NATIONAL OVERVIEW

Nationwide incidents 

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS

• Israeli airstrikes conducted in northwestern Syria
• President Sharaa arrived in Cairo to attend Arab League summit
• Turkish Minister of Transport announce upgrades to Damascus Airport security
• Low-level violence continues in Damascus
• Kidnappings and assassinations reported in Damascus province
• Israeli forces block road in Quneitra countryside
• Turkish-backed forces launch attacks near Kobani
• SNA HQ ‘raided’ in northern Aleppo
• SDF conducted high-profile arrest in Hasaka province
• Vehicle transporting mines detonated in Albu Kamal in Deir Ez Zour
• Limited reports of IS attack in Deir Ez Zour
• Altercation inside Mosque in Hama city
• HTS launch security operation in Latakia following attack on security forces

STRATEGIC AND POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS

Israeli airstrikes conducted in northwesternSyria
On the evening of 3 March, multiple sources reported that Israeli airstrikes targeted various sites in the Tartous province. The targets reportedly included the site of a former air defense battalion located between the Wahib Iron Factory and Tartous Port, Tartous City as well as the area of Janta near the Syria-Lebanon border. The strikes were preceded by text messages sent to local residents warning citizens to avoid certain areas. The Tartous government media office later confirmed that the port remained safe and clarified that the strikes hit the city’s outskirts. No casualties were discussed in connection with the strikes.

The spokesperson for the Israeli Defense Forces later confirmed the operation and announced that the IDF attacked the Qardaha area, Latakia province, targeting a military site used to store weapons belonging to the ousted Syrian regime. The statement emphasized that, due to recent regional developments, Israel decided to target infrastructure within the site while continuing to monitor the Syrian front to ensure Israel’s security. Additional sources stated that the sites targeted included abandoned sites containing hardware stored by the former regime, including Soviet-era Buk and Pastsir missile systems – none of which remain operational under the new government. Limited reports, circulating on social media, claimed without corroboration or evidence that the sites also hosted foreign fighters serving under the ranks of the HTS however this remains unverified.

Sattelite view of Tartous Port

Regardless, the strikes form a continuation of Israeli-led efforts to degrade Syria’s conventional military capabilities and to prevent these assets from becoming operational in the future. Currently, the HTS is assessed to lack the capability and manpower to make use of much of the equipment targeted by Israeli forces, but the strikes form part of an assessed preventive effort by Israel to maintain a weak neighbor to its east.

More importantly, the operations follow a recent uptick in strategic tensions between Israel and the new Syrian government, sparked by recent clashes near Damascus between the HTS and the Druze community. Last week, Israeli leaders threatened to intervene to protect the Druze community and pledged to prevent the HTS from controlling areas south of Damascus by extending its ground incursion into southern Syria. In this context, the airstrikes on 3 March form a risk escalation indicator that may trigger an additional increase in tensions between the two sides, while setting conditions for further Israeli operations in Syria.

President Sharaa arrived in Cairo to attend Arab League summit
As planned, Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa arrived in Cairo on 4 March to attend an emergency session organized by the Arab League. The session will focus on the Israeli-Hamas conflict and was organized in response to US President Donald Trump’s controversial call to relocate the Palestinians from the Gaza Strip. The visit represents al-Sharaa’s first trip to Egypt and represents an important milestone in the new government’s quest to regain its seat in the Arab League. While focusing on the Israeli-Palestinian issue, al-Sharaa’s discussions and meetings over the coming days will serve as an important indicator of the new government’s efforts to integrate with regional stakeholders, with associated dynamics and rhetoric to be monitored closely.

In a related development, Lebanese government sources revealed that a meeting between Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and President al-Sharaa is scheduled to take place during the summit. The discussion will cover Syrian refugees, Lebanese-Syrian border security, and smuggling through illegal crossings. Sources stated that the meeting will establish a roadmap for future government-level talks under regional sponsorship, addressing thorny issues such as the dissolution of the Lebanese-Syrian Supreme Council and the Syrian-Lebanese treaties, which previously favoured the ousted Syrian regime.

Turkish Minister of Transport announce upgrades to Damascus Airport security
Turkish Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Oraloglu announced efforts to enhance security at Damascus International Airport by installing advanced technologies and upgrading infrastructure. Turkey has deployed two wireless transmission systems, transported 113 security-related devices, and improved fire safety protocols as part of its modernization plan. Oraloglu added that Turkish engineers are maintaining and repairing airport systems to ensure sustainable and secure operations. Upgrades include X-ray machines and explosive trace detectors to enhance security screening, and fire rescue vehicles to improve emergency response capabilities. The minister also emphasized Turkey’s commitment to raising security levels at the airport, highlighting its role in securing Syrian airspace.

