Attentat dans une église en Syrie : «C’est la première tuerie de masse contre des chrétiens à Damas depuis 1860»

LE FIGARO : ENTRETIEN - Pour le spécialiste Wassim Nasr, l’attentat-suicide imputé à Daesh qui a fait 27 morts dans un quartier chrétien de Damas, rappelle la capacité de nuisance des cellules djihadistes restées en Syrie, qui cherchent à décrédibiliser les autorités syriennes.

Un attentat-suicide a fait au moins 27 morts et une cinquantaine de blessés dans l’église Mar Elias du quartier chrétien de Damas en Syrie ce dimanche 22 juin 2025. Selon un ministre syrien, l’auteur de l’attentat appartenait au groupe État islamique. » | Par Elisabeth Pierson | lundi 23 juin 2025

THE GUARDIAN : Islamic State suicide bombing in Damascus church kills 22 and injures 63: Evening attack is first major atrocity by Islamist terror group in Syria since President al-Assad was deposed »

Syria Sees Outbreaks of Violence and Killings | BBC News

Mar 17, 2025 | Since overthrowing President Assad’s regime, Syria’s new authorities have been working to establish their control over the country.

But this has brought them into conflict in areas dominated by the Alawite sect, the group from which President Assad drew much of his support.

Fighting recently broke out with dozens of casualties in an Alawite village south of Latakia. Lina Sonja reports from the area.

Fears of Civil War in Syria as More than 1,000 Reported Killed | BBC News

Mar 9, 2025 | The UN is urging Syria's interim leaders to take swift action to protect civilians following a wave of violence against members of the minority Alawite community.

The violence began after loyalists of former President Bashar al-Assad - whose regime was toppled last December - ambushed government forces in recent days.

Government security forces are said to have been carrying out reprisals in Latakia Province, where at least 1,000 Alawites, including children are said to have been killed in recent days. The BBC has not been able to independently verify the death toll.

The Alawites are a minority sect of Shia Muslims, from which the Assad family originates.

Syria's interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa – who played a leading role in the rebellion that toppled Assad – has called for peace and announced an investigation into the violence. But so far, he hasn't directly addressed accusations that atrocities were being committed by his supporters. Syrians have been protesting against the violence in the capital Damascus.

The UN says it's received "extremely disturbing" reports of whole families being killed, and has called on the interim authorities to take "swift actions to protect Syrians" while the US says the Syrian leadership must hold the perpetrators accountable.

Clive Myrie presents BBC News at Ten reporting by Lina Sinjab in Damascus.

We Will Work on Forming an Inclusive Transitional Government: Syria's President Sharaa

Jan 30, 2025 | Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa will work on forming an inclusive transitional government, he said on Thursday in his first speech after being declared president. "A preparatory committee for the national dialogue conference will be announced in the coming days," Sharaa added.

French, German FMs Meet Syria's New de facto Leaders | DW News

Jan 3, 2025 | Germany's foreign minister Annalena Baerbock and her counterpart, France's Jean-Noel Barrot, are the first ministers from the EU to visit Syria and meet with de facto leader Ahmad al-Sharaa since rebels seized control of Damascus on December 8, 2024. Their visit to Syria is the highest-level western visit since the fall of the Assad regime.

They expresseed support for the rebuilding of Syria. But they also made it clear that the EU will not finance Islamism - or tolerate discrimination against women or ethnic and religious groups.

DW talks to Christoph Schult in Damascus who is currently traveling with FM Baerbock. He is a journalist at Germany's Spiegel magazine.

There's some controversy over the Syrian leader's greeting for his EU visitors. Ahmad al-Sharaa shook hands with the French foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot, a man, but not with Gemany's Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, a woman.

Syria's New Government Should Represent All Groups in Civil Society | DW News

Jan 1, 2025 | Syria has celebrated its first new year free of the Assad family's rule in five decades. Fireworks lit up one of the main squares in central Damascus as Syrians welcomed 2025 with high hopes for their future. The fall of the regime last month has allowed activists and ordinary people to speak openly for the first time about the country they want Syria to become. While some groups are connecting to unify their efforts, others are attempting to play down a quick transition to new governance. DW's Rama Jarmakani reports from the capital, Damascus. We spoke to Anas Joudeh, founder and director of the Syrian group 'Nation Building Movement'.

