SITREP: 5-11 Apr 2025 | SALT Strategic Advisory

SYRIA SITREP: 2025-04-05 - 2025-04-11 (Published: 2025-04-12)

Executive Summary

This week in Syria saw intensified diplomatic activity, with President Ahmed al-Sharaa participating in the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Turkey and engaging in multiple bilateral meetings, underscoring Syria's re-engagement with regional and international partners. Concurrently, the UN Security Council convened an emergency session to address Israel's military actions in Syria, highlighting ongoing regional tensions. Domestically, the transitional government continued its efforts to consolidate authority and implement reforms, including the Ministry of Finance's shift to digital salary payments and the UNHCR's announcement of significant returns of refugees and internally displaced persons. Security remained a critical concern, particularly in Daraa, where a senior Defense Ministry official was shot and wounded, leading to calls for the dissolution of the Eighth Brigade. Israel conducted multiple ground incursions in Quneitra, while ISIS continued its attacks in Deir ez Zour. Unexploded ordnance (UXO) incidents also continued to pose a severe threat, causing numerous civilian casualties across several governorates.

Main shifts: Syria's proactive diplomatic outreach, particularly with Turkey and South Korea, signals a concerted effort to normalize international relations. The internal security landscape in Daraa is undergoing a significant shift with the pressure on the Eighth Brigade. Watchpoints: The trajectory of Turkey-Israel dialogue on Syria and its implications for regional stability. The transitional government's success in integrating and stabilizing areas previously under diverse controls, particularly in Daraa.

Detailed Analysis

1. Politics

International Affairs

On April 10, President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Foreign Minister Assad al-Shaybani hosted meetings with South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul in Damascus, signing bilateral agreements on education, technology, and finance.
On April 10, a delegation from Rijal al-Karama, led by Laith al-Balous, met with UN Special Envoy to Syria, Geir Pedersen, in Damascus, calling for a "just and comprehensive resolution" to Syria's crisis and the lifting of foreign sanctions.
On April 11, President Ahmed al-Sharaa traveled to Turkey to participate in the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, holding bilateral meetings with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkish Intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, the President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, Libyan Prime Minister Hamid al-Dabibah, and Iraqi Kurdistan President Nechirvan Barzani.
On April 8, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan declared that Israel's policy in Syria is "provocative" and does not serve its interests, urging respect for Syria's sovereignty.
On April 9, Syria's Foreign Ministry announced that at its request, the UN Security Council would convene an emergency session on April 10 to discuss Israel's military actions in Syria.
On April 9, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan confirmed "direct technical contact" with Israel regarding Syria to avoid conflict, urging the U.S. to restrain Netanyahu and demanding Israel end its occupation and bombing of Syrian infrastructure. Israeli officials subsequently confirmed the contact.
On April 10, Turkish state media confirmed a face-to-face bilateral meeting with Israel in Azerbaijan the previous day, where Turkey stressed its presence in Syria was by invitation and aimed to enhance Syria's defense capabilities, demanding Israel cease its "expansionist and occupation-oriented stance." Israel's Prime Minister's office confirmed the meeting, agreeing to "continue dialogue."
On April 10, the UN Security Council convened an emergency session on Israel's military actions in Syria, with all member states (except Israel and the U.S.) condemning Israel's aggression.
On April 10, news emerged that former Syrian Foreign Minister and Ambassador to Russia, Bashar al-Jaafari, had requested political asylum in Moscow.
On April 11, Lebanese Foreign Minister Yousef Rajaji declared the "new regime in Syria is better than the previous regime" and planned a visit to Damascus with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam to discuss displacement, border security, and missing Lebanese citizens.
On April 11, on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar declared Turkey's aim to rebuild energy infrastructure in Syria through a multidimensional approach, including electricity and natural gas supply.

