Syria

Syria, officially known as the Syrian Arab Republic, is an Arab nation in the Middle East, situated in the Levant region. The country boasts a rich history and some of the oldest inhabited cities in the world.

In 1963, Syria's government was taken over by the Ba'ath Party, led by Hafez al-Assad. For decades, he and his son and successor, Bashar al-Assad, would rule the country in a reign that has been highly criticized for being totalitarian and for carrying out widespread human rights abuses.

In 2011, a major civil war broke out in Syria, leaving governance of the country fractured between the Russia- and Iran-backed Assad regime based in Syria's largest city and capital of Damascus, US-backed rebel groups led by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Turkey-backed forces, and Islamists under the banner of Hay'at Tahir al-Shams (HTS).

However, in December 2024, HTS and its allies carried out a major offensive from their base of operations in the Idlib province, eventually fully ousting the Assad regime and seizing control of Damascus as well as other major cities such as Homs and Aleppo. Currently, HTS has been spearheading the establishment of a new Syrian interim government. However, the country still remains fractured between them, Assad loyalists, Turkey-backed forces, and the SDF and its allies.

Syrian government announce integration deal with Kurdish forces

The sides announced the deal after Syrian government forces under President Ahmed al-Sharaa captured swathes of northern and eastern Syria from the SDF this month.

JANUARY 30, 2026|ByREUTERS

Members of the Syrian security forces gather at a back of a vehicle outside al-Aqtan prison, where some Islamic State detainees are held, in Raqqa, Syria January 23, 2026.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa shake hands during a meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow on January 28, 2026.

Putin, Syrian President al-Sharaa meet, discuss sending Russian military aid to Middle East

"I want to congratulate you on the fact that the process of restoring the territorial integrity of Syria is gaining momentum," Putin told al-Sharaa in the Kremlin.

JANUARY 28, 2026|ByREUTERS

Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa attends an interview with Reuters at the presidential palace, in Damascus, Syria March 10, 2025.

Trump speaks with Syria’s Sharaa to ensure peace, cooperation in eastern Syria

As Syria seeks to continue the ceasefire and also works with the US to avoid tension, as Syria’s president is also heading to Russia.

JANUARY 28, 2026|BySETH J. FRANTZMAN

A soldier in an ISIS uniform prepares ammunition.

ISIS numbers grow as Syrian instability continues, Iraq warns

In the rare interview, al-Shatri said Iraqi intelligence estimates suggest that ISIS’s presence in Syria has grown from roughly 2,000 fighters a year ago to as many as 10,000 terrorists today.

JANUARY 27, 2026|ByASHER SMITH

Kurdish unity: Protests erupt across Iraq in support of Syria's Rojava

The crisis in Syria is affecting Kurds all over the world, primarily due to the fear that members of the Syrian government’s security forces may commit abuses amid the new offensive.

JANUARY 20, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN

Members of the Kurdish community and other protesters attend a demonstration against Syrian President Ahmed al‑Sharaa and recent military clashes between the Syrian army and Kurdish forces, in Berlin, Germany, January 19, 2026.

Syrian deal with SDF could lead to Turkey-PKK peace, Turkish officials say

After days of fighting, the Syrian government and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) agreed on Sunday to bring Kurdish authorities under the control of Damascus.

JANUARY 19, 2026ByREUTERS

Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan speaks to the media at the end of the G20 Leaders' Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, November 23, 2025

Trump, al-Sharaa discuss preserving Kurdish rights, ongoing ISIS fight

In a phone call, Trump and Syrian President al-Sharaa discussed preserving Kurdish rights in Syria and ongoing cooperation to combat the Islamic State, following a recent integration deal.

JANUARY 19, 2026ByREUTERS

Syiran President Ahmed al-Sharaa and US President Donald Trump.

SDF reports clashes near ISIS detention sites in Hasaka and Raqqa

The SDF reported armed group attacks on ISIS prisons in Syria's northeast as clashes with Syrian government forces raise fears of renewed instability and terrorism.

JANUARY 19, 2026ByREUTERS, JAMES GENN

Men, suspected of being affiliated with the Islamic State (IS) group, gather in a prison cell in the northeastern Syrian city of Hasakeh on October 26, 2019.

What happens to ISIS detainees as Syria moves to take over SDF prisons - analysis

Amid fighting there are concerns ISIS detainees held in Syria could escape, while a deal foresees them being handed over to Damascus

JANUARY 19, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN

Women and children queue during a joint security operation by Syria's Kurdish Internal Security Police Force, also known as Asayesh, and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) at Camp Roj where foreign relatives of people suspected of belonging to the Islamic State (IS) group are held.

Kurdish refugees flee Syria as government forces gain ground

Over 500 Kurdish families have fled Syria amid escalating clashes between Syrian government forces and Kurdish-led groups, as fears grow over the potential collapse of the SDF.

JANUARY 19, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN

A group of civilians carry bags and belongings as they flee following renewed clashes between the Syrian army and the Syrian Democratic Forces, in Aleppo, Syria, January 7, 2026

Erdogan, Sharaa discuss Syria as SDF confirms withdrawal following ceasefire

Turkey’s President Erdogan spoke with Syrian President Sharaa after a deal with Kurdish forces, as SDF leader Mazloum Abdi confirmed a military withdrawal, and plans to visit Damascus.

JANUARY 18, 2026ByREUTERS, JAMES GENN

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrive for a joint press conference at the Presidential Palace in Ankara, Turkey, February 4, 2025.

Syrian government, SDF agree on immediate ceasefire on all fronts, state media says

Syrian state media reported that Damascus and the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces reached an immediate ceasefire after days of clashes in Kurdish-held areas of the northeast.

JANUARY 18, 2026ByREUTERS, JAMES GENN

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa signs a ceasefire agreement with the Syrian Democratic Forces, Damascus, January 18, 2026.

Kurdish commander calls on US to 'intervene forcefully' in Syria clashes

The head of the YPG warned that only the US or its coalition partners can halt Syria’s advance into Kurdish-held territory, as government forces seize key towns and energy sites.

JANUARY 18, 2026ByREUTERS, JAMES GENN

Members of the Kurdish Internal Security Forces known as "Asayish", and residents rally during a demonstration against the attacks by the Syrian government forces and in support of Kurdish fighters in Qamishli, the main Kurdish city in the country's northeast on January 18, 2026.

Syria's power struggle: Who controls what, and why fighting continues - analysis

For some commentators, the current conflict in Syria boils down to the new Syrian government attacking Kurdish forces. While this is correct in some ways, it is also very simplistic.

JANUARY 18, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN

A group of civilians carry bags and belongings as they flee following renewed clashes between the Syrian army and the Syrian Democratic Forces, in Aleppo, Syria, January 7, 2026