Bombings across northern Syria this month—by the Syrian regime and Russia against the HTS-controlled northwest, and by Turkey in the SDF-controlled northeast—have something in common: killing civilians and damaging infrastructure.
Following the killing of five Kurds in Jenderes by Turkish-backed forces in March, HTS intervened in SNA territory for the second time in six months, underscoring al-Jolani’s ambitions of territorial expansion and highlighting his use of ethnic and religious minorities to make a case for himself.
In 2022, Syria’s humanitarian, political and economic crisis reached new depths. How did the year unfold, and what can be expected in 2023?
In the last opposition-controlled parts of Syria, journalists and media activists face restrictions, red lines and retaliation.
Some HTS forces that entered northern Aleppo province during recent infighting between Turkish-backed opposition factions withdrew to Idlib this week, but concerns about the hardline faction’s sustained influence remain.
This week, the Syrian National Army’s Hamza Division was implicated in the assassination of a prominent opposition activist and his pregnant wife, sparking ongoing clashes, protests and calls for the faction to be eliminated.
Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham is moving to open a crossing in eastern Idlib province with regime-held territory that would financially benefit both itself and Damascus.
For residents of northwestern Syria, juggling multiple identification documents for different authorities administering the country’s last opposition-held territories is a headache, and a fact of life.
In Idlib, a province often mentioned in the same breath as humanitarian crises and bombings, an urban and commercial revival is underway in some cities and towns as local businesspeople invest in large trade and residential complexes.
Amid a historic drought, dozens of new wells are being drilled across northwest Syria to meet a rising demand for water. But the overpumped water table is dropping, while farmers struggle with skyrocketing costs and decreasing water quality.
