Syria’s interim president, Ahmed al-Shara, appealed on Sunday for calm and for unity as he moved to reassure the nation after days of clashes that a monitoring group said had killed hundreds of people. “We must preserve national unity and…
Tag: Ahmed (Abu Mohammad al-Jolani) (1982- )
What We Know About the Clashes in Syria
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitoring group, has reported attacks on Alawite civilians, frequently by unknown gunmen. The country’s new rulers have pledged to bring all armed groups under the state’s control, but the security situation remains…
While Calm Reigns in Damascus, Battles in Syria’s Northeast Rage On
In the Syrian capital, Damascus, the country’s new leader has hosted a national unity conference and welcomed foreign dignitaries as crowds gather at cafes, speaking out freely for the first time in decades. But 400 miles away in northeastern Syria,…
Israel Strikes Syria Again as Tensions Rise
Israel has conducted new airstrikes on Syria’s coast and ground raids in the country’s south, part of a recent wave of attacks that Israel says are necessary for its security and that have raised tensions with Syria’s new government. The…
Syrian Forces Deployed in Druse Town After Deadly Gunfight
Syrian security forces were deployed across a predominately Druse town on the outskirts of Damascus, the capital, early Sunday, two days after a gunfight between government officers and armed men from a local neighborhood left one person dead and several…
Ahmed al-Shara: The Evolution of Syria’s New Leader
As the commander of a rebel group allied with Al Qaeda during Syria’s long civil war, the man known by his nom de guerre, Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, welcomed foreign jihadists, dispatched suicide bombers to blow up military posts and vowed…
Israel Strikes Syria Hours After Country’s Leader Demands Withdrawal
The Israeli military said it had struck sites in southern Syria on Tuesday, just hours after the new Syrian leadership demanded that Israel withdraw from territory it has seized since the fall of the Assad regime. The attacks were aimed…