Syria

US to complete transfer of Islamic State detainees from Syria to Iraq in coming days, official says

The US military is transferring up to 7,000 ISIS detainees from Syrian prisons to Iraq, focusing on high-risk fighters amid growing security concerns following recent prison escapes.

Children and women, relatives of suspected Islamic State jihadists, walk inside Al-Hol camp in the desert region of Syria's northeastern Hasakeh province on January 21, 2026; illustrative.
A Syrian national flag flutters next to the Islamic State's slogan at a roundabout where executions were carried out by ISIS militants in the city of Palmyra, in Homs Governorate, Syria April 1, 2016.

Iraq says it will begin legal proceedings against ISIS prisoners transferred from Syria

A protester waves the pre-Islamic Revolution Iranian flag outside UN headquarters during a United Nations Security Council meeting on Iran in New York on January 15, 2026.

Beyond the Headlines: Stronger than we think

Soldiers of Syrian government forces stand by on a position 10 km away from the city of Hasakah in northeastern Syria on January 21, 2026.

Syria accuses Kurds of breaking truce in 'dangerous escalation,' tenuous peace deal threatened


Three policemen, six Islamic State terrorists killed in northwest Turkey clashes

Turkish police last week detained 115 suspected Islamic State members, they said, who were planning to carry out attacks on Christmas and New Year celebrations in the country.

Turkish gendarmerie special forces team leaves the site where Turkish security forces launched an operation on a house believed to contain suspected Islamic State terrorists, in Yalova province, Turkey, December 29, 2025

Syria opens criminal investigation into Assad-era mass grave revealed by Reuters

The site, in the Dhumair desert east of Damascus, was used during Assad’s rule as a military weapons depot, according to a former Syrian army officer with knowledge of the operation.

A drone view of the mass grave site in the desert near the eastern Syrian town of Dhumair, February 27, 2025. A Reuters investigation found that the Assad government secretly trucked thousands of bodies there from an exposed mass grave in the Damascus suburb of Qutayfah from 2019-2021.

Three killed as Alawite protest in Syria’s Latakia turns violent

Three people were killed and more than 40 were wounded after gunfire erupted during an Alawite protest in Syria’s Latakia province, as demonstrators called for federalism and prisoner releases.

People from the Alawite sect protest as they demand federalism and an end to what they say is the killing and violations against Alawites, in Latakia, Syria, December 28, 2025

Jordan carries out airstrikes in Syria, signaling frustration over border security - analysis

Two rounds of Jordanian airstrikes hit smuggling targets in southern Syria, underscoring Amman’s demand for stronger action against drug gangs operating near its border.

A Jordanian flag flies over the capital city, Amman, Jordan August 17, 2025.

US airstrikes against ISIS in Nigeria raise questions over strategy - analysis

US airstrikes hit ISIS camps in Nigeria on Christmas Day in what officials said was a joint operation, raising questions over whether further action will follow.

Residents inspect the damage after US forces had launched a strike against Islamic State terrorists in Nigeria at the request of Nigeria's government, as US President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social on December 25, in Offa, Kwara State, Nigeria, December 26, 2025.

Mosque bombing in Homs during prayers leaves eight dead, dozens wounded

Hours after the explosion, an armed group known as Saraya Ansar al-Sunnah claimed responsibility through an official statement.

 While worshippers were performing Friday prayers at the Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib Mosque, a violent explosion shook the entire building, spreading panic and chaos among the congregants, who suddenly found themselves engulfed in a cloud of smoke, blood, and shrapnel.

Watching the Gaza border: An IDF observer on warning signs, war, and loss - interview

Captain Yael Segre shares what it means to be the ‘eyes of the county’ and what it means to fight not only for your people, but also for the right to do your duty and be recognized.

Yael Segre celebrates the end of her academic training to further her military career, becoming an IDF captain.

Christian communities grow slowly as share of population falls in Middle East, North Africa

Analysts say the pattern is driven by a mix of factors: outward migration, lower birth rates, and increasingly, disaffiliation or conversion.

A large decorated Christmas tree is lit as a crowd watches a live performance on stage during the tree-lighting ceremony in Manger Square in Bethlehem, in the West Bank

Syrian Kurdish commander vows 'all efforts' to save integration deal with Damascus

His comments came days after deadly clashes between SDF units and Syrian government forces around Aleppo prompted both sides to order their fighters to halt fire.

SDF commander Mazloum Abdi, attends an interview with Reuters in al-Shadadi, Syria June 13, 2025.

Voices from the Arab press: As war postponed in Lebanon, another escalates in Syria

A weekly selection of opinions and analyses from the Arab media around the world.

 Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam heads a cabinet meeting in Beirut, Lebanon, this week.