SITREP: 15-21 Mar 2025 | SALT Strategic Advisory

SYRIA SITREP: 2025-03-15 - 2025-03-21 (Published: 2025-03-22)

Executive Summary

The week of March 15-21, 2025, saw significant diplomatic engagement and internal governance efforts by Syria's interim government. Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaybani held meetings in Rome and Brussels, while German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock visited Damascus, formally re-opening Germany's embassy and pledging support for reconstruction and energy infrastructure. Domestically, a key development was the agreement between interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa's committee and SDF leadership to establish joint working committees for integration, alongside new measures by the Supreme Commission for Civil Peace to address local concerns in Latakia. Economically, the arrival of the first oil tanker at Baniyas since Assad's fall and the Central Bank's suspension of financial crime prosecutions signal efforts towards stabilization. Security remained volatile, marked by continued Israeli ground incursions and airstrikes in Daraa and Quneitra, and 14 unexploded ordnance (UXO) incidents causing civilian casualties across multiple governorates. Anti-narcotics efforts saw significant captagon seizures in Idlib and Aleppo, and the Interior Ministry opened recruitment for its Anti-Narcotics Department.

Main shifts observed include a clear push for international re-engagement and internal reconciliation, particularly with the SDF, and initial steps towards economic recovery. However, the persistent threat from unexploded ordnance and ongoing, albeit lower-casualty, Israeli military activity remain critical challenges.

Key watchpoints include the progress of the SDF integration committees and the interim government's ability to sustain economic reforms and address the widespread UXO contamination.

Detailed Analysis

1. Politics

International Affairs

On March 18, interim Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaybani traveled to the Italian capital Rome and held meetings with his counterpart Antonio Tajani and Italian Intelligence chief Vittorio Rizzi.
The Syrian Foreign Ministry released further information on March 18 detailing bilateral meetings conducted by interim Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaybani the previous day in Brussels, including with Robert Petit, head of the UN’s IIIM; Johannes Lochner, EU Deputy Director General for Home Affairs; and Stefano Sannino, Director General of the European Commission for the Middle East.
On March 20, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock traveled to Syria and held meetings with interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaybani. Later that day, Baerbock visited the destroyed Damascus suburb of Jobar, met with a wide range of civil society figures, and formally re-opened Germany’s Embassy in Damascus. In later public comments, Germany’s Special Envoy to Syria, Stefan Schneck, said “We are happy to work closely with all Syrians for a better Syria” and clarified that all visa and consular activities for Syrians would continue from the mission in Beirut, Lebanon. Baerbock stated: “Today, I saw immense destruction in Syria—nothing like this exists anywhere else in the world… We reopened the German embassy in Damascus today as a strong signal that Germany is back in Syria and wants to support Syrians… Syria's energy infrastructure urgently needs attention, and Germany wants to help.”
On March 20, French Special Envoy to Syria, Jean-Francois Guillaume, visited Aleppo, meeting with provincial governor Azzam al-Gharib – during which they discussed potential avenues for French assistance in Aleppo’s reconstruction, infrastructure rehabilitation and humanitarian assistance.
Lebanese media reported on March 20 that as many as 700 Syrian prisoners currently being held in detention in Lebanon may soon be released to Syrian interim government custody.
On March 21, Senator Elizabeth Warren (a Democrat) and Representative Joe Wilson (a Republican) published a joint letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent calling on the U.S. government to “modify” sanctions on Syria, which they described as “outdated” measures that will “undercut U.S. objectives if left in place.”

