Everything Sawti has published in connection with this country.
Damascus has denied reports that Saudi Arabia requested Syrian troops for the kingdom or Yemen, affirming its support for Saudi and Gulf security while maintaining a policy of stability and avoiding the opening of new fronts. The denial follows Syrian-Saudi talks and a statement by the Mecca Pact on activating mutual defence commitments after Houthi attacks.
Syrian internal security forces announced the arrest of seven former regime members in operations in Hama province, including one of the founders of the Hawks Regiment and a member known as the “Tiger’s Foal”. It said the detainees were accused of murder, abduction, torture and extortion between 2011 and 2024, adding that investigations were continuing ahead of their referral to the courts.
Syria’s Interior Ministry announced the arrest of Khaled Raed Bayrouni, known as ‘Abu Hassan Doushka’, during a security operation in Damascus countryside. It accused him of responsibility for the bombing of the Ali bin Abi Talib Mosque in Homs in December 2025, which killed eight people, as well as plotting sectarian attacks.
The General Directorate of Cinema has selected Tawfiq Sabouni’s documentary ‘The Other Side of the Sun’ to represent Syria in the Best International Feature Film race at the 99th Academy Awards. The film documents the experiences of the director and four survivors of Saydnaya Prison, after his team moved from reconstructing the cells in Belgium to filming inside the prison itself.
Residents of Jaba village in the Quneitra countryside held a funeral for 22-year-old Muhammad Dabbour after the Syrian Red Crescent received his body in coordination with UN forces. The funeral coincided with other shooting incidents and Israeli military movements in Quneitra and around Beit Jin in the Damascus countryside.
The Syrian Internal Security Forces announced the arrest of Jamal Trabulsi, who served as Mirac Oral’s deputy during Bashar al-Assad’s rule. It accused him of taking part in combat operations in the Hama, Idlib and Aleppo countryside, as well as involvement in the Banias and al-Bayda massacres in 2013, according to a statement published through its official channels.
Israeli forces entered the village of al-Asbah in the Quneitra countryside of southern Syria, while raiding homes, launching illuminating flares and flying a drone, according to Syrian media. The Israeli army announced that it had killed a person it described as a “suspect”, claiming he had attempted to infiltrate one of its positions in the security zone.
Forty-five motorcyclists arrived in Damascus as part of the 2026 Saudi-Syrian Motorcycle Rally, after travelling 1,700 kilometres over three days from Jeddah via Saudi cities and Jordan. The rally, which continues until 12 October, includes tours introducing participants to Syria’s natural, cultural and historical sites.
Syrian presidential media adviser Ahmed Muwaffaq Zaidan denied reports of direct contacts and talks between the Syrian government and Hezbollah in Türkiye, stressing that Damascus supports the Lebanese state and negotiates only with it. The denial followed a Syrian announcement that a cell allegedly affiliated with the group had been detained; Hezbollah in turn denied any activity inside Syria.
Three power stations in Syria were taken offline after gas supplies were halted following an explosion and fire on a pipeline running between the al-Shoula area and Deir ez-Zor. Firefighters announced that the blaze had been extinguished, while technical teams prepared to secure the site and begin maintenance and repairs to the damaged line.
Israeli forces entered two villages in the Yarmouk Basin in the western Daraa countryside on Tuesday, while another patrol moved near Khan Arnabeh in the Quneitra countryside, stopping and searching a number of passers-by. The movements followed further incursions into Saida al-Hanout, Wadi al-Raqad and Kodana in recent days.
Gas flow from the al-Jbessa plant to power-generation stations was halted after a fire broke out on a pipeline between al-Shoula and Deir ez-Zor, following the explosion of a sectional valve in an incident attributed to sabotage. Fire crews began isolating the area and working to extinguish the flames as gas pressure fell.
Syria's Energy Ministry urged residents of Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor to stay away from the Euphrates riverbed after water releases were raised to 1,200 cubic metres per second, amid increased inflows from Türkiye. The dam administration is working to create additional storage capacity ahead of rainfall and snowmelt.
Syria manager José Lana has called up striker Omar Al Somah to a 23-man squad for friendly matches against Jordan and Uzbekistan, marking his international return after an absence of about two years. The squad includes 17 overseas-based players and six domestic players, while Omar Khribin is absent after citing personal reasons.
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa said in New York that Damascus remains committed to ending the presence of foreign military bases and is continuing diplomatic efforts with Israel towards a security agreement that would return it to the 1974 borders. He also disclosed understandings with Russia, legal discussions over the Turkish presence and a project to transport Iraqi oil through Syrian ports.
Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa said direct talks with Israel began about a year ago and that Tel Aviv backtracks whenever the two sides approach an agreement. He linked any lasting peace to the withdrawal of Israeli forces from territories they seized after the fall of the former regime, and discussed the foreign military presence, the transitional process and Damascus's regional relations.
Syria’s Ministry of Health has issued the first epidemiological bulletin covering the country’s entire territory after a pause of about 15 years. The bulletin brings together data on early warning, vaccine-preventable diseases, water- and food-borne diseases, and acute respiratory illnesses, with the aim of improving outbreak monitoring, directing resources and supporting health decisions.
Four people were injured and nearby homes began to be evacuated after a powerful explosion was followed by successive blasts at an army site in al-Eis, southern Aleppo, in the fifth ammunition-related incident in Syria during September. The closely spaced incidents have revived speculation about sabotage and technical failures caused by ageing ammunition and poor storage.
A powerful explosion occurred at a Syrian army site near the town of al-Eis, south of Aleppo, followed by successive blasts that hindered the arrival of ambulance and rescue teams. Aleppo Civil Defence operations commander Faisal Mohammed Ali urged civilians to stay away from the site as response efforts continued.
Israeli forces shelled areas in the Quneitra and Damascus countryside with artillery and made an incursion into western Daraa countryside, where they arrested a young man who worked herding cattle. The developments coincided with explosions in Deir ez-Zor and Darayya, and a security announcement about pursuing a cell accused of killing 3 personnel in al-Sanamayn.
Syrian singer Asala Nasri performed at the Fayhaa Sports Hall in Damascus, marking her first appearance on a Syrian stage since 2010. The evening, titled ‘Asala’s Return’, included a tribute to her by Culture Minister Mohammed Yassin Saleh and performances from her new Syrian album alongside well-known works.
Three members of Syria’s Internal Security Forces were killed and others injured on Thursday during a mission to arrest a wanted person in Al-Sanamayn, in the Daraa countryside. The security forces said an armed group led by the wanted person attacked the patrol, while a temporary curfew was imposed and efforts to apprehend those involved continued.
Palmyra has seen a gradual return of local and foreign visitors since December 2024, but tourism remains limited compared with pre-2011 levels. Workers and experts attribute this to damaged infrastructure, a shortage of hotels and services, and weak flows of European tourists, calling for rehabilitation plans and overseas promotion.
Damascus is preparing to convert Al-Mezzeh military airport into a private aviation hub, while the Syrian Center for Justice and Accountability warned that development work could damage remains and evidence at two sites suspected of containing the graves of detainees. Leaked documents show the airport has been used since 2012 to carry out secret executions.
