The jihadist takeover of Syria’s key Idlib province raises the prospect that the region could become the next target of the international participants in the country’s complex war. The northern province is one of only two that have fallen from regime control since the war began in March 2011 with anti-government protests. Idlib is the … Read more
A former Al-Qaeda affiliate was locked in fierce clashes Friday with a leading rebel group for control of one of the last major parts of Syria not held by the regime. The clashes in Syria’s Idlib province in the country’s northwest pit the jihadist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) against the key rebel group Ahrar al-Sham, … Read more
Syria’s government and opposition meet Monday for a seventh round of UN-sponsored peace talks in Geneva with little expectation of a breakthrough to end the six-year conflict. The Geneva process has been increasingly overshadowed by a separate track organised by regime allies Russia and Iran, and rebel backer Turkey. And on Sunday, a ceasefire brokered … Read more
A US warplane shot down an Iranian-made drone operated by pro-regime forces in southern Syria early Tuesday, officials said, in the latest incident in rising tensions between the two sides. It comes days after a US warplane shot down a Syrian government fighter jet in the north of the country, prompting a furious reaction from … Read more
The White House hit back at Russia on Monday after the Kremlin warned it would track US-led coalition aircraft in Syria as potential ‘targets’ and halted an incident-prevention hotline with Washington after US forces downed a Syrian jet. ‘I think that the escalation of hostilities among the many factions that are operating in this region … Read more
Syria’s Kurds were once a marginalised minority, but now they are leading the charge for the Islamic State group’s Raqa bastion and hoping to cement their gains in the war. The surprise turnaround in their fortunes is the result of several factors, including the Syrian regime’s decision to focus attention elsewhere and a key alliance … Read more
As Syria’s war approaches its seventh year, two new rounds of talks on resolving the conflict are scheduled to take place in Astana and Geneva. Here are some questions and answers about the upcoming talks: The first meeting is in the Kazakh capital Astana, and is expected to build on talks held there last month … Read more