Syria

UPDATED-Bomb attack rocks Damascus during Macron visit

Two bombs exploded near a hotel ‌in Damascus where French President Emmanuel Macron had spent the night, but his office said he did not hear the explosions and he met…

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EU to restore Syria relations, strengthen trade and security ties

The European Union plans to deepen its engagement with Syria by relaunching formal political contacts and paving the way for closer economic and security ties, according to a document seen…

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Ukraine and Syria to cooperate on security

The leaders of Ukraine and Syria have pledged greater security cooperation, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, as Kyiv offers its military expertise to governments across the Middle East region amid the…

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Friedrich Merz: Most Syrians to Leave Germany Within Three Years

Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that he and the Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa hope that 80% of the Syrians in Germany will return home in the next three years. During…

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German government pushes Syrians to return to their homeland

Last year, 5,976 Syrians applied for voluntary repatriation to Syria, which was funded by the German Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF), submitting all the necessary documents. Of these,…

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Mass breakout of ISIS fighters from prision in Syria

Syria's Interior Ministry said on Tuesday that about 120 Islamic State detainees escaped from Shaddadi prison, after the Kurdish website Rudaw reported that a spokesperson for the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic…

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US carries out strikes in Syria

The United States conducted extensive strikes against ISIS targets in Syria on Saturday. This was part of an ongoing operation referred to as “Operation Hawkeye Strike.” According to a statement…

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Suspected Islamic State facility in Syria targeted in joint operation between UK and France

The British Ministry of Defence announced its joint operation with France on Saturday night. They targeted an underground facility in Syria. This facility is believed to be used by the…

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EU updates asylum guidance for Syrian refugees a year after fall of Bashar al-Assad

The European Union issued updated guidance for asylum applications by Syrian nationals on Wednesday that reflects new conditions in Syria a year after the fall of former long-time leader, Bashar…

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Chancellor Merz Says Syrians No Longer Qualify for Asylum

Syrians no longer have grounds for asylum in Germany now the civil war in their country is over, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said, as his conservatives seek to fend off…

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Syria to hold parliamentary elections on October 5

Syria will hold its first parliamentary election under its new Islamist-led administration on October 5, state news agency SANA reported. The new assembly is expected to lay the groundwork for…

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Sharaa to become first Syrian leader to attend UN meetings since 1967

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa arrived in New York to attend meetings of the UN General Assembly, the first participation of a Syrian president since 1967, the state news agency reported…

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Syria’s foreign minister in Washington, a first in 25 years

Syria's foreign minister arrived in Washington on Thursday, the first official visit at that level in more than 25 years as the U.S. makes a pro-Damascus policy push, lifting sanctions…

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Syria’s Sharaa says talks with Israel could yield results ‘in coming days’

Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa said that ongoing negotiations with Israel to reach a security pact could lead to results "in the coming days." He told reporters in Damascus the security…

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Syria to revalue currency, dropping two zeros in bid for stability

Syria will issue new banknotes, removing two zeros from its currency in an attempt to restore public confidence in the severely devalued pound, according to seven sources familiar with the…

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Syrian foreign minister met Israeli delegation for regional stability talks

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani met an Israeli delegation in Paris on Tuesday to discuss bolstering stability in the region and southern Syria, Syria's state news agency SANA reported. Syrian…

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Syria expected to hold parliamentary election in September

Syria is expected to hold its first parliamentary election under the new administration in September, the head of the electoral commission told state news agency SANA. Voting for the 210-member…

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US Confirms Efforts to Calm Syrian Tensions Underway After Israeli Air Raids

Israel's military struck the Syrian defence ministry in Damascus and government forces in southern Syria on Wednesday, as deadly sectarian fighting in the mostly Druze province of Suweida continued for…

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Austria set to deport man to Syria, marking first for EU since Assad’s fall

Austria is preparing to deport a Syrian man whose asylum status was revoked due to a criminal conviction, in what an EU official and rights groups say will be Europe's…

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Islamic State eying comeback in Syria and Iraq

