<![CDATA[Syria Revisited: Security Weekly]]>

<![CDATA[Syria Revisited: Security Weekly]]>https://www.syriarevisited.com/s/security-weeklyhttps://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!f58w!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa001939d-2300-41fb-91ee-12d42335d86b_4032x3024.jpegSyria Revisited: Security Weeklyhttps://www.syriarevisited.com/s/security-weeklySubstackWed, 12 Aug 2026 13:41:03 GMT<![CDATA[Rebuilding Security in New Syria: Year 2, Week 35]]>https://www.syriarevisited.com/p/rebuilding-security-in-new-syria-326https://www.syriarevisited.com/p/rebuilding-security-in-new-syria-326Mon, 10 Aug 2026 05:37:06 GMTAnnouncements of security deployments mostly in western Syria, with an emphasis on the minority regions. This weekly update is intended to provide base level data for more holistic research into the rebuilding of the security and governance structures of post-Assad Syria. Direct links to primary sources are provided throughout.

The Ministry of Interior continued to expand its training efforts across the country this week. The MoI officially opened the Deir Ez Zor Training Institute, the first such training facility in eastern Syria, while two new classes of cadets graduated in Latakia and in Hama. Security forces intercepted a significant weapons shipment being smuggled into Lebanon and dismantled several large kidnapping and robbery networks. At least four regime-era officers were also arrested this week in Homs, Latakia, and Aleppo.

Anti-ISIS operations and ISIS attacks continued this week. A 9-person ISIS cell was detained in Quneitra’s Khan Arnaba on August 9, including senior ISIS commander close to the former Caliph killed in 2022. Prior to that, a suspect ISIS IED attack was carried out in Damascus and a second ISIS IED team was killed while trying to plant a device in the city.

Inter-family fights continue to be a strain on security forces, with violent clashes breaking out in Aleppo, Latakia, and Homs this week leaving several dead and dozens injured.

]]><![CDATA[Rebuilding Security in New Syria: Year 2, Week 34]]>https://www.syriarevisited.com/p/rebuilding-security-in-new-syria-80ahttps://www.syriarevisited.com/p/rebuilding-security-in-new-syria-80aMon, 03 Aug 2026 14:32:24 GMTAnnouncements of security deployments mostly in western Syria, with an emphasis on the minority regions. This weekly update is intended to provide base level data for more holistic research into the rebuilding of the security and governance structures of post-Assad Syria. Direct links to primary sources are provided throughout.

Aleppo and Idlib
Damascus
Coast
Homs
Hama

This week saw continued security operations targeting the three main challenges facing the new Syrian government: ISIS cells, drug networks, and ex-regime criminals. Simultaneous anti-ISIS operations were carried out in two towns in northern Aleppo while another operation was launched against an ISIS cell in Deir Ez Zor during which security forces detained the cell leader and killed an “official responsible for assassination operations in the area.” The cell had reportedly carried out attacks in the Al-Baghouz and Al-Shaafa areas in the Al-Bukamal District.

Three major narcotics busts were conducted in border areas while lower-level drug traffickers were also arrested in separate operations elsewhere. Meanwhile, at least 12 regime-era criminals were arrested across the country this week, with additional arrests confirmed by the MoI at the end of the week without providing more information.

Low-level violence continued across the country as well. A recently returned Kurdish man was killed in Afrin, the first such case since the mass returned of IDPs this summer. Another man was found dead in rural east Hama, and an Alawi man was murdered in western Hama as a result of a long-standing dispute. Over the weekend, inter-communal water disputes in western Damascus escalated to riots, resulting in clashes with security forces and arrests.

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]]><![CDATA[Rebuilding Security in New Syria: Year 2, Week 33]]>https://www.syriarevisited.com/p/rebuilding-security-in-new-syria-56ahttps://www.syriarevisited.com/p/rebuilding-security-in-new-syria-56aMon, 27 Jul 2026 04:41:22 GMTAnnouncements of security deployments mostly in western Syria, with an emphasis on the minority regions. This weekly update is intended to provide base level data for more holistic research into the rebuilding of the security and governance structures of post-Assad Syria. Direct links to primary sources are provided throughout.

This week saw reduced violence compared to past weeks, though there was once again a shooting in Homs that left at least one woman dead and child injured. A woman was found dead in southern Tartous, though whether by suicide or murder is still unclear. Meanwhile, several security incidents occurred in Damascus and its countryside, including clashes between locals and security forces in western Damascus and a security operation to free six kidnapped Druze men in Beit Jinn.