Domestic Affairs

On March 18, the Governor of Latakia, Mohammed Othman, visited Jableh city and convened a large meeting at the Sultan Mosque with notables – to discuss the security situation, their service needs and other concerns. He was joined by Civil Peace Committee member Hassan Soufan.
On March 18, Druze leader Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri declared his rejection of the constitutional declaration issued recently in Damascus, calling for it to be redrafted in order to guarantee a strict separation of powers, to expand the power of local administration and governance, and to limit the reach of the presidency.
On March 19, a committee formed by interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa and headed by Hussein Salameh traveled from Damascus to the U.S. military base in al-Shadadi in Hasakeh and held an hours-long meeting with SDF leader Mazloum Abdi, YPJ commander Rohlat Afrin, and others. The meeting was described subsequently as a ‘preliminary’ or ‘introductory’ meeting in which they exchanged views and worked to establish mechanisms and plans for the joint committees and their intention to begin work in early April. In later public remarks, Salameh confirmed that an agreement had been reached to establish “several specialized, symmetrical working committees” that will begin work in early April in order to negotiate a path towards integration.
On March 19, the government-appointed Supreme Commission for Civil Peace held a meeting with senior Alawite notables in Latakia and agreed on a set of new measures, including: expediting the release of detainees and others currently under investigation; removing any restrictions on men currently holding settlement cards; limiting any formal arrests to those wanted on suspicion of posing only imminent security threats; removing interim government forces from residential buildings occupied for the purpose of newly established checkpoints; and establishing phone numbers dedicated for receiving local complaints.
On March 19, interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa held a meeting with the former Prime Minister of the Syrian Interim Government Abdulrahman Mustafa in Damascus.
On March 19, the Governor of Latakia, Mohammed Othman, visited Latakia’s Saqoubin and Sinjwan districts, holding a lengthy meeting with local notables in order to discuss their needs. He was joined by provincial police chief Lieutenant Colonel Mustafa Sabouh and provincial administrative chief, Ali Assi.
On March 19, a delegation from the Jableh local government conducted a tour and inspection of conditions being provided to Syrians currently residing inside Russia’s Hmeymim Airbase.
On March 19, Governor of Quneitra, Ahmed al-Dalati, convened a province-wide meeting with notables and civil society in order to hear their security concerns, service needs and views on Syria’s ongoing transition.
On March 19, Syria’s General Authority for Civil Aviation and Air Transport announced the appointment of Sameh Arabi as the new General Manager of Syrian Air.
On March 19, the SDF appointed a number of its military officers into official senior ranks, in a move widely understood to be part of a necessary process of eventually integrating the SDF into Syria’s armed forces. Those ‘promoted’ into new ranks were: Major General Ali Hajjo, Major General Sozdar Mohammed Sheikho, Major General Halima Mahmoud Abu Bakr, Major General Mahdia al-Hindi Hilal, Major General Diler Hussein Tammo, Major General Ali al-Hassan, and Major General Saud Abdulrazzaq al-Hassan.
On March 20, Dr. Imad al-Din al-Rashid was appointed as Dean of the Faculty of Sharia at Damascus University.
In a public statement on March 18, interim Minister of Education, Professor Nazir al-Qadri, announced that all efforts were being undertaken to ensure that students in “eastern and northeastern” Syria can complete their accredited “educational journey” and receive government certificates.
The Syrian Ministry of Health announced on March 18 the “Shifa Campaign” to provide free healthcare to qualifying patients in 12 hospitals across the country in Homs, Damascus, Aleppo, Idlib, Deir ez Zour and Daraa. The campaign was launched in coordination with the Syrian Community in Germany and the Independent Doctor’s Association (IDA).
In a public written statement released on March 18, Alawite pro-Assad insurgent leader Moqdad Fatiha pushed back against public commentary describing his movement’s efforts as a failure – declaring: “Our first round was a round of revenge for our people and martyrs, not a battle of liberation… it was a tour of victory… Today, thanks to our blood and martyrs, the image of al-Jolani and the de facto government was burned. After our tour, the entire world united around one word: (al-Jolani’s government is a government of terrorism). They are no longer recognized.”
Syria’s Interior Ministry announced on March 21 that recruitment for its Anti-Narcotics Department was now open to the public – provided applicants were aged 18-30; had secondary school education; are taller than 168cm; have no criminal record; and are able to commit to 4 months of mandatory training.
In public remarks on March 21, Abdullah Abdullah, the director-general of Syria’s civil registry announced that procedures would begin “in the coming days” in order to revoke the citizenship provided to all non-Syrian origin men who had fought on behalf of Assad’s regime in previous years.

