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Syria Post-Assad Integration

Ahmad al-Sharaa's new Syrian government integrating Kurdish forces, suppressing ISIS remnants, and courting US diplomatic recognition

U.S. airstrike kills senior Islamic State leader in Syria

Illustration accompanying article: U.S. airstrike kills senior Islamic State leader in Syria
  • A U.S. airstrike last week in northwest Syria killed Ali Husayn al-Ulaywi, a senior Islamic State leader, U.S. Central Command announced Wednesday.
  • Central Command described the Friday operation as part of ongoing efforts to "disrupt and eliminate terrorists seeking to attack Americans abroad or the U.S. homeland."
  • The killing comes about a month after U.S. and Nigerian forces killed Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, then believed to be the Islamic State's second-in-command.
  • Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander, said the command and its partners remain committed to "rooting out remaining remnants of ISIS to ensure its enduring defeat."
 2026-06-24 · 3 MIN READ

Senate panel advances bill to repeal Syria sanctions

Illustration accompanying article: Senate panel advances bill to repeal Syria sanctions
  • The Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted unanimously to advance legislation repealing two Syria sanctions laws from 2003 and 2012, part of a broader U.S. rapprochement with Damascus after the fall of Bashar al-Assad.
  • The bill, S. 3172, would repeal the Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act of 2003 and the Syria Human Rights Accountability Act of 2012, while preserving authorities to sanction human rights abusers.
  • The advancement comes 18 months after jihadist-led rebels ousted Assad, who fled to Russia, and as the Trump administration has already lifted other sanctions, including the Caesar Act.
  • The Syrian American Council praised the bipartisan effort, saying it demonstrates Congress's commitment to making the U.S. a friend and ally of the Syrian people.
 2026-06-18 · 3 MIN READ
Illustration accompanying article: North Carolina congregations host sewing circle for Afghan refugees after federal aid cuts

Bangladesh’s Tarique Rahman pledges democracy, law and order after election win

2026-02-13

Bangladesh’s incoming leader Tarique Rahman said Saturday he would work to build a more democratic country after his Bangladesh Nationalist Party won a majority in parliamentary elections. Speaking at a first press meeting in Dhaka, Rahman also said his priorities would include improving law and order and addressing what he described as a fragile economy left behind after years of rule by Sheikh Hasina.

U.S. strikes Islamic State targets in Syria after deadly ambush

2026-02-13

The U.S. military said it carried out a series of airstrikes against Islamic State targets in Syria, describing the strikes as retaliation for an ambush in December that killed two U.S. soldiers and a U.S. civilian interpreter. U.S. Central Command said American aircraft conducted 10 strikes between Feb. 3 and Thursday, hitting weapons storage facilities and other infrastructure.

US to send troops to Nigeria to train military against extremism

2026-02-12

The United States plans to send troops to Nigeria to help train the Nigerian military to fight extremism, Nigerian authorities said on Feb. 11. Nigeria’s Defense Headquarters said the U.S. personnel would not have a combat role and that Nigerian forces would retain command authority.

Syria president and ministers were targets of five foiled IS plots, UN says

2026-02-12

Syria’s president Ahmad al-Sharaa and two top ministers were the targets of five foiled assassination attempts last year, the U.N. chief said in a report on threats posed by Islamic State militants released to the U.N. Security Council. The report said al-Sharaa was targeted in Aleppo and in the southern province of Daraa by a group assessed to be a front for the Islamic State.

Egypt parliament approves cabinet reshuffle, naming 13 new ministers

2026-02-11

Egypt’s parliament approved President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi’s cabinet reshuffle on Tuesday, approving new ministers for 13 portfolios as the country grapples with an ailing economy and pressure from regional conflicts. The reshuffle kept key posts, including foreign affairs and defense, unchanged, according to the president’s office.

Somalia’s first modern bowling alley opens in Mogadishu as diaspora returns

2026-02-10

Mogadishu, Somalia, has opened its first modern bowling alley, drawing locals and diaspora returnees to a recreation space amid ongoing security precautions. The Feynuus Bowling Center, which opened last year, has become a symbol of Mogadishu’s day-to-day revival after decades of civil war and al-Shabab attacks, the Associated Press reported.

Yemen ruling council names new cabinet after southern clashes

2026-02-08

Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council named a new cabinet, a step announced in a presidential decree published by state-run SABA late Friday, officials reported. The announcement came weeks after deadly clashes in Yemen’s south, the dissolution of the separatist Southern Transitional Council, and renewed tensions within the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Iranian-aligned Houthis.