Elsewhere, security forces conducted an anti-insurgent raid in rural Jableh, leaving two former regime soldiers dead, and three major anti-narcotics operations in Damascus and the Badia. Several ex-regime members were arrested this week, though not as many as in previous weeks. Minister of Interior Anas Khattab also hosted several foreign delegations throughout the week.

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]]><![CDATA[Rebuilding Security in New Syria: Year 2, Week 32]]>https://www.syriarevisited.com/p/rebuilding-security-in-new-syria-042https://www.syriarevisited.com/p/rebuilding-security-in-new-syria-042Mon, 20 Jul 2026 12:01:30 GMTAnnouncements of security deployments mostly in western Syria, with an emphasis on the minority regions. This weekly update is intended to provide base level data for more holistic research into the rebuilding of the security and governance structures of post-Assad Syria. Direct links to primary sources are provided throughout.

This week saw a continued trend of inter-family disputes escalating into significant violence across Aleppo, following three such instances last week. Several involved direct attacks against General Security forces and at least one bout of violence was centered around an ex-opposition family holding local security and military positions in northern Aleppo. These clashes underscore a major security challenge facing internal security forces going forward.

Elsewhere, vigilante and sectarian violence continued across Homs, Hama, Damascus, and Aleppo. Three ex-regime fighters were killed in Homs and Hama, and four Alawis were murdered in Homs and Damascus, among them a family of three. A prominent Sunni charity director was also murdered in his office in Homs City.

Security forces continue to arrest ex-regime members at the same high rate since April. At least nine men were arrested this week across Aleppo, Hama, Homs, and Latakia. Several of the arrested men were reportedly linked to post-liberation crimes and killings in Latakia and Aleppo. The detained men include Sunnis and Alawis.

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]]><![CDATA[Rebuilding Security in New Syria: Year 2, Week 31]]>https://www.syriarevisited.com/p/rebuilding-security-in-new-syria-a1bhttps://www.syriarevisited.com/p/rebuilding-security-in-new-syria-a1bMon, 13 Jul 2026 05:02:59 GMTAnnouncements of security deployments mostly in western Syria, with an emphasis on the minority regions. This weekly update is intended to provide base level data for more holistic research into the rebuilding of the security and governance structures of post-Assad Syria. Direct links to primary sources are provided throughout.

This week saw several major ISIS events in Syria. On July 7, two IEDs were detonated in central Damascus while French President Macron was visiting. On July 9, a senior ISIS leader and his associated cell were arrested in Daraa. The next evening, security forces conducted a massive operations across four Damascus city districts, detaining ISIS cells linked to the July 7 IED attacks, as well as at least one other earlier IED attack.

Meanwhile, multiple inter-family disputes in northwest Syria resulted in several deaths and injuries across rural Aleppo and Idlib, triggering repeat ISC deployments and weapons seizures. The Ministry of Interior also arrested several regime-era criminals and one media activist accused of inciting sectarian disputes.

Vigilante killings continue at the same high pace as throughout this summer, with four men killed in Idlib, Hama, and Damascus.

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]]><![CDATA[Rebuilding Security in New Syria: Year 2, Week 30]]>https://www.syriarevisited.com/p/rebuilding-security-in-new-syria-5d3https://www.syriarevisited.com/p/rebuilding-security-in-new-syria-5d3Mon, 06 Jul 2026 18:36:20 GMTAnnouncements of security deployments mostly in western Syria, with an emphasis on the minority regions. This weekly update is intended to provide base level data for more holistic research into the rebuilding of the security and governance structures of post-Assad Syria. Direct links to primary sources are provided throughout.

This week saw a continued trend of vigilante killings across the country, with one Sunni and two Alawi ex-soldiers killed. An Alawi and a Shia man living in Damascus were also killed in apparently targeted attacks, potentially linked to war-time grievances.

Meanwhile, the government continues its high rate of arrests against regime-era members. Furthermore, local officials have engaged in several social cohesion-related initiatives this week, from meetings with dignitaries to reshuffling leadership.

Large scale attacks were also conducted in Damascus this week. One IED attack was successfully carried out against lawyers and judges outside the Justice Palace, while a second attack was thwarted in an Alawi neighborhood.

