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Articles by Syria Pulse
Border crossings bring in cash for Free Syrian Army factions
The Bab al-Salameh border crossing between Syria and Turkey, seen in an image uploaded Aug. 27, 2017. (photo by Facebook/BABALSALAMAH1) ALEPPO, Syria — The Free Syrian Army and its factions are making lucrative use of the many border crossings they control in areas around Aleppo. The large financial resources they reap enable the factions to recruit and train new fighters and build new training camps.
Is this the beginning of the end for Idlib's jihadi groups?
An armored vehicle carrying rebel fighters bears the flag of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, near the town of Maarde, Syria, March 22, 2017. (photo by OMAR HAJ KADOUR/AFP/Getty Images) The sixth round of Astana talks Sept. 15 were marked by an agreement between Iran, Russia and Turkey on a fourth Syrian de-escalation zone in Idlib and the deployment of about 1,500 observers in the northern region.
Life returns to northern Aleppo region
AZAZ, Syria — After years of war, life is returning to a large area of Aleppo province. Restaurants and resorts have opened to provide dining and recreational services to longtime residents and thousands of displaced people following the expulsion of the Islamic State (IS) under Turkey's Operation Euphrates Shield; the businesses are also providing provided seasonal employment opportunities.
Despite cease-fire, shelling continues in Eastern Ghouta
Children walk past the rubble of damaged buildings in Ein Tarma in the Damascus suburb of Eastern Ghouta, Syria, July 19, 2017. (photo by REUTERS/Bassam Khabieh) ALEPPO, Syria — Syrian regime forces continue to breach the cease-fire agreement with Syria’s armed opposition in Eastern Ghouta in Rif Dimashq province. The agreement was ratified in Cairo under Egyptian-Russian brokerage July 22. However, the Syrian regime targeted Ein Tarma town in Eastern Ghouta on Aug.
Syrian regime says it's time for the displaced to return
Internally displaced people who fled Raqqa ride a vehicle with their belongings in a camp near Ain Issa, Syria, May 19, 2017. (photo by REUTERS/Rodi Said) NORTHERN ALEPPO COUNTRYSIDE, Syria — The Syrian government is working to lure displaced residents back to regime-controlled areas, even as the opposition hopes to keep that from happening. Among those originally displaced from Homs' al-Waer neighborhood, 574 people, or nearly a hundred families, came back July 10 to the regime-held city.
Next Israel-Hezbollah confrontation could be in Syria
Israeli soldiers are silhouetted as they search for the remains of rockets fired from Lebanon, near the northern city of Nahariya, Israel, Dec. 21, 2015. (photo by REUTERS/Baz Ratner) There is a relative calm in southern Syria in the wake of the July 7 US-Russian-brokered cease-fire agreement backed by Jordan. The deal came against the backdrop of increased clashes between pro-regime militias and the Syrian opposition, as well as escalating strikes by Israel on Iranian interests in the region.
New Syrian banknote may be more than meets the eye
ALEPPO, Syria — The Central Bank of Syria is circulating new 2,000-pound banknotes in all cities under the regime’s control, topping the previously largest denomination of 1,000 pounds and helping to shrink the wads of cash residents have been forced to carry because of the currency's devaluation since the ongoing civil war began in 2011.
Fighting revives refugees' hopes of returning to Aleppo
People ride motorcycles amid the rubble of damaged buildings in the northern Syrian town of al-Bab, Feb. 28, 2017. (photo by REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi) NORTHERN ALEPPO PROVINCE, Syria — It’s been almost a year and a half since Abdullah Hilal has been at his house in Tel Rifaat, about 25 miles north of the city of Aleppo. Hilal and his family fled the town two days before it was seized by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in February 2016.
Syrians catch breath as post-IS Dabiq takes shape
ALEPPO, Syria — Mohammed Omar, 15, still remembers every detail of his father’s arrest on Aug. 14, 2014. He was taken by members of the Islamic State (IS) the day after the group took control of his hometown of Dabiq, in the northern countryside of Aleppo. “I waited two years for him to come back. I needed him to be with my younger siblings, my mother and me, but we received news that he was killed by IS in a prison in al-Bab.