Domestic Affairs

On April 8, the Governor of Idlib, Mohammed Abdulrahman, hosted a meeting with Switzerland’s Ambassador to Lebanon, Marion Weichelt, and a UNICEF delegation, later touring IDP camps.
On April 8, the Governor of Aleppo, Azzam al-Gharib, hosted a meeting with a delegation from UN Habitat, discussing property rights legislation, digital property registration, and sustainability standards in housing.
On April 8, a delegation of Christian leaders visited the Governor of Rif Dimashq, Amer al-Sheikh, and the Governor of Quneitra, Ahmed al-Dalati, in Damascus.
On April 9, the Governor of Latakia, Mohammed Othman, hosted a meeting with the region’s Christian leaders in Latakia city.
On April 10, President Ahmed al-Sharaa hosted a meeting with the fact-finding committee investigating crimes along Syria’s Coast from March 7.
On April 10, the deputy governor of Idlib, Professor Qutaiba al-Khalaf, hosted a meeting with a delegation from UNICEF to discuss potential programming for education, health, water, and electricity services in Idlib's urban centers.
On April 9, Mohammed Taha al-Othman was appointed Chairman of the Arab Writers Union Board of Directors.
On April 9, Professor Fawaz Hilal was appointed district chief for Aleppo’s Semaan district.
On April 9, Professor Massoud Saleh Battal was appointed district chief for Aleppo’s Afrin district.
On April 9, Dr. Barakat al-Yousef was appointed chief for Aleppo’s al-Safira district.
On April 9, Dr. Farhan al-Kuwaydah was appointed chief for Aleppo’s al-Atareb district.
On April 8, the Governor of Latakia, Mohammed Othman, announced that Mondays would be allocated for citizens to submit complaints and communicate needs to his office.
On April 10, Bassem Abu Fakhr, spokesman for Rijal al-Karama, clarified previous comments to NPR, stating his movement is not just a militia, concerns were about Syria's unity, and they have "no connection" with anyone seeking protection from Israel or America.
On April 10, senior AANES official Badran Jia Kurd claimed in a Reuters interview that Kurdish factions agreed on a vision for a "federal, pluralistic, democratic parliamentary system" for Syria, allowing the SDF to retain regional autonomy.
On April 10, President Ahmed al-Sharaa issued a decree extending the mandate of the investigative committee for sectarian killings on the Coast from March 7 for an additional three months.

2. Business

Financial & Economic Policy

On April 10, the Central Bank issued a decree for all assets and bank accounts linked to former editor-in-chief of al-Watan, Wadah Rabo, to be seized by the state.
On April 11, the Ministry of Finance announced that all public sector salaries would henceforth be paid via the Sham Cash app.

Infrastructure & Investment

On April 10, a delegation from Saudi Arabia’s Civil Aviation Authority visited Damascus to tour the international airport in preparation for a resumption of Saudi commercial flights into Syria.
On April 11, on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar declared Turkey's aim to rebuild energy infrastructure in needy areas of Syria through a multidimensional approach, ranging from electricity transportation to natural gas supply.

3. Security

Southwest Syria (Daraa, Suwayda, Quneitra)

On April 8, Israeli military forces launched ground incursions into the villages of al-Sandaniyah, Tel al-Sayfar, and Taranjah in Quneitra.
On April 10, Israeli fighter jets flew over large parts of Quneitra and Daraa, but did not launch strikes.
On April 11, Israeli ground forces launched a ground incursion into the village of Hader in Quneitra, establishing pop-up checkpoints and firing into the air. That day, Israeli forces also launched a ground incursion into the al-Tulul al-Hamr area in northern Quneitra.
On April 8, three civilians were injured when unidentified gunmen threw two grenades and opened fire on a residential building in Tafas, Daraa.
On April 8, unidentified gunmen conducted three coordinated sabotage attacks on electricity lines running to and from the Deir Ali power station around Sheikh Miskeen, Daraa, leading to a complete cut-off of electricity supply to Suwayda and parts of Daraa throughout April 9.
On April 9, one woman was killed in crossfire during an armed clash between rival gunmen in Jassem, Daraa.
On April 10, at least 30 anti-tank guided missiles and other mortars and rockets were seized by Public Security forces during a raid on a farm between Daraa city and Atman.
On April 10, one man was detained by Public Security forces while he was deconstructing and stealing components of railway tracks east of Daraa.
On April 10, one man was killed in a brief armed clash between rival gunmen in al-Jiza, Daraa.
On April 10, a shipment of captagon and hashish was seized by Public Security forces in a coordinated ambush of drug smugglers traveling between Suwayda and Busra al-Sham in Daraa, with smugglers captured after a brief clash.
On April 10, a senior provincial Defense Ministry official, Bilal al-Mustafa (Bilal al-Droubi), was shot and severely wounded in an attempted assassination in Busra al-Sham, Daraa, followed by heavy gunfire and an overnight curfew. Reports linked the attack to the Eighth Brigade, prompting calls for its dissolution.
On April 11, one man was shot and injured in an attack by unidentified gunmen in al-Mayazin in eastern Daraa.
On April 11, unidentified gunmen demolished much of the home belonging to Abdulghani al-Nawatir (Abu Nizar), a former Assad regime military intelligence officer, in Sheikh Miskeen, Daraa.
On April 8, unidentified gunmen launched one RPG into the Tishreen Square in the center of Suwayda city, with no confirmed casualties.
On April 10, the Jordanian Army announced it had intercepted an attempt to smuggle drugs into Jordan from Suwayda using a heavy-lift drone.