2. Business

Economic Stabilization and Infrastructure Development

News reports confirmed on March 20 that the first oil tanker (“Aquatica”) to arrive into Baniyas oil terminal on the coast of Tartus since Assad’s fall had arrived, carrying approximately 100,000 metric tons of crude oil – reportedly from Russia.
The Ministry of Oil and Mineral Resources announced on March 20 that citizens could now receive new gas cylinders every 25 days – after the long-standing previous time limit of 45 days.
In a public decree issued on March 21, the Syrian Central Bank’s Management Committee announced that all civil prosecutions and criminal cases against citizens on charges relating to money exchange, remittance transfers and domestic and cross-country financial transfers would be suspended and all claims or charges made against them would be waived.
News reporting confirmed on March 18 that the UNDP had allocated $100,000 to help rehabilitate Deir ez Zour airport.
In public remarks on March 19, interim Minister of Electricity Omar Shaqruq said electricity supplies had been increased slightly during Ramadan, as a result of several newly rehabilitated power stations and turbines being brought back online. He also claimed that plans were being developed to invest in alternative sources of energy, with the general objective being to raise power supplies to eight hours per day.
On March 19, a new electricity transformer was installed at the R1 substation in Aleppo’s Industrial City, in an attempt to stabilize the provision of power to industry there.
The Ministry of Communications and Information announced on March 20 that 48 new “services” had been established on the government E-Portal – including “the complaints platform (Your Voice), digital initiatives (Initiatives), the government procurement system, the electronic correspondence system (Diwan), the licensing application platform, and the indicators and project tracking system.”
News emerged on March 21 that Royal Jordanian Airlines plans to imminently begin operating four flights per week to Aleppo and a total of 31 flights per week between Damascus and Amman.

3. Security

Israeli Military Operations

On March 18, Israeli airstrikes struck several informal crossing points west of al-Qusayr along the border with Lebanon late on March 18, with impacts reported around Shinshar. No casualties were confirmed.
On March 18, Israeli ground forces launched a ground incursion into the village of Ma’ariyah in Daraa’s Yarmouk Basin.
On March 19, Israeli ground forces launched a large-scale incursion into the village of Nasariyah in Quneitra and bulldozed two former Assad regime military posts, before withdrawing.
On March 19, Israeli forces also conducted ground incursions into the villages of al-Rufayd, al-Hayran and al-Isbah.
On March 20, Israeli ground forces launched a ground incursion into rural southern Quneitra and took possession of a former Assad regime 122mm field artillery piece – loading it onto a truck and taking it back into Israeli territory.
Late on March 21, Israeli ground forces launched an incursion into Tel al-Ahmed al-Gharbi in Quneitra, before expanding into al-Rufayd, al-Asha, Tel al-Mahr and al-Rabiya. This came amid Israeli fighter jets flying over parts of western Daraa and Quneitra.
Later that night, Israeli ground forces launched an incursion into the village of Ma’ariyah in Daraa’s Yarmouk Basin.
Late on March 21, two DMO soldiers (from the 42nd Division) were injured when heavy and multiple Israeli airstrikes hit the Palmyra and T4 Airbases in the Homs desert, targeting former weapons storage warehouses belonging to Assad’s regime, as well as other core military infrastructure, including aircraft hangars.