]]><![CDATA[Rebuilding Security in New Syria: Year 2, Week 29]]>https://www.syriarevisited.com/p/rebuilding-security-in-new-syria-597https://www.syriarevisited.com/p/rebuilding-security-in-new-syria-597Mon, 29 Jun 2026 05:13:17 GMTAnnouncements of security deployments mostly in western Syria, with an emphasis on the minority regions. This weekly update is intended to provide base level data for more holistic research into the rebuilding of the security and governance structures of post-Assad Syria. Direct links to primary sources are provided throughout.

Security forces continue to arrest regime-era officers and soldiers across the country, publicly announcing on average at least one arrest a day. As throughout this month, many of these arrests have targeted Sunni regime members, especially in Dara’a where there has been a noticeable uptick in June. At the same time, vigilante attacks are once again rising across the country, targeting both Sunni and Alawi ex-regime members. At least six men were killed in such attacks in Damascus city, rural Hama, rural Homs, and Idlib.

Two serious shootings also occurred this week targeting minority families. A very rare triple homicide left three members of one family dead and two other seriously injured in rural Latakia. In rural Hama, three Sunni men were arrested after doing a targeted drive-by shooting of a Murshdi family over a land dispute.

]]><![CDATA[Rebuilding Security in New Syria: Year 2, Week 28]]>https://www.syriarevisited.com/p/rebuilding-security-in-new-syria-c8fhttps://www.syriarevisited.com/p/rebuilding-security-in-new-syria-c8fMon, 22 Jun 2026 05:21:00 GMTAnnouncements of security deployments mostly in western Syria, with an emphasis on the minority regions. This weekly update is intended to provide base level data for more holistic research into the rebuilding of the security and governance structures of post-Assad Syria. Direct links to primary sources are provided throughout.

This week began with two more days of transitional justice protests across Sunni communities in central Syria, continuing on from the mass protests that began on June 14. In Damascus city, the protests turned to mob attacks against the Alawi-majority neighborhood of Mezzeh, and in Palmyra the protests turned violent when ex-regime members fired on demonstrators. However, unlike June 14, there were no deaths during the protests on either of these day. In response, the government conducted a sweeping arrest campaign of dozens of ex-regime Sunni fighters in Aleppo, Idlib, Homs, and Dara’a. Another half-dozen senior officers were also arrested across the country throughout the week. Meanwhile, ISIS conducted several low-level attacks in eastern Aleppo, Raqqa, and Hasakah

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]]><![CDATA[Rebuilding Security in New Syria: Year 2, Week 27]]>https://www.syriarevisited.com/p/rebuilding-security-in-new-syria-ef9https://www.syriarevisited.com/p/rebuilding-security-in-new-syria-ef9Tue, 16 Jun 2026 05:35:11 GMTAnnouncements of security deployments mostly in western Syria, with an emphasis on the minority regions. This weekly update is intended to provide base level data for more holistic research into the rebuilding of the security and governance structures of post-Assad Syria. Direct links to primary sources are provided throughout.

This week saw limited violence until June 14. Prior to this, two sectarian-motivated killings against Shia men were committed in Aleppo and Damascus, while an armed robbery attempt in a mostly minority neighborhood in Homs ended with the attacker dead.

However, Sunni-on-Sunni violence escalated sharply this week. Two bedouin families clashed in Homs city, including one family attacking local MoI units, Between June 13 and June 14, more than a dozen Sunni towns across the country saw intense riots targeting local ex-regime shabiha. Several former regime elements were killed. The Ministry of Interior and various community leaders put out calls for peace late on June 14, but riots continued into the evening of June 15.

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]]><![CDATA[Rebuilding Security in New Syria: Year 2, Week 26]]>https://www.syriarevisited.com/p/rebuilding-security-in-new-syria-278https://www.syriarevisited.com/p/rebuilding-security-in-new-syria-278Mon, 08 Jun 2026 04:50:14 GMTAnnouncements of security deployments mostly in western Syria, with an emphasis on the minority regions. This weekly update is intended to provide base level data for more holistic research into the rebuilding of the security and governance structures of post-Assad Syria. Direct links to primary sources are provided throughout.

This week saw an escalation in violence in Hama governorate. Two Alawi and one Sunni ex-soldiers were killed in vigilante attacks in east and north Hama. Additionally, four Alawi men were killed in drive-by shootings in both west and east Hama at the end of the week.

