Tag: syrian
More Than 140 Killed in Clashes Between Syrian Forces and Assad Loyalists
Syria After Civil War Two days of fighting along the Mediterranean coast were among the bloodiest battles since rebels ousted the dictator Bashar al-Assad. By Christina Goldbaum Reporting from Damascus, Syria Clashes between Syria’s new authorities and gunmen loyal to the ousted dictator Bashar al-Assad have killed at least 147 people over the past two…
Syrian Jews return to Damascus for the first time in decades, hoping to build bridges
By Jane Arraf DAMASCUS — If there is a verbal expression of heartache, Rabbi Yusuf Hamra uttered it as he stepped inside the Faranj synagogue in the Syrian capital last week. It was the last place he had said prayers before leaving Syria 33 years ago in a wave of emigration by Syria’s Jews. “Ach,…
Syrian man died trying to cross Channel to UK on leaky dinghy, say French authorities
Man in his 20s, first such migrant fatality of 2025, suffered cardiac arrest reportedly as result of being crushed A young Syrian man died while trying to cross the Channel to Britain, the French authorities said. It is the first reported death at sea of a migrant seeking to travel to Britain from France so…
Lebanon’s Prime Minister Meets With Syrian Leader
Middle East Crisis The visit by Prime Minister Najib Mikati was the first official trip by the Lebanese leader to meet with the new government of Syria. By Aaron Boxerman The Lebanese prime minister on Saturday headed to the Syrian capital, Damascus, for the first official visit to meet with the new government there, after…
Israel’s Campaign in Syrian Border Area Prompts Fears It Plans to Stay
Syria’s Civil War Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s order for Israeli troops to “take over” a buffer zone with Syria upended decades of relative calm along the de facto border between the two countries. By Aaron Boxerman Reporting from Jerusalem Israeli soldiers have raided Syrian border villages, prompting nervous residents to huddle in their homes. They…
New Syrian government’s school curriculum changes spark concern
There is concern growing in Syria that the new Islamist-led authorities have already decided on changes to the school curriculum, without the input of the rest of society. The Facebook page of the transitional government’s education ministry has posted the new curriculum for all age groups, which will take on a more Islamic slant, as…
Foreign fighters given senior Syrian army posts, reports say
Syria’s new leaders are reported to have given some foreign Islamist fighters senior official posts in the country’s armed forces. The army is being re-organised by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) – the Islamist group that is now effectively in charge of the country – following the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad earlier this month. While there…
Inside a Syrian ‘reconciliation centre’ where Assad’s soldiers give up their weapons
On the night of 6 December, Mohammed el-Nadaf, a soldier in the Syrian army, was at his position in Homs. As rebels led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) pushed into the city, days after they had seized control of Aleppo and Hama in a lightning offensive, Mohammed decided he didn’t want to fight. “We had…