Oct. 30th, 2017
Welcome to our weekly summary of Syria Deeply’s top coverage of the crisis in Syria.
For Syria Deeply’s ongoing feature, Expert Views, we’re gathering fresh insight and commentary from our expert community. This week, we will focus on how the capture of resource-rich territory from ISIS has altered the playing field for Syria’s oil and gas. We invite you to share your insights here.
Talks resume A fresh round of talks kicked off in the Kazakh capital of Astana on Monday. Delegations from the Syrian government and some armed opposition groups, as well as representatives from Russia, Turkey and Iran, were expected to attend the talks.
Talks in Astana are expected to focus on securing the four de-escalation zones, as well as hostage releases, aid deliveries to besieged areas and the fate of those missing in Syria, according to Al Jazeera.
Last week, United Nations special envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura announced that the eighth round of Syria peace talks in Geneva are scheduled to begin on November 28.
De Mistura held talks with United States secretary of state Rex Tillerson on Thursday. Following the meeting, Tillerson told reporters: “The U.S. wants a whole and unified Syria with no role for Bashar al-Assad in the government … We do not believe that there is a future for the Assad regime and Assad family. The [family] reign is coming to an end. The only issue is how that should be brought about.”
Deir Ezzor casualties Dozens have been killed in fierce clashes between pro-government forces and the so-called Islamic State in Deir Ezzor over the weekend.
At least 50 ISIS militants and some 23 pro-government fighters have been killed in the 24 hours between Saturday and Sunday, after ISIS reportedly launched an attack in the provincial capital. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that fighting was ongoing on Monday, and had documented the deaths of at least seven civilians, but expected the death toll to rise.
Pro-regime forces, backed by Russian airstrikes, made strategic advances over the weekend, taking control of parts of al-Hamidiyah neighborhood. ISIS carried out counterattacks in the area overnight on Saturday, but pro-regime forces continued their advance, targeting the neighborhoods of Arfi and Ommal, SOHR reported on Monday.
The fierce fighting began after pro-government forces on Thursday seized the T2 oil pumping station west of the ISIS stronghold of Boukamal near the border with Iraq.
Shelling in Damascus suburbs Pro-regime shelling on the Saqba and Hamouriyah districts north of Damascus on Sunday killed at least 11 civilians, including two women, a child and a media activist.
The Eastern Ghouta suburbs of Damascus are part of a designated de-escalation zone, but violence and siege conditions have persisted in the area nonetheless.
On Friday, U.N. human rights chief Zeid Ra‘ad al-Hussein said at least 350,000 people were trapped in the area, calling on all parties to allow food and medicine deliveries. Earlier last week, UNICEF said that more than 1,100 children in the enclave are suffering from acute malnutrition.
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Inside Rukban Camp, One of Syria’s Most Desperate Settlements
The situation in the Rukban camp for internally displaced persons near the border with Jordan is rapidly deteriorating. International humanitarian groups are close to being overwhelmed, despite local NGOs and rebel groups trying to help out as well.
Eyes on Damascus: Electricity, Pharmacists, Siege and Sports
As the Syrian government and foreign powers look to wind down the war in Syria, we are closely monitoring developments on the ground in the capital for our monthly report from Damascus.
OPPOSITION GROUPS & REBEL FORCES
Hostility Toward Militants Grows in Idlib as Turkey Deploys Troops
Residents of Syria’s Idlib province have welcomed Turkey’s latest cross-border campaign and many say they would side against HTS militants if a confrontation were to occur.
EDITOR’S PICKS
Community Insight
Analysis: What the Reconstruction of Raqqa Could Mean for Syria’s War
Aron Lund, Freelance Journalist and Analyst Specializing in Syria
After the dangerous process of demining Raqqa is completed, the question of who will govern and rebuild the city will become even more crucial and could impact the endgame of the war, writes Syria expert Aron Lund in IRIN News.
Washington’s Partner Problem in Syrian Battle Against ISIS
Barak Barfi, Research fellow, New America Foundation
Radicalization, attrition and defections mean only questionable partners remain for the U.S. government in the campaign against ISIS in Syria, warns New America Foundation fellow Barak Barfi.
FIRST LOOK
Upcoming coverage
We are always looking for new writers, experts and journalists who are covering the crisis in Syria and are interested in writing about a variety of topics. Please send us your ideas, story pitches and any other thoughts about our coverage via email, Twitter or Facebook.
Syria Watch
Syria Justice and Accountability Centre: The Whack-a-Mole Strategy Against ISIS Carries a Civilian Toll
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Syrian Accountability Project: Report on the Yazidi Genocide – Mapping Atrocity in Iraq and Syria
Syria Deeply: Our updates on the battles for Deir Ezzor and Raqqa, the cease-fire south of Damascus, and Turkey’s military expansion in northern Syria
Oct. 16th, 2017
Welcome to our weekly summary of Syria Deeply’s top coverage of crisis in Syria.
