AGP Executive Report

Jordan-Syria Tensions: The Nassib crossing is set to reopen to passenger and commercial traffic after Jordan’s airstrikes in southern Syria killed at least seven people, including three children. Amman says it targeted Islamic State sites and acknowledged civilian deaths; Damascus said the strikes were not coordinated and condemned the violation of its sovereignty. The two countries have agreed to investigate the strikes and establish a security committee. Landmine Blast: Three people were killed and two injured in an explosion in Hasakah province. Air Travel: The UN aviation agency lifted its 13-year warning on Syrian airspace, while Syrian Airlines is set to resume Berlin-Damascus flights in November.

Jordan-Syria Tensions: Damascus condemned Jordanian airstrikes in Daraa, saying seven civilians, including three children, were killed and denying Amman’s claim the operation was coordinated. Jordan said it targeted Islamic State sites, killed more than 20 militants and regretted civilian deaths. Syria has closed the Nasib crossing, while both governments say they will form a joint security committee. Landmine Danger: Three young men were killed and two injured when a mine exploded in Hasakah province as they herded sheep. War remnants continue to threaten civilians across Syria. Regional Cooperation: Iraq’s prime minister is due in Damascus for talks on border security and oil pipelines. Aviation: The ICAO has lifted its 13-year warning on Syrian airspace, a step toward restoring international flights.

Jordanian Strikes: Syrian officials say at least seven people, including three children, were killed in Jordanian airstrikes in Daraa. Amman says it targeted armed groups linked to last week’s deadly church attack; Damascus denies the strikes were coordinated and has closed the Nasib crossing to passengers and trade. Air Travel: ICAO has withdrawn its 2013 warning on Syrian airspace after safety reviews, a step toward restoring international traffic. Syrian Airlines plans to resume Berlin–Damascus flights on Nov. 10. Landmine Risks: Syria is preparing its first nationwide map of mine-contaminated areas to guide clearance. Explosive remnants killed 698 civilians and injured 1,193 between December 2024 and February 2026, according to UNICEF. Southern Syria: Israeli forces are extending a military barrier across farmland in Quneitra, reportedly bulldozing olive groves and restricting farmers’ access.

Southern Border: Reports say Israeli forces are extending a military barrier across farmland in southern Syria, damaging olive groves and disrupting local livelihoods. Security Strains: Three civilians were wounded in a shooting in northern Syria, while clashes, ISIS threats and tensions in Suwayda continue to challenge Damascus’s authority; armed groups have also blocked the Damascus–Suwayda road. Mine Risks: Syria plans its first nationwide map of mine-contaminated areas, as war remnants injured six people in Aleppo’s countryside. Rights and Transition: Families still lack answers about relatives who disappeared under Assad, even as former regime figures re-emerge. The Kurdish National Council renewed its call for a decentralized, democratic Syria with guaranteed rights and broader political partnership. Displacement: Syrian officials say a quarter of displaced people have left northern camps for home areas.

Southern Syria: Israeli forces continued extending the Sufa 53 barrier in Quneitra, bulldozing farmland and olive groves; Damascus says the work breaches the 1974 disengagement agreement, while farmers fear losing their livelihoods. Security: Gunmen wounded three civilians near Fafin in Aleppo countryside. In As-Safira, six people were injured when explosive remnants in firewood detonated. Israeli Incursions: The killing of a Syrian man with Down syndrome during an Israeli raid in the south sparked protests and drew UN condemnation; reports also describe further Israeli incursions and land destruction. Diplomacy: Syria’s foreign minister met his Bahraini counterpart in Manama to discuss strengthening ties and reactivating joint cooperation. Anti-ISIS Operations: Two Syrian security personnel were killed and five wounded in clashes with an Islamic State cell in the Damascus countryside. Education Debate: Changes to schoolbooks, including removed citizenship lessons and altered images of women and art, have prompted public criticism and questions about the curriculum review process.