Security forces carried out a series of arrests in Aleppo, Tartous, and Homs targeting theft, drug, and weapons gangs. Arrest campaigns against ex-regime soldiers have also continued, targeting both Sunni and Alawi men. The Ministry of Interior released a statement this week claiming that nearly 400 such men had been detained over the past three months.

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]]><![CDATA[Rebuilding Security in New Syria: Year 2, Week 25]]>https://www.syriarevisited.com/p/rebuilding-security-in-new-syria-c51https://www.syriarevisited.com/p/rebuilding-security-in-new-syria-c51Mon, 01 Jun 2026 04:23:34 GMTNote: I had to skip the previous three weeks of this publication as I was conducting field work in Syria.

Announcements of security deployments mostly in western Syria, with an emphasis on the minority regions. This weekly update is intended to provide base level data for more holistic research into the rebuilding of the security and governance structures of post-Assad Syria. Direct links to primary sources are provided throughout.

This week saw several violent incidents across western Syria attributed to a range of motivations. Sectarian-motivated shootings were conducted in Homs City and western Hama, while a potential insurgent attack was carried out in Latakia. An ISIS attacker was also killed in Aleppo.

Anger over the lack of transitional justice within Sunni communities has also continued. In Aleppo, protests were held in a town demanding the expulsion of local Assad-era shabiha. In Qomhana, two former regime fighters were executed by locals. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Interior held several meetings with foreign delegations while local commanders conducted a number of tours of different departments in the lead up to Eid.

]]><![CDATA[Rebuilding Security in New Syria: Year 2, Week 21]]>https://www.syriarevisited.com/p/rebuilding-security-in-new-syria-d29https://www.syriarevisited.com/p/rebuilding-security-in-new-syria-d29Mon, 04 May 2026 00:43:11 GMTAnnouncements of security deployments mostly in western Syria, with an emphasis on the minority regions. This weekly update is intended to provide base level data for more holistic research into the rebuilding of the security and governance structures of post-Assad Syria. Direct links to primary sources are provided throughout.

This week saw an increase in vigilante and sectarian killings after a multi-week lull. A rare vigilante killing was conducted in al-Ghab, likely a result of the increased tensions in the region following the arrest of Amjad Yusuf there last week. Several Alawi men were killed in Homs city and its countryside. Some of the murders appear to have been linked to war-time events given their targeted nature. Sunnis victims were also killed in murders and disputes in Hama, Damascus, and Latakia. An MoD member was also reportedly arrested this week by the Military Police for conducting a vigilante killing in Hama.

Security forces have arrested many ex-regime criminals throughout April, detaining men at a far greater rate than previously seen. This week saw at least 11 such arrest operations, some targeting more than one man. Most of these targeted men linked to the regime’s intelligence services, but high profile officers were also arrested. Security forces in Raqqa also conducted three arrests at the end of the week against ex-SDF intelligence and military officials in the governorate.

At the same time, the government continues to release regime POWs from prison this month, generally 1-2 batches per week. This week was no exception, and the trend suggests an accelerated effort by Damascus to process and release ex-soldiers with clean records.

]]><![CDATA[Rebuilding Security in New Syria: Year 2, Week 20]]>https://www.syriarevisited.com/p/rebuilding-security-in-new-syria-208https://www.syriarevisited.com/p/rebuilding-security-in-new-syria-208Mon, 27 Apr 2026 16:32:53 GMTAnnouncements of security deployments mostly in western Syria, with an emphasis on the minority regions. This weekly update is intended to provide base level data for more holistic research into the rebuilding of the security and governance structures of post-Assad Syria. Direct links to primary sources are provided throughout.

Violent incidents continued to reduce this week. An off-duty army member was found killed at the Blue Beach Chalet in Latakia, following several days of complaints by locals that tourists were bringing weapons to the beach. Inter-tribal disputes also erupted in Hama, where a large firefight at the sheep market resulted in the MoI shutting the market down, and in Homs, where a Bedouin man was stabbed in a fight with another man, resulting in online misinformation campaigns blaming Alawis and Bedouin mobilization.

The most significant security developments this week occurred in the transitional justice file. Amjad Yousef, the infamous perpetrator of the Tadamon massacre, was captured in his home in rural Hama. His arrest and his family’s protection of him has led to significant online threats against the village, and local Sunnis attempted to storm the village late this week. At the same time, the first trial of a former regime official began in Damascus on Sunday. Meanwhile, the government continues to release ex-regime POWs captured during the 2024 offensive.

