Syrian Kurds Urge Return of Foreign ISIS Fighters for Prosecution
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces hopes to hand over hundreds of alleged foreign fighters for the Islamic State to their countries of origin to be put on trial, a senior SDF official said yesterday (Middle East Eye)
Plans Announced for Demilitarized Zone in Syria’s Idlib Province
Russia and Turkey announced a plan to establish a demilitarized zone in Syria’s Idlib province yesterday. The zone will be set up by October 15 (NPR)
Separately, Russia blamed Israel for causing a Russian military plane with fifteen servicemen on board to be shot down by Syrian air defense systems near Latakia (Haaretz)
Syria Holds Local Elections
Syria held local elections yesterday for the first time since 2011. Elections were held in government-controlled areas of Syria (Deutsche Welle)
Operations Begin to Expel Militants in Northeast Syria
The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), supported by the U.S.-led international coalition, began operations to eradicate Islamic State militants from the town of Hajin. At least twenty-three Islamic State fighters were killed in the first twenty-four hours of fighting (Associated Press)
Regional Powers Discuss Syria’s Future in Tehran
The presidents of Iran, Russia, and Turkey met on Friday to discuss military cooperation in Syria, refugee returns, and creating a committee to investigate the fates of people who disappeared during the conflict, according to Iran’s Foreign Ministry (Al Jazeera)
Syrian, Russian Strikes Reported in Idlib
At least ten civilians, including five children, were killed in air strikes in Idlib Governorate yesterday, according to a Syria-based first responder group. Shortly before the strikes, the Kremlin called the province a “pocket of terrorism” and said that Syrian forces are “preparing to resolve this problem” (Al Jazeera)
Separately, Israel has carried out two hundred attacks in Syria over the past eighteen months, the intelligence minister said at a conference yesterday. The figure was later confirmed by the military (Reuters)
Trump Warns Syria Against Idlib Offensive
U.S. President Donald J. Trump warned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his allies yesterday against an attack on the northwest province of Idlib. Syrian government forces appear to be preparing an offensive in the region in the hopes of defeating the last of the country’s rebels more than seven years after an uprising against Assad’s regime began (New York Times)
UN Warns of Humanitarian Crisis in Syria
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned of a potential “humanitarian catastrophe” in northwest Syria as government forces and their allies appeared to be readying a major military offensive to retake Idlib, the final rebel stronghold (Voice of America)
The UN special envoy to the Syrian conflict, Staffan de Mistura, called for humanitarian corridors to evacuate civilians before an attack on the estimated ten thousand militants in Idlib (Guardian)
Russia Deploys Warships to Mediterranean Sea Ahead of Anticipated Battle in Syria
Russia has deployed a dozen warships to the Mediterranean, the country’s largest naval build-up since intervening in Syria in 2015, according to Russian media. The Syrian regime is believed to be readying an assault on the last major rebel enclave in northern Idlib (Al Jazeera)
Syria Signs Mutual Defense Agreement with Iran
Syria and Iran reached a military cooperation deal yesterday, according to Iranian media (Wall Street Journal)
Separately, the Russian Ministry of Defense warned of a possible U.S. strike on Syrian government forces (Reuters)
ISIS Releases Purported Message From Leader
In what is believed to be his first publicized message to followers in a year, Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi referenced current events, including a U.S.-Turkish dispute over a jailed American pastor, and criticized rebels who have surrendered to President Bashar al-Assad in southern Syria (Al Jazeera)
Russia to Patrol Golan Heights Between Syria and Israel
Russia announced that it will send forces to help UN peacekeepers restore full patrols along the border between the Israel-occupied Golan Heights and Syria (Associated Press)
At Least Twenty Thousand Islamic State Fighters Remain in Syria and Iraq, Says UN
A United Nations report released yesterday found that between twenty and thirty thousand Islamic State militants remain in Syria and Iraq (Agence France-Presse)
Explosion in Syria’s Idlib Kills Dozens