Syrian refugees in Turkey return home for holidays
A Syrian boy runs with the others who say they are returning to Syria ahead of Eid al-Fitr, near the Cilvegozu border crossing, Hatay province, Turkey, June 15, 2017. (photo by REUTERS/Umit Bektas) ALEPPO, Syria — Thousands of Syrian refugees in Turkey have rushed since June 1 to the Bab al-Hawa and Bab al-Salam crossings on the Turkish-Syrian border to spend the Eid al-Fitr holiday in their homeland. The dates of the holiday, which marks the end of Ramadan, vary by location and Islamic sect.
Syria’s women could be key to the future
Women attend the inaugural conference of the Gathering of Syrian Women in Maarat al-Numaan, May 25, 2017. (photo by FACEBOOK/SMARTNewsAgency) ALEPPO, Syria — The opposition-controlled Idlib province in northern Syria is witnessing a growing female movement that aims to develop the skills of Syrian women and empower them to meet the responsibilities they now have to assume as a result of the ongoing war. Several women’s organizations have been established in Idlib province since early 2017.
The geopolitics behind race for eastern Syria
Forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad ride on pickup trucks mounted with weapons in the Badia, in the southeast Syrian desert, June 13, 2017. (photo by SANA/Handout via REUTERS) With the war on the Islamic State (IS) in full swing, the race for eastern Syria is on, with regional and international players jockeying for position in the desert areas stretching from north to south, in the direction of the Iraqi borders.
Hundreds flee battles in Raqqa
A general view shows the damage along a street in Raqqa's al-Sanaa industrial neighborhood, Syria, June 14, 2017. (photo by REUTERS/Rodi Said) ALEPPO, Syria — Dozens of vehicles carrying displaced citizens from Raqqa province arrive in Aleppo’s northern countryside daily. Raqqa has witnessed violent battles between the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Islamic State (IS) since June 6, when the SDF launched military operations in the province to expel IS.
Rebel infighting puts more strain on hospitals in Syria's Ghouta
Syrians salvage medical equipment from a hospital following an airstrike in rebel-controlled Eastern Ghouta, Syria, May 1, 2017. (photo by AMER ALMOHIBANY/AFP/Getty Images) Last year, Hala al-Shami launched a medical initiative aimed at connecting amputee children from around Eastern Ghouta with local doctors.
'Day of the locusts' in Syria's Idlib
The civil war and resulting lack of resources is making it impossible for farmers and officials in Idlib province to control this year's locust swarm. Image by Hugo Goodridge/Al-Monitor IDLIB, Syria — With harvest season in full swing, farmers and officials have begun to calculate the damage done by a swarm of locusts that descended in April and May on large areas of opposition-controlled Idlib province, in northern Syria.
For many of Iraq's Yazidis, going home is not an option
Displaced people from the minority Yazidi sect, fleeing violence from forces loyal to the Islamic State in Sinjar, walk toward the Syrian border near the border town of Elierbeh in Hasakah province, Aug. 11, 2014. (photo by REUTERS/Rodi Said) DAHUK, Kurdistan Region of Iraq — When Nadine refused to marry the 25-year-old Islamic State fighter from Yemen, he took her daughter Ronia instead. Right in front of Nadine’s eyes, he tore the clothes from her daughter’s body.
Syrian war has reshaped Ramadan for many
People shop during the holy month of Ramadan in rebel-held Idlib city, Syria, June 8, 2017. (photo by REUTERS/Ammar Abdullah) Syria is living through its sixth Ramadan since the 2011 revolution. This year, however, many aspects are different, as a major part of the country has been destroyed and major demographic changes have been brought about by large waves of displaced people and the emigration of millions of Syrians.
Ghouta residents suffer under siege during Ramadan
A boy carries pastries to be sold during Ramadan in the rebel-held besieged eastern Damascus suburb of Ghouta, Syria, May 28, 2017. (photo by REUTERS/Bassam Khabieh) This year’s holy month of Ramadan is the worst in the history of eastern Ghouta in Rif Dimashq, with residents in this rebel-held area facing a severe humanitarian crisis.
Syrian regime clears last IS bastion in Aleppo province
Syrian pro-government forces set up a road checkpoint next to a mural reading "Islamic State" after taking control of the northern town of Maskanah, Syria, June 5, 2017. (photo by GEORGE OURFALIAN/AFP/Getty Images) ALEPPO, Syria — The Syrian regime forces continue their military operations in Aleppo’s eastern countryside, and with that, towns and villages are slipping out of the Islamic State (IS) grip.
