Turkey has closed its main border crossings into northwest Syria after Turkish troops faced attacks from Syrians angered by violence against their compatriots in Turkey. The unrest, fueled by social media reports of a Syrian man sexually abusing a child in Kayseri, has spread across Turkey, leading to the detention of 474 individuals involved in attacks on the Syrian community.
Despite losing its last stronghold in Syria in 2019, the Islamic State (IS) has continued to launch deadly attacks, killing nearly 4,100 people in the country since then. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that the majority of the victims are soldiers, government loyalists, and Kurdish-led fighters, but civilians have also been killed. The group has been active in the Badia desert, carrying out bombings, ambushes, and targeted operations. IS has sustained heavy losses since 2019 but remains a significant threat in Syria.
A French appeals court is set to decide on Wednesday whether to uphold an arrest warrant for Syrian President Bashar Assad, issued last year for alleged complicity in war crimes during the Syrian civil war. The decision comes after French prosecutors argued for the lifting of the warrant due to Assad’s immunity as a serving head of state, while maintaining the warrants for his brother and two generals.
An Iraqi fighter from an Iran-backed group was killed in an overnight airstrike in eastern Syria near the Iraq border. The strike occurred in Deir Ezzor province, a region where Iran holds significant influence and is frequently targeted by Israel and the United States. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that the strike targeted a vehicle during a reconnaissance patrol on the Iraqi-Syrian border, while the US-led military coalition denied responsibility for the attack. This incident adds to the escalating tensions between Iran and its allies in the region and the United States and Israel.
Syrian first lady Asma Assad has been diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, the office of President Bashar Assad announced on Tuesday. The president’s wife was diagnosed with the disease after presenting with several symptoms and following a comprehensive series of medical tests and examinations. Assad will adhere to a specialized treatment protocol that includes stringent infection prevention measures and will temporarily withdraw from all direct engagements as part of the treatment plan.
Alham Albashir, a Syrian woman, has been given seven life sentences for her role in the deadly 2022 Istanbul bombing that killed six people and injured 99. Albashir and another individual, Bilal el-Hacmaus, were found to be intelligence operatives for the YPG, a Syrian Kurdish militia, and its political branch, the PYD. They were given special training and sent to Turkey to carry out the attack.
Hamas has released a propaganda/proof-of-life video of Austin Tice, an American journalist taken hostage in Syria. In the video, Tice criticizes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government. He also appeals directly to his family.
