, Syria’s, ”, Qader, Ibrahim Shaaban, Raneem, Mohammed, Rima, Hussein Quba, ” Shaaban, Bassam Mohammed, Ali Abbas, Abbas, Jaafar Mohammed, “, Bashar Assad’s, Bassem Mroue Organizations: Homs Military Academy, Syrian Civil Defense, Syrian Defense, Associated Press Locations: HOMS, Syria, Homs, Russia, Turkey, Russian, Idlib, Aleppo, Daret, Raneem Quba, Iran, Lebanese, Beirut

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkish warplanes have carried out airstrikes on sites believed to be used by U.S.-backed Kurdish militant groups in northern Syria after the U.S. military shot down an armed Turkish drone that came within 500 meters (yards) of American troops. Turkey has been carrying out strikes on Kurdish militant targets in Iraq and Syria following a suicide attack outside the Interior Ministry building in the Turkish capital earlier this week. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said the two assailants had arrived from Syria, where they had been trained. He said PKK and YPG positions in Iraq and Syria had now become legitimate targets. Political Cartoons View All 1202 ImagesIn Washington, the Pentagon said Thursday that the Turkish drone bombed targets near the U.S. troops in Syria, forcing them to go to bunkers for safety.

Persons: Tal, Hakan Fidan, Patrick Ryder, “, Lloyd Austin, CQ Brown Organizations: Turkish, U.S, Kurdistan Workers ’ Party, PKK, Kurdish, Interior Ministry, Washington, Pentagon, Air Force, NATO, Joint Chiefs, Islamic Locations: ANKARA, Turkey, U.S, Syria, Turkish, YPG, Iraq, State, Syrian, Homs, Dabik, United States

☆ Drone attack on Syria military college leaves dozens of casualties
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Hamdi Alkhshali | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Drones laden with explosives hit a military college graduation ceremony in the western Syrian city of Homs on Wednesday, leading to dozens of casualties, Syria’s defense ministry said in a statement. The defense ministry blamed “terrorist organizations supported by well-known international parties.” No group has claimed responsibility yet. Located in the agricultural heartland of central Syria, the city had long been a transport and commercial hub of vital strategic importance. The road through Homs connects the capital, Damascus, in the south to Syria’s largest city, Aleppo, in the north. Turkey’s military has launched a series of airstrikes against Kurdish targets in Syria and Iraq following a deadly bombing in the Turkish capital on Sunday.

Persons: ”, Bashar Al Assad, Asayish Organizations: CNN, Kurdistan Workers ’ Party, European Union Locations: Syrian, Homs, Syria, Damascus, Syria’s, Aleppo, Turkish, Kurdish, Iraq, Ankara, Turkey, United States

☆ Syria’s drug problem casts shadow over Assad’s rehabilitation
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Jordan was one of the biggest proponents of its rehabilitation, being one of the main victims of Syria’s drug trade, but it feels now that the regime is either unwilling or unable to clamp down on the trade. He blamed the lack of progress on normalization with Arab nations on the incompetence of Arab politics. Gulf states and Jordan routinely report drug busts, with massive amounts of the drug found in everything from building panels to baklava shipments. Assad may not have found a powerful enough incentive to give up his lucrative drug trade. Arab states may now find themselves backed into a corner.

Persons: Bashar al, Assad, Ayman al, Assad’s, Jordan, “ Jordan, “ Bashar, al, Jordan …, disgruntlement, Hossam Zaki, “, ” Zaki, Emile Hokayem, it’s, ” Hokayem, isn’t, ”, he’d, ” Hellyer, Safadi Organizations: CNN, Jordanian, Arab League, Al, Awsat, International Institute for Strategic Studies, Sky News, Hellyer, Carnegie Endowment, International, United Arab Locations: Syrian, Syria, Jordan, Captagon, Saudi, Damascus, London, United Arab Emirates

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military said Monday it had captured an operator for the Islamic State extremist group during a helicopter raid in northern Syria. The operator, Abu Halil al-Fad’ani, “was assessed to have relationships throughout the ISIS network in the region,” U.S. Central Command said in a statement. The U.S. has approximately 900 troops in Syria focused on countering the remnants of the Islamic State group, which had held a wide swath of Syria until 2019. News of the capture came as U.S.-backed Kurdish-led forces imposed a curfew after continued skirmishes with rival Arab militiamen. Political Cartoons View All 1179 ImagesSyria remains in a bloody 12-year civil war that has killed a half-million people.