Internal Security Operations and Criminal Activity

On March 18, Syria’s fledgling Coast Guard launched a search and rescue operation in the Mediterranean, following reports of a sunken boat carrying refugees off the coast between Lebanon and Syria.
On March 18, interim government forces stormed a kidnapping cell operating in rural Latakia, freeing one hostage.
On March 18, DMO forces conducted clearing operations through the village of Hawsh Sayyid Ali in rural western Homs, close to the Lebanese border – during which they discovered and seized large quantities of heavy weaponry, ammunition, hashish and captagon (bearing the ‘Lexus’ logo). A military operations room was discovered, containing communications equipment, surveillance and long-range camera equipment, and more.
On March 18, the Lebanese Armed Forces moved into areas on Lebanon’s side of the border and demolished a number of buildings and closed down access to informal crossing points that had been used previously by smugglers there.
On March 18, two men were detained by GSS forces in an ambush near Busra al-Harir in eastern Daraa. Local reporting described how both men were traveling into Daraa from neighboring Suwayda in order to receive a shipment of anti-tank missiles from a source linked to the former Assad regime. Later that day, gunmen loyal to the two men took approximately 15 hostages in a series of ambushes at fake pop-up checkpoints in rural Daraa and southern Rif Dimashq – in an attempt to create leverage to secure their release. Tribal mediation from notables in Suwayda ensured that all 15 hostages were released on March 20, while one of the two men was released after investigations found he was not complicit in weapons smuggling.
On March 19, GSS forces seized a quantity of captagon in a targeted raid in Harem, Idlib.
On March 19, Public Security forces seized a large quantity of weapons hidden by Alawite pro-Assad gunmen inside a sewage system in Ain al-Bayda in northeastern Latakia during a raid.
On March 19, an IED laid by Alawite pro-Assad gunmen was discovered and defused along the side of the Jableh-Latakia highway.
On March 19, Public Security forces seized a shipment of AK-series rifles and ammunition in an ambush in an undisclosed location in Deir ez Zour. The weapons were reportedly destined for pro-Assad forces.
On March 20, Lebanon’s Armed Forces announced that “as part of the fight against infiltration and smuggling across the northern and eastern borders, an army unit closed three illegal crossings in the al-Qaa, the al-Mishrifeh and al-Dora-Hermel areas” across from Syria.
On March 20, Public Security forces launched a targeted raid in Kafr Abd in rural Homs, discovering and seizing a large arms cache containing heavy machine guns, ammunition, and anti-tank and rocket-propelled grenades.
On March 20, Public Security forces discovered a large weapons cache concealed under a residential home in the village of Ashrafiyah near Talbiseh, Homs.
On March 20, gunmen ambushed at least four vehicles in separate attacks on the Damascus-Suwayda highway – stealing the vehicles and attempting to use them as leverage to secure the release of their property that was stolen in a string of kidnaps by gunmen in rural Daraa and southern Rif Dimashq on March 18.
On March 21, GSS forces launched a targeted raid on a captagon trafficking site in Aleppo, detaining the trafficker and seizing approximately 3 million captagon pills that had been concealed inside rolls of adhesive strips.
On March 21, Public Security forces received a surrender of weapons mediated by Alawite notables from the Raml district of Latakia city.
On March 21, in a deal mediated by local Alawite notables, approximately 50 rifles and ammunition were handed over to the interim government in a string of villages east of Latakia city.
On March 21, three drug smugglers were detained by GSS forces in a targeted raid in al-Mayadin, Deir ez Zour.