Syrians Head into First New Year without Assad | DW News

Dec 31, 2024 | For the first time in over half a century, Syrians are heading into the New Year free of the Assad family's brutal leadership. But Syria's new de-facto ruler Ahmed al-Sharaa has warned that Syrians may have to wait three years for a new constitution and four for elections. Al-Sharaa, and his Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, have been trying to reassure people at home and abroad that personal freedoms will be protected in the meantime. In Damascus, those promises are already being put to the test as some bar owners risk reopening their establishments.

Hope and Fears of Christians in Syria under the New Islamist Leadership | DW News

Dec 24, 2024 | Christians in Syria are preparing to celebrate their first Christmas since the overthrow of president Bashar al Assad. After nearly five decades under the rule of the Assad family, the country faces a new era following this month's sudden rebel victory. While some Christians express hope for the future, there are concerns about the fate of religious minorities under Syria's new Islamist-led government.

For more on this, we talk to Priest Firas Lutfi. He is a Parish Priest in Damascus and Head of Franciscan community in Damascus, Syria.

Christians in Syria prepare for Christmas

LIVE: Christians in Syria Celebrate Christmas

Dec 24, 2024 | Christians attend mass in Damascus, Syria, celebrating Christmas for the first time since the fall of President Bashar al-Assad and the control of Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.

Protests Erupt in Syria over Christmas Tree Burning

BBC: Protests have broken out in Syria over the burning of a Christmas tree near the city of Hama.

A video posted on social media showed masked gunmen setting fire to the tree on display in the main square of the Suqaylabiyah, a Christian-majority town in central Syria.

The main Islamist faction which led the uprising that toppled President Bashar al-Assad said the men responsible for the arson were foreign fighters and had been detained.

Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets across the country, demanding the new Islamist rulers protect religious minorities. (+ video) » | Jacqueline Howard, BBC News. Reporting from London | Lina Sinjab, Middle East Correspondent. Reporting from Damascus | December 24, 2024

Journeyman Pictures: The Village in Syria Where They Speak Jesus' Tongue

May 25, 2016 | Aramaic (2008): In a village in the Syrian countryside, Muslims and Christians live side-by-side and keeping the language of Christ, Aramaic, alive.

Assad Says He Left Hmeimim Base in Syria on 8 December for Moscow

THE GUARDIAN: Syria’s Bashar al-Assad said on Monday he was evacuated to Russia from the Hmeimim base in Syria on the evening of 8 December as it came under drone attacks, after leaving Damascus that morning with opposition fighters closing in. [Read more here.]

Syria: Inside Captagon Drug Factory which Funded Assad’s Brutal Regime

Dec 12, 2024 | It's been called the poor man's cocaine. Captagon: the drug that funded Bashar al-Assad's brutal rule in Syria. It's an amphetamine which - in high doses - induces feelings of euphoria and invulnerability.

Popular with soldiers, they say it offers 'chemical courage' and reportedly suppresses pain. And it's made the Assad family billions - more than 10 billion dollars a year, by recent estimates. Money it used to shore up a crumbling dynasty.

Correspondent: Lindsey Hilsum
Filmed and edited by Soren Munk
Produced by Rob Hodge


Related material here.

My God! And OUR PATHETIC Western politicians and governments worry about people enjoying a smoke: the smoke of a cigarette! It’s a pity that our politicians don’t get their priorities straightened out! They sweat the little things whilst the big things are ignored. Conveniently, of course, because they haven't the courage to tackle problems like this. Unbelievable! – © Mark Alexander

The Syrian Upheaval Has Iranian Leaders Reeling, Too

THE NEW YORK TIMES: For decades, Iran poured money and military aid into Syria, backing the Assad regime in its ambition to confront Israel. Now many Iranians are openly asking why.

