Global Conflict Reporting

Category: Syria

  • Violence erupts in Aleppo.

    By. Scott Jackson

    12.24.2025

    On Monday, The SDF (Majority Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces) and Syrian army trade blame for an outbreak in fighting that led to several civilian casualties. Several isolated battles have erupted throughout the city after an altercation at a joint security checkpoint between the two groups led to renewed fighting and a possible end to their turbulent peace. 

    The sounds of sporadic fighting echo through the streets of Aleppo.

    According to the SDF, who deny what Damascus forces are claiming, said that the attack started when factions affiliated with the Ministry of Defense of the Damascus Government opened fire on the joint security checkpoint at the Sheihan Roundabout in Aleppo. The Syrian Army started shelling Kurdish neighborhoods using tanks and MLRS artillery which is shown in the video below. 

    Since the fighting started the Syrian Government has claimed that the SDF had targeted the Al-Razi hospital however nothing has proven that claim. The SDF put out this statement regarding that matter.  

    The Damascus government, through what it calls the Aleppo Council and its official media outlets, deliberately fabricates and promotes a false and fabricated report about an alleged attack on Al-Razi Hospital in the city of Aleppo, in a transparent attempt to mislead and distort the facts.

    We categorically affirm that Al-Razi Hospital was not targeted by any strike, and what has occurred is blatant and systematic incitement aimed at covering up the real crimes, while dozens of documented videos show artillery and tank shelling carried out by Damascus government factions on the neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud, Al-Ashrafiyah, and other areas.

    This behavior reveals the authorities’ disregard for the truth and their use of lies as a political tool to justify their assaults.

    Field evidence confirms the falsehood of the regime’s media narrative”

    Statement from the SDF

    The SDF responded to the shelling with fire of its own. Allegedly killing one civilian in the return fire.

    For now a ceasefire has been agreed upon but at least two have been confirmed killed, possibly more.The fighting didn’t last long but it’s possible this is just the prelude for more violence to come.

    Context

    All of this comes as high level talks are being conducted over the integration of the SDF into the Syrian army. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, met with Syrian government officials in Damascus earlier today before fighting broke out. A deal was signed between the SDF and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa (Abu Mohammad al-Jolani) back in March for the integration, however the deal was vague and those talks have stalled somewhat before today and likely even more now. 

    The problem here is mostly Turkey as Syria originally wanted to merge  the SDF’s 50,000 fighters into three divisions under partial Syrian control however Turkey wanted to completely dismantle the existing SDF command structure. Turkey believes that the SDF in Syria is just an offshoot of the PKK (Kurdistan Workers party), a Kurdish terror/resistance group working against the Turkish state. While not fully true, there is a lot of crossover in the two groups.

    The flag of the PKK.

    Most have seen this integration and today’s talks as a catalyst for Monday’s fighting. It’s likely large scale fighting will resume. The SDF currently controls a large portion of northern Syria and if a deal isn’t reached they might consider going back to attempting to create a breakaway state, which is what Turkey is hoping to avoid at all cost. 

    According to the FDD, a report out of Turkey claimed that if the SDF failed to integrate into Syria, Damascus would launch an operation with heavy support from Turkey. This would possibly see Syria forced into a downward spiral of violence, the same type which spawned ISIS growth. 

  • U.S. strikes over 70 targets linked to ISIS in Syria.

    By. Scott Jackson

    12/20/2025

    Late yesterday, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) at around 4:00 ET launched “Operation Hawkeye” against ISIS forces across Syria. This operation is a response to last Saturday’s attack in the city of Palmyra on US partner forces that led to the death of two U.S. Iowa National Guard soldiers- Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres Tovar, 25, and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29.

    CENTCOM claims to have launched strikes using artillery, attack helicopter and fighter jets, and along with fighter jets from the Royal Jordanian Air Force struck over 70 targets across Syria.

    F-15E “Strike Eagle” Multirole Strike Fighters and A-10C Thunderbolt II “Warthog” Close-Air Support Attack Aircraft, and AH-64E “Apache” Attack Helicopters launching for strikes in Syria.

    “This operation is critical to preventing ISIS from inspiring terrorist plots and attacks against the U.S. homeland.” said Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander. “We will continue to relentlessly pursue terrorists who seek to harm Americans and our partners across the region.”

    U.S. soldier writes the names of the two Iowa national Guard who were killed in last week’s ISIS affiliated attack on Saturday.

