Clashes Erupt Around Syrian Prisons Holding Islamic State Fighters
New tensions flared a day after a Kurdish-led militia agreed to hand over control of prisons holding some 8,000 Islamic State fighters to the Syrian government.
New tensions flared a day after a Kurdish-led militia agreed to hand over control of prisons holding some 8,000 Islamic State fighters to the Syrian government.
The new deal also calls for a cease-fire. Government forces have taken strategic assets from the militia in recent days, weakening the force.
Government troops drew closer to Raqqa, the largest city overseen by the Kurds, raising U.S. concerns about the renewal of a wider conflict in the region.
President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s announcement on Friday came after days of fighting between the government and Kurdish forces. On Saturday, those forces began withdrawing from a flashpoint east of Aleppo.
Israel is unlikely to do much to try to precipitate a regime change in Iran, seeing the government as far from the brink of collapse and the current protests as insufficient to push it to that point.
The nearly 14-year civil war prevented Syrians from traveling freely to many parts of their own country. After the conflict ended a year ago, a group of outdoor enthusiasts began exploring newly accessible areas, fueled by a sense of adventure and hope.
The takeover ended one of the worst outbreaks of violence between the central government and the Kurdish-led forces since the end of the civil war just over a year ago.
Aidarous al-Zubaidi is wanted on treason charges in Yemen after he led a lightning military offensive that escalated a bitter feud between the Emirates and Saudi Arabia.
The military said it had completed the first phase of a plan to demilitarize armed groups as fears grew that Israel was preparing a new offensive against Hezbollah.
The talks, in Paris, are the latest bid to reduce tensions between two longtime enemies. A deal would help both curry favor with the Trump administration.