At least thirty-six people, including a dozen children, were reportedly killed in a residential building in rebel-held Idlib Governorate. The building was believed to house ammunition and weapons as well as civilians, according to a UK-based monitoring group (Al Jazeera)
U.S. Transfers Islamic State From Syria to Home Countries
The U.S. military has transferred dozens of Islamic State foreign fighters from Syria to their countries of origin. Hundreds of foreign fighters are still detained in Syria (CNN)
Separately, Israel’s defense minister said Syria was building its army beyond its pre-civil war size following losses in manpower due to major defections during the first years of the conflict (Reuters)
Syria Blames Israel for Assassination of Scientist in Homs Province
Syria blamed Israel for the car bombing that killed a Syrian scientist believed to have been involved in the development of ballistic missiles and chemical weapons on Saturday night in Homs province. The rebel group Abu Amara Brigades claimed responsibility for the attack (Jerusalem Post)
Separately, between July 31 and August 5, coalition forces conducted fourteen air strikes against the Islamic State across Syria (U.S. Central Command)
Israel Hits Militants in Syria’s Golan Heights as Peacekeepers Resume Patrols
The Israeli military said it killed seven Islamic State militants attempting to infiltrate the country from Syria in the Golan Heights yesterday (Agence France-Presse)
Separately, a Russian spokesman said that UN peacekeepers, now accompanied by Russian troops, resumed patrols in the area separating the Syrian and Israeli-controlled Golan Heights (Associated Press)
Iranian Forces in Syria Withdraw from the Golan Heights
Russia’s special envoy to Syria reportedly said that Iranian forces have withdrawn heavy weapons in Syria to eighty-five kilometers away from the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights (Reuters)
Separately, a militant group released separate videos of an Italian man and a Japanese journalist appealing for release from captivity in Syria (Agence France-Presse)
Syrian Forces Regain Full Control Over Daraa Province
Government forces have reclaimed territory in the province of Daraa that was controlled by an Islamic State affiliate, meaning the regime now has full control of the southern areas where protests against President Bashar al-Assad began in 2011 (Guardian)
Government Forces Close In on Southwestern Syria
Government forces are on the brink of capturing the last villages of southwestern Syria held by a local Islamic State affiliate (Reuters)
Separately, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that Islamic State fighters kidnapped twenty women and sixteen children during attacks on the southeastern province of Sweida last week (CBS/Agence France-Presse)
Syrian White Helmets Appeal to UN
Senior members of the Syria Civil Defense called on the United Nations to evacuate White Helmet rescue volunteers trapped in the southwest of the country as pro-government forces advance. The Israeli military, in coordination with the United States and European partners, earlier evacuated hundreds of White Helmets to Jordan, from where they are expected to resettle in Europe and Canada (Guardian)
Hundreds Killed in Southern Syria Attacks
Islamic State militants killed at least 204 people and wounded another 180 people in coordinated attacks in southern Syria yesterday, according to a Sweida Province official (New York Times)
Israel Shoots Down Syrian Warplane
Israeli officials said today that air defenses shot down a Syrian warplane after it flew two kilometers into Israeli-controlled airspace over the Golan Heights; the plane crashed into Syrian-controlled territory (Reuters)
Thousands in Syria’s Idlib Moved in Population Swap
An estimated six thousand people were evacuated from rebel-held territory in the northern province of Idlib, the last major opposition stronghold in Syria, to government-controlled areas in neighboring Aleppo (Al Jazeera)
The government released 1,500 civilians and rebels from state prisons as part of the exchange
Israel Strikes Military Position Near Aleppo, Reports Syrian Media
Israeli rockets attacked a Syrian military position near the city of Aleppo, causing “material damage,” according to Syrian state media (Reuters)
Separately, the Kurdish-backed Syrian Democratic Forces said it would launch a unified administration for areas under its control, consolidating its authority in northern and eastern Syria (Reuters)