News Muncher - category damascus

2 hours, 54 minutes ago

Syria's new leader says all weapons to come under 'state control'

by Maher Al Mounes with Lisa Golden Two weeks after seizing power in a sweeping offensive, Syria's new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa on Sunday said weapons in the country, including those held by Kurdish-led forces, would come under state control. Sharaa spoke alongside Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, after earlier meeting with Lebanese Druze leaders and vowing to end "negative interference" …

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14 hours, 36 minutes ago

Syria – years of reporting, the road to Damascus and the fall of al-Assad

Al Jazeera

What returning to Syria in the midst of the euphoria and horror of uncovering the al-Assads’ mass graves felt like. There was none in this pitch-black prison except for the unimaginable horrors in what people there told us was the “execution room”. Among them was the town’s graveyard caretaker who told us he prayed over dozens of bodies that security …

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1 day, 3 hours ago

Prominent Lebanese figure meets Syrian insurgent who led Assad’s ouster, seeking better relations

Associated Press

BEIRUT — A prominent Lebanese politician held talks on Sunday with the insurgent who led the overthrow of Syria’s President Bashar Assad, with both expressing hope for a new era in relations between their countries. He expressed hope that Lebanese-Syrian relations “will return to normal.” Jumblatt’s father, Kamal, was killed in 1977 in an ambush near a Syrian roadblock during …

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1 day, 14 hours ago

Turkiye FM meets Syria’s new leader, calls for lifting of global sanctions

Al Jazeera

Meeting comes two days after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says his minister will visit Damascus to discuss the new structure in Syria. Photographs and footage shared by the Turkish ministry showed Fidan and al-Sharaa hug and shake hands, their meeting coming two days after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Fidan would be going to Damascus to discuss the …

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Prominent Lebanese figure meets Syrian insurgent who led Assad’s ouster, seeking better relations

LA Times

Women look at photos of people reported to be missing, in the Marjeh square in Damascus, Syria. A prominent Lebanese politician held talks on Sunday with the insurgent who led the overthrow of Syria’s President Bashar Assad, with both expressing hope for a new era in relations between their countries. He expressed hope that Lebanese-Syrian relations “will return to normal.” …

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1 day, 18 hours ago

Syrian Democratic Forces: Rebels with a cause

The Hindu

When civil war broke out in Syria in 2011, one of the first things Bashar al-Assad’s regime did was to pull back troops from the country’s north-east so that they could defend the heartland against militias. This gave an opportunity to Syria’s Kurds, the country’s largest ethnic minority who make up some 10% of its population, to establish a de …

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2 days ago

Syrian soldiers distance themselves from Assad in return for promised amnesty

Associated Press

DAMASCUS, Syria — Hundreds of former Syrian soldiers on Saturday reported to the country’s new rulers for the first time since Bashar Assad was ousted to answer questions about whether they may have been involved in crimes against civilians in exchange for a promised amnesty and return to civilian life. Members of Bashar Assad’s army or a pro-government militia, gather …

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2 days, 14 hours ago

The Iran-led axis of resistance in the aftermath of Syria’s upheaval

Al Jazeera

Iran’s leader has emphasised that resistance cannot be broken through military strikes and political plots. Tehran, Iran – For decades, authorities in Iran have been meticulously building an “axis of resistance” of like-minded factions to oppose Israel and the United States across the region. Amid claims that the axis has collapsed, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei asserted last week …

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2 days, 14 hours ago

Syrian authorities appoint HTS figures as foreign, defence ministers

Al Jazeera

Asaad Hassan al-Shibani named foreign minister and Murhaf Abu Qasra defence minister. Syria’s new rulers have appointed a foreign and defence minister, the official Syrian news agency SANA reports, as they seek to build international relations two weeks after Bashar al-Assad was ousted. Al Jazeera’s Resul Serdar, reporting from Damascus, said Abu Qasra and al-Shibani were “very much close” to …

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2 days, 21 hours ago

AP PHOTOS: Glimpses of horror emerge inside Syria’s Saydnaya prison, dubbed ‘The Slaughterhouse’