Syrian NGO begins rebuilding war-torn Idlib
Residents of Idlib celebrate the restoration of the city's famed clock tower, video uploaded May 27, 2017. (photo by YOUTUBE/Idlib Media Center) ALEPPO, Syria — There are signs of new life, and hope, in northern Syria. On May 27, the Violet organization, with the cooperation of the Idlib Provincial Council, launched the Idlib Spring project in light of the de-escalation deal signed May 6 in Astana, Kazakhstan, between the Syrian regime and armed opposition factions.
Ex-Islamic State fighters face justice in Mosul
A man walks across a street in Qaraqosh, southeast of Mosul, Iraq, Nov. 25, 2016. (photo by REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic) In the Assyrian-Christian city of Hamdaniya, which its inhabitants call Qaraqosh, 30 kilometers (19 miles) southeast of Mosul, a big house belonging to a Muslim family temporarily hosts a terrorism court as part of the Iraqi Criminal Court, where provincial trials are held.
Syrian news group consolidates opposition coverage
A panel is seen at the launch of the General Media Institution, Idlib, Syria, in this still from a video filmed May 6, 2017. (photo by YouTube/SMART News Agency) ALEPPO, Syria — A group of journalists and activists has launched the General Media Institution in the opposition-controlled Syrian province of Idlib, with the aim of communicating opposition news, providing some functions of a trade union, and helping to protect, educate and train journalists.
Syria's reconstruction plans take shape
People stand in front of a damaged building in al-Bab, Syria, March 6, 2017. (photo by REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi) At some point, Syria will be rebuilt. Whole cities and swaths of the country have been destroyed. Millions of civilians are displaced either within the country or outside its borders during six years of conflict.
Syrian orphanages overcrowded with children traumatized by war
ALEPPO, Syria — Dozens of orphans gathered around Alaa al-Din Obeid in the playground of the Azaz orphanage after their classes were over. The children asked him many questions at once. Obeid patiently answered them, the smile of a caring father on his wrinkled face. Obeid clapped his hands and told the children gathering around him, “It is time to play now. You have one hour, and then we can start reading.
Are Hezbollah, Israel heading for a third war?
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah addresses his supporters via video link during a ceremony marking the anniversary of the death of Hezbollah commander Mustafa Badreddine, who was killed in an attack in Syria, Beirut, Lebanon, May 11, 2017.
Residents in Syria's eastern Ghouta face tightened siege
A man inspects bread to be distributed as aid in the rebel-held besieged city of Douma, in the eastern Damascus suburb of Ghouta, Syria, April 15, 2017. (photo by REUTERS/Bassam Khabieh) Mona Mohammed has been trying to adapt to a new lifestyle that was imposed on her by the Syrian regime's siege of eastern Ghouta, to the east of Damascus, on March 21.
Jordan’s photography festival captures snapshot of country's history
Linda al-Khoury, the founder and organizer of the Image Festival, at the Jordan Hejaz Railway Station in Amman, Jordan, April 17, 2017.
Liberation of Iraq's Hawija delayed yet again
Iraqi security forces march as they conduct a raid and weapons search operation in Hawija, April 24, 2014. (photo by REUTERS/Yahya Ahmad) The battle for the Iraqi city of Hawija, 28 miles west of Kirkuk, has been postponed several times. Disagreements around military operations have delayed the capture of the city from Islamic State (IS) militants. Military sources from the Joint Operations Command told Al-Monitor that Hawija will be next after the fall of Mosul.
Syrian regime faces tough resistance from rebels in Aleppo’s outskirts
Free Syrian Army fighters fire an anti-aircraft weapon in a rebel-held area of Aleppo, Syria, Dec. 12, 2016. (photo by REUTERS/Abdalrhman Ismail) ALEPPO, Syria — In a bid to make progress on the ground in the outskirts of Aleppo city that are controlled by the armed opposition, the Syrian regime has been mobilizing additional troops to the suburbs’ fronts since early April.
Under Turkey's watch, al-Bab tries to rebuild
Birds fly up as men ride a motorcycle through a damaged neighborhood in the northern Syrian town of al-Bab, March 4, 2017. (photo by REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi) AL-BAB, Syria — The city of al-Bab, located 38 kilometers (roughly 24 miles) northeast of Aleppo, has come back to life following months of bombings and battles that ended with the Islamic State’s withdrawal Feb. 23.