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]]><![CDATA[Rebuilding Security in New Syria: Year 2, Week 19]]>https://www.syriarevisited.com/p/rebuilding-security-in-new-syria-596https://www.syriarevisited.com/p/rebuilding-security-in-new-syria-596Mon, 20 Apr 2026 15:28:23 GMTAnnouncements of security deployments mostly in western Syria, with an emphasis on the minority regions. This weekly update is intended to provide base level data for more holistic research into the rebuilding of the security and governance structures of post-Assad Syria. Direct links to primary sources are provided throughout.

Violent incidents reduced this week, with no sectarian killings reported in Homs city. An Alawi man was killed in his home in Baniyas in what was reported as an attack linked to online gambling disputes.

Security forces conducted several large operations this week, targeting significant narcotics and weapons shipments as well as insurgent cells. This includes a three-man Hezbollah cell captured in Qunietra along with mobile rocket launchers. At least five regime-era criminals were also detained by security forces, while a well-known Sunni informant was executed in Homs City. Meanwhile, the government continues near-weekly releases of former regime soldiers from prisons across the country.

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]]><![CDATA[Rebuilding Security in New Syria: Year 2, Week 18]]>https://www.syriarevisited.com/p/rebuilding-security-in-new-syria-0fdhttps://www.syriarevisited.com/p/rebuilding-security-in-new-syria-0fdMon, 13 Apr 2026 03:29:57 GMTAnnouncements of security deployments mostly in western Syria, with an emphasis on the minority regions. This weekly update is intended to provide base level data for more holistic research into the rebuilding of the security and governance structures of post-Assad Syria. Direct links to primary sources are provided throughout.

This week saw a slight increase in violence, with five murders in Homs city in particular. Among the dead was a family of three Alawis who were targeted by gunmen reportedly after the wife had shared old photos on Facebook showing that her husband had served in the regime’s forces. At least two kidnapping executions also took place this week, one each in Homs and Damascus.

Meanwhile, security forces arrested at least five regime-era criminals, continuing a recent trend this year. Major counter-narcotics operations were also conducted in border regions including two joint busts alongside the Iraqi and Jordanian governments. Lastly, late in the week government forces prevented a Hezbollah operation attempting to kill a senior Syrian Rabbi in Damascus, detaining the five-person cell.

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]]><![CDATA[Rebuilding Security in New Syria: Year 2, Week 17]]>https://www.syriarevisited.com/p/rebuilding-security-in-new-syria-39bhttps://www.syriarevisited.com/p/rebuilding-security-in-new-syria-39bMon, 06 Apr 2026 18:50:09 GMTAnnouncements of security deployments mostly in western Syria, with an emphasis on the minority regions. This weekly update is intended to provide base level data for more holistic research into the rebuilding of the security and governance structures of post-Assad Syria. Direct links to primary sources are provided throughout.

Violence remained at a lower, though still consistent, level this week than the first two months of the year. For the fifth week in a row there was only one reported murder in Homs City, and violence in the Homs countryside also remained minimal. However, there has been growing anger by some Sunni residents in Talkalakh over alleged corruption and abuses by the security official in the area.

The most significant incidents this week came in Hama governorate, following the prior week’s events in Suqaylabiyah. Two Alawi men were murdered in Masyaf, a string of robberies were reported in al-Ghab, and Sunni ex-regime fighters attacked a local MoD member in northwest Hama, triggering a multi-day military operation in the town.

Meanwhile security operations continue across the country, still largely focused on regular crime. A large kidnapping ring was dismantled in Aleppo and three men responsible for killing a taxi driver outside Homs recently were arrested. At the same time, at least six ex-regime criminals were arrested in Homs and Hama.

]]><![CDATA[Rebuilding Security in New Syria: Year 2, Week 16]]>https://www.syriarevisited.com/p/rebuilding-security-in-new-syria-edahttps://www.syriarevisited.com/p/rebuilding-security-in-new-syria-edaTue, 31 Mar 2026 21:55:05 GMTAnnouncements of security deployments mostly in western Syria, with an emphasis on the minority regions. This weekly update is intended to provide base level data for more holistic research into the rebuilding of the security and governance structures of post-Assad Syria. Direct links to primary sources are provided throughout.

Violent events remained minimal this week, but the social fragility of some areas was also highlighted. Attacks in Homs city continue to drop with only one murder reported, and of a Sunni resident. However, a rare murder in rural Latakia and a violent armed robbery in rural Tartous underscore the ongoing dangers in these areas. Furthermore, a small personal conflict in rural Hama erupted into a large mob attack against the Christian village of Suqaylabiyah.

