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.
As a former colonial power in the region, France has interests in Lebanon and Syria, and is seen as having a more balanced Mideast policy than the US and UK.
A drone attributed to Israel targeted Khallet al-Mahafer on the eastern outskirts of Aitaroun. In addition, the IAF carried out attacks in Syria.
The international community is too busy legitimizing the Taliban-like terrorist regime that now runs Syria to provide support for the Druze, other minorities in Syria.
Tom Barrack - Trump's new ambassador to Ankara - will make repositioning Turkey as a necessary US strategic partner in the region a key mandate.
Fighting between Druze residents and militias associated with Syrian government forces has intensified in recent days, leading to dozens of deaths and urgent calls for intervention.
Footage filmed by a Syrian Jew showed that the pit was filled with sand and covered with cement.
Turkish F-16s sent warning signals to the Israeli jets using their electronic warfare systems, and a brief radio contact was made between the aircraft.
“The Palestinian Islamic Jihad Movement considered Israel’s aggression against Syria to be an expression of the regime's expansionist plans,” says IRNA.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently declared that “Turkey ranks among the top three countries in the world in drone technology.”
IDF announces two fallen soldiers • IDF mobilizes thousands of reservists • Military probe reveals failure of Golani troops on Oct. 7 • Netanyahu slams Qatar
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