Global Conflict Reporting

Tag: Syria

  • United States aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln heads towards Middle East.

    Satellites images taken over the weekend show the USS Abraham Lincoln turning West, turning away from the Indi-Pacific and headings towards the Middle East.

    By. Scott Jackson

    01/20/2026

    Several days ago the USS Abraham Lincoln(CVN 72) along with its Carrier Strike Group(CSG) which had most recently been sailing in the South China Sea, turned West, reportedly, with new orders- to sail to the Middle East. The ship and her escorts will join the US Fifth Fleet and conduct operations in the strategically and geopolitically important waterways of the Middle East. 

    Currently the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group is made up of destroyers USS Frank E. Petersen, Jr. (DDG-121), USS Spruance (DDG-111) and USS Michael Murphy (DDG-112). The carrier embarked with the air power of Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 9. 

    USS Frank E. Petersen, Jr.
    USS Spruance (DDG-111)
    USS Michael Murphy (DDG-112)

    Late on Sunday (about 11:00 pm local time) the carrier was spotted entering the Malacca Strait which can be seen In the photo below, posted by USNI the ship was caught sailing past Singapore at about midnight. By Monday the carrier’s AIS data showed it was on the last stretch of the Malacca Strait before the Indian Ocean. 

    The dark shape of the USS Abraham Lincoln as it looked sailing through Singapore, in its way through rk mm

    There are currently no U.S. aircraft carriers in the Middle East and right now there are only two CSG’s  deployed at all- the Abraham Lincoln CSG heading towards the Middle East and the Gerald R. Ford CSG which has been operating in the Caribbean. 

    Last known position of the USS Abraham Lincoln.

    GCR as well as other media outlets have reached out to the Pentagon as well as the Navy for confirmation, but we’ve received no statement back at the time of writing. 

    The instability in the region since 2024 has three times now caused a carrier strike group to be rerouted from the Indo-pacific region to the Middle East. USS Abraham Lincoln in 2024 and the USS Nimitz CSG last June. 

    The USS Abraham Lincoln will reach the Central Command (CENTCOM) area of responsibility in roughly 5-6 days. Tensions in the area are the probable cause of this redeployment and shifting of forces, with instability and conflict in both Syria and Iran.

    Following protest being met with violence in Iran, the White House threatened military action against Iran with President Trump claiming “Help is on its way.”. Those protest have been ongoing in multiple cities around the country for several weeks now, and are often met with gunfire from the various Iranian security forces. In Syria, fighting between the regime and Kurdish SDF forces in the North has been ongoing for a time.

    The redeployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln from the Indo-Pacific leaves only the forward deployed USS George Washington (CVN 73), currently undergoing maintenance in Yokosuka, Japan. It would take some time for the USS George Washington to be 6ready for sea as at the very least its carrier air wing would need to undergo carrier qualification training before being allowed to set sail. 

    The U.S. also has the Japan-based amphibious assault ship Tripoli (LHA-7) which is conducting patrols in the Indo-Pacific region as well as cruiser USS Robert Smalls (CG-62) and destroyer USS Rafael Peralta (DDG-115) according to USNI. 

    Tripoli (LHA-7)

    Apart from naval movements, sharp eyed flight trackers noticed an increase in flights heading to US bases in the Middle East. In the last 24 hours at least a dozen US Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles from the 48th Fighter Wing departed RAF Lakenheath in the United Kingdom and arrived at the Muwaffew Salti Air Base in Jordan. Four KC-135’s accompanied them. A number of C-17’s also reportedly departed from the UK and made their way to the Middle East. 

    F-15E Strike Eagle landing in Jordan, relesed this morning by US CENTCOM

  • 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. 

  • 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
  • Footage released showing US forces conducting targeted airstrike killing senior Huertas Al-Din members.

    Footage released showing US forces conducting targeted airstrike killing senior Huertas Al-Din members.

    By Scott Jackson

    02/02/2025

    On February 23rd US Central Command (US- CENTCOM) forces carried out a targeted airstrike on an automobile driven by Muhammed Yusuf Ziya Talay, a military leader of the terrorist organization Hurras al-Din (HaD), an Al-Qaeda affiliate operating in Northern Syria.

    Video shows the airstrike on a vehicular claimed to be occupied by Muhammed Yusuf Ziya Talay.

    The airstrike took place in Northern Syria on February 23rd while the video was not released until yesterday. The attack was carried out with a Hellfire AGM-114 R9X “Flying Ginsu” or “knife missile”. The AGM-114 R9X is a regular hellfire missile with the

    AGM-114R9X

    As we have said in the past, we will continue to relentlessly pursue these terrorists in order to defend our homeland, and U.S., allied, and partner personnel in the region,”

    Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, commander, U.S. Central Command

    The strike was the 3rd strike in February that targeted a member of one of the groups located in Northern Syria and the 4th strike of this nature since U.S. President Trump took office. During the Biden administration the group, made up of about 2,500 soldiers at best estimate, was given the designation as a terrorist outfit and strikes were carried out periodically that would target upper leadership. The group made a standby after the fall of Assad that they would be disbanding however US surveillance drone flights have increased in the northern Syria and Idlib region to make sure that the groups members don’t migrate to other theaters of conflict.

  • Daily Briefing

    By. Scott Jackson

    February 1st, 2025

    US Forces kill senior operative of Terror Group Hurras al-Din in Syria.

    The aftermath of the airstrike that killed Muhammad Salah al-Za’bir in Northwestern Syria.

    On January 30th US CENTCOM (Central Command) forces conducted an airstrike in northwestern Syria targeting a senior operative of the US classified Terror group Huertas Al-Din (HaD) an affiliate of Al-Qaeda. The target was Muhammad Salah al-Za’bir a former ISIS member who later went on to become a member of the Syrian At-Qaeda branch. Not much else is known about him besides that CENTCOM describes him as a “Senior member” in the group. 

    A statement from CENTCOM on the strike:

    “The airstrike is part of CENTCOM’s ongoing commitment, along with partners in the region, to disrupt and degrade efforts by terrorists to plan, organize and conduct attacks against civilians and military personnel from the U.S., our allies, and our partners throughout the region and beyond”

    It ends with a warning from commander of CENTCOM, Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla.

    “CENTCOM will continue to hunt and kill or capture terrorists and defend our homeland against groups that plot to attack U.S. and allied personnel,”

    (more…)

    Pages: 1 2