The New Humanitarian – Leaving Syria’s notorious al-Hol camp, civilians find little to go home to

Original Article by Sofia Barbarani for The New Humanitarian 14 January 2021 BAGHDAD Salem Radi was overjoyed when news came through that he and his family would soon be allowed to return home after almost two years in al-Hol, a packed…

K24 – Pro-government troops, local Kurdish forces make counter-arrests amid rising tensions in north Syria

Original Article by Wladimir van Wilgenburg in K24, 6 January 2021 ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Tensions continue to escalate between Syrian pro-government forces and local Internal Security Forces (Asayish) after the Syrian regime arrested…

RUDAW- Turkish defense minister makes rare visit to Syrian border amid Ain Issa clashes

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Original Article by Karwan Faidhi Dri, Rudaw, 30 December 2020 ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Turkey’s defense minister Hulusi Akar paid a rare visit to Sanliurfa province on the Syrian border on Wednesday to inspect troops amid…

RUDAW- Deadly clashes continue in Ain Issa as Russia deploys additional forces

Original Article by Karwan Faidhi Dri, Rudaw, 28 December 2020 ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Fresh clashes between Kurdish forces and Turkey-backed militants in Ain Issa in Syria’s Raqqa province resulted in the death of several…

K24- Russia calls for de-escalation in Ain Issa ahead of meeting with Turkey

Original Article by Wladimir van Wilgenburg, K24, 28 December 2020 ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Russian Defense Ministry on Sunday called on all parties to cease shelling near the Syrian town of Ain Issa, the Russian state news agency…

AL JAZEERA- Civilians flee Ain Issa, northeast Syria as clashes escalate

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Original Article by Tessa Fox, Al Jazeera, 27 December 2020 At least 9,500 people have fled their homes in Ain Issa, northeast Syria, following an escalation in clashes between the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (TSNA) and the Kurdish-led…

Al Jazeera- Inside Syria’s former ISIL bases converted to treat COVID

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Original Article by Andrea Prada Bianchi, Al Jazeera, 23 December 2020. Northern Syria – The facade of the COVID-19 treatment centre in Tabqa, a town on the shores of Lake Assad not far from Raqqa, is riddled with bullet holes. From…

Fox News – ISIS sleeper cell attacks in Syria reach record low, data shows

November marked the lowest number of ISIS attacks in 18 months

GIWPS – How COVID-19 Underscores the Urgent Need to Repatriate Women and Children from Northeast Syria Camps

Original Article by Agathe Christien, Emma Jouenne and Elena Scott-Kakures, Georgetown GIWPS, 09 December, 2020 It has become urgent to repatriate women and children from Northeast Syria camps as COVID-19 is rapidly spreading in Syria. Following…

Persecution – Report: Turkey – Challenges facing Christians 2016-2020

Original Report by International Christian Concern, Persecution, 07 December, 2020 From the Introduction: “TURKEY: Challenges Facing Christians 2016-2020 reviews the period between 2016 – 2020. It analyzes how the dynamics…