iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

A young Syrian Kurd, arrested by the Assad regime in Damascus in 2015, reappeared in Aqtan Prison in Raqqa more than a decade later. He was only able to recognise his mother through her efforts to remind him. — via Cyrus Intel x.com/i/status/201...

183

Following armed clashes with the SDF, the Syrian Army has taken control of the Lafarge cement factory at Al-Jalabiya village in the countryside of Kobani/Ain al-Arab. — Euphrates Post x.com/i/status/201...

033

Al-Safa in Hasakah: Now the Syrian army is striking the YPG/SDF-controlled village with 57mm cannons @simnasr.bsky.social x.com/i/status/201...

010

Hasakah: YPG/SDF fire on al-Safa as residents are leaving the village @simnasr.bsky.social x.com/i/status/201...

100

According to local sources, residents in the village of Al-Safa in the Al-Hasakah countryside are calling on the Syrian army to intervene and take control, citing injuries and other alleged violations by the SDF. — Levant24 x.com/i/status/201...

122

Russian forces evacuate Qamishli Airport — Kurdistan24 x.com/i/status/201...

020

Russian forces are withdrawing tanks, military equipment, and aircraft from Qamishli Airport, northeast Syria. — Kurdistan24 x.com/i/status/201...

184

Syria Notes @syrianotes.org · 25/01/2026

Since SDF was expelled from E. DeirEzzor, a widespread popular participation to restore bridges bombed years ago by US-led Coalition. For years, residents relied on costly, dangerous barges to cross river, as SDF prevented bridges being repaired. @qalaatalmudiq.bsky.social x.com/i/status/201...

012

OCHA Syria: In coordination with relevant authorities, a UN-supported convoy of 24 trucks is heading to Kobani (Ain Al Arab) with life-saving aid, including fuel, bread, and ready-to-eat rations, to support people affected by recent developments. x.com/i/status/201...

A convoy of vehicles with UN agency markings.

073

Syria Notes @syrianotes.org · 24/01/2026

One of those released from imprisonment by the SDF in Aqtan prison, Raqqa. Age: 15 years old. Charge: “Providing information to designated terrorist entities.” Sentence: 7 years. Via Raqqa_SL x.com/i/status/201...

172

Syria Notes @syrianotes.org · 24/01/2026

Today, 126 underage detainees, teens and children previously held by SDF in Aqtan prison, Raqqa province, were released after the Syrian Justice Ministry reviewed their cases. They told of being subjected to mistreatment while in prison. Via @qalaatalmudiq.bsky.social x.com/i/status/201...

Seven boys, children and teenagers, photographed against a white wall.

1114

Syria Notes @syrianotes.org · 20/01/2026

US Army Special Forces deploy around al-Sinaa prison in Ghuwayran neighbourhood of Hasakah, which holds ISIS detainees. This follows reports that SDF released dozens of ISIS detainees from Al-Shaddadi prison south of Hasakah in an attempt to pressure Syrian govt. — Levant24 x.com/i/status/201...

033

Syria Notes @syrianotes.org · 19/01/2026

Syrian Defence Ministry map shows areas currently under its control as well as those where deployment is ongoing following agreement with SDF. Details on administration of areas with Kurdish communities will be subjected to further negotiations. @qalaatalmudiq.bsky.social x.com/i/status/201...

032

Syria Notes @syrianotes.org · 18/01/2026

SDF converted the remains of a Church in Tabqa into a base - used to launch drones - with a tunnel system also dug beneath the building. Geolocation: wikimapia.org/m/#lat=35.84... @qalaatalmudiq.bsky.social x.com/i/status/201...

010

Syria Notes @syrianotes.org · 18/01/2026

“The current situation, after the liberation of Raqqa, Tal al-Saman, Hazima, and eastern countryside of Raqqa, is heading towards a real siege of Ain al-Arab if the Syrian army crosses the M4 highway or if the tribes move north and breach the 2019 borders.” — Zain al-Abidin x.com/i/status/201...