Aleppo Security: Three civilians were wounded when unidentified gunmen opened fire on a vehicle near Fafin in the northern countryside, with no suspects or motive reported. Civilian Toll: The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights recorded 21 women and children killed across Syria from Oct. 1 to 21, citing shootings, violence at home and unexploded ordnance. Southern Syria: Protests have followed Israeli incursions and the killing of a man with Down syndrome in Daraa. Israeli forces have also shelled areas of Quneitra, while tensions around Sweida and the Druze community have intensified. Druze experts condemned US envoy Tom Barrack’s remarks about a Druze leader, warning they could fuel sectarian violence. Transition and Justice: Syria faces pressure to build institutions and allow political competition while ensuring former Assad-era figures’ return to public life does not sideline victims seeking accountability.

Sweida Tensions: Armed groups blocked the key Damascus–Sweida highway on Oct. 24 as families demanded the release of detainees and information about missing relatives, amid a prolonged standoff between Damascus and local factions. Israeli Incursions: Protests spread after Israeli forces killed a man with Down syndrome during a raid in Daraa. Damascus urged the UN to protect Syria’s sovereignty as reports also described Israeli advances and shelling in Quneitra. Livelihoods: Returning farmers in Afrin are restoring neglected olive groves after years of displacement, but high fuel and fertilizer costs are holding back the harvest. Reconstruction and Justice: Syria’s transitional government is seeking to rebuild the energy sector, while families of the disappeared say reconciliation must include answers about missing loved ones and accountability.

Israeli Incursions: Protests spread across Syria after Israeli forces killed a young man with Down syndrome during a raid in Daraa’s Jamla village. The UN condemned the killing, while Damascus urged the Security Council to protect Syria from Israeli attacks. Suwayda Tensions: The Damascus–Suwayda road was blocked amid demands to release detainees held after last year’s deadly sectarian violence. Kurdish Rights: Activists are pressing for constitutional recognition of Kurdish as an official language, warning that recent education policy limits Kurdish-language instruction.

Israeli Incursions: Protests in Damascus, Homs and Daraa denounced Israeli raids in southern Syria after troops killed Muaz al-Baeer, a man with Down syndrome, in his home. The UN condemned the killing and called on Israel to respect Syria’s sovereignty. Security: Two Syrian security personnel were killed and five injured in clashes with an ISIS cell near Damascus, as government forces launched an operation against the group. Justice and Diplomacy: A Damascus court sentenced Bashar al-Assad to death over orders linked to crimes against Syrians. Syrian and Jordanian foreign ministers met in Aqaba to discuss bilateral ties and strategic projects.

Israeli Incursions: Israeli artillery hit the outskirts of two villages in Quneitra as troops advanced in the south. Hundreds of Syrians protested, a day after Israeli fire killed a civilian with a disability in Daraa; the UN condemned the killing. Anti-ISIS Operation: Two Syrian security personnel were killed and five injured in clashes with an ISIS cell in the Damascus countryside. US-Syria Talks: President Ahmed al-Sharaa met US envoy Tom Barrack in Damascus to discuss security and regional developments. Accountability: Damascus’s criminal court has sentenced former president Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia over crimes linked to the 2011 crackdown.

Southern Syria: Syrian authorities say Israeli fire killed Muath Salama al-Baeer, a young man with a disability, during a raid in Jamla, Daraa. A UN envoy condemned the killing; Israel says troops opened fire after a person failed to heed warnings and is reviewing the incident. Sweida Tensions: Syria has reinforced troops in Sweida as reports of Israeli activity and possible equipment deliveries fuel concern over the volatile province; claims of plans for an Israeli base remain disputed. ISIS Threat: Two Syrian security personnel were killed and five injured in a raid on an ISIS-linked cell near Damascus, underscoring the renewed danger from the group. Rights and Coexistence: Kurdish and Syriac representatives called for dialogue, equal rights and cooperation among Syria’s communities amid political and economic strain. Economic Pressure: An expert urged the government to release funds for productive investment, arguing that scarce liquidity is stifling local businesses and household purchasing power.

