US-Russia agreement preserves mandate for the long-running aid operation via Turkey, which was set to expire on Saturday The Bab al-Hawa crossing is currently the sole lifeline for millions of people in Syria's northwest who live in areas outside government control (Reuters) By Harun al-Aswad, Yusuf Selman Inanc The UN Security Council agreed on Friday to extend a cross-border aid … Continue reading UN approves extension of cross-border aid to Syria for 12 months
Syrians in one rural town recount how wages cannot keep up with the ever-increasing cost of living, with families barely able to afford simple produce Syrians stand in a queue to buy bread in the town of Binnish in Syria’s northwestern province of Idlib on 11 January 2020 (AFP/File photo) By Sheren Khalel, Harun al-Aswad Suha al-Atassi … Continue reading ‘Only the basics’: In Syria everyday staples have become luxury expenses
Pro-government raids kill Abu Khalid al-Shami and several civilians as clashes heat up in Idlib's south Abu Khalid al-Shami's car in southern Idlib was hit by a pro-Syrian government rocket attack (MEE/Ali Haj Suleiman) By Harun al-Aswad A rocket attack killed a senior Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) leader in northwestern Syria’s Idlib province on Thursday morning, … Continue reading Syria: HTS military spokesman killed by rocket attack in Idlib
Sources detail a plot to recruit former rebels in an attempt to kill off the elders and leaders keeping Kanakar from Damascus's grasp Syrian soldier mans a checkpoint in Quneitra province. Kanakar is a gateway to Quneitra from Damascus (Reuters) By Harun al-Aswad in Istanbul, Turkey Earlier this year, an unfamiliar car rolled into the Syrian village of … Continue reading How Syrian intelligence tried to seize a strategic village through assassinations
Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham detained reporter after he highlighted allegations of torture inside group's prisons Bilal Abdul Kareem (second from right) was freed after HTS held him for six months following his reports on the treatment of Tauqir Sharif (right), a British aid worker (Supplied) By Areeb Ullah, Harun al-Aswad Syrian militant group Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) has … Continue reading Syria: US journalist Bilal Abdul Kareem released by HTS after six months