Islamic State militants are attempting a resurgence in Syria and Iraq following the fall of Syrian President Bashar Assad, according to Western and regional officials. The group is reactivating sleeper…

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Israeli military unleashes strikes on Syria after projectile launches

The Israeli military said in a statement it struck weapons belonging to the Syrian regime in southern Syria, in a second attack that Israel launched after reporting two projectiles were…

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European Union lifts economic sanctions on Syria

European Union countries on Wednesday passed legislation to lift all economic sanctions on Syria except for those based on security grounds. To facilitate the rapid reconstruction of the war-torn country,…

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Syria and Israel in direct talks focused on security

Israel and Syria are in direct contact and have in recent weeks held face-to-face meetings aimed at calming tensions and preventing conflict in the border region between the two longtime…

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EU Lifts Sanctions on Syria, Imposes New Restrictions on Russia’s Shadow Fleet

The European Union announced the removal of broad economic sanctions on Syria, marking a significant shift in the bloc’s Middle East policy, even as it simultaneously escalated punitive measures against…

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Trump meets Syrian president, says he is looking into normalising ties

U.S. President Donald Trump met with Syria's president in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, after a surprise U.S. announcement it would lift all sanctions on the Islamist-led government, and said Washington…

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EU sees Syria instability as terror risk for bloc, document says

The situation in Syria could pose security risks for Europe, according to a draft internal European Union counterterrorism document seen by Reuters which warned that the terror threat level in…

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Syria’s Sharaa confirms indirect talks with Israel to ease tensions

President Ahmed Al-Sharaa said that Syria was holding “indirect talks” with Israel to calm tensions between the two countries, following Israeli strikes and threats against Syria since Bashar Assad’s ouster.“There…

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Israel attacks target near Syrian presidential palace

Israel attacked a target near the presidential palace in the Syrian capital Damascus, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said early on Friday, reiterating his vow to protect members of the…

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EU and its partners pledge 5.8 billion euros for Syria and its neighbours

The European Union and its partners have pledged 5.8 billion euros ($6.3 billion) for Syria and its neighbours, said the EU's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas. "The EU and its…

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UPDATED: Lebanon and Syria agree to ceasefire after 2 days of border clashes

Lebanese and Syrian defense officials reached an agreement late Monday for a ceasefire to halt two days of clashes along the border, Syria’s state-run SANA news agency reported.The agreement also…

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Israel confirms strike on Damascus

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz confirms that the Israeli Air Force carried out an airstrike in the Syrian capital of Damascus a on Thursday, while threatening the country’s interim leader…

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Syria’s worst violence in months reopens wounds of the civil war

An ambush on a Syrian security patrol by gunmen loyal to ousted leader Bashar Assad escalated into clashes that a war monitor estimates have killed more than 1,000 people over four days. The attack…

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Syrian forces in deadly clashes with Assad-linked fighters in Latakia

Gunmen loyal to deposed Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad have killed at least 15 security personnel in ambushes in the coastal province of Latakia, a security source told Al Jazeera. The…

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Over 1,500 Syrians planning on leaving Cyprus

Approximately 1,200 Syrians have withdrawn their asylum applications with an additional 500 requesting the revocation of their subsidiary protection status, reported figures on Tuesday showed. A further 20 have requested…

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Israeli warplanes strike south of Damascus

Israeli warplanes hit a town south of Syria's capital as well as the southern province of Daraa late on Tuesday, residents, security sources and local broadcaster Syria TV said. Israeli…

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EU suspends sanctions against Syria including on energy, banking

European Union countries suspended a range of sanctions against Syria with immediate effect on Monday, including restrictions related to energy, banking, transport and reconstruction. The EU has a range of sanctions…

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Hundreds of Syrians drop asylum bids in Cyprus

Hundreds of Syrians who sought refuge in Cyprus after the onset of civil war over a decade ago have withdrawn asylum applications in the weeks since the fall of Bashar Al-Assad, Cypriot…

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Saudi Arabia wants to support Syria, says al-Sharaa

Syria's interim president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, landed in Saudi Arabia on Sunday for his first international trip since his rebel militant group ousted former President Bashar al-Assad in December. After meeting…