FSA sees 'golden opportunity' with end of Turkey's operations in Syria
Free Syrian Army fighters wave as Turkish military vehicles drive through the Syrian rebel-held town of al-Rai, Aleppo province, Syria, Jan. 9, 2017. (photo by REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi) ALEPPO, Syria — The Free Syrian Army (FSA) factions in Aleppo’s countryside intensified their military training after Turkey announced the end of Operation Euphrates Shield on March 29.
Syrian regime evacuates civilians from Homs' last rebel-held area
A general view shows damaged buildings in the al-Waer district in the central city of Homs, Syria, Sept. 19, 2016. (photo by REUTERS/Omar Sanadiki) ISTANBUL — On April 9, the fourth batch of evacuees left the besieged al-Waer neighborhood in Homs, northern Syria. The group headed for the city of Jarablus, which has been controlled by opposition factions since its liberation from the Islamic State (IS).
Who is behind new round of violence in Lebanon refugee camp?
A Palestinian Fatah gunman carries his weapon as he attempts to cross a street in the Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp near Sidon, Lebanon, April 10, 2017. (photo by REUTERS/Ali Hashisho) The Palestinian refugee camp of Ain al-Hilweh in southern Lebanon has witnessed six days of intense clashes that have pitted a coalition of Palestinian forces against jihadi factions led by Bilal Badr.
Displaced Raqqa teachers prepare for rebuilding education post-IS
An internally displaced boy sits on the ground near a school after it was captured from Islamic State, al-Heesha, Raqqa district, Syria, Nov. 15, 2016. (photo by REUTERS/Rodi Said) SANLIURFA, Turkey — As military clashes rage in Raqqa’s countryside and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) recapture land from Islamic State militants, Syrians are making plans for life after the jihadis are expelled.
How Syrian opposition is making up for teacher shortage
A man inspects books inside a damaged school in the rebel-held besieged city of Douma, in the eastern Damascus suburb of Ghouta, Syria, March 2, 2017. (photo by REUTERS/Bassam Khabieh) ALEPPO, Syria — The Syrian war has taken its toll on the education sector in Syria, specifically in the areas under opposition control, and schools have lost many teachers.
What's behind Kurdish organizations being shut down in Syria?
One of many organizations forced to close by new rules imposed in Kurdish northeast Syria is seen in this still from a video uploaded on March 24, 2017. (photo by Youtube/Aso Network) ERBIL, Iraqi Kurdistan — The democratic self-rule administration in northeast Syria implemented a decision on March 14-15 requiring all unlicensed political parties, groups and civil society organizations not under the umbrella of the administration to obtain licenses within 24 hours.
In Idlib, Syrians find solace in soccer
Players gather as one of their teammates receives medical attention during a soccer match in Idlib, Syria, in this still from a video uploaded March 16, 2017. (photo by YouTube/Radio Fresh) GAZIANTEP, Turkey — Even as war looms all around them, young Syrians in areas outside the regime's control are able to participate in athletic competitions thanks to civil society sectors of the Syrian revolution. “We are now in the second week of the first- and second-division [soccer] competitions.
Lebanon's complacent politicians choose more taxes over reforms
Protesters wave Lebanese national flags during a demonstration against a proposed tax increase, in front of the government palace in Beirut, March 19, 2017.
What federalism would mean for northern Syria
The Syrian Democratic Council's second congress, after which Riad Darar was named as co-chairman, al-Malikiyah, Syria. Uploaded Feb. 26, 2017. (photo by Facebook/Council.Democratic.Syria) The Syrian Democratic Council (SDC), which is mainly comprised of Arab and Kurdish political forces along with others from the Kurdish region in northern Syria, concluded Feb. 25 its second congress in the Syrian northern city of al-Malikiyah, with the election of Riad Darar and Ilham Ahmed as co-chairmen.
Aleppo's displaced face another crisis in Idlib
Civil defense personnel and citizens carry children at a damaged site after an airstrike on rebel-held Idlib city, Syria, March 19, 2017. (photo by REUTERS/Ammar Abdullah) ALEPPO, Syria — Syrian regime warplanes are increasingly hovering in the sky over Idlib in northern Syria and targeting several residential areas inside the city. Idlib is full of civilians, most of whom are from elsewhere in Idlib province, while others were displaced from various Syrian cities and villages.