Map showing the rapid gains by pro government forces (green) against SDF (yellow) in eastern Syria this morning, 18 January 2026.

053

Syria Notes @syrianotes.org · 18/01/2026

“The clashes inside the city have stopped. Residents are gathering in the neighborhoods of Raqqa, raising the Syrian flag and declaring the liberation of the city of Raqqa.” — Zain al-Abidin x.com/i/status/201...

122

Syria Notes @syrianotes.org · 17/01/2026

Official control map after SDF withdrawal from Eastern Aleppo countryside today. New front near Dibsi Afnan (SW. Raqqa). Area in red under SDF control, including the town of Tabqa, is the new military zone designated by the Defence Ministry. Via @qalaatalmudiq.bsky.social. x.com/i/status/201...

011

Syria Notes @syrianotes.org · 13/01/2026

The Syrian army’s announcement was accompanied by a map showing the designated area. The army urged civilians living near the area to stay away from SDF positions, warning of dangers amid possible military operations. www.newarab.com/news/syrian-...

000

Syria Notes @syrianotes.org · 10/01/2026

SDF suicide drone targets the Aleppo Governorate building. — Zain al-Abidin x.com/i/status/200...

182

Syria Notes @syrianotes.org · 10/01/2026

Convoy carrying the last SDF-affiliated fighters has just left Sheikh Maqsoud in Aleppo city. Four fully loaded buses are visible (150+ fighters). They will be escorted east to the front line with the SDF. @qalaatalmudiq.bsky.social x.com/i/status/201...

031

Syria Notes @syrianotes.org · 08/01/2026

Aleppo conflict map by Levant24 showing today’s advances by Syrian government forces in the city. x.com/i/status/200...

033

Syria Notes @syrianotes.org · 03/10/2025

It is also worth reading the father’s call for the release of hostages which he posted shortly after.

Facebook post in Arabic dated 10 Oct. 2023.

Google Translate:
When Saladin liberated Jerusalem, the rules of engagement were clear: We will not take elderly men and women or children as prisoners. These people are entitled to our protection and must be returned safely to their families. We will not destroy any trees, nor will we kill any prisoners or threaten them in any way. If you truly desire victory, rely on God and follow the teachings of our Prophet regarding warfare. Do not think that capturing the elderly will increase your strength, nor that releasing them will weaken you. If you truly believe that victory comes from God, not from your own strength, then release the elderly and children. What you have done so far is a miracle by any standard; do not spoil it with an act of anger. There is no place for such actions in warfare. May God grant you victory, strengthen you, and guide you on the straight path in this battle, which history will record as the beginning of the liberation of Jerusalem, God willing.

100

Syria Notes @syrianotes.org · 19/09/2025

A last-minute Syria-Israel agreement driven by US urgency will remain susceptible to collapse under the weight of Netanyahu’s “peace through force” doctrine, @haidhaid22.bsky.social writes. en.majalla.com/node/327415/... Image: Israeli aims in southern Syria mapped by @thestudyofwar.bsky.social

Israeli territorial ambitions in southern Syria mapped by The Institute for the Study of War.

052

Syria Notes @syrianotes.org · 19/07/2025

Hamzeh Al-Amareen, Manager of a White Helmets Emergency Response Center, was abducted on Wednesday while he was on a mission to evacuate a United Nations team in the city of Suwayda at their request. whitehelmets.org/node/2446

Portrait photo of Hamzeh Al-Amareen, Manager of a White Helmets Emergency Response Center, who was abducted on Wednesday 16 July while he was on a mission to evacuate a United Nations team in the city of Suwayda at their request.

1126

Syria Notes @syrianotes.org · 22/06/2025

ETANA: There are signs that the Israel-Iran war could harden Israel’s presence in south-west Syria in violation of Syria’s sovereignty, following a wave of recent housing demolitions & airstrikes to prevent any armed group from approaching Quneitra’s border strip. etanasyria.org/analysis-syr...