Associated Press

SAYDNAYA, Syria — Behind the coils of razor wire and concrete walls, glimpses of the horror emerge from the warren of dank, airless corridors of what has been dubbed “The Slaughterhouse.” A coarse, heavy rope lies on the ground, tied into a hangman’s noose. The setting sun streams through windows as a man walks through the infamous Saydnaya military prison …

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3 days, 4 hours ago

Middle East latest: Israeli strike in Gaza kills at least 7 people, including 4 kids

Associated Press

An Israeli airstrike on a residential building in central Gaza killed at least seven Palestinians, including four children, and wounded 16 other people Friday afternoon, health officials said. Israeli strike on a Gaza apartment building kills at least 7 people, including 4 kids DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — An Israeli airstrike on a residential building in central Gaza killed at …

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3 days, 9 hours ago

US drops $10M terrorism bounty offered for capture of Syrian rebel leader who ousted Assad

Associated Press

DAMASCUS, Syria — The Biden administration said Friday it has decided not to pursue a $10 million reward it had offered for the capture of a Syrian rebel leader whose forces led the ouster of President Bashar Assad earlier this month. The announcement followed a meeting in Damascus between the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, Ahmad al-Sharaa, who …

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3 days, 9 hours ago

Turkey and Russia engage in delicate maneuvers over Syria after Assad’s downfall

Associated Press

The rapid downfall of Syrian leader Bashar Assad has touched off a new round of delicate geopolitical maneuvering between Russia’s Vladimir Putin and Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print The Assad regime’s demise opens another chapter in the complex relationship between Putin and Erdogan, with wide-ranging implications not just …

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3 days, 14 hours ago

US diplomats arrive in Damascus to meet Syrian rulers days after Assad's ouster

India Today

Top diplomats from the Biden administration are in Damascus on Friday to meet new Syrian authorities led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a State Department spokesperson said, the first in-person and official meeting between Washington and Syria's de-facto new rulers. The State Department's top Middle East diplomat Barbara Leaf, Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens and newly appointed Senior Advisor …

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3 days, 14 hours ago

US drops $10m reward for arrest of Syria’s new leader after Damascus talks

Al Jazeera

Diplomat Barbara Leaf says US received ‘positive messages’ in talks with HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa in Syrian capital. Leaf said the US decided to drop the reward for al-Sharaa after receiving “positive messages” during Friday’s discussions, including a promise to ensure that “terrorist” groups cannot pose a threat. “We fully support a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned political process that results in …

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3 days, 14 hours ago

U.S. holds first meeting with rebels in charge of Syria

LA Times

A Syrian man holds the Syrian opposition flag as he passes by a picture of ousted Syrian President Bashar Assad in Damascus, Syria, on Dec. 9, 2024. Senior U.S. diplomats traveled to Damascus Friday and held a first-ever meeting with the rebels who toppled longtime dictator Bashar Assad. U.S. officials said they pressed the transitional government established by rebels to …

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Syria’s de facto new leader says it is not a threat to the West

The Independent

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Syria's de facto new leader …

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4 days, 12 hours ago

UN calls for free and fair elections in Syria

Deccan Chronicle

The UN envoy to Syria called on Wednesday for "free and fair" elections after the ouster of president Bashar al-Assad, as he voiced hope for a political solution for Kurdish-held areas.Assad fled Syria following a lightning offensive spearheaded by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, more than 13 years after his crackdown on democracy protests precipitated one of the deadliest wars …

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4 days, 12 hours ago

Is Syria now a threat to the West? Rebel leader speaks out after toppling Bashar al-Assad's regime

Daily Mail

Syria's new de-facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa has said the country is not a threat to the West or its neighbours. Syrian de-facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa speaking to BBC News about the takeover Ahmed al-Sharaa addresses a crowd at the capital's landmark Umayyad Mosque on December 8 He said HTS did not target civilians or civilian areas and consider themselves to …

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Did Assad make a secret deal with Israel for a safe passage to Moscow?