Fight Against ISIS: The battles against ISIS in Deir Ezzor and Raqqa advanced over the weekend as pro-government forces claim to have recaptured al-Mayadeen, and U.S.-backed forces announced their final push against militants in Raqqa city.
Citing Russia’s defense ministry, the Associated Press said on Saturday that Syrian troops fully freed al-Mayadeen, in Deir Ezzor province, from ISIS militants. An unidentified Syrian military source confirmed the advance to Reuters, saying that ISIS suffered a “collapse” in their ranks. The ISIS command structure is believed to be based in the city, which is on the Euphrates River near the border with Iraq.
The advance came after ISIS launched a triple car-bomb attack in eastern Syria on Thursday, killing at least 50 people, including internally displaced civilians and Kurdish security personnel, Reuters said.
On Sunday, U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) launched the “final phase” of their battle against ISIS in Raqqa after hundreds of militants surrendered, the SDF said in a statement, adding that the latest push was aimed to drive the few hundred remaining ISIS fighters from their positions inside the city. The announcement came after more than 3,000 civilians and some 275 Syrian ISIS fighters and their families, were evacuated from the city Saturday night under a deal negotiated between local officials from the Raqqa Civil Council and ISIS fighters.
Cease-fire in South Damascus: A cease-fire went into effect at noon on Thursday in a rebel enclave south of Damascus, after three opposition groups agreed to a deal brokered by Russia and Egypt in Cairo.
The exact area covered by the deal remains unclear, but Islamist rebel groups control a pocket of three villages – Yalda, Babila and Beit Sahem – adjacent to ISIS-held territory south of the capital. The three villages have been under total or partial siege since 2013. An estimated 42,500 civilians are still living there.
The Syrian government did not sign the deal. According to Mohammed Alloush, the political leader of Jaish al-Islam, his group is party to the agreement, along with Jaish al-Ababil and Aknaf Bait al-Maqdis, linked to the Palestinian Hamas group.
Turkey Expands In Northern Syria: On Saturday, a new batch of Turkish troops and armored vehicles arrived on the Turkish side of the Syria border ahead of the second phase of deployment in northern Syria, according to Reuters.
Ibrahim al-Idlibi, a military adviser in the Free Syrian Army, told Reuters that “nearly 200 troops are now stationed in areas that separate territory under control of Kurdish groups and opposition groups.” Citing unidentified witnesses, Reuters added that Turkish bulldozers were working “around the clock,” setting up observation posts and digging fortifications.
The Speaker of Syria’s People’s Assembly Hammouda Sabbagh said on Sunday: “The people’s assembly condemns the Turkish flagrant aggression on the Syrian territory in Idlib province, which constitutes a blatant aggression against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country and a flagrant violation of international law and norms.”
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GOVERNMENT & PRO-GOVERNMENT FORCES
Syria Studying Proposal to Amend Nationality Law
The Damascus-based Syrian Law Journal discusses a proposal under review to amend the Syrian Nationality Law and grant Syrian women the right to pass their nationality on to their foreign husbands.
How Syrian Civil Defense Is Alerting Civilians of Potential Airstrikes
The Syrian Civil Defense has developed a warning system to help civilians evade airstrikes. Powered by a network of spotters, the online platform sends minute-by-minute alerts of potential target zones after a warplane is seen taking off.
EDITOR’S PICKS
Community Insight
Turkey’s Operation in Idlib May Not Bring All-Out War With al-Qaida
Hashem Osseiran, The deputy managing editor of Syria Deeply.
Turkey’s discussions with al-Qaida-linked militants ahead of its deployment in Syria’s Idlib province indicate that a wide-scale offensive against the militant group may not be Ankara’s primary objective, according to Charles Lister of the Middle East Institute.
Despite Impressions, Syrian Violence Still Raging in Some Areas: ICRC
Hashem Osseiran, The deputy managing editor of Syria Deeply.
Syria Deeply spoke with Pawel Krzysiek of the International Committee of the Red Cross about the recent escalation in violence in the country – the worst since the battle for Aleppo in 2016.
Deeply Talks: Syria’s Border with Jordan
Hashem Osseiran, Alessandria Masi, Kim Bode
As Syrian and Jordanian officials ponder reopening the Nassib border crossing, Syria Deeply talks with Sam Heller of the Century Foundation about the sticking points and possible negotiations.
FIRST LOOK
Upcoming coverage
We are always looking for new writers, experts and journalists covering the crisis in Syria and are interested in writing about a variety of topics. Please send us your ideas, story pitches and any other thoughts about our coverage via email, Twitter or Facebook.