Security forces conducted numerous arrests of criminals throughout the week. These including kidnapping gangs, drug smugglers, and thieves. Interestingly, five regime-era criminals were arrested across the country, and the commander of another regime insurgent faction was killed in a security operation in Latakia.

]]><![CDATA[Rebuilding Security in New Syria: Year 2, Week 15]]>https://www.syriarevisited.com/p/rebuilding-security-in-new-syria-f53https://www.syriarevisited.com/p/rebuilding-security-in-new-syria-f53Mon, 23 Mar 2026 16:24:17 GMTAnnouncements of security deployments mostly in western Syria, with an emphasis on the minority regions. This weekly update is intended to provide base level data for more holistic research into the rebuilding of the security and governance structures of post-Assad Syria. Direct links to primary sources are provided throughout.

This week saw continued protests and tensions across the northeast related to the ongoing integration of the Syrian Democratic Forces. A video showing a Kurdish man removing the Syrian flag during a Newroz celebration in Kobani triggered a wave of protests in Arab areas, as well as mob violence against Kurdish civilians in Afrin. This in turn resulted in mob attacks against ISC offices in Qamishli and Hasakah and resulted in a series of statements by government and Kurdish leaders condemning all of the actions.

Meanwhile, low-level but persistent violence continued with several murders reported in Homs, Aleppo, Hama, and Latakia. Some of the murders were the result of family disputes, others random sectarian killings, and at least one potentially linked to vigilantism. An Alawi shrine was also attacked in rural Masyaf, the first violent incident in the district since late December.

]]><![CDATA[Rebuilding Security in New Syria: Year 2, Week 14]]>https://www.syriarevisited.com/p/rebuilding-security-in-new-syria-b5fhttps://www.syriarevisited.com/p/rebuilding-security-in-new-syria-b5fMon, 16 Mar 2026 17:36:33 GMTAnnouncements of security deployments mostly in western Syria, with an emphasis on the minority regions. This weekly update is intended to provide base level data for more holistic research into the rebuilding of the security and governance structures of post-Assad Syria. Direct links to primary sources are provided throughout.

Violent incidents in Syria continue to be centered in the Homs governorate, though still not to the degree seen earlier this year. This week saw tensions rise in western Homs, where security operations targeting Sunni smuggling and criminal groups triggered an attack against the local security station. A vigilante killing was also conducted in rural Hama, the first in a long time.

Meanwhile, significant steps were taken this week in the northeast integration deal, including the deployment of Ministry of Interior forces to half a dozen new checkpoints in Hasakah. The new Assistant Minister of Defense for the Eastern Regions was also appointed this week, triggering widespread protests across Raqqa, Hasakah, and Aleppo.

The Ministry of Interior continued to expand this week, with new cadet graduations in both Idlib and Latakia and the opening of the Women’s Police Institute in Damascus.

]]><![CDATA[Rebuilding Security in New Syria: Year 2, Week 13]]>https://www.syriarevisited.com/p/rebuilding-security-in-new-syria-e48https://www.syriarevisited.com/p/rebuilding-security-in-new-syria-e48Mon, 09 Mar 2026 04:33:52 GMTAnnouncements of security deployments mostly in western Syria, with an emphasis on the minority regions. This weekly update is intended to provide base level data for more holistic research into the rebuilding of the security and governance structures of post-Assad Syria. Direct links to primary sources are provided throughout.

Violent incidents dropped this week following several weeks of near daily killings and attacks, mostly in Homs city. Several men were killed in Homs city and its countryside, as well as a rare murder of an Alawi man in Damascus city. At the same time, ISIS attacks continue in eastern and northern Syria with more than five soldiers left dead. Multiple attempted ISIS operations were also thwarted, including a car bombing in southern Damascus. Government security and intelligence operations appear to have grown substantially in eastern Syria this week, with numerous reports of arrests and deployments across Raqqa and Deir Ez Zor.

Aleppo governorate saw a series of violent incidents late this week, including the murder of a family of four in Aleppo city and the killing of a young girl in southern Aleppo as a result of failed tribal mediation. Tensions in eastern Aleppo also exploded on March 7, when displaced Arab residents of Shuyukh clashed with General Security and SDF forces. This issue, detailed below, remains unresolved and likely to escalate without outside intervention.

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