Page 3 - Syria

Islamic State group was behind deadly attack on Damascus church, says Syria

The sleeper cell behind a deadly church bombing near Damascus belonged to the Islamic State group, which had plans to target a Shiite shrine in a similar attack, Syria's Interior Ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday. Sunday's attack on the Mar Elias church killed at least 25 people. The attack was the first of its kind in Syria in years, and comes as Damascus under de facto Islamist rule is trying to win the support of the country's minorities. Noureddine Al-Baba told journalists a second attacker was caught Monday on his way to target a Shiite shrine in the Sayyida Zeinab suburb in Damascus, where many sites of the Islamic sect are located. Al-Baba said security forces also thwarted a third operation, where an attacker on a motorbike was going to target a crowded gathering in the capital. He did not give further details. We raided IS hideouts, seizing weapons and explosive caches, said Al-Baba, who said security forces were able to reach the sleeper cell's leader after interrogat

Suicide bomber kills 22, injures dozens at Greek Orthodox church in Syria

A suicide bomber in Syria opened fire then detonated an explosive vest inside a Greek Orthodox church filled with people praying on Sunday, killing at least 22 and wounding 63 others, state media reported. The attack took place in Dweil'a on the outskirts of Damascus inside the Mar Elias Church, according to state media SANA, citing the Health Ministry for the toll of dead and wounded. Britain-based war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said there were at least 19 peopled killed and dozens wounded, but did not give exact numbers. Some local media reported that children were among the casualties. The attack on the church was the first of its kind in Syria in years, and comes as Damascus under its de facto Islamist rule is trying to win the support of minorities. As President Ahmad al-Sharaa struggles to exert authority across the country, there have been concerns about the presence of sleeper cells of extremist groups in the war-torn country. No group immediately claim

US urges citizens to avoid Iraq travel amid rising Iran-Israel conflict

Amid the Iran-Israel conflict, the US warns citizens not to travel to Iraq due to terrorism, kidnapping, and armed conflict, citing extreme risks and limited embassy support

Syria to grant inspectors access to suspected nuclear sites: UN watchdog

Syria's new government has agreed to give inspectors from the United Nations' nuclear watchdog access to suspected former nuclear sites immediately, the agency's head told The Associated Press on Wednesday. The International Atomic Energy Agency's director-general, Rafael Mariano Grossi, spoke in an exclusive interview in Damascus, where he met with President Ahmad al-Sharaa and other officials. He also said al-Sharaa expressed an interest in pursuing nuclear energy for Syria in the future, adding, Why not? The agency's aim is to bring total clarity over certain activities that took place in the past that were, in the judgment of the agency, probably related to nuclear weapons, Grossi said. He described the new government as committed to opening up to the world, to international cooperation and said he is hopeful of finishing the inspection process within months. An IAEA team in 2024 visited some sites of interest while former President Bashar Assad was still in power. Since the fa

Rockets fired from Syria for first time since Assad's fall, says Israel

The Israeli army said two rockets were fired from Syria into open areas in the Israel-controlled Golan Heights on Tuesday, marking the first time a strike has been launched toward Israel from Syrian territory since the fall of former Syrian President Bashar Assad in December. Syrian state media reported that Israel shelled the western countryside of Syria's Daraa province after the rocket launch. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based war monitor, also reported Israeli airstrikes that caused "violent explosions" around the city of Quneitra and in the Daraa countryside. A group calling itself the Mohammed Deif Brigades named after a Hamas military leader killed by an Israeli strike in Gaza last year claimed the attack in a post on Telegram. The group first surfaced on social media a few days before. "Until now, it's just a Telegram channel. It's not known if it is a real group," said Ahmed Aba Zeid, a Syrian researcher who has studied armed factions in southern ...

Syria, Saudi Arabia to boost economic ties as Western sanctions ease

Syria and Saudi Arabia said Saturday they aim to boost economic cooperation for their mutual benefit and create jobs for Syrians after Western sanctions imposed on the war-torn country were eased earlier this month. The announcement was made during a visit to Damascus by Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, who met Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa and other Syrian officials. The easing of Western sanctions is likely to open the way for foreign investors into the country, where a civil war has been ongoing since March 2011. In early December, 54 years of Assad family rule came to an end, when gunmen opposed to then-president Bashar Assad captured his seat of power in Damascus. The Saudi foreign minister said that the easing of sanctions by the US, the European Union and Britain earlier this month will help in reactivating the Syrian economy that had been at a standstill for decades. Prince Faisal, who is heading an economic and business delegation, said Saudi businessme