People celebrating the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in front of the citadel in Aleppo, Syria. | Ivor Prickett for The New York Times
In the days since the abrupt and unexpected obliteration of Iran as a dominant presence in Syria, the government has faced a fierce public backlash over the billions of dollars spent and the Iranian blood shed to back the Assad regime.

The criticism has come from unexpected corners, including conservatives, and is flowing freely on television channels and talk shows, and in social media posts and virtual town halls attended by thousands of Iranians. It also appears on the front pages of newspapers every day.

One former lawmaker, Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh, said in a social media post that Iranians should rejoice at the fall of Iran’s longstanding ally, President Bashar al-Assad of Syria. “No one will be able to waste Iran’s dollars for maintaining a spider web any more,” he said.

While opponents of the government have long bristled at the money Iran has sent all over the Middle East, the sentiment now seems to have spread. Even some who fought on their government’s behalf in Syria or lost family members in the civil war there are asking if it was worth it. » | Farnaz Fassihi | Friday, December 13, 2024

CNN Gets First-hand Look at Ousted Syrian President's Palace

Dec 11, 2024 | CNN's Clarissa Ward gets a first-hand look at the luxurious life the Assad family lived while touring the Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad's palace, taken over by rebel forces after the former president fled to Russia.

Assad’s Fall Has Changed the Middle East Forever

OPINION : GUEST ESSAY
THE NEW YORK TIMES: The collapse of the regime of Bashar al-Assad not only upends decades of Assad family rule in Syria, it also promises to realign power across the Middle East.

The situation on the ground remains highly uncertain, especially around questions of whether the rebels can consolidate control and how they will govern if they do. But as a new reality in Syria sets in, a reordering of regional power dynamics is already taking shape that dramatically diminishes Iran’s influence and positions Turkey to play a critical role in shaping the future of a post-Assad Syria.

During Syria’s nearly 14-year civil war, no fewer than six foreign militaries engaged in the conflict, underscoring the major geostrategic stakes at play. Among them, Iran stands out for its unfettered investment in propping up Mr. al-Assad, reportedly spending billions of dollars to support the regime and mobilizing tens of thousands of proxy militia fighters. For Tehran, Syria was the leading edge of its forward defense strategy, protecting its interests in the region by projecting its power and influence. The fall of Mr. al-Assad dramatically undercuts this influence, depriving Tehran of a key Arab ally and cutting the land bridge to its Lebanese proxy, Hezbollah. Uprooted from its decades-long strategic posture in Syria, Iran is unlikely to recover from this significant setback for the foreseeable future. » | Mona Yacoubian | Ms. Yacoubian is vice president for the Middle East and North Africa at the U.S. Institute of Peace. | Wednesday, December 11, 2024

Iran's Ayatollahs 'At Risk' as Assad's Ousting Humiliates Tehran | The Story

Dec 11, 2024 | As a new leadership emerges in Syria, disparate groups remain in control of different parts of the country. What action is being taken by the rest of the world, and what does it mean for countries like Iran?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times.

Guest: Mark Urban, Writer and Columnist, The Sunday Times.
Host: Luke Jones.

'There Were 59 of Us Locked in a 4x4 Cell': Syrian Shares Horror of Assad's Jails

Dec 10, 2024 | Former detainee Mahmoud Salmon describes the horrors of being imprisoned in Syria, when he was 17-years-old, for taking part in a peaceful protest against the Assad regime.

He told Sky News about his and his other inmates' experience of mental and physical torture.

Mohammed al-Bashir Appointed as Syria’s Interim Prime Minister

Dec 10, 2024 | Syria's new administration has appointed Mohammed al-Bashir as prime minister. He will be tasked with forming a transitional government.

On Monday he met with the former prime minister, and the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, to discuss the transfer of power.

Al-Bashir faces the challenge now of uniting a country that has been at war for more than a decade.

Al Jazeera’s Osama Bin Javaid has more from Idlib, in northwestern Syria.

Syrian Rebels Broadcast First News Bulletin on State Television

Dec 8, 2024 | Syrian rebels have broadcast their first news bulletin on state television, announcing that they have 'won the bet and toppled the criminal Assad regime'.