U.S.-allied Kurd militia says struck Syria base deal with Russia

The Syrian Kurdish YPG militia said Russia was setting up a military base in northwestern Syria under a bilateral agreement and will help train its fighters – a step that would anger Turkey as it tries to block Kurdish gains near its borders. The Russian defense ministry, however, said it had no plans to open […]

More U.S. troops likely to be sent to Syria with new Pentagon plan

As the Trump administration cedes greater decision-making authority back to battlefield commanders in Syria and Iraq, more U.S. troops are likely to be on the ground in Syria for the coming Raqqa offensive. Citing defense officials familiar with the matter, the Washington Post reported that Secretary of Defense James Mattis will be approving the deployment […]

Syrian forces and rebels fight fierce clashes in northeast Damascus

Syrian rebels launched a major offensive on Sunday that brought them close to the heart of the Old City of Damascus, and government forces responded with intense bombardments of rebel-held areas. The escalation, reported by witnesses, state TV, rebel sources, and a monitoring group, marked a bid by the rebels to relieve army pressure on […]

Syrian government claims to have downed Israeli jet inside Syria

Syria launched surface-to-air missiles at Israeli warplanes earlier today, and have now claimed to have shot one down and damaged another. The exchange was confirmed by both Israel and Syria, but Israel so far denies it has a downed aircraft. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said that after attacking Hezbollah targets inside Syria, their aircraft […]

Turkey threatens to cancel immigration deals with EU as relationship falters

Turkey’s relationship with the European Union continues to deteriorate as they threaten to cancel key migration agreements. The comments from Turkey’s foreign minister are another low point in an ongoing quasi-diplomatic crisis between Turkey and a number of EU nations. Earlier this week, Turkey’s President Recep Erdogan accused government officials in the Netherlands and Germany […]

Israel’s Air Force Bombs Targets in Syria

Israeli Air Force jets pounded targets in Syria which resulted in the Syrian air defense systems launching multiple ground-to-air missiles at the jets in retaliation. One of the rockets was intercepted. The two countries have been technically at war since the 2011 Syrian civil war against Bashar Al-Assad’s government began. But the bombing of yesterday […]

Syria government urges U.N. chief to avert ‘looming dam catastrophe’

Syria’s government urged U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to demand that a U.S.-led military campaign against Islamic State militants stop targeting the Euphrates and Tishrin dams and surrounding areas “to forestall a looming catastrophe.” In a letter to Guterres and the Security Council, released on Thursday, Syria’s Deputy U.N. Ambassador Mounzer Mounzer wrote that residents along […]

Dozens killed in suicide attacks on Syrian uprising anniversary

BEIRUT — Suicide bombers killed dozens of people in the Syrian capital on Wednesday, the sixth anniversary of anti-government protests that devolved into one of the deadliest wars of the century. Syrian state media said a first attacker detonated his explosives outside the largest courthouse in Damascus, known as the Justice Palace. Hours later, it reported that […]

At least 40 killed in Damascus bombing targeting Shi’ites

A double bomb attack targeting Shi’ite pilgrims in Damascus killed at least 40 Iraqis and wounded 120 more who were going to pray at a nearby shrine, the Iraqi foreign ministry said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Saturday’s attack, which the Hezbollah-run al-Manar TV station said had been carried out by two […]

U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces prepared to assault Raqqa with American help

As the multitude of Syrian opposition forces converge for the offensive on Raqqa, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) claim they are prepared to take the ISIS stronghold with the help of their American supporters. The SDF made these statements as conflict between Turkey and the Syrian Kurdish contingent of the SDF continues to grow. Turkey’s […]

Conventional Troops Adding to Special Operations Forces in Syria

The US has augmented the already 500 Special Operations forces in Syria with 400 conventional troops. Reports were filtering down that a Marine Corps artillery unit and an Army Stryker unit have been sent to Syria in advance of the anticipated battle to free the major town of Raqqa. Army General Joseph Votel, Commander of […]

Exclusive: U.S. weighs deploying up to 1,000 ‘reserve’ troops for IS fight

U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration is weighing a deployment of up to 1,000 American soldiers to Kuwait to serve as a reserve force in the fight against Islamic State as U.S.-backed fighters accelerate the offensive in Syria and Iraq, U.S. officials told Reuters. Proponents of the option, which has not been previously reported, said it […]