Targeted Violence and Detentions

On March 18, a prominent local pro-Assad militiaman, identified locally as Ahmed Nassani, was shot dead inside his office by a group of unidentified gunmen in Adhamiyah in Aleppo city.
On March 18, one local notable from the village of al-Jayad in northern Hama was kidnapped and swiftly executed by unidentified gunmen.
On March 18, one man – a local engineer – was shot dead by a group of unidentified gunmen in the village of al-Jadeidat al-Sharqiyeh in eastern rural Homs.
On March 18, one man was shot dead by suspected pro-Assad gunmen in Tel Kalakh in western Homs.
On March 18, one man was kidnapped by unidentified gunmen from outside Homs University.
On March 18, a civilian was kidnapped by unidentified gunmen in the village of Marrat in northern Deir ez Zour.
On March 18, one man was kidnapped by unidentified gunmen outside al-Bukamal.
On March 18, one man was killed and another injured in a gun attack by unidentified men in rural Suwayda.
On March 19, the body of one man was discovered, having been executed, in the village of Aoun al-Dadat outside Manbij, Aleppo.
On March 19, interim government forces captured the former deputy commander of Liwa al-Quds in a targeted raid in Aleppo.
On March 19, the former commanding officer for Hama Military Airport, Abdulwahab Othman, was detained by GSS forces in a targeted raid in an undisclosed location in rural Hama.
On March 19, one man, identified locally as Hassan Saadat, was shot dead by unidentified gunmen outside the village of Khirbet al-Akrad in western rural Homs.
On March 19, one man was shot several times by two unidentified gunmen in the village of Abu Fas in southern Hasakeh. He survived.
On March 19, SDF forces detained an ISIS commander, identified as Raafat Rahmoun (Abu Suhayb al-Adnani, Abu Hussein al-Qurayshi), in a raid in Tabqa. The SDF claimed Rahmoun was ISIS’s emir for Hasakeh and Deir ez Zour governorates.
On March 19, a former regime militiaman and war reporter, Yasser Matroub, was detained by GSS forces in a targeted raid in Deir ez Zour.
On March 19, two men were shot dead by unidentified gunmen in a targeted assassination in the village of al-Majawdah outside al-Bukamal.
On March 19, one DMO soldier was shot by two unidentified gunmen in the village of Ma’araba in eastern Daraa. He was off-duty at the time.
On March 19, one man, identified locally as Nazih Bashara, was kidnapped by unidentified gunmen from his home in the al-Mohandiseen district of Suwayda city. He was released later that day, after being dumped on the side of the road near al-Sahwa.
On March 20, one local judge and three of his relatives were detained by DMO forces during a raid on his home in al-Salamiyah, Hama.
On March 20, the body of one man – kidnapped approximately 10 days earlier – was discovered, having been executed, on the eastern outskirts of Hama city.
On March 20, one man, identified locally as Bassel Ali, was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in the village of Mazaret al-Baqa, Latakia.
On March 20, the former Assad-era mayor of Aleppo city’s Khalidiyah district, Ibrahim Othman, was shot dead by unidentified assassins inside his office.
On March 20, one man and three of his children were executed by a group of gunmen who attacked his home in Homs city.
On March 20, a former commander from the Iranian-backed Sayyida Zeinab Brigade – identified as Muwayad al-Duwayhi – was captured by GSS forces in a raid in an undisclosed location in Deir ez Zour.
On March 20, two men were shot dead after being shot by several unidentified gunmen in a drive-by assassination as they exited a mosque in the village of al-Mujawadah in eastern Deir ez Zour.
On March 20, GSS forces detained a former Tiger Forces commander, identified as Bashar Mahfouz, along with another Assad regime operative, identified as Khaled Othman, during a targeted raid in Damascus.
On March 20, interim government forces detained five Islamist men in central Damascus, following multiple reports of them aggressively preaching in front of churches earlier in the day.
On March 20, one former regime military officer was stabbed and then shot dead by two unidentified gunmen in Bab Sharqi in Damascus.
On March 20, the body of one former regime officer – kidnapped approximately two weeks earlier – was discovered in the al-Ward district of Damascus.
On March 20, the former Secretary of the Baath Party in Izraa, identified as Hassan al-Zoubi, was shot dead by unidentified assassins in the town late on March 20.
On March 20, GSS forces detained a former regime military official, identified as Ali Yousef Salameh, in a targeted raid in the village of al-Sham, Rif Dimashq.
On March 21, one former regime military officer was detained by GSS forces in a targeted raid outside Damascus, Rif Dimashq.
Late on March 21, unidentified gunmen ambushed opposition-aligned media activist Amir Baqi while he was driving through Homs city’s northern suburbs, but he escaped unharmed.
Late on March 21, Alawite pro-Assad gunmen set fire to a number of residential buildings in the village of Zuhayriyat outside Jableh, Latakia. Local media reported that the attacks targeted families deemed to have provided intelligence on the pro-Assad insurgency.
On March 21, two men were shot dead by a group of unidentified gunmen in the village of Yahmour in rural Tartus.
Early on March 21, unidentified gunmen launched an attack on an SNA-controlled prison in al-Rai in northern Aleppo, triggering a riot inside the facility in which an unconfirmed number of prisoners escaped. According to the interim government’s Public Security Department in Aleppo, the prison was resecured later that morning and multiple prisoners re-arrested. Local media claimed the prison held PKK, ISIS and criminal detainees.
Late on March 21, a former Assad regime militiaman, identified locally as Mustafa Aswad, was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Aleppo city’s Hamdaniyah district.

