Damascus

ISIS remains a threat to Syria, increasingly relying on small-scale attacks, covert operations, and decentralized cells to target security forces, public facilities, and local communities.

Syria’s new government is weighing containment, military incorporation, and security pressure as it seeks to dismantle independent armed networks.

Referring to the fall of the Assad regime, the interior minister said he hoped he would see Jerusalem “liberated” in the same way Damascus was, and that one day “those lands will be ours once again."

Syria had already held types of limited elections in other areas of Syria last year. However, areas outside government control did not hold a vote.

Syria’s health ministry said emergency and ambulance teams had responded to the explosion, which killed one soldier and wounded around 12 people.

After the invasion, around 150,000 Kurds were forced to flee. The Syrian rebel groups included extremists and they were involved in abuses, including the kidnapping of Kurdish civilians.

Arrests, media attacks, and changes in official terminology have deepened anxiety among Palestinian refugees over their legal status and place in Syrian society.

The UAE is looking to increase its role in Syria via investment while taking a cautious approach. Key talks discussed expanding economic and investment cooperation during a two-day forum in Damascus.

The reshuffle, announced by Syrian state media, included the appointment of new governors for several key provinces.

The attack, which took place on May 1, 2026, revived memories of the group’s past hit-and-run operations targeting carefully selected religious and military figures.