ETANA map of Israeli operations in southwest Syria, 12-20 June 2025.

0116

Syria Notes @syrianotes.org · 22/05/2025

UK asylum figures for the latest year saw applications by Syrian nationals up 46% to 6,175, but the latest quarter, January to March 2025, saw the overall number of Syrian claims fall by 81%, down to 443 compared to 2,280 in October to December 2024. www.gov.uk/government/s...

Chart showing rise and recent fall in the number of Syrians applying for asylum in the UK.

041

Syria Notes @syrianotes.org · 18/05/2025

From our archive seven years ago, a special issue on reconstruction and human rights. www.syrianotes.org/2018/07/syri... A different time, but all these years later, for most the work has yet to begin.

Cover of Syria Notes no. 23, summer 2018.

Syrian Legal Development Programme event on reconstruction and human rights at Chatham House, 2018.

012

Syria Notes @syrianotes.org · 14/05/2025

Trump meets Syrian president, says he is looking into normalising ties @reuters.com www.reuters.com/world/middle...

U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in this handout released on May 14, 2025. Saudi Press Agency/Handout via REUTERS

2104

Syria Notes @syrianotes.org · 12/05/2025

President Donald Trump: “I expect all sanctions on Syria to be lifted. Erdogan and other regional leaders have requested this, and we will make a decision soon.” Via @faredalmahlool.bsky.social

044

Syria Notes @syrianotes.org · 12/05/2025

What we do is done on a shoestring. We would like to do more. www.syrianotes.org/p/donate.html Help out if you can via our Donate page.

Print copies of the latest issue of Syria Notes for distribution to the UK Parliament.

030

Syria Notes @syrianotes.org · 10/05/2025

‘I should like to draw a line...’ www.syrianotes.org/2022/03/i-sh... For our 2022 issue on Rukban Camp, we talked to the historians James Barr and Elizabeth F Thompson about how the Syria‑Jordan border came into existence.

Cover of Syria Notes no. 28, published in spring 2022, titled Area 55, Stories from Syria’s twilight zone. The cover image shows a manipulated photograph of a US military Osprey aircraft operating in the Syrian desert near Tanf base.

064

Syria Notes @syrianotes.org · 07/05/2025

For the latest issue of Syria Notes, our cover painting shows Marjeh Square in Damascus, where many families have posted pictures of their missing relatives, hoping to learn something of their fate. www.syrianotes.org/2025/05/free...

0124

Syria Notes @syrianotes.org · 05/05/2025

Invasion timeline For our latest issue, as part of our look at Syrian independent media, we drew on reporting by Enab Baladi for a timeline of Israel’s advance into Syria beyond the 1974 ceasefire lines. www.syrianotes.org/2025/05/inva... Map: New Israeli military bases in Syria since 8 December.

Map: New Israeli military bases in Syria since 8 December 2024.

0105

Syria Notes @syrianotes.org · 02/05/2025

Video of Israeli aircraft dropping food and ammunition south of Sweida at the Kafr airstrip. — Omar Alhariri x.com/omar_alharir...

120

Syria Notes @syrianotes.org · 04/04/2025

Some 70% are optimistic about the overall direction of the country. Happiest province is Idlib, where 99 of 100 respondents optimistic. Tartus is the saddest. Even there, 49 optimistic, 23% pessimistic.

Chart published by the Economist
Title: Getting better
Syria, % responding weighted by best available data for age, religion, region, and Kurdish identity.
The graph is visual, with markers for 0, 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100%.
Change in freedom: less than 10% negative, more than 80% positive.
Al-Sharaa job approval: less than 20% negative, more than 80% positive.
Direction of country, less than 20% negative, approx. 70% positive.
Change in safety: less than 30% negative, more than 60% positive.
Change in economy: less than 30% negative, more than 40% positive.
Change in women's rights: less than 20% negative, more than 20% positive.
Sources: Middle East Consulting Solutions, The Economist.