Persons: Abu Halil al, “, Troy Garlock, Bashar Assad Organizations: WASHINGTON, State, ISIS, U.S . Central Command, Islamic State, Syrian Democratic Forces Locations: Syria, U.S, Col, Kurdish, Deir el, Zour, Ziban, Damascus, United States

☆ Rare protests flare in regime-held Syria as Assad seeks international rehabilitation
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The protests, which are taking place in areas governed by President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, have so far shown no signs of abating. The Druze are Syria’s third largest religious minority making up 3% to 4% of the country’s population, according to Minority Rights Group International. While the largest protests are clustered around al-Sir Square in Suwayda city, other, smaller ones are scattered across the governorate, Marouf said. “If protests spread deeper into regime territories, those chances (of violent crackdown) will surge.”All eyes are on Assad’s next moves. If Assad attends, it would be his first appearance on the world stage since the start of the civil war in 2011.

Persons: Bashar al, disgruntlement, Assad, haven’t, ”, Charles Lister, ” Lister, “ Long, ” Rayan Marouf, Marouf, “, ” Marouf, Hafez, Syria’s, Geir Pedersen, Pedersen Organizations: CNN, Group, Middle East Institute, UN, Arab League, Sir, UN Security Council, Sky News, ISIS, Security, United, United Arab Emirates Locations: Syria’s, Syria, Washington , DC, Russia, Iran, Suwayda governorate, Suwayda, Jaramana, Damascus, “, Idlib, Aleppo, United Arab, Dubai

The two sisters were walking home when they spotted a metal orb about the size of a softball. It was this big,” one of the sisters, Duaa, 10, said recently, stretching the fingers on her left hand as wide as she could. She recalled how her sister Rawa’a, 11, then handed her the bomb while she was holding their seven-month-old brother, Mitib, on her hip. Rawa’a lost her left eye, and Mitib’s cheeks still bear scars from the explosion. Syria’s 12-year conflict — now largely at a stalemate — has wrought widespread destruction and killed more than 500,000 people while forcing millions more to flee their homes.

Persons: Rawa’a, Mitib, — Locations: Syria

☆ Fact Check-Video shows market in Syria’s Aleppo, not Sweden
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A walkthrough video of a crowded shopping area in Aleppo, Syria, is being shared online with the false claim that it was captured in Sweden. The account, called Safartas, posts original content in high quality. According to Safartas, the June 2022 clip was filmed in Aleppo and shows the city’s Abbara Market. The small sculpture seen at timestamp 6:18 and the minaret at timestamp 6:35 can also be seen in stock images of Aleppo (here), (here), (here). The video shows an area in Aleppo, Syria, not Sweden.

Persons: Safartas, Read Organizations: Facebook, YouTube, Reuters, Google Locations: Aleppo, Syria, Sweden, TikTok

☆ Syria Authorizes U.N. Use of Border Crossing for Aid, Giving Itself Oversight
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Farnaz Fassihi | More About Farnaz Fassihi | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Syria announced on Thursday that it would give state approval for the United Nations to deliver humanitarian aid into rebel-held northern areas through a contentious border crossing with Turkey, effectively giving President Bashar al-Assad’s government control over all aid deliveries to the northern areas of the country. Until two days ago, the U.N. and other international aid agencies had access to the Bab al-Hawa border crossing based on a 2014 mandate from the Security Council. Syria’s government abided by the resolution and was not involved in the aid deliveries, but attempts by the Council this week to extend the authorization failed. In a letter submitted to the United Nations and the Security Council, Syria said it would allow the United Nations access to the crossing for six months “in full cooperation and coordination” with the Syrian government. Aid agencies have said their convoys traveling inside the country between government-held territory and rebel-held areas face hurdles and slowed movement.

Persons: Bashar al, Bab Organizations: United Nations, Security, Security Council Locations: Syria, Turkey

☆ Syria aid: Russia slammed as 'inhumane' after blocking UN cross-border aid operation
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Mohammed Tawfeeq | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The United States, France and the United Kingdom have condemned Russia’s move to block the proposed extension of a United Nations’ cross-border operation that delivers aid to millions of people in Syria from Turkey. The decision means that UN agencies and humanitarian partners are not authorized to continue using the Bab al-Hawa crossing on the Syria-Turkey border to provide humanitarian aid to people in the rebel-held area in northwest Syria. Russia had submitted a draft which provided for a six-month extension but it was voted down by France, the UK and the US. More than 4 million people rely on aidRussia and Syria have argued the humanitarian operation violates Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, saying food and other aid should be delivered from inside the country. The Syrian regime praised Russia’s decision, saying it vetoed “a Western UNSC draft resolution violating Syria’s sovereignty under the pretext of delivering cross-border aid,” Syrian state-run SANA news said on Tuesday.

