Syria War

Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan says Europe borders open as refugees gather at frontier with Greece

Turkey's president Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Saturday that his country's borders with Europe were open, as thousands of refugees gathered at the frontier with Greece

Russian airstrikes on market in northwestern Syria kill 23, says Britain-based observatory; Moscow denies responsibility

Russian airstrikes on a market in northwestern Syria killed 23 people on Monday, a monitor said, in the latest violence to plague the country's last major opposition bastion.

German chancellor Angela Merkel warns US pullout from Syria risks boosting influence of Russia and Iran

Washington is struggling to convince allies to stay on in Syria after it leaves and Angela Merkel warned of the risks of leaving a vacuum in the region.

US Senate opposes Trump's plan to withdraw troops from Syria, Afghanistan; lawmakers say terror groups still pose 'serious threat'

The Republican-led US Senate backed largely symbolic legislation on Monday that broke with President Donald Trump by opposing plans for any abrupt withdrawal of troops from Syria and Afghanistan. The Senate voted 70-26 in favour of a non-binding amendment, drafted by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, saying it was the sense of the Senate that Islamist militant groups in both countries still pose a "serious threat" to the United States.

Pope Francis and Al-Azhar imam Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb sign historic Abu Dhabhi declaration, call for freedom of belief

Pope Francis and a top Muslim cleric Monday issued a joint call for freedom of belief during the first visit by the head of the Catholic church to the birthplace of Islam — the Arabian Peninsula

UAE to reopen Damascus embassy for first time in seven years after severing ties with Syria over repression of civil uprising

The United Arab Emirates will reopen its embassy in Damascus Thursday, an official said, seven years after it severed ties with Syria over the violent repression that triggered the war.

Syria US pullout: Turkey sends troops to border; foreign ministry delegation to head to Washington for talks on 8 January

US President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw 2,000 US troops from northern Syria has dismayed many of Washington's allies, and critics say Turkey will look to benefit in its fight against US-backed Kurdish forces inside Syria.

US withdrawal from Syria could revive Islamic State, bring more West Asian players in an already complex war

The US presence in Syria ensures a professional performance by the Free Syrian Army and its coordination with the Kurdish SDF. Both have the common aim of preventing Islamic State's resurgence as also giving way to a Syrian government victory

'US has defeated Islamic State': After Donald Trump tweet, officials announce full withdrawal of troops from Syria

The United States will withdraw its troops from Syria, a US official said on Wednesday, after President Donald Trump said America has defeated Islamic State in the war-ravaged country

Thousands head home to Syria's Idlib after Russia, Turkey reach deal on demilitarised buffer zone in rebel bastion

The civil war in Syria has killed more than 3,60,000 people and displaced millions more since it erupted with the brutal repression of anti-government protests in 2011.