EU to lift sanctions on Syria but retain curbs on former Assad regime

The European Union will lift sanctions on Syria's economy but keep those in place targeting the former Assad regime, the EU's top diplomat announced Tuesday. Foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas spoke after chairing a meeting of foreign ministers from the 27-member bloc. She said the decision was designed to avert poverty and radicalism in the country after more than a decade of civil war sent millions fleeing, including to Europe. The sanctions are conditional and could be resumed if the new government of Ahmad al-Sharaa doesn't keep the peace, Kallas said. Saving lives must be our top priority on Syria," she said. The announcement came a week after US President Donald Trump's meeting with al-Sharaa and his announcement that the US would ease sanctions on Syria. Lifting sanctions could bring much-needed investment to Syria, which needs tens of billions of dollars to restore its battered infrastructure. An insurgency late last year unseated former Syrian President Bashar Assad and end

From terrorist to Trump's ally: Who is Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa?

Once hunted by the US with a $10 million bounty, Syria's interim president Ahmad al-Sharaa now shakes hands with Donald Trump in a rare and dramatic diplomatic U-turn

Trump meets Syria's new leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, a US-designated terrorist

US President Donald Trump met Syria's interim leader Ahmad al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia during his Gulf tour; talks signal shift as Trump plans to lift decades-old US sanctions on Syria

Trump to meet Syria's prez before heading to Qatar on his Mideast tour

President Donald Trump is set to meet Wednesday with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, going face-to-face with the onetime insurgent leader who spent years imprisoned by US forces after being captured in Iraq. The White House said Trump has agreed to say hello to al-Sharaa before the US leader wraps up his stay in Saudi Arabia and heads to Qatar, where Trump is to be honoured with a state visit. His Mideast tour also will take him to the United Arab Emirates. Al-Sharaa was named president of Syria in January, a month after a stunning offensive by insurgent groups led by al-Sharaa's Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, stormed Damascus and ended the 54-year rule of the Assad family. Trump said he agreed to meet with al-Sharaa after being encouraged to do so by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The president also pledged to lift yearslong sanctions on Syria. There is a new government that will hopefully succeed in stabilising the country and

Sanctions relief in sight? Syria's al-Sharaa may offer Trump key deals

Syria is reportedly offering to build Trump Tower in Damascus, propose peace with Israel and grant US firms access to resources in bid to lift sanctions

Syria, Israel holding indirect talks to avoid escalation, says Prez Sharaa

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa said Wednesday that his country is holding indirect talks with Israel to prevent recent hostilities from getting out of control. He spoke on his first visit to Europe since taking office in January, and as he seeks to broaden ties to Western countries. Israel carried out a series of airstrikes on parts of Syria last week, saying it aims to protect the country's Druze minority coming under attack by pro-government gunmen. Speaking to reporters in Paris, al-Sharaa said, "Regarding negotiations with Israel, there are indirect talks through mediators to calm down the situation so that they don't go out of control." He did not say who the mediators are. His visit to Paris comes amid renewed sectarian bloodshed in Syria, where al-Sharaa took power after his Islamist group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), led an offensive that toppled former President Bashar Assad in December. Assad, a member of Syria's Alawite minority, ruled for more than two decades. The vi

Israeli jets intercepted Iranian planes aiding Syria's Assad: Netanyahu

Israeli warplanes last year intercepted Iranian aircraft headed toward Syria, preventing them from delivering troops meant to assist the country's embattled president at the time, Bashar Assad, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday. The remarks in a speech gave a new glimpse into Israel's thinking in the final days in power for Assad, a longtime enemy who was overthrown by insurgents last December. Speaking to a conference hosted by the Jewish News Syndicate, a pro-Israel news agency, Netanyahu claimed that arch-rival Iran wanted to save Assad after watching the Iranian-backed Hezbollah group in neighbouring Lebanon suffer heavy losses in fighting with Israel. "They had to rescue Assad," Netanyahu said, claiming that Iran wanted to send "one or two airborne divisions" to help the Syrian leader. "We stopped that. We sent some F-16s to some Iranian planes that were making some routes to Damascus," he said. "They turned back." He gave no further details. In fighti

US to pull 600 troops from Syria, leaving fewer than 1,000 to fight IS

The US will withdraw about 600 troops from Syria, leaving fewer than 1,000 to work with Kurdish allies to counter the Islamic State group, a US official said Thursday. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss details not yet announced publicly. The US troops have been critical not only in the operations against the Islamic State but as a buffer for the Kurdish forces against Turkey, which considers them to be aligned with terror groups. President Donald Trump tried to withdraw all forces from Syria during his first term, but he met opposition from the Pentagon because it was seen as abandoning allies and led to the resignation of former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis. The departure of the 600 troops will return force levels to where they had been for years, after the US and its allies waged a multiyear campaign to defeat IS. The US had maintained about 900 troops in Syria to ensure that the IS militants did not regain a foothold, but also as a hedge to prevent ...