Counter-IS Operation: Two Syrian security personnel were killed and five wounded in clashes with a suspected Islamic State cell in Rankous, near Damascus. The Interior Ministry said five suspects were killed and six arrested; residents gave different accounts. Israeli Incursions: A man with Down syndrome was killed during an Israeli raid in Daraa, according to Syrian state media and residents. Israel said troops fired after he approached them and said the incident was under review. Israeli forces also blew up an abandoned house in Quneitra and fired toward farmland, with no casualties reported. Damascus Diplomacy: US envoy Tom Barrack met President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani to discuss regional stability, a day after Barrack called for Israel to stop its operations in Syria. Accountability: Damascus has referred the files of Bashar al-Assad, his brother Maher and other defendants to Interpol, following in-absentia convictions.

Southern Syria: Israeli troops killed a man with disabilities during a raid in Jamla, Daraa, where forces reportedly searched homes and fired from rooftops. The incursion adds to reports of Israeli advances and shelling in Daraa and Quneitra, despite calls for Israel to halt operations and withdraw. Baghdad–Damascus ties: Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi is expected to visit next week to discuss border security, religious travel and reviving the Kirkuk–Baniyas oil pipeline as an alternative export route. Security: Syria reported two soldiers injured by a landmine in Raqqa, while armed groups have targeted security posts in Suwayda with explosive drones. Recovery and families: Syria and the World Bank are setting up a fund for reconstruction, while the country’s first DNA-based identifications of missing war victims offer hope to families still searching for relatives.

Southern Syria: Israeli forces moved seven military vehicles and two tanks into northern Quneitra, taking positions near the former governorate headquarters. Damascus says the incursions violate Syrian sovereignty, while US envoy Tom Barrack urged Israel to halt its operations. Damascus–Ankara ties: President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan says preparations are under way for a visit to Damascus, his first since the 2024 revolution. Turkey, meanwhile, says its troops will remain in Syria until border security is assured. Missing persons: Syria has made its first identifications of missing people using DNA, offering hope to families as some 300,000 wait for answers. Security and returns: Armed groups targeted Syrian security posts in Suwayda with explosive-laden drones, while 600 displaced families are preparing to return home from Lebanon. Justice: Courts in Aleppo handed down verdicts in trials linked to the coastal massacres, as Syria’s authorities continue to pursue suspects in past abuses.

Israeli Incursions: Israeli forces moved tanks into southern Syria’s Quneitra countryside, while US envoy Tom Barrack urged Israel to halt operations and said Damascus was ready to pursue a non-aggression pact. Suwayda Security: Armed groups targeted security posts in the province with explosive-laden drones late Tuesday; no casualties or damage were immediately reported. Missing Persons: Syria’s first DNA-based identifications have brought answers in three cases, offering hope to families of as many as 300,000 people still missing. Education: A new study says post-Assad schoolbooks promote jihadist themes and antisemitic stereotypes, raising concerns about the curriculum’s shift. Humanitarian Aid: Qatar Red Crescent and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent are distributing school bags, with thousands already delivered in Homs and further distributions planned. Turkish Presence: Ankara says its troops will remain in Syria until border security is ensured and state authority is established nationwide.

Israeli Incursion: Israeli forces entered Quneitra with seven military vehicles and two tanks, taking positions near the former governorate headquarters as Damascus condemned mounting incursions in the south. Diplomacy: US envoy Tom Barrack said President Ahmed al-Sharaa was ready to normalize relations with Israel and urged an end to Israeli attacks, while calling for dialogue. Energy and Banking: J.P. Morgan helped Syria issue its first letter of credit in 14 years, enabling a Saudi Aramco fuel deal; Syria has received 65,000 metric tons of diesel. Turkish Presence: Ankara says its troops will remain in Syria until border security is assured and state authority is established across the country. Reconstruction: Syria and the World Bank agreed to establish a recovery and reconstruction fund. Missing Persons: DNA testing has identified remains in three cases this year, offering new hope to families searching for relatives missing after years of conflict.