DAMASCUS & THE SOUTHERN REGION (including Suwaida, Daraa & Quneitra)

Low-level violence continues in Damascus
Hostile activity in the capital and city and surrounding countryside was limited to low-level violence related to diverse threat conditions. Local sources reported that an HTS-linked armed group physically assaulted a delivery worker in Damascus City. According to reports, the victim was a former soldier who had made a settlement with HTS but was allegedly attacked for sectarian reasons. Separately, a number of students were hospitalized, including students from As Suwayda province, following a dispute at the Faculty of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Damascus University. The incident started as a physical altercation which escalated into a shooting.

Kidnappings and assassinations reported in Damascus province
In the countryside, local reports stated that four young men were kidnapped while traveling with their families from Dimas housing in Damascus countryside. The victims were forcibly removed from their vehicles and then taken to an unknown location. The motive was not specified but limited reports indicate the victims were affiliated with the former regime. Separate media reports stated that the Public Security Service arrested an individual working in a tile shop in the Harsta area, Damascus countryside. By 3 March, the individual was found killed in the same area; he had reportedly been discharged from military service years ago yet the motive behind the arrest and subsequent death remains unclear.

Elsewhere, security operations were also conducted in the countryside. Most notably,  the Internal Security Forces seized a weapons shipment near Serghaya City, Damascus countryside, on the Syrian-Lebanese border, which was intended for smuggling. Several suspects were arrested as a result.

Israeli forces block road in Quneitra countryside
Further to the airstrikes discussed above, Israeli military activity was also reported in the Quneitra province. After midnight on 4 March, social media sources reported that Israeli army vehicles blocked the road between Mashara town in the Quneitra countryside and Tayha town in northern Daraa province amid gunfire and an airdrop operation in the Tal Al-Mal area. Following the withdrawal of Israeli forces, the area witnessed the sounds of bulldozers and excavation work, likely targeting military infrastructure or weapons remnants, similar to previous operations. The incursion was accompanied by Israeli helicopters and reconnaissance flights, which were heard across the western and northern countryside of Daraa and Quneitra.

Local tensions linked to the Israeli presence were also noted over the review period. After midnight on 4 March, unknown individuals raised the Israeli flag on the flagpole at Anqoud roundabout in As Suwayda City. A crowd later gathered, removed the flag, and burned it. This follows and is indicative of persistent tensions linked to the Druze community and earlier tensions this week in Damascus, with similar events likely to continue.

NORTH & EAST SYRIA (Including Hasaka, Deir Ez Zour, Aleppo & Raqqa provinces)

Turkish-backed forces launch attacks near Kobani
Activity along the frontlines in Aleppo province was elevated over the review period, with an increase in hostilities and operations observed in comparison to the previous days. According to SDF-linked media, Turkish forces and affiliated SNA groups launched a series of coordinated attacks across northern Syria, targeting civilian and military positions. The Qara Qozak Bridge axis saw sustained artillery shelling, with over 60 shells hitting multiple villages, followed by two SNA ground assaults, both repelled by the SDF, resulting in confirmed SNA casualties and the destruction of a heavy military vehicle.

Meanwhile, Turkish-backed forces shelled Abu Sura village west of Ain Issa town, damaging civilian property while reconnaissance UAVs monitored the area. No SDF casualties were reported, though the attacks led to extensive infrastructure damage and injuries among SNA fighters. A separate, official statement by the SDF also claimed Turkish-backed forces conducted “indiscriminate artillery strikes” against several villages in the area. The villages affected included al-Tina, Jada, Bir Hasso, Ghesq, Deikan, Malha, Qulhayda, and al-Sana, in addition to targeting the Sifi and Qaraqozaq hills.

Separately, in Raqqa province, SDF-linked media reported that the Turkish army used heavy artillery to bomb Sakiro village, Ain Issa district, Raqqa province, also impacting Ibrahim Kado village, Tal Abyad district. No casualties were discussed.

