The city of Hasakah in northeast Syria still bears the scars of the fierce fighting that erupted in January 2022, following a large-scale ISIS assault on the al-Sina’a detention facility. In response to intelligence suggesting that ISIS was attempting to reestablish its presence in the area, the Syrian Democratic Forces| Syrian Democratic Times
Terrorist attacks continue to destabilize Syria’s northeast as ISIS maintains its campaign against the security forces of the Autonomous Administration, despite ongoing joint operations by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the US-led Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS. In recent months, several major ISIS attacks have resulted in casualties among| Syrian Democratic Times
Gunmen affiliated with the Syrian Transitional Government (STG) based in Damascus, clash with local Druze forces in Suwayda July witnessed some of Syria’s most intense violence since the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024, as armed Bedouin militants and Druze factions clashed across the countryside of the Druze-majority| Syrian Democratic Times
As summer temperatures soared, wildfires swept through rural areas of Latakia on Syria’s coast. In response, the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria dispatched 150 trained firefighting personnel, supported by 18 fire trucks, two ambulances, two fuel tankers, and two bulldozers, to assist local authorities in containing and extinguishing the blazes.| Syrian Democratic Times
Syrian Christians Find Safety in the Pluralist Model in Northeast Syria| www.syriandemocratictimes.com
A Kurdish delegation from northeastern Syria, left, meets representatives of the Syrian transitional government in Damascus on June 1, 2025 – AFP Syria is undergoing significant economic changes for the first time in years.Following the fall of the Assad regime at the end of 2024, and after negotiations between Syria’s| Syrian Democratic Times
The fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime and the rise of President Ahmad al-Shar’a has opened a new chapter for Syria — marked by opportunity, but also fragility. While political change has taken place in form, enduring stability — particularly in the realm of security — remains elusive. The facts on| Syrian Democratic Times
Rows of shattered pews and bloodstains beneath images of Christian icons were laid bare to the world following a deadly terrorist attack on the Mar Elias Greek Orthodox Church in Damascus on June 20, 2025. A gunman opened fire on worshippers during the church’s Sunday evening service before detonating an| Syrian Democratic Times
A Turkish flag painted over a historic home in Rajo, Afrin, Syria. The house was reportedly looted by the Hamza Division, sanctioned by the US Treasury, in 2018. One of the most pressing challenges still facing the Syrian people is the plight of the millions who remain internally displaced following| Syrian Democratic Times
As Syria grapples with ongoing instability, ISIS militants have escalated their operations, exploiting the country’s fragile security landscape and deepening tensions. Last week, the group claimed their first attacks directly on Syrian Transitional Government forces in the southern majority Druze province of Suweida. This marks a significant escalation, as ISIS| Syrian Democratic Times
EUPHRATES RIVER, Syria — Following months of escalating Turkish aggression that threatened the stability of the Tishreen dam, one of northeast Syria’s most vital infrastructure projects, the Global Coalition has brokered a ceasefire between Turkey, Turkish-backed militias, and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The agreement comes after sustained drone strikes| Syrian Democratic Times
DAMASCUS — The political landscape of Syria remains in flux following a rapid offensive late last year that saw Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) seize control of Damascus. Since then, the fate of Syria’s autonomous northeast has hung in the balance. Despite their geographic isolation, the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)—a| Syrian Democratic Times
ALEPPO, Syria – After months of rising tensions, a significant agreement has been reached concerning the status of the Kurdish-majority neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh in Aleppo, Syria’s second biggest city. The deal, finalized earlier this month, marks a key turning point in efforts to stabilize the fractured northern city| Syrian Democratic Times
HASAKAH, Syria — Yazidis across northeast Syria gathered this week to celebrate Red Wednesday, the Yazidi New Year, after the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria officially recognized the occasion as a public holiday. The move is part of a broader effort to preserve and promote the region’s multi-ethnic| Syrian Democratic Times
WASHINGTON — In a swift policy reversal, the White House has moved to reinstate several emergency food aid programs, including critical support for conflict-stricken regions of Syria. The decision was communicated through an internal email from Jeremy Lewin, acting deputy director of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), instructing| Syrian Democratic Times
Late Sunday night ten members of a single family were killed between the villages of Qomji and Barkh Botan outside of Kobani. The dead include a man and woman and their eight children. The only surviving member of the Othman Abdo family, a 9 nine year old girl, was severely| Syrian Democratic Times
Despite an existing ceasefire, intense fighting has continued between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) groups, with Turkish airstrikes providing support to the SNA. Fighting has remained concentrated near the Euphrates, in the region separating Manbij and Kobani, especially around the Tishreen Dam. The Dam| Syrian Democratic Times
