Albert Aji, The Associated Press


  • Putin slams presence of US, Turkish troops in Syria
    Putin slams presence of US, Turkish troops in Syria

    Putin said the presence of the foreigners is illegal because they don’t have permission to be there from the United Nations or Syrian President Bashar Assad’s government.

  • American troops clash with pro-government group in northeast Syria
    American troops clash with pro-government group in northeast Syria

    A Syrian was killed and another was wounded when government supporters attacked American troops and tried to block their way as their convoy drove through an army checkpoint in northeastern Syria, prompting a rare clash, state media and activists reported.

  • Syrian army vows to keep up campaign against last rebel area
    Syrian army vows to keep up campaign against last rebel area

    Syria’s military vowed on Sunday to keep up its campaign to regain control of the whole country, days after capturing large chunks of territory from the last rebel holdout in northwestern Syria.

  • Syrian troops capture key town in rebel-held Idlib province
    Syrian troops capture key town in rebel-held Idlib province

    Syrian government forces captured one of the largest and most strategic rebel-held towns in the country’s northwest, the Syrian military and opposition activists said Wednesday.

  • US military presence in Syria is ‘illegitimate,’ says defense minister
    US military presence in Syria is ‘illegitimate,’ says defense minister

    Syria’s defense minister on Monday slammed what he called the “illegitimate” U.S. military presence in his country, vowing that Damascus has a right to self-defense, while Iraq said a border crossing with Syria will open in the coming days.

  • Assad vows to ‘liberate every inch of Syria’ from foreign troops
    Assad vows to ‘liberate every inch of Syria’ from foreign troops

    Only the Syrian state can protect groups in northern Syria and the army will “liberate every inch of Syria” from foreign troops, Syrian President Bashar Assad said Sunday.

  • Syria’s Assad authorizes Iraqi forces to strike ISIS in Syria
    Syria’s Assad authorizes Iraqi forces to strike ISIS in Syria

    Syrian President Bashar Assad authorized Iraqi forces on Sunday to attack the Islamic State group inside Syria without waiting for permission from authorities in Damascus, the state news agency SANA said, as the two allies coordinate their fight against extremists ahead of a planned U.S. withdrawal from Syria.

  • Official: Syria to facilitate chemical weapons team mission

    An international chemical weapons delegation will visit Syria in the coming days and Damascus will facilitate its mission to uncover who used chemical weapons in the country earlier this year, a Syrian official said Saturday.

  • Syria, Russia accuse US of plotting ‘provocation’
    Syria, Russia accuse US of plotting ‘provocation’

    Syria’s government and its ally Russia accused Washington on Thursday of concocting a “provocation” in Syria, which would then be blamed on President Bashar Assad’s government as alleged use of chemical weapons to justify an attack.

  • Syria’s army says it’s advancing against ISIS
    Syria’s army says it’s advancing against ISIS

    Syria’s military command announced it was expanding military operations against the Islamic State group in the country’s north on Thursday, a move that draws government forces closer to potential conflict with Turkish troops and allied Syrian opposition forces fighting extremists in the region.