Ambush in Eastern Syria Reportedly Targets Pro-Government Militia
A group from the self-declared Islamic State attacked pro-government fighters in eastern Syria overnight, killing at least twenty-one, pro-government media and an opposition war monitor said; neither Syrian officials nor the Islamic State immediately commented on the attack (AP)
Meanwhile, a new study found that the severe drought in Iran, Iraq, and Syria over the last three years, the second worst on record, would have been “virtually impossible” in the absence of global warming (NYT)
Pentagon: 38 Attacks Target US Forces in Syria and Iraq
That figure includes six attempted missile and drone attacks by Iran-backed groups in the last two days, according to the Pentagon; the strikes have resulted in injuries to forty-six American military personnel (VOA)
Twenty-Four Attacks on U.S. Forces in Iraq and Syria in Recent Days
A Pentagon spokesperson blamed Iranian-backed militia groups for the attacks and said the United States will “hold Iran responsible for these groups” (VOA)
U.S. Carries Out Strikes on Iran-Linked Targets in Syria
The strikes launched today were a response to mostly unsuccessful attacks against U.S. personnel in Iraq and Syria by Iranian-backed groups since October 17, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said; the operations targeted weapons and ammunition storage areas and were distinct from Israel’s war against Hamas, Austin added (AP)
Syria: Eight Soldiers Killed in Israeli Aerial Attack
In addition to striking military positions, Syria said Israel bombed the Aleppo airport for the fourth time in two weeks (Times of Israel;WSJ)
Drone Attacks on U.S. Bases in Syria and Iraq Injured Two Dozen Soldiers Last Week
U.S. Central Command said the strikes did not damage military equipment and accused Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of supporting the attacks (NBC)
U.S. forces have reportedly been targeted thirteen times in the past week (VOA)
Israeli Airstrikes Kill Two Workers at Syria’s Damascus Airport
Israel also struck Aleppo airport, putting both airports out of service again (Reuters;Reuters)
Activists Say Drones Targeted U.S. Bases in Syria
They said the attack targeted an oil facility in eastern Syria that hosts U.S. troops and a nearby U.S. base; the United States did not immediately comment on the reports (AP)
Syria Says Israeli Missiles Struck Aleppo and Damascus Airports
Simultaneous strikes damaged the airports’ runways, putting them out of service; Israel has not commented on the strikes, but experts say the decision was likely intended to disrupt Iran’s supply lines to Syria (Reuters)
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian is set to visit Syria tomorrow (Reuters)
SDF Leader: Turkey Damaged Vast Amounts of Power, Oil Infrastructure in Northeast Syria
Mazloum Abdi, who heads the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), said that Turkey’s bombing in Kurdish-held northeast Syria has damaged more than half of the power and oil infrastructure there; he criticized Washington for not doing more to stop the onslaught (AFP)
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)