Northwest Syria (Idlib, Aleppo, Latakia, Hama)

On April 8, the body of one unidentified man, showing signs of execution, was discovered dumped in a well in Kafranbel, Idlib.
On April 10, the body of a woman, showing signs of execution, was discovered in the village of Basha’ir al-Khayr, Idlib.
On April 10, one man was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Jisr al-Shughour, Idlib.
On April 9, one man, a former regime soldier, was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Aleppo city. An hour later, his brother, also a former regime soldier, was shot dead in the city.
On April 9, a convoy of approximately 500 YPG and YPJ (SDF) fighters departed Aleppo’s Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh districts and moved to the eastern banks of the Euphrates, under GSS protection.
On April 9, the former mayor of Aleppo’s Salah ad Din district, Riyad Ahmed Houri, was shot dead by an unidentified assassin.
On April 9, a former Iran-linked militiaman was assassinated by unidentified gunmen in Aleppo city.
On April 10, one former regime militiaman and informant, Yusuf Quban, was detained by Public Security forces in a targeted raid in Aleppo.
On April 10, the bodies of two men, showing signs of execution and having been burned, were discovered in the countryside outside Manbij, Aleppo.
On April 10, one girl, Sulavah Qader, was abducted by suspected SDF-linked fighters in Aleppo, with media reporting claiming she was being forcibly taken for military conscription.
On April 10, a convoy of YPG and YPJ (SDF) fighters departed Aleppo’s Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh districts and moved to the eastern banks of the Euphrates, under GSS protection.
On April 11, three men were kidnapped by unidentified gunmen and each shot and injured, before being dumped in the countryside outside Manbij.
On April 11, one man, the former director of a local religious school, was shot dead by unidentified assassins on the outskirts of al-Safira, Aleppo.
On April 8, one Public Security fighter was injured when pro-Assad gunmen launched an attack on a checkpoint in the Kasab area in northern Latakia.
On April 9, Public Security forces discovered and seized control of a weapons cache belonging to pro-Assad gunmen in the Bayt Yashout area, Latakia. The weapons included mortar rounds and other ammunition.
On April 9, one man was kidnapped and swiftly executed by unidentified gunmen outside the village of Ghanary outside Jableh, Latakia.
On April 10, several anti-tank mines, laid by pro-Assad gunmen along the Jableh-to-Latakia highway, were discovered and defused by government forces near Qardaha, Latakia.
On April 8, one wanted man was shot dead after failing to stop at a checkpoint in rural central Hama.
On April 9, one former Assad regime militia commander and recruiter was shot dead by an unidentified assassin in the al-Tatan district of Hama city.
On April 10, one former Assad regime militiaman linked to the NDF was shot dead outside Hama city.

Eastern Syria (Deir ez Zour, Hasakeh, Raqqa)

On April 10, suspected ISIS militants launched an attack on an SDF checkpoint in Abu Hamam in eastern Deir ez Zour, triggering clashes but no confirmed casualties. The attack involved the use of RPGs.
On April 10, several SDF fighters were injured when their vehicle was ambushed by ISIS militants in Dhiban, Deir ez Zour.
On April 11, one man was shot dead by suspected ISIS militants in the village of al-Jazary in eastern Deir ez Zour.
On April 8, a former Assad regime air force intelligence officer was killed in a targeted raid by GSS forces in Deir ez Zour city.
On April 9, one elderly man, Hussain al-Dahaim, was released from SDF custody in the village of Abu Hardub in eastern Deir ez Zour.
On April 9, several men were detained by SDF forces in a series of raids conducted in the villages of Hatlah and Abu Hardub near Deir ez Zour city.
On April 10, a drug smuggler was detained by Public Security forces in the town of al-Ashara in rural Deir ez Zour, and a quantity of hashish and captagon was seized.
On April 10, two artillery rockets landed into al-Shuheil late that day, with local media claiming they had originated from SDF-held areas. No casualties were caused.
On April 11, one man, Anwar al-Mazhour, was shot dead by unidentified assassins in the village of al-Jarthi, Deir ez Zour.
On April 9, one 14-year-old boy, Mohammed Khalaf, was abducted by SDF fighters in the Tal Tamr area, Hasakeh, with local media claiming he was taken for military conscription by the YPG.
On April 10, several busloads of SNA fighters were spotted leaving Ras al-Ayn en masse, headed for Tel Abyad and then into Turkey.
On April 9, several men were detained by SDF forces in a series of raids conducted in the village of al-Mansoura west of Raqqa city.
On April 10, a group of tribal militiamen launched an attack on SDF fighters at a checkpoint in al-Karama, outside Raqqa, triggering clashes but no confirmed casualties.