Persons: Russia’s, Matthew Miller, “, ”, ” Miller, Vassily Nebenzia, SANA, Bassam Sabbagh, ” SANA, Bashar al, Assad Organizations: CNN, United Nations, UN, State, United Nations Security, Western UNSC, “ Security Locations: United States, France, United Kingdom, Syria, Turkey, Russia, China, Western, Syrian, Syria’s

☆ World Court to hear Syria torture claims on July 19 and 20
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

THE HAGUE, July 7 (Reuters) - The World Court on July 19 and 20 will hear a request by the Netherlands and Canada that it order Syria to cease all acts of torture and arbitrary detention, as part of a case alleging the country has breached a U.N. anti-torture treaty. The hearing at the Peace Palace, the court's seat in the Hague, will mark the first time an international court has looked at alleged abuses committed in Syria during 12 years of conflict. The International Court of Justice, also known as the World Court, announced last month that the Netherlands and Canada had filed a case against Damascus for breaching the U.N. convention against torture since 2011. The case at the ICJ, the U.N.'s highest court, is the first time an international court will hear a case trying to hold the Assad government accountable for gross human rights violations and torture. Syria's 12-year civil war has killed hundreds of thousands of people, displaced millions and drawn in regional and world powers.

Persons: Bashar al, Assad, Toby Cadman, Stephanie van den Berg, William Maclean Organizations: HAGUE, Court of Justice, Court, United Nations, ICJ, Thomson Locations: Netherlands, Canada, Syria, Hague, Damascus, Germany

CNN —The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Sunday that Israeli warplanes had targeted a Syrian air defense battery from which they claimed an anti-aircraft rocket was launched towards Israel. The anti-aircraft rocket launched from Syria into Israel early Sunday exploded in the air in Israeli territory, the IDF said. No injuries were reported and no special instructions for civilians on the Israeli home front have been issued, it said. Israeli media reported Sunday that debris from the Syrian-launched rocket landed in two neighborhoods of the southern city of Rahat in Israel, damaging homes. Meanwhile Syria’s official news agency SANA said Israel carried out air attacks from the direction northeast of Beirut, targeting some points near the city of Homs.

Persons: Syria’s, SANA, Israel Organizations: CNN, Israel Defense Forces Locations: Israel, Israeli, Syria, Syrian, Rahat, Beirut, Homs

The 56-year-old officer, nicknamed “General Armageddon” by the Russian media because of his reputation for ruthlessness, has not been seen publicly since early Saturday. Fighters from Mr. Prigozhin’s Wagner mercenary group were on the ground in Syria at the time, and reports indicate that both Wagner and General Surovikin used the civil war for financial gain. Besides leading Russian forces in Syria, General Surovikin was in Chechnya in the early 2000s, according to state news media and his biography on the Russian Defense Ministry’s website. Human Rights Watch said in 2020 that he was among military leaders who might bear “command responsibility” for human rights violations in Syria. He was placed on a European Union sanctions list on Feb. 23, 2022, a day before Russia invaded Ukraine.

Persons: Sergei Surovikin, Yevgeny V, Prigozhin, Surovikin, Bashar al, Assad, Prigozhin’s Wagner, Wagner, General Surovikin, General Surovikin’s, Aleksei Navalny, Russia’s, Valery Gerasimov, Prigozhin’s, ” Samuel Ramani, “, ”, Ramani, Mikhail Gorbachev Organizations: New York Times, Fighters, Islamic State militants, Russian Army, Russian Defense Ministry, Royal United Services Institute, Russian Defense, Human Rights Watch, Jamestown Foundation, Union Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Syria, Russia, Ukrainian, Kherson, British, Rostov, Chechnya, Washington

☆ With a Hand From the U.S. Military, Aid Finally Reaches a Syrian Camp
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Raja Abdulrahim | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Over the course of Syria’s long war, a remote desert camp for thousands of displaced people grew in the shadow of an American military base, just out of reach of Syrian government forces. The Rukban camp, a few miles from the United States base at al-Tanf in southeastern Syria, ended up almost cut off from aid largely because of closed borders and a Syrian government policy to block almost all relief efforts for areas outside its control. One Syrian-American aid group worked for years to find a way to ease their plight. In recent days, the group has sent a first wave of critically needed supplies with the help of an obscure United States military provision known as the Denton Program. It lets American aid groups use available space on U.S. military cargo planes to transport humanitarian goods such as food and medical supplies to approved countries.