India Today

In a tale of desperation and deceit, Bashar al-Assad, once the powerful dictator of Syria, stands accused of betraying his own country to secure his survival. Cornered and facing imminent defeat, Assad allegedly sold out Syria’s most vital military secrets to its sworn enemy, Israel, in exchange for a safe passage out of the country. Desperate to escape the consequences …

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4 days, 14 hours ago

How the Assads used a civil war to turn Syria into a narco state

NPR

How the Assads used a civil war to turn Syria into a narco state toggle caption Claire Harbage/NPR DAMASCUS, Syria — A luxury villa dominates a hilltop overlooking the countryside just 15 miles outside the capital, Damascus. toggle caption Claire Harbage/NPR As the use of Captagon increased, Syria's neighbors sought to stop it. toggle caption Claire Harbage/NPR David McCloskey, a …

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4 days, 14 hours ago

Christmas in Damascus is different this year, after al-Assad’s fall

Al Jazeera

Damascus, Syria – There’s something different about Christmas this year, Damascenes say. Although the decorations may have been more elaborate last year, Carol al-Sahhaf says this year’s festive mood is a cut above, less than two weeks after Bashar al-Assad fled and his regime crumbled. “After 14 years of war, I hope the coming year brings us peace, love, and …

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4 days, 14 hours ago

A massacre, a rumored hanging and Syrians’ thirst for justice and revenge

LA Times

The crowd surged forward, thousands cheering, waving and jostling their way around Damascus’ Al Ashmar Square, all positioning themselves for the best view of a hanging. People in Tadamon have a nickname for the toothbrush-mustached henchman: “Syria’s Hitler.” “This man, he and his people, they were animals,” said Majed Shaaban, 32, who works for a cleaning services company. “If he …

Syria Man Syrian Militia Including Damascus Darwish

4 days, 23 hours ago

What Assad’s fall has revealed about Syria’s trade in the stimulant drug Captagon

Associated Press

BEIRUT — Since the fall of former Syrian President Bashar Assad, industrial-scale manufacturing facilities of the amphetamine-like stimulant Captagon have been uncovered around the country, which experts say fed a $10 billion annual global trade in the highly addictive drug. The Captagon trade began industrializing around 2018-2019 as the Assad regime — and other armed groups in Syria -- invested …

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Articles for Damascus

Syria's new leader says all weapons to come under 'state control'

Syria – years of reporting, the road to Damascus and the fall of al-Assad

Prominent Lebanese figure meets Syrian insurgent who led Assad’s ouster, seeking better relations

Turkiye FM meets Syria’s new leader, calls for lifting of global sanctions

Prominent Lebanese figure meets Syrian insurgent who led Assad’s ouster, seeking better relations

Syrian Democratic Forces: Rebels with a cause

Syrian soldiers distance themselves from Assad in return for promised amnesty

The Iran-led axis of resistance in the aftermath of Syria’s upheaval

Syrian authorities appoint HTS figures as foreign, defence ministers

AP PHOTOS: Glimpses of horror emerge inside Syria’s Saydnaya prison, dubbed ‘The Slaughterhouse’

Middle East latest: Israeli strike in Gaza kills at least 7 people, including 4 kids

US drops $10M terrorism bounty offered for capture of Syrian rebel leader who ousted Assad

Turkey and Russia engage in delicate maneuvers over Syria after Assad’s downfall

US diplomats arrive in Damascus to meet Syrian rulers days after Assad's ouster

US drops $10m reward for arrest of Syria’s new leader after Damascus talks

U.S. holds first meeting with rebels in charge of Syria

Syria’s de facto new leader says it is not a threat to the West

UN calls for free and fair elections in Syria

Is Syria now a threat to the West? Rebel leader speaks out after toppling Bashar al-Assad's regime

Did Assad make a secret deal with Israel for a safe passage to Moscow?

How the Assads used a civil war to turn Syria into a narco state

Christmas in Damascus is different this year, after al-Assad’s fall

A massacre, a rumored hanging and Syrians’ thirst for justice and revenge

What Assad’s fall has revealed about Syria’s trade in the stimulant drug Captagon