130

For the second consecutive day, Israel continues its airstrikes on southern Syria. — Hussam Hammoud x.com/HussamHamoud...

Plume of smoke or dust on the horizon, rising against a darkening evening sky, and lit by fire. In the dark mid ground, a few lights are on in urban buildings.

020

Video of today’s funeral in Nawa city, Daraa, of those killed by invading Israeli forces. Longer video: x.com/omar_alharir...

051

Funeral today in Nawa city, Daraa for those killed by invading Israeli forces last night. Nine names in Alt text. Two of those killed were brothers. One other was the fourth brother killed from one family, and yet another was the third brother killed from his family.

Composite of eight portrait photos.

Original post by Omar Alhariri:

The city of #Nawa in the countryside of #Daraa invites you to participate in the funeral of its martyred sons today after the noon prayer. The gathering place will be "Reefal Revival Center."
Nawa City Martyrs in the Face of the Israeli Occupation
• Martyr, God willing, Imran Muhammad Arar
• Martyr, God willing, Ali Riad Tayasneh
• Martyr, God willing, Bashar Tayasneh
• Martyr, God willing, Hisham Batha
• Martyr, God willing, Abdullah Batha
• Martyr, God willing, Issa Al-Saqr
• Martyr, God willing, Muhammad Al-Batal
• Martyr, God willing, Muhammad Al-Rifai
• Martyr, God willing, Qais Al-Jundi

Some of them followed in the footsteps of their brothers who preceded them to martyrdom. One of them was the fourth martyr of his brothers, another the third martyr of his brothers, while two brothers were martyred together.

Source post: x.com/omar_alharir/status/1907696393516453900

132

Syria Notes @syrianotes.org · 02/04/2025

Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates strongly condemns latest wave of Israeli agression, a deliberate attempt to destabilise Syria. When Syria is trying to rebuild, these repeated attacks form part of a clear Israeli strategy to normalise violence. www.facebook.com/story.php?st...

Statement:

Escalation of Israeli agression against the Syrian Arab Republic

Damascus 3 April 2025 — The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the Syrian Arab Republic strongly condemns the latest wave of Israeli agression against Syria. In a blatant violation of international law and Syrian sovereignty, Israeli forces launched airstrikes on five locations across the country in 30 minutes, resulting in the near-total destruction of Hama Military Airport and injuring dozens of civilians and military personnel. This unjustified escalation is a deliberate attempt to destabilise Syria and exacerbate the suffering of its people.

At a time when Syria is striving to rebuild after 14 years of war, these repeated attacks form part of a clear Israeli strategy to normalise violence once again within the country, undermining recovery efforts and entrenching a culture of impunity.

The Syrian Arab Republic calls on the international community to take a firm stance and exert pressure on Israel to cease its agression, respect international law, and uphold its commitments under the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement. We also urge the United Nations and all relevant international bodies to take immediate action to halt this escalation and prevent further violations.

142

David Taylor MP: “It was a privilege to facilitate this meeting of Syrian civil society” Meeting 1 April between Hamish Falconer MP and organisations including British Syrian Consortium, Syrian Civil Defence, Madaniya, Syrian Legal Development Programme. Photo via H Falconer x.com/DavidTaylor8...

Meeting in Westminster between Hamish Falconer MP and Syrian organisations including British Syrian Consortium, Syrian Civil Defence, Madaniya, Syrian Legal Development Programme, 1 April 2025.

142

Foreign Secretary David Lammy responds on Syria’s interim constitution: “I recognise his concerns…”

010

The second question comes from Rt Hon Mark Pritchard MP, with concerns about Syria’s interim constitutional declaration.

110

David Lammy responds: “… Clearly the recent violence that we saw was incredibly horrific and alarming. We will continue to work with the new government as best we can to ensure the inclusive political decision that we all want to see.”

100

First question from Fabian Hamilton MP on recent sectarian killings.

100