SNA HQ ‘raided’ in northern Aleppo
In another noteworthy development in Aleppo province, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) and other sources reported tensions between the HTS-linked internal security service and the Syrian National Army. According to the sources, the Internal Security Service raided a military headquarters affiliated with the SNA in northern Aleppo, targeting a group led by a commander known as “Abu Mahmoud”. The raid was launched after the kidnapping of a civilian from the Al-Shaar neighborhood, who was held for ransom. During the exchange, a firefight ensued, injuring a security officer who later died from his wounds.

A military convoy was later dispatched from Aleppo, raiding the group’s headquarters and arresting several National Army members, including their local commander, Abu Mahmoud, after the victim identified his detention location. The detainees were transferred to a security agency for investigation. As of writing, the incident appears to be treated as a criminal incident and the SNA, and Turkey, have not responded. That said, the event may provoke tensions with the SNA in the area, especially amidst efforts to integrate that group into the formal structure of the new Syrian army.

SDF conducted high-profile arrest in Hasaka province
On 2 March, according to an SDF report, the SDF Military Operations Teams carried out a security operation in Hasaka City, arresting Islam Marouf, also known as Islam Khafaji, a purported spy affiliated with the former regime. The operation followed investigations and intelligence gathering, with the SDF labeling Marouf as one of the most dangerous elements, responsible for terrorist operations against the SDF and international coalition forces in Hasaka and Deir Ez Zour.

Vehicle transporting mines detonated in Albu Kamal in Deir Ez Zour
Hostilities in the Deir Ez Zour province were limited overall. In a noteworthy incident – later confirmed as accidental – social media sources reported that a Public Security Service car loaded with mines exploded near the Tayyara Roundabout in Albu Kamal City, eastern Deir Ez Zour province. No casualties were initially reported, but the explosion affected a fuel kiosk, killing three people and injuring 15 others. Conflicting reports emerged, with some suggesting a fuel tanker explosion, while responsive media sources confirmed it was a public security vehicle explosion. As of writing, no hostile intent is suspected and the incident appears accidental.

Limited reports of IS attack in Deir Ez Zour
Reports of IS activity continue in eastern Deir Ez Zour province. On 3 March, the SOHR reported that IS elements attacked an SDF member’s house in Abu Hammam town, eastern Deir Ez Zour province, with an RPG rocket. No casualties were reported and further details were limited. A security response can be expected however as the incident closely follows another IS-linked attack against an SDF vehicle reported in recent days.

CENTRAL REGION (Including Idlib, Hama, Latakia, Tartous, Hama & Homs)

Altercation inside Mosque in Hama city
Hostilities in Hama city were comparatively limited over the review period yet one noteworthy incident was recorded inside the Sharia Mosque on 3 March. In the evening, a physical altercation broke out inside the Mosque between worshippers and mosque sheiks during Tarawih prayers. The dispute reportedly broke out over religious matters related to the prayer, with limited reports indicating a sectarian dimension to the disagreement. When police arrived to resolve the dispute, they fired into the air to disperse the crowd. Video footage from the event depicted participants screaming and responding in panic, but no casualties were inflicted.

IED attack reported in Idlib city
In Idlib province, social media sources reported that an IED exploded near Ihsan Mobaid Park close to 30th Street in Idlib City. The incident caused only material damage with no reported injuries. The motivation remains unclear but the style of the attack is indicative of an intimidation-style attack and likely linked to a local dispute.

HTS launch security operation in Latakia following attack on security forces
Hostilities between remnant regime elements and the HTS escalated over the review period in the Latakia province. After midnight on 4 March, unknown assailants carried out a hand grenade attack followed by heavy gunfire targeting Public Security Service patrols near the Azhari roundabout in the Da’tour area of Lattakia City. The attack resulted in the deaths of two security personnel and local reports stated that the clashes lasted for approximately three hours as security forces launched an operation to locate the attackers.

The Syrian Resistance faction claimed responsibility, stating that two HTS members were killed and others injured. According to SOHR, the attack was carried out by remnants of the Syrian regime, who had earlier kidnapped two internal security members whose bodies were later discovered. On the morning of 4 March, HTS deployed reinforcements and conducted a large security operation in Da’tour.  As of writing, the security operation is still ongoing but local sources reported that the situation had calmed down in the morning and mid-day of 4 March.

That said, a heightened security posture can be expected in the area over the near term, with additional tensions and hostilities likely.  The incident follows an increase in hit-and-run attacks against security patrols and checkpoints attributed to the Syrian Resistance and other, former-regime-linked factions that remain active in the province. This further illustrates persistent difficulties for the HTS in retaining control in Alawite-dominated areas of the province which are still characterized by support for the former regime.