[Published here on April 13, 2018]
Damascus (Syria) (AFP) – As Syrian rebels evacuate their holdout town of Douma, hope is dwindling that four iconic activists and hundreds of others suspected to have been kidnapped there will be found alive.
rebels
Broken by siege, Syria rebels face worse loss yet in Ghouta | AFP
[Published here April 4, 2018]
Beirut (AFP) – The expected loss of Eastern Ghouta will deal Syria’s fragmented rebels their biggest blow yet, leaving them unable to threaten President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus and increasingly subservient to competing global interests.
Syria rebels lose heavyweight with collapse of Islamist faction | AFP
[Published here August 17, 2017]
Beirut (AFP) – Syria’s opposition has lost one of its most powerful factions with the collapse of Islamist heavyweight Ahrar al-Sham, which once walked a fine line between jihadists and more mainstream rebels.
Three-way bid to boost Syria truce after Astana talks | AFP
[Published here on January 24, 2017]
Astana (Kazakhstan) (AFP) – Russia, Iran and Turkey agreed Tuesday to bolster a fragile truce in Syria but rebels and Damascus made no progress towards a broader settlement to end the war after two days of talks.
No sign of breakthrough on first day of Syria talks | AFP
[Published here on January 23, 2017]
Astana (Kazakhstan) (AFP) – Peace talks with Syrian rebels and the war-torn country’s government got off to a rocky start Monday, while Washington said President Donald Trump was open to joint operations with Russia against Islamic State jihadists in Syria.
Syria regime, rebels set for first face-to-face at Astana | AFP
[Published here on January 21, 2017]
Syria’s government and rebel fighters will on Monday sit down at the negotiating table for the first time in nearly six years of war, the latest diplomatic push to end the hostilities.
Rebel chief death may hurt Syria talks, boost IS: analysts | AFP
[Published here December 26, 2015]
Beirut (AFP) – The killing of Syrian rebel chief Zahran Alloush, fiercely opposed to both the regime and the Islamic State group, has eliminated a key bulwark against the jihadists and could derail UN-brokered peace talks, analysts say.
The head of Jaish al-Islam, the foremost rebel group in Damascus province, was killed on Friday in an air strike claimed by Syria’s government.
