Syria Boycotts ICJ Hearing on Accusations of ‘Institutionalized’ Torture
Canada and the Netherlands are accusing Syria at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) of “institutionalized” torture against its people and requesting the court order Syria to cease such torture immediately (AP)
Israel Launches Retaliatory Strikes on Targets in Syria
The artillery fire came in response to shelling from within Syria that hit open areas in Israeli territory (Reuters)
Drone Strike on Syrian Military Academy Kills At Least Eighty-Nine
The military blamed unspecified “terrorist groups” for the attack, which occurred during a graduation ceremony at a military academy in Homs (BBC)
Turkey Says Kurdish Attackers Came from Syria
Turkey said all “infrastructure, superstructure, and energy facilities” operated by Kurdish militants in Iraq and Syria are legitimate targets following a bombing in Ankara by Kurdish attackers (Reuters)
Syria: Israel Strikes Military Posts in Eastern Deir el-Zour Province
Syrian state media said two soldiers were wounded in the strikes; the province borders Israel and is strategic due to its oil fields (AP)
U.S.-Backed Kurdish Forces Declare Curfew After Clashes in Eastern Syria
The Syrian Democratic Forces declared curfews in several towns near the Iraqi border after clashes with Arab militia fighters, local media said; the Kurdish-led forces said the Syrian government incited the violence by allowing the militia fighters to enter the area (AP)
Israeli Military Struck Two Buildings Inside a Demilitarized Zone in Syria
The Israeli military claimed Syrians’ use of the buildings violated a 1974 cease-fire between the countries (AP)
Syria’s Assad Visits China
President Bashar al-Assad is seeking aid for Syria’s economic reconstruction on his first official visit to China since the Syrian civil war broke out in 2011; China has backed Assad in the civil war (SCMP)
Thousands Protest in Southern Syrian City
Yesterday’s protests were the largest in nearly a month of anti-regime protests in the Druze stronghold of Sweida following the end of fuel subsidies from Damascus (AFP)
Iraq Ramps Up Repatriation of Citizens From Al-Hol Refugee Camp
More than five thousand Iraqis have been repatriated from northeastern Syria since January and more are due in the coming weeks, an Iraqi official told the Associated Press; he urged other countries to do the same, warning that the camp was a security threat (AP)
Fighting Escalates Between U.S.-Backed Arab and Kurdish Militias in Syria
Kurdish domination of largely Arab eastern Syria underlies the tensions; the clashes threaten to reduce U.S. influence in the area and give the self-proclaimed Islamic State an opportunity to regroup (AP;Al Jazeera)
Army Clashes with Turkish-backed Rebels in Northeast Syria
At least twenty people died in the fighting, which occurred after the army tried to infiltrate a border area controlled by Turkey (AFP)
Anti-government Protests in Southwestern Syria Stretch Into Second Week
The demonstrations centered in the government-controlled province of Sweida denounced economic strains and have more recently called for President Bashar al-Assad to leave office; Sweida is home to many of Syria’s Druze, who largely remained neutral during the Syrian civil war (AP)
Israeli Airstrikes Halt Service at Aleppo Airport
Israel did not immediately comment on the matter, which was reported by Syrian state media (AFP)
UN: Continued Risk of Islamic State Resurgence
UN experts monitoring sanctions against the self-declared Islamic State said in a new report that the group still commands between five and seven thousand fighters across Iraq and Syria, and that the risk of a resurgence remains (AP)
Syria, UN Reach Deal on Aid Delivery
The six-month agreement will allow UN aid to enter opposition-held areas from Turkey; more than four million people live in the opposition-held territories in northern and northwestern Syria (AFP)
Suspected Islamic State Attack Kills Ten Pro-Government Fighters in Syria
Militants from the self-proclaimed Islamic State reportedly attacked a government checkpoint in Raqqa province, a former stronghold of the group (AFP)
Syrian State Media: Israeli Strike Kills Four in Damascus
State media cited military sources as saying they shot down some missiles but lost four soldiers and sustained material damage in an overnight attack; Israel frequently targets suspected Iran-linked military sites in Syria (BBC)
Islamic State Group: Leader Died in Syria Clashes
A spokesperson for the extremist group announced its fifth leader yesterday after saying on the messaging app Telegram that Abu al-Hussein al-Husseini al-Qurashi was killed in direct clashes with a jihadist group in northwestern Syria, though they did not say when he died (AFP)
Syrian Foreign Minister Visits Tehran
Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad met with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian to boost ties and discuss Israeli, Turkish, and U.S. involvement in Syria (Al Arabiya)
Humanitarian Corridor Closure Puts Four Million Syrians at Risk
After the UN Security Council failed to renew a humanitarian aid corridor earlier this month, the head of the International Rescue Committee said the Security Council should “do its job” and reauthorize the border channel, citing the number of residents of northern Syria at risk (AP)
Russian Fighter Jet Damages U.S. Drone in Syria
The incident is the sixth this month and the second in the last twenty-four hours, as Russia increasingly engages in dangerous maneuvers near U.S. aircraft in Syria (AP)
Jordan and Syria Open New Bilateral Forum on Drugs
The two countries held talks in Amman on reducing drug smuggling from Syria through Jordan and onward into Gulf states, Jordan’s foreign ministry said (AFP)
UN Condemns Mass Detention of Children in Northeast Syria
A UN expert said the detention of thousands of women and children violates international law and called on governments to repatriate their citizens who face inhumane conditions in the camps (VOA)
Israel Launches Airstrike on Damascus
Syria said its air defenses shot down most of the missiles, but Israel inflicted material damage and wounded two Syrian soldiers; the strike was Israel’s twentieth on Syria this year (Al Jazeera)