Central & Southern Syria (Homs, Damascus, Rif Dimashq)

On April 8, four men were kidnapped by unidentified gunmen in an attack on their farm compound in the village of al-Hadatha in western rural Homs. Bodies of two of the men were discovered later that day, both executed.
On April 9, bodies of the two other men were discovered in the village of al-Qabu, Homs.
On April 8, one man was kidnapped by unidentified gunmen in the Wadi Nasara area of western Homs late that day. He was released by Public Security forces in a targeted raid several hours later.
On April 9, several pro-Assad gunmen were detained and weapons stores were seized by Public Security forces during a large-scale search operation in Homs city’s Muhajireen district.
On April 11, a man and his wife were killed by unidentified gunmen in the village of al-Shaniyah in western rural Homs.
On April 9, two GSS fighters were injured in an attack on their checkpoint by pro-Assad gunmen outside the Tishreen Hospital in Damascus.
On April 9, a former Assad regime militiaman accused of complicity in crimes and several massacres, Ibrahim al-Faris, was detained by Public Security forces in a targeted raid in Jab al-Safa, near al-Kiswah, Rif Dimashq.

Explosive Hazards (UXO)

On April 9, two civilians were injured after accidentally triggering an unexploded landmine in Maarat al-Numan, Idlib.
On April 10, one woman was killed after accidentally triggering an unexploded landmine in the village of Kafr Jales, Idlib.
On April 11, one civilian was killed after accidentally triggering an unexploded landmine on the main road between Ariha and Muhambal, Idlib.
On April 11, one civilian was killed after accidentally triggering an unexploded landmine in the village of Basanqul in western Idlib.
On April 9, one government soldier was injured after an unexploded landmine he was attempting to defuse detonated in the village of al-Ainkawi in northern Hama.
On April 11, one man was injured after accidentally triggering an unexploded landmine in the village of al-Taybah in eastern rural Homs.
On April 9, one man was killed after accidentally triggering an unexploded landmine in the village of Hasnan, Raqqa.
On April 10, one civilian was injured after accidentally triggering an unexploded landmine in the village of al-Hajo along the M4 highway near Raqqa.
On April 11, one man was killed and another injured when they accidentally triggered an unexploded landmine in the al-Sabkha area outside Raqqa.
On April 9, one child was killed and another was injured after they accidentally triggered an unexploded landmine in the village of al-Karama, Hasakeh.
On April 9, one man was injured after accidentally triggering an unexploded landmine in the al-Quriya region in eastern Deir ez Zour.
On April 9, a civilian was killed after accidentally triggering an unexploded landmine in the village of al-Hassaniyah in northern Deir ez Zour.
On April 10, one government soldier was killed when an unexploded landmine he was attempting to defuse detonated in the village of al-Maariyah in eastern Deir ez Zour.
On April 11, two civilians were injured after accidentally triggering an unexploded landmine in the desert south of Deir ez Zour city.
On April 11, one man was injured after accidentally triggering an unexploded landmine in the al-Hamimah area outside Deir ez Zour city.
On April 11, one man was injured after accidentally triggering an unexploded landmine in Deir ez Zour city center.

Relevant Context

The Eighth Brigade, a prominent armed group in Daraa, was a key component of the Russian-backed Fifth Corps, formed after the 2018 "reconciliation" agreements that brought former opposition fighters under nominal government control. Its dissolution this week, following the attack on a senior Defense Ministry official, marks a significant step in the transitional government's efforts to centralize control and disarm independent or semi-independent armed factions in southern Syria, a region long characterized by complex local power dynamics and persistent insecurity.

The reported technical talks between Turkey and Israel regarding Syria represent a notable shift in regional dynamics. Historically, Israel has conducted numerous airstrikes in Syria, primarily targeting Iranian-linked assets and weapons shipments, often operating with a degree of tacit understanding or deconfliction with Russia. Turkey, meanwhile, has been a key supporter of opposition factions in northern Syria and has recently deepened its engagement with the new Syrian transitional government. These direct talks suggest a mutual interest in managing the complex and often volatile Syrian airspace and border regions, potentially aiming to prevent unintended escalation between regional powers as Syria's internal landscape continues to evolve.

5-11 Apr 2025