    CENTCOM says the operation utilized over 100 precision munitions to target know ISIS infrastructure and weapons sites.

    Video showing what is believed to be the launch of US ATACMS
    (Army Tactical Missile System) ballistic missiles.

    Video of some of the strikes was posted by CENTCOM several hours after the strike.

    Locals in a central Syrian town caught a glimpse of an A-10 roaring overhead.

  • Israel launches strike on Syrian Ministry of Defense HQ in Demarcus as atrocities occur in the south.

    By. Scott Jackson

    07/19/2025

    Three days ago the capital of Syria, Damascus, was rocked as Israeli fighter-bombers conducted strikes against the Syrian Ministry of Defense. Israel says these strikes were in defense of the Druze people, a religious minority who reside in areas of Syria like Sweida as well as in parts of Israel. The Druze have been fighting with the Sunni Muslim Bedouin tribes and militias connected to them. There are also rumors of government is backing those with involvement in the fighting against the Druze.

    Last Friday, renewed clashes ignited between the Druze and the Bedouins. Kidnappings and gun battles occurred throughout areas around the Sweida region in southern Syria. 
    Over the weekend Syrian government forces were dispatched to the area in response to the clashes but however, the Druze pushed back against the military forces and attempted to block them acess from the area. Israel carried out strikes on Syrian military targets on Tuesday. There are local reports of a Syrian military convoy being bombed by Israeli warplanes but so far they remain unconfirmed.

    “Israel is committed to preventing harm being inflicted on the Druze in Syria, owing to the deep covenant of blood with our Druze citizens in Israel and their historical and familial link to the Druze in Syria,”
    Statement from Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

    “We are acting to prevent the Syrian regime from harming them, and to ensure the demilitarization of the region adjacent to our border with Syria.”

    Israel Katz, Israeli Minister of Defense.

    The Syrian government feels differently about the situation and claimed that Israel was purposely acting to destabilize the situation and the region further. President Ahmed al-Sharaa claimed that Israel had a “deliberate policy” to “Inflame tensions” and “spread chaos”.

    While Israel purposely destabilizing the region is up for debate one thing they have said publicly is that they would not allow a large Syrian military force to occupy territory in southern Syria for fears of them being used to push into the occupied Golan Heights.

    The main area of focus is the green territory in the south. Israel currently occupies most of the Quneitra region.

    On Wednesday July 16, the IDF carried out a strike on the Syrian Ministry of Defense building in Damascus. Multiple angles of footage are available of the strike.

    Since then several ceasefires have been agreed upon by the Druze and the Bedouin, two of which were almost immediately broken. Right now there is an anxious pause in the fighting and a ceasefire sponsored by the U.S. in place. Israel agreed to allow Syrian troops into the south and the fighting has started to die down.

    The President of Syria made this statement about the fighting and the ceasefire.

    “We have received international invitations to intervene in what is happening in Sweida and restore security to the country. “

    He continues,

    “The Syrian state alone is capable of preserving its prestige and sovereignty across all Syrian territories.”

    “We appreciate the role of the United States of America in reaffirming its stand with Syria and its unity,”

    “We thank the tribes for their heroic stances and call on them for a complete ceasefire.”

    And speaking on some

    “The honorable Druze community as a whole should not be judged for the actions of a very small minority.”

    He also added that,

    “Events have proven that the people of Sweida stand with the state, with the exception of a small segment.”

     “We disown all massacres and transgressions that occurred in Sweida province.”

    He finished strong with this statement

    “This sensitive circumstance requires the tribes and the Druze people to stand united.” Reaffirming Syria’s territorial integrity, he declared, “Syria is not a battlefield for secessionist projects.”

    Author’s note. 

    I usually prefer to have more visual information with my reports however the violence being carried out between the Druze and the Bedouins is some of the most horrific stuff I’ve ever gone through. People being stabbed to death and shot are the tame videos I’ve seen a videos of a Bedouin militia forcing Druze people to jump off a rooftop. As they prepare for what they are about to do ao and start climbing the railing they are shot anyway with rifles. 
    The Druze as well have been forcing Arabs out of the area and killing those who don’t comply. In the whole affair around 350 people have been killed. In the grand scheme of things that seems low but it could have been much worse and still has the potential to reignite.

    Sorry for the delay in writing this, I’ve been following the fighting but it took me a while to re-familiarize myself with some of the players here. 

    Thank you for the support. Without you, GCR does not exist. 

    -Scott