Gunmen in northern Nigeria kill 3 villagers and abduct 11, including priest

2026-02-08

Gunmen attacked a Catholic priest’s residence in the Kauru local government area of Kaduna state in northwest Nigeria early Saturday, killing three villagers and abducting 11 people, church officials said. The abducted group included a Catholic priest, and the diocese described the assault as “an act of invasion by a group of terrorists.” Authorities did not immediately provide details on motives or any rescue efforts.

Syrian security forces deploy in Kurdish areas under deal with SDF

2026-02-04

Security forces affiliated with Syria’s Interior Ministry entered the Kurdish-majority city of Qamishli in northeastern Syria on Tuesday as part of a deal with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, the Associated Press reported. The deployment follows a Monday entry and includes small contingents tasked with securing state-affiliated institutions, such as civil registry offices, passport departments and the airport.

US sends military officers to Nigeria after recent attacks

2026-02-04

The U.S. has dispatched a small team of military officers to Nigeria, a senior U.S. Africa Command general said Tuesday, as the two countries expand cooperation amid attacks by armed groups. General Dagvin R.M. Anderson said the move follows his meeting with Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu in Rome late last year.

Syria signs offshore oil deal with Chevron and Qatar investor

2026-02-03

Syria signed a memorandum of understanding for its first offshore oil and gas development, with Chevron and a Qatar-based company, Damascus-based state media reported. The agreement was signed in the presence of the U.S. special envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, and involves cooperation in offshore exploration and development in Syria’s territorial waters.

SUDANAIR resumes Khartoum flights as Sudan war-torn capital sees second landing

2026-02-02

A commercial flight operated by Sudan’s national flag carrier, SUDANAIR, landed in Khartoum on Sunday for the second time since the war began nearly three years ago, state-run SUNA reported. The flight arrived at Khartoum International Airport Sunday afternoon after taking off from Port Sudan in the eastern Red Sea, SUNA said.

UN aid convoy reaches besieged Kobani as Syria ceasefire holds

2026-01-26

A United Nations aid convoy delivered humanitarian supplies to Kobani, a besieged Kurdish enclave in northeast Syria, on Monday, marking the first aid delivery to reach the area since fighting between Syrian government forces and Kurdish-led fighters began earlier this month.

Iraq to prosecute Islamic State detainees transferred from Syria

2026-01-25

Iraq's Supreme Judicial Council announced Sunday that it will prosecute and try Islamic State militants being transferred from prisons and detention camps in Syria under a U.S.-brokered deal. The decision came as the U.S. military moved hundreds of the approximately 9,000 Islamic State detainees held in Syria since the militant group's collapse there in 2019.

Syria extends ceasefire with Kurdish forces for 15 days

2026-01-24

Syria's defense ministry announced Saturday that it has extended a ceasefire with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces for another 15 days, following the expiration of an initial four-day truce. The extension comes as U.S. forces oversee the transfer of accused Islamic State detainees from Syrian prisons to detention centers in Iraq.

Iraq, U.S.-led coalition and Syria back transfer of IS detainees from Syria

2026-01-21

BAGHDAD and Washington said the transfer of Islamic State detainees from northeast Syria to detention centers in Iraq began after Baghdad requested the move. The transfer started after Syrian government forces seized parts of the al-Hol area and pushed into areas where Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces held prisoners, the AP reported Thursday. U.S. officials confirmed Iraq “offered proactively” to take the prisoners.

U.S. begins moving Islamic State detainees from Syria to Iraq

2026-01-21

The U.S. military has started transferring many Islamic State group detainees held in northeast Syria to secure locations in Iraq, the U.S. Central Command said. The transfer began Wednesday amid fighting in the area between Syrian government forces and Kurdish-led fighters, which brought government troops close to several detention facilities and camps.

U.S. ends support for Kurdish forces in Syria, speeding their collapse

2026-01-21

The United States withdrew military and diplomatic support from Syria's Kurdish-led forces in January 2026, allowing the new Syrian government to seize most of their territory in northeast Syria. The shift marked a reversal of years of U.S. backing for the forces, known as the Syrian Democratic Forces, in their battle against the Islamic State. The collapse followed failed negotiations over the forces' integration into the new army under interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa.