Over the past week there has been a bloody massacre of Alaawites in Syria, including killings of women, children, the elderly, and noncombatants. The death toll is in the thousands and climbing. The atrocities committed by extremist militants have been documented and posted on social media by the militants themselves. Scores of horrific videos have| Syrian Democratic Times
In the permanently altered political situation in Syria following the collapse of the Assad regime, the status of ten thousand ISIS fighters, including two thousand foreigners, as well as tens of thousands of women and children related to them, remains unclear. The SDF and Internal Security Forces of the Autonomous| Syrian Democratic Times
Yesterday, Turkish fighter jets and drones conducted a series of airstrikes against several targets near Shaddadi, south of Hasakah in North-East Syria. An SDF military position, housing for civilian workers, and a civilian vehicle transporting local shepherds were all hit. In total, 16 airstrikes targeted the region, killing four SDF members, six| Syrian Democratic Times
“We extend our heartfelt condolences to the people and government of the United States and wish the injured a swift recovery," said Ahmad. “It is now imperative to strengthen this partnership and expand it into political economic dimensions to address and eliminate all sources of terrorism.”| Syrian Democratic Times
Christians in Syria and Iraq have faced severe persecution in recent years, particularly from extremist groups like ISIS. In Syria, the ongoing civil war has left Christian communities vulnerable to violence, forced conversions, and displacement. The rise of ISIS in 2014 led to widespread destruction of Christian homes, churches, and entire neighborhoods. Many Christians were forced to flee, with entire communities displaced and religious sites destroyed. Today, in echoes of the genocide of t...| Syrian Democratic Times
(from left) Sinam Mohamad, Chief of Mission of SDC-US and Dace Melbārde, Parliamentary Secretary at the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs| Syrian Democratic Times
The Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) attended this year’s Women, Peace and Security (WPS) week at the United Nations, an annual event held in October to highlight the importance of gender equality in peace-building efforts around the world. The global WPS agenda is based around UN Security Council Resolution 1325, which aims to increase women’s participation in peace processes, combat gender-based violence, and ensure women’s inclusion in decision-making. | Syrian Democratic Times
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Sanctioned Extremists Open Fire on Peaceful Protestors in Occupied Afrin| www.syriandemocratictimes.com
An ISIS militant captured by SDF special forces, along with the weapons cache that was discovered.| Syrian Democratic Times
Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime on December 8, 2024, Syria has entered a sensitive and complex transitional period, led by interim president Ahmad al-Sharaa. This new phase has raised urgent questions about Syria’s future after Assad. How can a new Syria emerge that avoids repeating the mistakes of the past and prevents the country from descending into new tragedies?| Syrian Democratic Times
Following years of political deadlock, Syria’s largest Kurdish parties came together and signed a landmark agreement on April 26. In a meeting of 400 delegates, the Democratic Union Party (PYD), one of the largest parties within the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, and the Kurdish National Council (ENKS), agreed on a joint vision for a decentralized and democratic Syria that guarantees the rights of Kurds and the country’s other minorities, and called for a na...| Syrian Democratic Times
In a dramatic move, U.S. President Donald Trump announced the lifting of sanctions on Syria following his first-ever meeting with Syrian President al-Sharaa. The meeting was facilitated by Saudi officials on the sidelines of a regional conference between President Trump and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) leaders. It marked the first direct engagement between the U.S. and Syrian leadership in a quarter century, since President Bill Clinton met with Hafez al-Assad in 2000.| Syrian Democratic Times
President Ahmed al-Sharaa and his Damascus-based Transitional Government are attempting to consolidate various factions, organizations, and structures into a unified Syria as the world looks on. | Syrian Democratic Times
Militants of the Sultan Suleiman Shah Brigade, or al-Amshat militia, besieging the town of Kakhra, AfrinThe sound of automatic gunfire, an all too familiar sound to the people of Turkish-occupied Afrin, rang out again on September 15. Normally associated with infighting amongst the different militia factions that make up Turkey’s “Syrian National Army” proxy force, this instance proved to be quite different.| Syrian Democratic Times
In honor of International Women in Diplomacy Day, the Kurdish Peace Institute in Washington DC held a panel with Kurdish representatives from Syria, Iraq, and Turkey. The panel included Ceylan Akca, a parliamentarian from Turkey, Treefa Aziz, the Representative of the Kurdistan Regional Government in Iraq, and the Syrian Democratic Council’s Sinam Sherkany Mohamad.| Syrian Democratic Times
The Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) and the Syrian Women’s Council (SWC) met in Raqqa to discuss perspectives on Syria’s political situation and the future for the country. The meeting brought together the women’s office of the SDC with the SWC, an umbrella group representing women working within the DAANES, NGOs, and political parties and more working across the DAANES territory.| Syrian Democratic Times