After two nights of armed confrontations between Syrian government forces and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Aleppo’s Kurdish neighborhoods of Ashrafiyeh and Sheikh Maqsoud, hostilities have now ceased. The pause follows an SDF request to initiate negotiations and propose a ceasefire.
Tensions flared again last night between the Syrian Army and Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in eastern Aleppo. The SDF accused Damascus of launching drone and artillery strikes on Deir Hafer, injuring seven personnel—three in a drone attack and four from a strike on an internal security patrol.
The Druze minority—spread across Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and the occupied territories—follows a secretive, independent faith rooted in Islam but infused with diverse teachings. In Syria, they number over half a million, making up roughly 3% of the population. Known for loyalty to their host nations, Druze communities have played mediating roles in Lebanon and even serve in Israel’s military, unlike other Arab minorities. Despite political differences, strong familial and cultural ties sustain a shared sense of identity across borders.
A Syrian military delegation led by Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Ali Al-Naasan visited Russia’s Central Armed Forces Military Park in Moscow. The group inspected air defense systems, combat and reconnaissance drones, and heavy weaponry as part of efforts to deepen military cooperation and enhance Syria’s defense capabilities.
A group of residents from Shahba in Syria’s Suweida province held a protest demanding full independence from the central government. The demonstration reflects growing calls for autonomy among segments of the Druze community.
Recent negotiations between Israeli and Syrian officials have broken down after weeks of progress. The main sticking point was Tel Aviv’s request to establish a land corridor to deliver aid to residents of Syria’s southern Sweida province—a proposal Damascus rejected as a violation of its sovereignty. The disagreement derailed prospects for a security agreement expected this week.
For the first time in decades, the Syrian flag was hoisted above the country’s embassy building in Washington, D.C., by Syrian transitional government Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani.
The recent meeting in Damascus between Abu Mohammad al-Julani (Ahmed al-Sharaa), head of Syria’s interim government, and Ibrahim Kalin, chief of Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization (MIT), has reignited attention on Syria’s evolving political landscape and the flurry of regional and international negotiations surrounding it. The timing of this meeting—just days after Israel proposed a no-fly zone in southern Syria and following visits by U.S. envoy Tom Barrack and Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi—suggests a coordinated diplomatic effort rather than coincidence.
Abu Muhammad al-Julani, head of the Syrian transitional government, met with Charles Brad Cooper, commander of CENTCOM, in Damascus yesterday. The meeting included U.S. special envoy Thomas Barrack and several Syrian officials.
In a renewed wave of aerial assaults, Israeli fighter jets struck key military sites in Syria’s Homs and Latakia provinces, reportedly destroying advanced air defense systems and a radar installation. The attacks also targeted a munitions depot linked to the al-Julani government, resulting in multiple Syrian military casualties.
In recent weeks, the situation along the lines in southern Syria—specifically in the provinces of Daraa and Quneitra—has remained stable and unchanged. The Israeli military has been intermittently moving through villages and occupied areas in southern Syria, occasionally setting up checkpoints along roads and routes leading to residential zones.
Last night, Israeli aircraft launched multiple airstrikes targeting the 1st Armored Division base in Jabal al-Mane’, located in the Al-Kiswah region. The operation included a rare helicopter assault, deploying troops directly into the military base — one of the few such large-scale heliborne operations by Israel in Syria.