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Israel says it struck ‘multiple’ Hezbollah targets in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley

Israel’s military said Friday it struck “multiple” Hezbollah targets in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley, two months into a fragile ceasefire with the Lebanese group after major hostilities last year.“The targets that…

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Reports Syria asked Moscow for Assad to be extradited

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov on Wednesday refused to comment on emerging reports that claim Syria’s new government asked Moscow for Bashar Assad’s extradition in return for Russia keeping its military…

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EU ministers agree on roadmap to ease Syria sanctions

European Union foreign ministers have agreed on a roadmap to ease sanctions on Syria, the bloc’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said. “While we aim to move fast, the lifting…

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France issues new arrest warrant for Syria’s Assad

French investigating magistrates have issued an arrest warrant against ousted Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad for suspected complicity in war crimes, notably the launch of a deliberate attack on civilians, a…

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Turkish Airlines will resume flights to Damascus

Turkish Airlines will resume its flights to Damascus, Syria, next week after a halt of more than a decade, officials said following a visit by a delegation of Syria’s new,…

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EU ministers will consider easing sanctions on Syria at a meeting later in January

European Union foreign ministers will meet in late January to discuss easing sanctions imposed on Syria, the bloc’s foreign policy chief said . However, she said the move would depend…

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Germany pushing for EU to relax sanctions on Syria

Germany is leading European Union discussions on easing sanctions imposed on the Syrian government of toppled President Bashar al-Assad and aiding the country's population, foreign ministry sources said. "We are…

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International flights resume at Damascus airport

International flights resumed at Syria's main airport in Damascus on Tuesday for the first time since Islamist-led rebels toppled President Bashar al-Assad last month. Excitement was in the air at…

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New Syrian regime’s school curriculum changes spark backlash

Syria’s new regime has announced sweeping changes to the national school curriculum, triggering concerns about “Islamisation”. Critics fear the changes, including an increased focus on Islam and the removal of…

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Israel reveals commandos had raided missile plant in Syria in September

Israel's military said its special forces had raided an underground missile production site in Syria in September that it said was primed to produce hundreds of precision missiles for use…

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Syria’s de facto leader says holding elections could take up to four years

Holding elections in Syria could take up to four years, Syria's de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa said in remarks broadcast on Sunday, the first time he has commented on a…

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UPDATED: Syria’s new rulers declare crackdown as tensions flare in coastal area

Syria's new authorities on Thursday launched a security crackdown in a coastal region where 14 policemen were killed a day before, vowing to pursue "remnants" of the ousted Bashar al-Assad…

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Mysterious sinking of Russian cargo ship in Mediterranean Sea

A Russian cargo ship called 'Ursa Major' sank in the Mediterranean Sea between Spain and Algeria and two of its crew are missing, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.…

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Lebanon to cooperate with Interpol on arrest of Syrian official accused of war crimes

Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said Lebanon will cooperate with an Interpol request to arrest former Syrian intelligence officer Jamil Hassan, accused by US authorities of war crimes under…

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EU to engage with Syrian leaders and reopen delegation

The European Union will establish contacts with Syria's new leadership and reopen its delegation in the country, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and EU Commission President Ursula von der…

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Why does Syria have a ‘new’ flag and what does it mean?

People in Syria and those across the world have taken to the streets to celebrate the end of dictator Bashar Al Assad's brutal regime, raising an alternative version of the…

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Russia pulling back but not out of Syria, sources say

Russia is pulling back its military from the front lines in northern Syria and from posts in the Alawite Mountains but is not leaving its two main bases in the…

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‘Mass exodus’ of Syrians could hit Cyprus’ construction industry

A number of Syrian nationals have already left Cyprus to return to a post-Assad state, raising local concerns over the impact a flood of returns may have on the country’s…

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How the loss of its Mediterranean naval base in Syria would weaken Russia as a global power

By Basil Germond, Professor of International Security, Department of Politics, Philosophy and Religion, Lancaster University The fall of the Assad regime constitutes a major blow to Russia’s foreign policy and…

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