Damascus

Explosion in crowded Damascus cafe leaves nine people dead, 22 injured

"The Syrian Arab Republic condemns in the strongest terms the heinous terrorist bombing that targeted a café in the capital, Damascus," said the Syrian Foreign Ministry in a statement.

|ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
Members of the media and other people gather near the site of what Syrian state media reported was a blast at a cafe in central Damascus, Syria, July 2, 2026
Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri meets with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani in Beirut, Lebanon, July 2, 2026.

Syrian FM visits Beirut after Trump suggests Damascus should fight Hezbollah

The Syrian minister, Asaad al-Shibani, met Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on his first stop, and then headed for a meeting with the parliament speaker, Nabih Berri, an ally of Hezbollah.

|ByREUTERS
BATOUL SULEIMAN Alloush.

Syria’s missing women: What really happened to Batoul Alloush? - exclusive

Syrian authorities have maintained that the woman voluntarily left her family home and converted of her own free will. Her family, however, contends that she was abducted and is being held by force.

|ByDANIELLE GREYMAN-KENNARD
Hassan Akkad attends a private London Screening of 'Refuge' - A multimedia chronicle of human stories from the European Refugee Crisis, focused on humanity and hope BAFTA on June 8, 2016 in London, England.

Damascus using Assad-era laws to detain activist Hassan Akkad, expert tells ‘Post’

Hassan Akkad was arrested and remains in detention for a series of social media posts calling out wealthy businessmen for allegedly failing to follow through on pledges to help rebuild Syria.

|ByDANIELLE GREYMAN-KENNARD

Turkey deploys advanced radar at Damascus airport, raising Israeli concerns

Turkey deployed an advanced radar system at Damascus International Airport, a move Western sources warn could restrict Israel’s freedom of action in Syrian airspace and heighten regional tensions.

JANUARY 21, 2026ByAMICHAI STEIN
HTRS-100 air traffic control radar system, produced by the Turkish defense company ASELSAN.

Is Syria’s leader Ahmed al-Sharaa a master geopolitical chess player? - analysis

Ahmed al-Sharaa has proven to be an adept player of geopolitical chess. Now he will be tested on his ability to win the peace in Syria.

JANUARY 20, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa delivers a speech on the first anniversary of Bashar al-Assad's fall, in Damascus, Syria December 8, 2025.

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

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.

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.

Syria's government faces pivotal moment against SDF, as it retakes largest oil field - analysis

Overnight on January 17 and 18, there were major changes on the ground as Arab tribal fighters claimed to seize control of a number of villages and two oil fields on the East side of the Euphrates.

JANUARY 18, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Soldiers from the Syrian Democratic Forces stand in front of the detainees before the first exchange operation between the Syrian Democratic Forces and the Syrian government in Aleppo, Syria, April 3, 2025.

After Kurdish forces were expelled from Aleppo, Kurds fear new Syrian offensive - analysis

There are also concerns about how detainees are being treated by the Syrian authorities and about the desecration of the bodies of the fallen.

JANUARY 14, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
A Kurdish internal security forces member stands guard with a weapon as Syrian Kurds attend a protest in solidarity with the people in the neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh in Aleppo, in Hasakah, Syria January 7, 2026.

Israel, Syria deal has ‘great potential’ to expand Abraham Accords, envoy to US tells ‘Post’

In an interview with the Post and remarks to Fort Worth Jews, Ambassador Yeichel Leiter discusses Syria, the Trump administration, and how Jews can combat rising antisemitism.

JANUARY 10, 2026ByCORINNE BAUM
Yechiel Leiter, standing in front of an Israeli flag

Syrian Army to strike Aleppo as Kurdish forces reject evacuation after ceasefire announcement

A ceasefire was declared in Aleppo by Syria's Defense Ministry after clashes with Kurdish forces, with Damascus claiming it will "escort departing militants" to northeastern Syria.

JANUARY 9, 2026ByJAMES GENN, REUTERS
Security forces affiliated with the Ministry of the Interior stand guard in the Ashrafieh neighbourhood, which they have taken control of, according to the Interior Ministry, following battles with the Syrian Democratic Forces, in Aleppo, Syria, January 9, 2026.

Israel: Syrian attacks on Kurdish minority in Aleppo 'serious and dangerous'

“The attacks by Syrian regime forces on the Kurdish minority in the city of Aleppo are serious and dangerous," Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar tweeted.

JANUARY 8, 2026ByTPS, JAMES GENN
A Kurdish internal security forces member stands guard with a weapon as Syrian Kurds attend a protest in solidarity with the people in the neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh in Aleppo, in Hasakah, Syria, January 7, 2026