Syria

Australian woman charged with joining Islamic State after returning from Syrian refugee camp

The 34-year-old traveled to Syria between 2013 and 2014 with others, including a man, to allegedly join the Islamic State, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) said in a statement.

Members of Australian families believed to be linked to the Islamic State militants wait to leave Roj camp near Derik, Syria April 24, 2026.
Ghouta residents commemorate the 12th anniversary of the chemical attack on August 21, 2025 in Zamalka, Syria. On 21 August 2013 President Bashar al-Assad ordered strikes on two opposition-controlled areas of Ghouta, in the suburbs around Damascus.

Syria establishes task force to find and destroy last 'Assad-era chemical weapons'

Chemical weapons disposal [file]

Syrian officials find remnants of chemical weapons program from Assad regime era - report

A group of supporters surround an Islamic State-linked family, as they arrive at Melbourne international airport, in Melbourne, Australia, May 7, 2026.

Second group of Australian women linked to Islamic State to return home


Syria’s limited Kurdish election exposes limits of Damascus’s democratic transition - analysis

Syria had already held types of limited elections in other areas of Syria last year. However, areas outside government control did not hold a vote.

Children hold signs on the day Syrian Kurds demonstrate to mark Kurdish Language Day, demanding constitutional recognition of the Kurdish language by the Syrian government, in Qamishli, Syria, May 14, 2026.

Last of Australian ISIS linked families leave Syrian camps

Seven Australian women and 14 children recently arrived in Damascus from the Roj camp in northeast Syria, marking the departure of the last known Australian group from camps for ISIS-linked families.

Members of Australian families believed to be linked to the Islamic State militants wait to leave Roj camp near Derik, Syria April 24, 2026.

Turkey captures ten wanted ISIS terrorists in cross-border operation with Syria

Investigators say one of the key figures is Omer Deniz Dundar, who is linked to the planning of the deadly 2015 bombing at Ankara’s main train station.

ISIS fighters.

Iraq’s 1,200-km. trade route could redraw the Middle East - analysis

Iraq has some reticence, in part because Iranian-backed militias in Iraq oppose the new government in Damascus. However, trade may prove more important than sectarian ideology.

Iraqi forces and Kurdish Peshmerga fighters gather during an intensive security deployment after Islamic State militants took it over the previous day in Luhaiban village in Kirkuk, Iraq December 6, 2021.

Syria pushes to gain closer ties with Western powers as it reaches meetings with G7, NATO, and WHO

The concept is to bring Syria into many key international organizations and to increase the country’s stability and investment opportunities.

Syrians gather to mark the anniversary of the 2011 uprising against the ousted President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus, Syria March 15, 2026.

Shavuot in the southern Golan: Springs, wineries, and ancient Jewish heritage

The southern Golan Heights emerges as a living landscape where archaeology, hospitality, and community life meet against dramatic volcanic terrain.

Mitzpe Hashalom: Twilight settles over the entire expanse of the Kinneret as seen from the wooden cabins of Mitzpe Hashalom, where the cliffside horizon softens into a panoramic evening glow.

Australian women linked to ISIS leave Syrian camp - report

The Australian government has previously ruled out providing direct assistance for the return of Australian families linked to ISIS.

Members of Australian families believed to be linked to the Islamic State militants wait to leave Roj camp near Derik, Syria April 24, 2026.

The Arab Spring is dead, and a new social contract has replaced it - analysis

Across the Arab world in 2026, ideology is giving way to pragmatism, as publics prioritize stability, security, and economic delivery over reform

A demonstrator holds empty tear gas canisters during a protest over the deteriorating economic situation, in Riad al-Solh Square in Beirut, Lebanon, in 2023.
Premium

ISIS escalates rhetoric, seeks ‘new phase of fighting’ in Syria - analysis

Foreign fighters and sleeper cells remain a security concern as the group tries to revive its networks after years of territorial collapse.

A still image taken from an Islamic State (ISIS) video

Syria building US relations while serving pivotal regional role - analysis

Syria knows that working on ties with Israel will be helpful because the US is very close to Israel and focused on Israeli relations currently.

A SYRIAN flag is displayed outside the White House following the meeting of US President Donald Trump and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, US, November 10, 2025.