Syria

Albanese says won't help Australians in Syrian camp holding families of suspected IS terrorists

"We have a very firm view that we won't be providing assistance or repatriation," Albanese told ABC News.

|ByREUTERS
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaks on the Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism (Firearms and Customs Laws) Bill 2026 during a federal parliament sitting following the Bondi terror attack at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, January 20, 2026.
Syria's Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani speaks during a press conference in Damascus, May 20, 2025; illustrative.

Why Syria's FM is changing his messaging to Israel - and why it matters - analysis

Syria’s foreign minister is hinting that Damascus and Jerusalem may be able to come to more arrangements in the future, in the wake of talks held in Paris in January.

|BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
A woman and child walk in the the al-Hol camp in Syria's northeastern Al-Hasakah Governorate on July 28, 2024, as Syrian families of suspected Islamic State fighters prepare to return to their homes in the countryside of Deir Ezzor.

Thirty-four Australians released from a camp holding families of suspected ISIS terrorists in Syria

Hukmiya Mohamed, a co-director of Roj camp, told Reuters that the 34 Australians had been released to their families, who had come to Syria for the release.

|ByREUTERS
Israeli soldiers stand on rubble in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, December 8, 2025.

IDF kills six terrorists in Rafah terror tunnel

In a statement, the IDF said the operative’s activity violated the ceasefire framework and posed a threat to Israel’s northern communities.

|ByJAMES GENN, SHIR PERETS

New security accord between Syria, SDF points to structural realignment, implementation uncertain

The new agreement, described as a “qualitative shift,” differs in both form and substance from previous understandings reached in recent years.

FEBRUARY 1, 2026ByRIZIK ALABI/THE MEDIA LINE
SDF leader Mazloum Abdi (L) and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa (R) signing a deal to end the war between their two groups, March 2025.

BLA attacks expose growing instability in Pakistan’s restive Balochistan region - analysis

The BLA attacks may prove to be yet another incident in the long conflict in Balochistan. However, it could also play into larger questions about how restive the Baloch region has become.

FEBRUARY 1, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
A police officer and a person stand amid damages at a police station, following militant attacks, in Quetta, Pakistan, February 1, 2026.

Islamic regime targeting dissidents, Israelis in new wave of advanced phishing attacks

A new phishing scheme allows alleged IRGC-affiliated hackers to snap photos from the victim’s device every 5 seconds, record audio in three-second segments, and geolocate the device every two seconds.

FEBRUARY 1, 2026ByDANIELLE GREYMAN-KENNARD
An Iranian flag is seen on a computer's CPU (illustrative)

US special envoy for Iraq Mark Savaya no longer in the post, sources say

The move comes amid growing tensions between Washington and Baghdad over Washington's push to curb Iranian influence in Iraqi politics.

FEBRUARY 1, 2026ByREUTERS
A Shiite Muslim cleric collects forms filled out by men signing up to join the "martyrdom brigades" under the umbrella of Iraq's pro-Iran paramilitary group Hezbollah Brigades, volunteering to serve in the event of war with the US and Israel on January 29, 2026.

Syrian government announce integration deal with Kurdish forces

The sides announced the deal after Syrian government forces under President Ahmed al-Sharaa captured swathes of northern and eastern Syria from the SDF this month.

JANUARY 30, 2026ByREUTERS
Members of the Syrian security forces gather at a back of a vehicle outside al-Aqtan prison, where some Islamic State detainees are held, in Raqqa, Syria January 23, 2026.

Putin, Syrian President al-Sharaa meet, discuss sending Russian military aid to Middle East

"I want to congratulate you on the fact that the process of restoring the territorial integrity of Syria is gaining momentum," Putin told al-Sharaa in the Kremlin.

JANUARY 28, 2026ByREUTERS
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa shake hands during a meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow on January 28, 2026.

Trump speaks with Syria’s Sharaa to ensure peace, cooperation in eastern Syria

As Syria seeks to continue the ceasefire and also works with the US to avoid tension, as Syria’s president is also heading to Russia.

JANUARY 28, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa attends an interview with Reuters at the presidential palace, in Damascus, Syria March 10, 2025.

ISIS numbers grow as Syrian instability continues, Iraq warns

In the rare interview, al-Shatri said Iraqi intelligence estimates suggest that ISIS’s presence in Syria has grown from roughly 2,000 fighters a year ago to as many as 10,000 terrorists today.

JANUARY 27, 2026ByASHER SMITH
A soldier in an ISIS uniform prepares ammunition.

Kurdish women turn braids into symbol of resistance after Syria atrocities - explainer

Across global demonstrations and in thousands of videos posted online, Kurdish women and their allies have begun braiding their hair in honor of a female Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces fighter.

JANUARY 27, 2026ByDANIELLE GREYMAN-KENNARD
DEMONSTRATORS HOLD a placard featuring a braided hair as a symbolic act of resistance and solidarity with Kurdish women in Syria, during a protest supporting Syrian Kurds after recent clashes between the Syrian army and Kurdish forces, in Istanbul, Turkey, January 24, 2026.

US, UK, France, Germany, call for ceasefire adherence in Syria, support political transition

The statement was released on January 27, two days after the STG and SDF announced they had extended a four-day ceasefire, which began on January 20, by 15 more days.

JANUARY 27, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Members of the Syrian security forces gather at a back of a vehicle outside al-Aqtan prison, where some Islamic State detainees are held, in Raqqa, Syria January 23, 2026.