Damascus

Syria opens first public trial of former Assad regime official Atef Najib

Syria has opened its first public trial for a former Assad regime official, Atef Najib, marking a shift toward accountability. The trial focuses on crimes committed in Dara’a and Damascus.

Atef Najib, a brigadier general and former head of the Political Security Department in Daraa during Syria's ousted President Bashar al-Assad's rule, who is accused of committing war crimes, attends a trial session at the Palace of Justice, in Damascus, Syria, April 26, 2026.
Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan meets with Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa on the sidelines of Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Antalya, Turkey, April 17, 2026.

Syrian President al-Sharaa positions country for regional role in Gulf, EU meetings

A worker tears down the pictures of Syria's Bashar al-Assad, former Syrian President Hafez al-Assad, Lebanon's late Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at a gas station in Nubl, in rural Aleppo, Syria, December 11, 2024.

Syria accuses Hezbollah-linked cells of plotting attacks, signaling break from Assad-era alliance

Amjad Yusuf, main suspect accused of the 2013 Tadamon massacre, April 24, 2026

Main suspect in Syria's Tadamon massacre arrested, ministry says


Syria carrying out arrests of Palestinians linked to Assad regime, rights orgs. claim

The Action Group for Palestinians of Syria complained that at least 14 men were arrested from the Khan Al-Shih camp, Jaramana camp, the Rukn al-Din neighborhood, and the town of al-Hameh.

 Two girls walk next to the rubble of a destroyed house in the Yarmouk camp on September 14, 2025 in Damascus, Syria.

Syrian President al-Sharaa says he loves basketball but was distracted by war

It was a revival of international basketball competitions that had declined in recent years, both in their organization and their reach across Syrian provinces

 From the opening of the Al-Fayhaa Basketball Hall in Damascus.

After Syria trip, Dartmouth prof. hopes for academic relationship with Damascus University

Syria, especially Damascus and Aleppo, was home to Jewish communities for centuries, communities woven into the country’s social and cultural fabric.

The view of Damascus from Damascus University.

Damascus claims to arrest more Hezbollah-linked cell members behind plot to kill rabbi

Rabbi Michael Khoury was the reported target of an attack, state media said that the cell intended to target “a religious figure in the vicinity of the Maronite Church in Bab Touma on April 11."

Security forces guard a damaged bridge as people cross over the Euphrates River as Syrian army forces deploy in parts of the eastern province formerly controlled by Kurdish forces following their withdrawal from the area on January 22, 2026 in Deir ez-Zor, Syria.

Syrian authorities discover Hezbollah arms smuggling tunnel, warehouses near Lebanon border

Syrian authorities discover a Hezbollah tunnel linking Syria and Lebanon used for smuggling weapons, along with a large shipment of IED components destined for Lebanon.

 Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa in front of the Syrian and Hezbollah flags (illustrative).

Kurds allegedly forced to register as Syrian Arabs to receive citizenship, NGO claims 

NSVH reported that the failure to provide an option to register as Kurdish, which was flagged during field monitoring, has raised serious concerns about Damascus’s compliance with the legislation.

Kurdish women dance hand in hand as the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI) members celebrate Nowruz at the Jezhnikan Village around Baharka, Iraq, on March 18, 2025.

Zelensky’s Syria visit symbolizes new future for Middle East diplomacy - analysis

Ukrainian President Zelensky’s visit to Syria marks a symbolic step toward a peaceful future, fostering cooperation between Syria, Turkey, and Ukraine despite regional conflicts.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (L) with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa (R) in Damascus, April 5, 2026.

Syria condemns UAE embassy attack, Gulf nations voice outrage over protests

Protests targeting the UAE Embassy in Damascus spark regional condemnation, with Gulf nations criticizing the attack as a violation of international law, while Syria seeks to restore UAE ties.

Men walk past the UAE Embassy in Damascus on December 12, 2024; illustrative.

Cross-border tunnels spotlight Syria-Lebanon smuggling, security tensions

Official Syrian sources told The Media Line that army units, during sweeping security operations in border areas, uncovered two tunnels stretching between Syrian and Lebanese territory.

DEFENSE MINISTER Marhaf Abu Qasra inspects an armored brigade in the Syrian Army, March 31.

Turkey’s rearrest of fugitive revives mystery of Syrian defector’s disappearance

The capture of a convicted kidnapper is renewing scrutiny of how two Syrian defectors were abducted in Turkey and handed to Assad’s security apparatus.

Önder Sığırcıkoğlu, in the custody of Turkey's National Intelligence Organization.