Syria – Page 2 – War Watch

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Not all efforts to rebuild Aleppo are local | Letters
ByGuardian staff January 22, 2026

The Aga Khan Trust for Culture has restored eight key areas of the medieval souk, notes Luis Monréal Your long read article is a powerful account of the impacts of Syria’s civil war on the city of Aleppo (Out of the ruins: will Aleppo ever be rebuilt?,…

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‘Open the gates’: riots, fires and escape attempts as Syrian army takes over IS camp
ByWilliam Christou in al-Hawl, Syria January 22, 2026

Director of al-Hawl camp describes chaotic scenes as Kurdish guards fled and government fighters arrived. Will Christou reports from al-HawlThe children crowded the wire fence, waiting for the guard to turn his back, and made a break for it. They pumpe…

Read More ‘Open the gates’: riots, fires and escape attempts as Syrian army takes over IS camp
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The revolutionary women of Rojava are in grave danger. That has consequences for us all | Natasha Walter
ByNatasha Walter January 22, 2026

For a decade, the autonomous territory in Syria has been a bastion of gender equality. It holds important lessons for the fight against authoritarianismA year ago, I was in north-east Syria, in the Kurdish-dominated area known as Rojava, listening to s…

Read More The revolutionary women of Rojava are in grave danger. That has consequences for us all | Natasha Walter
Assad, Rifaat al- | Damascus (Syria) | Deaths (Obituaries) | Hafez al-Assad | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Syria | War Crimes, Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity

Rifaat al-Assad, Paramilitary Leader and ‘Butcher of Hama,’ Dies at 88
ByAdam Nossiter January 22, 2026January 22, 2026

The brother and uncle of Syrian tyrants, he commanded a unit that killed up to 40,000 civilians in a 1982 uprising against his family’s rule.

Read More Rifaat al-Assad, Paramilitary Leader and ‘Butcher of Hama,’ Dies at 88
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Benjamin Netanyahu | Donald Trump | Gaza | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Islamic State | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Kurds | Middle East and north Africa | Nuclear weapons | Palestinian territories | Petrol prices | Syria | World news

Concern over north-east Syria security amid fears IS militants could re-emerge
ByDan Sabbagh Defence and security editor January 21, 2026

US military says it has transported ‘IS fighters’ to Iraq after Kurdish-controlled prisons and camps changed handsConcerned western officials said they were closely monitoring the deteriorating security situation in north-east Syria amid fears that Isl…

Read More Concern over north-east Syria security amid fears IS militants could re-emerge
al-Shara, Ahmed (Abu Mohammad al-Jolani) (1982- ) | internal-open-access-from-nl | International Relations | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Iraq | Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Syria | Syrian Democratic Forces | Terrorism | United States Defense and Military Forces | War and Armed Conflicts

U.S. Starts Moving ISIS Detainees From Syria to Iraq
ByEuan Ward and Eric Schmitt January 21, 2026January 21, 2026

The U.S. military said it had transferred 150 Islamic State detainees from northeastern Syria to Iraq and could eventually move as many as 7,000, as the Syrian government assumes control of the region from Kurdish-led forces.

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Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Bashar al-Assad | Benjamin Netanyahu | Donald Trump | Gaza | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Middle East and north Africa | Nuclear weapons | Palestinian territories | Petrol prices | Syria | World news

‘Butcher of Hama’ Rifaat al-Assad, uncle of deposed Syrian ruler, dies aged 88
ByAgence France-Press in Damascus January 21, 2026

Known for role in brutal suppression in the 1980s, the former Defence Brigades head has died after a brief illnessAssad family live in Russian luxury as Bashar ‘brushes up on ophthalmology’Rifaat al-Assad, who was the uncle of the deposed Syrian ruler …

Read More ‘Butcher of Hama’ Rifaat al-Assad, uncle of deposed Syrian ruler, dies aged 88
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Syrian army takes control of detention camp for Islamic State suspects
ByAgence France-Presse January 21, 2026January 21, 2026

Move follows withdrawal of Kurdish forces from al-Hawl, where 24,000 people are being held over alleged IS linksSyrian government forces have taken control of al-Hawl detention camp, which houses tens of thousands of suspected Islamic State members, af…

Read More Syrian army takes control of detention camp for Islamic State suspects
Al Hol Detention Camp (Syria) | internal-open-access-from-nl | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Kurds | Politics and Government | Prisons and Prisoners | Syria | Syrian Democratic Forces | War and Armed Conflicts

U.S. Shifts Away From Kurdish-Led Forces in Fight Against ISIS
ByEuan Ward and Alissa J. Rubin January 20, 2026January 20, 2026

The U.S. envoy to Syria said Washington was confident the Syrian government could take over the country’s fight against the Islamic State terrorist group.

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Kurdish forces withdraw from IS detention camp in north-east Syria
ByWilliam Christou January 20, 2026January 20, 2026

US says it no longer supports SDF, which left camp as it loses swathes of territory to government forcesKurdish-led forces in Syria have announced a withdrawal from a detention camp in north-east Syria housing tens of thousands of Islamic State-linked …

Read More Kurdish forces withdraw from IS detention camp in north-east Syria