US transfers first Islamic State detainees from Syria to Iraq

2026-01-21

The U.S. military on Wednesday began transferring Islamic State detainees held by Kurdish forces in northeastern Syria to secure facilities in Iraq, marking a significant shift in the region's security architecture as Syria's government consolidates control. Under an agreement, detainees are being transferred from Hassakeh province to Iraq, with plans to eventually relocate as many as 7,000 people held in Syrian detention camps.

Syria government announces ceasefire with Kurdish-led SDF, plans gradual steps

2026-01-19

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa on Sunday signed an agreement with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, announcing a ceasefire and a framework for dismantling the SDF’s control in Syria’s northeast. The Syrian government said it ordered fighting to halt on the front lines after the deal was announced, while the SDF’s leader, Mazloum Abdi, later confirmed the group had accepted the terms in a video statement.

Deal with Damascus shifts Syria’s Kurdish-led SDF toward integration after clashes

2026-01-18

Syria’s Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces are set to merge into Syria’s national army and police forces after days of clashes with the government announced a ceasefire, ending the latest fighting round, the Associated Press reported on Jan. 19. The deal, shown in state media as President Ahmad al-Sharaa signed the agreement, also provides for SDF commanders to receive high military and managerial roles, according to the AP report. The SDF now controls Hassakeh, including a large Kurdish community, with the previous fighting leaving fighters cornered in the province, the report said.

Syrian forces enter Deir Hafer, Maskana after Kurdish withdrawal

2026-01-18

Syrian government forces entered Deir Hafer and Maskana in northern Syria on Saturday after Kurdish-led fighters said they would evacuate the area to avoid conflict, the Associated Press reported. The move followed days of fighting between government troops and the U.S.-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in and around Aleppo, where Kurdish fighters withdrew from three neighborhoods. In the first hours after the withdrawal, AP reported seeing tanks, armored vehicles and military convoys enter Deir Hafer.

Syrian government-Kurdish deal shows strain after IS prison breakouts

2026-01-18

Syrian government forces and Kurdish-led fighters clashed in northeastern Syria, hours after a ceasefire and integration agreement was announced between Damascus and the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces. The breakouts involved prisons holding Islamic State group detainees, according to the army and the SDF. In a separate development, SDF chief commander Mazloum Abdi was reported to be in Damascus to discuss the Sunday deal, and Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned the SDF against delaying compliance.

Iraqi army takes full control of Ain al-Assad base after U.S. forces withdraw

2026-01-18

The Iraqi army assumed full control of the Ain al-Assad air base in western Iraq on Saturday after U.S. forces completed their withdrawal from the installation, Iraqi officials said. The departure implements a 2024 agreement between Washington and Baghdad to wind down the U.S.-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group in Iraq, though the handover came months after an initial September 2025 deadline.

Cheetah mummies unearthed in Saudi caves yield DNA clues for species reintroduction

2026-01-15

Scientists have excavated the mummified remains of seven cheetahs — along with bones from 54 others — from caves in northern Saudi Arabia, in a find a study author described as "entirely without precedent" for the species. The remains, uncovered near the city of Arar, range in age from approximately 130 years to more than 1,800 years old.

U.S. says it helped kill or capture nearly 25 Islamic State fighters in Syria

2025-12-31

The U.S. military said nearly 25 Islamic State operatives were killed or captured in Syria this month following an ambush that killed two U.S. troops and an American civilian interpreter, U.S. Central Command said Tuesday. The command said it carried out 11 missions over the past 10 days, following initial strikes Dec. 19 on Islamic State weapons sites and infrastructure across central Syria. Adm. Brad Cooper, who leads the command, said, “We will not relent,” as the U.S. pursues operations with regional partners.

Syria mosque bombing in Homs kills 8 and wounds 18 during Friday prayers

2025-12-30

IDLIB, Syria — A bombing at the Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib Mosque in Homs during Friday prayers killed at least eight people and wounded 18 others, authorities said. Syria’s Interior Ministry said preliminary investigations indicate explosives were planted inside the mosque, while a group calling itself Saraya Ansar al-Sunna claimed responsibility.

US says it carried out missions in Syria, killing or capturing IS fighters

2025-12-30

The U.S. military said it carried out multiple missions in Syria over the past 10 days, killing or capturing nearly 25 Islamic State operatives. The operations followed an ambush on Dec. 13 near Palmyra that killed two U.S. National Guard members and a civilian interpreter, according to U.S. officials. The U.S. said the missions followed initial strikes on Dec. 19 that hit 70 targets across central Syria.