Organizations: United, Denton Locations: American, United States, Syria

☆ Most liveable cities: The 2023 rankings are in
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( Tamara Hardingham-Gill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The ranking of the world’s most liveable cities for 2023 has just been released by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), and Vienna has come out on top yet again. The world's most liveable cities for 2023: The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) Global Liveability Index ranked Osaka, Japan as the 10th most liveable city in the world. Vladislav Zolotov/iStockphoto/Getty Images The world's most liveable cities for 2023 have been revealed (photos) Prev Next“The removal of covid-related restrictions has overall boded well for global liveability in 2023,” Upasana Dutt, Head of Liveability Index at EIU, said in a statement. Stability declineCalgary was one of three Canadian cities to make it into the top 10 on the 2023 list. Damascus, consistently one of the lowest-ranked cities in the survey, has seen no improvement in its liveability scores this year.

Persons: CNN — It’s, Pierre Ogeron, David Hanson, Vladislav Zolotov, ” Upasana Dutt, ”, Barsali Bhattacharyya, “ Organizations: CNN, Economist Intelligence Unit, Denmark’s, Sydney, Melbourne, Japan’s Osaka, Zurich, Geneva, Calgary, Getty, “, London, Industry Research, Algeria’s, Kyiv Locations: “, Austrian, Vienna, Melbourne, Sydney, Canada, Calgary, Vancouver, Toronto, Switzerland, Osaka, Japan, jenifoto, Geneva, Swiss, Zurich, Cavan, Australia, New South Wales, Copenhagen, Denmark, Austria, EIU, Asia, Europe, Stockholm, Edinburgh, Ukraine, Honolulu, Hawaii’s, San Diego, Los Angeles, Algeria’s Algiers, Libya’s Tripoli, Syria’s Damascus, Damascus, Ukrainian, ”, Kiev

CNN —At least 79 people died after a migrant boat carrying hundreds of people sank off the Greek coast in the early hours of Wednesday, that country’s Coast Guard said, as fears mount that there could be more fatalities. Those on board said the captain left the vessel three hours after the first distress call was made and passengers were in need of food and water, accoring to Alarm Phone. A merchant vessel is said to have provided the boat with water at around 8 p.m. local time on Tuesday evening. The last time Alarm Phone was able to contact the boat was just before 1 a.m. local time on Wednesday morning. According to Alarm Phone, all that could be heard was “Hello my friend… The ship you send is…” before the call cut off.

Persons: Thanasis Vasilopoulos, “, ”, Panagiotis Nikas, Antonio Guterres, I’ve, …, Katernina Sakellaropoulou, ” Vasilopoulus Organizations: CNN, Coast Guard, ” Kalamata, AP Migrants, Reuters, Organization for Migration, UN, Twitter, ERT, AP, European Union, UNHCR Locations: Kalamata, “, www.argolikeseidhseis.gr, Eurokinissi, State, Tobruk, Libya, Pylos, Peloponnese, Italy, Greece, East, Asia, Africa, Europe

☆ Will Erdogan’s Victory Soften Turkey’s Opposition to Sweden in NATO?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Steven Erlanger | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

While Turkish troops have protected some Syrian dissident enclaves, Mr. Erdogan has simultaneously engaged in a rapprochement with Syria’s president, Bashar al-Assad. Mr. Erdogan wants his help to restrain the Kurds and take back some of the four million Syrian refugees that Turkey has been hosting in the name of Islamic solidarity. Mr. Erdogan may disappoint those who hope for a more emollient, more Western-leaning Turkey, however, and Turkey is not the only ally becoming more authoritarian. Europe will have to find new ways of appealing to the more democratic opposition in these countries and engaging better with society, he said. That drift away from democratic values and the rule of law will mean little progress in long-frozen talks on accession to the European Union.

☆ Fact Check-Claims Assad ignored Zelenskiy by removing translation device are missing context
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad speaks fluent English, key context that is missing in online posts suggesting he ignored a speech in English by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy by removing his translation device. Some of the posts making these claims read: “Assad removed his translation headphones once Zelensky started speaking about alleged ‘Russian war crimes’ at today’s Arab League Summit. Zelenskiy attended an Arab League summit in Saudi Arabia on May 19 to speak about the ongoing conflict in his country. The claims on social media are missing context: Zelenskiy gave his speech in English, a language that Assad speaks fluently (here). Assad speaks fluent English and did not need a translation device to understand Zelenskiy’s Arab League speech.

