Middle Orient

A government source confirmed to Enab Baladi the appointment of Abdul Rahman Salama (Abu Ibrahim) as governor of Raqqa today, Monday, January 19, without an official announcement of the appointment so far. The source, who has reservations about publishing his name or position, denied appointing a governor for Hasaka until …

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock stated that the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) must be disarmed and integrated into the security structure of the government in Damascus. Baerbock’s statement came after talks with her Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan, in the Turkish capital, Ankara, on Friday, December 20. According to Reuters, Baerbock …

Syrian transitional President Ahmed al-Sharaa announced on Sunday, 18 January, that a ceasefire agreement has been reached between the Syrian government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). According to the Syrian Presidency, the agreement includes the following provisions: An immediate, comprehensive ceasefire on all fronts and front lines between government …

Syria’s Kurdish authorities say the move does not guarantee people’s rights Syria’s President Ahmad Al Shara on Friday issued a decree affirming the rights of Kurdish ⁠Syrians, formally recognising their language ​and restoring citizenship to the country’s largest minority community. “I have the honour to issue a decree especially for …

SDF accepts integration into army after government troops advance into Deir Ezzor and Raqqa The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces militia has agreed to cede control of Deir Ezzor and Raqqa provinces to the Syrian government, state media has reported, after the army made rapid advances into the two eastern provinces. …

Anti-ISIS operations launched in response to attack The US said an air attack in north-western Syria killed an Al Qaeda-affiliated leader who was linked to an ISIS member responsible for a deadly ambush of American personnel last month. US Central Command (Centcom) on Saturday said that the strike, carried out …

Residents of northern city welcome return to control of government forces Jubilant crowds waved Syrian revolutionary flags amid celebratory gunfire as Raqqa residents tore down symbols and statues of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, who had controlled the city since 2017. The scenes in the city on the north bank …

La situation actuelle d’escalade autour de l’Iran ne peut être comprise qu’en la lisant comme un conflit entre des zones d’influence clairement définies. Il ne s’agit ni, au principal, d’un processus de réforme interne en Iran ni d’une question «systémique» abstraite, mais de la confrontation entre les intérêts stratégiques de …

Researcher Tells TML ‘Military Control Alone Is Not Enough To Ensure Stability’ in Eastern Aleppo as Syrian Army Replaces SDF Middle East researcher Mazen al-Khalil told The Media Line that “the withdrawal of thousands of fighters without a clear political agreement raises questions about the area’s future” [DAMASCUS] In a …

Syrian transitional President Ahmed al-Sharaa has escalated his political rhetoric against the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in his latest interview with the Kurdish Shams TV channel, excerpts of which were aired by the state-run Syrian al-Ikhbariya. Al-Sharaa’s discourse shifted toward blame and accusations against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), accusing …