Troops to stay in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria indefinitely, says Israeli minister

Israel's defence minister said Wednesday that troops will remain in so-called security zones in the Gaza Strip, Lebanon and Syria indefinitely. Unlike in the past, the (Israeli military) is not evacuating areas that have been cleared and seized, Israel Katz said in a statement. The military will remain in the security zones as a buffer between the enemy and (Israeli) communities in any temporary or permanent situation in Gaza as in Lebanon and Syria. Israeli forces have taken over large areas of Gaza in recent weeks in a renewed campaign to pressure Hamas to release hostages after Israel ended their ceasefire last month. Israel has also refused to withdraw from some areas in Lebanon following a ceasefire with the Hezbollah militant group last year, and it seized a buffer zone in southern Syria after the overthrow of President Bashar Assad. Israel says it must maintain control of such territories to prevent a repeat of Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023 attack, in which thousands of militants ...

Israeli strikes kill nine in Syria as tensions rise over Turkish influence

Israeli strikes in Syria reportedly killed at least nine people in the southwest of the country on Thursday, as Israel accused Turkey of trying to build a protectorate in Syria. Syrian state news agency SANA said that those who died in the strikes were civilians, without giving details. Britain-based war monitor The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that they were armed residents from the Daraa province. Israel had also struck five cities in Syria late Wednesday, including more than a dozen strikes near a strategic air base in the city of Hama, where Turkey, a key ally of interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, reportedly has interests in having a military presence. Syria's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the strikes had resulted in the near-total destruction of the Hama military airport and the injury of dozens of civilians and military personnel. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar accused Turkey of playing a negative role in Syria. They are doing their utmost to h

Syrian Prez Ahmed al-Sharaa forms transitional govt with diverse cabinet

Unlike traditional structures, the government will not have a prime minister, with al-Sharaa expected to directly lead the executive branch

US warns of possible attacks in Syria during Eid, issues travel warning

The US warned of an increased possibility of attacks in Syria during the Eid el-Fitr holiday that marks the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Eid could begin in Syria on Sunday depending on the sighting of the new moon. Syrian authorities said they have detained several militant cells over the past weeks that were allegedly planning to carry out attacks in parts of the country. Since insurgent groups led by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) removed President Bashar Assad from power in early December, the security situation has remained tense. The US State Department said in a travel warning that possible attacks could target embassies, international organisations and Syrian public institutions in the capital, Damascus. The Islamic State group, which was largely defeated in Syria in 2019, still has sleeper cells that have claimed responsibility for attacks, mainly in the northeast that is controlled by US-backed Kurdish-led fighters.

Lebanon, Syria sign border agreement to ease tensions, boost coordination

Lebanon and Syria have signed an agreement on border demarcation and to boost coordination between the two countries regarding security along their tense frontier, the Saudi Press Agency reported Friday. The deal signed by the Lebanese and Syrian defense ministers in Saudi Arabia late Thursday came after clashes in border areas earlier this month left several people dead and dozens wounded on both sides. The plan for border demarcation also comes after the ouster in early December of the 54-year Assad family rule in Syria, leading to tensions along the frontier where Lebanon's Hezbollah group was active on both side of the border during Syria's 14-year conflict. Hezbollah had been fighting in Syria alongside Assad during the conflict that has left half a million people dead. The deal also comes after the 14-month Israel-Hezbollah war that weakened the Iran-backed group in Lebanon. Lebanese Defence Minister Michel Menassa was scheduled to visit the Syrian capital, Damascus, on ...

Syria at crossroads: Can return to violence or move to peace, says UN envoy

Three months following the overthrow of President Bashar Assad, Syria is at a crossroads, the top UN envoy for the country said. Geir Pedersen told the UN Security Council that Syria can return to violence or start an inclusive transition and end decades of conflict. He said the road back to conflict, fragmentation and violations of Syrian sovereignty by external powers "must not come to pass". The other road, which would restore Syria's sovereignty and regional security, is "viable" but "requires the right Syrian decisions" and international support, Pedersen said. Syria's civil war had gone on for 13 years when a lightning insurgency led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, overthrew Assad in December, ending his family's more than 50-year rule. Former HTS leader Ahmad al-Sharaa was announced as the country's interim president after a meeting of armed groups that took part in the offensive. Pedersen spoke weeks after clashes between al-Sharaa's security forces an