☆ Assad banks on new 'global order' to help revive his status
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Cnn Staff | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

During his address, Assad presented himself as an elder statesman, lecturing his neighbors about the need to take advantage of changes in global politics. “Today we are faced with an opportunity of change in the global order, which has become multipolar due to the hegemony of the West, which is devoid of principles, morals, friends or partners,” Assad told the summit, held in the Saudi port city of Jeddah. But observers have differed as to whether real economic cooperation with Syria is possible without access to the Western financial system, which has been blocked by Western sanctions on the country. “They can also try working with or through Russia, and possibly with and through Iran – although that carries its own obvious risks,” he said, referring to Arab states that want to do business in Syia. There are plenty of ways of doing this.”Assad’s ultimate goal however, said Landis, is to get sanctions lifted with the help of Arab states.

CNN —A drone strike carried out by the US military this month in northwest Syria killed a 56-year-old father of ten out grazing his sheep, his relatives have told CNN, hours after US Central Command said a civilian may have been killed in the operation. The strike, carried out on May 3 in northwest Syria, targeted a senior al-Qaeda leader, Central Command said in a tweet announcing the operation that day. In the two weeks that have passed since the operation, Central Command has not released any more information about the intended target. The Washington Post first reported that the US military is investigating whether a civilian was killed in the strike. Killed alongside his sheepRelatives of a man who was killed in a lone strike on the same day in the same area have since come forward with their version of events, saying he was a family man with no links to militancy.

☆ Syria’s Return to Arab Fold Shows Resurgence of Authoritarian Rule
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Benoit Faucon | Summer Said | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

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☆ Syria's Assad to attend Arab summit, bringing isolation to an end
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Aziz El Yaakoubi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Ostracised by most Arab states following the crackdown on protests against his rule in 2011 and the ensuing civil war that killed 350,000 people, his government's readmission to the bloc is a signal that Assad's isolation is ending. Assad is expected to address the summit later on Friday, along with other Arab leaders. A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers introduced a bill last week intended to bar U.S. recognition of Assad as Syria's president and enhance Washington's ability to impose sanctions. Government forces have used chemical weapons more than two dozen times during Syria’s civil war, U.N. war crimes investigators said. While Arab countries appear to have brought Assad in from the cold, they are still demanding that he curbs Syria's flourishing drugs trade and that war refugees be allowed to return.

We are not bound by the West’s sanctions,” Erdogan told CNN’s Becky Anderson. APBy contrast, Erdogan has doubled down on his relationship with Putin – and he thinks the West should follow suit. “This was possible because of our special relationship with President Putin,” he told CNN, referring to the grain deal. In his interview with CNN, Erdogan tackled another key flashpoint in Turkish tensions with the West: Sweden’s accession to NATO. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan tells CNN's Becky Anderson, left, he expects voters who value stability and confidence to back him in the May 28 runoff vote.

☆ Podcast: Assad in Saudi to talk drugs and money
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is in Saudi Arabia to attend the Arab League summit. His appearance seals his return to the regional fold after years of civil war. But Arab leaders are seeking a price for re-engagement and potential financial assistance – action on Syria’s flourishing drugs trade. G7 leaders are set to unveil new sanctions against Russia and welcome Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy at a summit in Hiroshima. Plus, Greek politicians vie for struggling youth vote, New York pitches for the World Cup 2026 final and debunking misinformation at the U.S./Mexico border.

☆ The Long Isolation of Syria’s al-Assad Is Over
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Vivian Nereim | Raja Abdulrahim | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

When a devastating earthquake struck in February, President Bashar al-Assad of Syria spotted opportunity in disaster. He called for an end to international sanctions on his country and within days, some were suspended. Other Middle Eastern states sent planeloads of aid and senior officials from those countries soon followed for the first high-level visits in years. In the three months since, Mr. al-Assad has made a remarkable comeback, going from more than a decade of near-total global isolation after a series of atrocities, to being welcomed back into the Arab fold with virtually no strings attached. Mr. Assad was shunned for brutally suppressing his country’s Arab Spring uprising in 2011, which morphed into a civil war that has ground to a standstill, but has still not ended.

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