Explosive Hazards and Casualties

On March 18, one boy was killed and two of his brothers were injured after they accidentally triggered an unexploded landmine in Khan Sheikhoun, Idlib.
On March 18, two civilians were killed and another was injured after accidentally triggering an unexploded landmine in the village of Jub al-Khafay west of Manbij, Aleppo.
On March 18, two civilians – a man and his daughter – were killed after their motorbike accidentally triggered an unexploded landmine outside al-Salamiyah, Hama.
On March 18, one boy was killed after accidentally triggering an unexploded munition in the town of al-Shafa in eastern Deir ez Zour.
On March 18, one civilian was killed after accidentally triggering an unexploded munition in Busra al-Harir, Daraa.
On March 18, three children were killed after accidentally triggering an unexploded landmine in Khirbet al-Ghazaleh, Daraa.
On March 20, one man was killed after he accidentally triggered an unexploded landmine in the village of al-Halanawij outside Manbij, Aleppo.
On March 20, one young man was killed after accidentally triggering an unexploded landmine in al-Sanamayn, Daraa.
On March 21, one child was killed after accidentally triggering an unexploded landmine in Khan Sheikhoun, Idlib. This was the second UXO incident in the town in recent days.
On March 21, one man was killed after accidentally triggering an unexploded landmine in the village of Rasm al-Faleh al-Thani in eastern Aleppo.
On March 21, two civilians were injured after accidentally triggering an unexploded munition in the village of Akoh in northern rural Latakia.
On March 21, one man was killed and his brother was injured after they accidentally triggered an unexploded landmine in the village of Ayn al-Ashara in eastern Latakia.

Clashes and Unrest

On March 18, three SNA-linked fighters were killed in a sustained clash with SDF forces along the Tishreen Dam frontline, Aleppo.
On March 18, one civilian was killed in crossfire during armed clashes between rival tribesmen in the village of al-Shanan in eastern Deir ez Zour.
On March 18, one boy was shot and injured in crossfire during an armed clash between SDF fighters and a group of local gunmen in Dhiban in eastern Deir ez Zour.
On March 18, one man was killed in a brief armed clash between rival local gunmen in the village of al-Hisan in western Deir ez Zour.
On March 19, suspected Hezbollah militants launched several artillery shells and directed heavy machine gun fire towards the villages of Zayta and al-Masriya in western rural Homs. Local reporting claimed the fire emanated from al-Qasr, in neighboring Lebanon.
On March 19, Hezbollah announced the deaths of four of its operatives in recent clashes in Syria.
On March 20, at least one combatant was killed and three others injured during clashes that erupted when SDF fighters launched a cross-line incursion into SNA-held areas on the Tishreen Dam frontline, Aleppo.
Late on March 20, pro-Assad gunmen launched an attack on a Public Security headquarters in al-Duwayr, Deir ez Zour, triggering a clash in which one interim government fighter was injured.
On March 20, an armed clash broke out between rival clans in the village of Masaken Jalin in western rural Daraa, forcing Public Security forces to deploy to assert calm. No casualties were confirmed.
Late on March 21, heavy clashes erupted between rival Bedouin and Druze clans in al-Shahba, Suwayda. A casualty report was not confirmed.
On March 21, one child was shot in crossfire during a brief armed clash between unidentified rival gunmen in the Atmeh IDP camp in northwestern Idlib.

Relevant Context

The re-opening of the German Embassy in Damascus on March 20, following a visit by Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, marks a significant diplomatic shift. Germany had closed its embassy in 2012 following the Syrian civil war, and its re-establishment signals a potential broader trend of international re-engagement with the interim government in Syria. This move could pave the way for increased humanitarian and reconstruction aid, as highlighted by Baerbock's remarks on Syria's urgent energy infrastructure needs.

The agreement between the interim government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to establish joint working committees for integration, announced on March 19, is a crucial development for internal stability. The SDF, a multi-ethnic and multi-religious alliance, has controlled significant parts of northeastern Syria with U.S. support. Their integration into a unified Syrian armed force would represent a major step towards national reconciliation and could reshape the security landscape, potentially reducing internal conflicts and external interventions in the region.