Free Syrian Army getting backup from Turkish-trained police
A member of the Free Syrian Police, wearing a Turkish flag on his hat, attends a ceremony celebrating the inauguration of the group in the town of Jarablus, Syria, Jan. 24, 2017. (photo by REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi) ALEPPO, Syria — Turkey has been training a police organization, the Free Syrian Police (FSP), to help out with secondary operations in Aleppo province so the Free Syrian Army (FSA) can focus on fighting and maintaining control of the areas it has captured.
Syrian dramas shed light on revolution
A still from the television series "Banned in Syria," shows the title page of the show, uploaded July 10, 2014 (photo by YouTube/Lamba Production) Many educational, sports, humanitarian and even political groups have emerged in the liberated areas, namely those under the Free Syrian Army (FSA) and moderate factions — as well as in the cities, streets and neighborhoods of Syria, and abroad.
Wrath of Euphrates spokeswoman: Raqqa is now isolated
Men fleeing violence around Raqqa surrender to Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighters north of Raqqa city, Syria, March 8, 2017.
Gulf countries take a back seat on Syria route
Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani; Kuwait Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah al-Khalid al-Sabah; Qatar Foreign Minister Khalid al-Attiyah; Oman Foreign Minister Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah; Saudi Arabia Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir; Bahrain Foreign Minister Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa; and UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan (L-R) pose for a group photo during an extraordinary meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Jan. 9, 2016.
How are displaced Iraqis faring in Syria’s camps?
ALEPPO, Syria — Hundreds of Turkmen families traveled from Tal Afar in northwestern Iraq and arrived in Syria along the border with Turkey near Azaz in the northern Aleppo countryside. These families fled the fierce battles the Iraqi army and security forces are waging against the Islamic State (IS). The displaced people crossed hundreds of kilometers from the west side of Mosul to reach the Turkish-Syrian border in order to enter Turkey.
Satire under siege in south Damascus
A scene from the first episode of “Southern Sketch,” a satirical web series, posted Jan. 9, 2017, on YouTube. (photo by YouTube/SOUTHERNSKETCH) The video begins with the announcement, “A statement by the chief of staff of the Syrian Arab Army.” A serious-looking man in camouflage reads a grandiloquent communique celebrating the Syrian state's victory over “terrorists and takfiris” in eastern Aleppo.
Syrians in Turkey baffled by Trump’s safe zones plan
A Syrian refugee mother puts her baby in a stroller in Nizip refugee camp, Gaziantep province, Turkey, Nov. 30, 2016. (photo by REUTERS/Umit Bektas) GAZIANTEP, Turkey — Mohamed Fadel owns a small clothing shop selling ready-to-wear clothing for women and children in the old market in this city in southern Turkey. He opens his shop for more than 12 hours a day to serve his customers, mostly Syrians living in Turkey.
Syrian rebel groups see necessity in consolidating ranks
Rebel fighters ride in a convoy on the outskirts of the Islamic State-controlled northern Syrian town of al-Bab, Syria, Feb. 3, 2017. (photo by REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi) ALEPPO, Syria — Significant developments are taking place in northern Syria, particularly in the areas held by the Syrian armed opposition factions. Large rebel factions joined the ranks of two large entities, namely Hayyat Tahrir al-Sham (Liberation of the Levant Committee) and Ahrar al-Sham.
Sundance Film Festival shines light on Aleppo
Steen Johannessen and Feras Fayyad accept the World Cinema: Grand Jury Prize for their film "Last Men in Aleppo" during the 2017 Sundance Film Festival Awards Night Ceremony in Park City, Utah, Jan. 28, 2017.
Radical sheikh still wields influence from Lebanese prison
Sunni Muslim Salafist leader Ahmad al-Assir addresses his supporters during a protest against Hezbollah in Saida, southern Lebanon, Dec. 2, 2012. (photo by REUTERS/Ali Hashisho) Conflicting portraits are emerging of Omar Assi, who police said attempted a suicide bombing Jan. 21 at a Beirut cafe. The young man is allegedly the second suicide attacker in recent years from the city of Saida.
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