Syria accused Israel of carrying out the attacks in and around Masyaf, where experts say missiles and unconventional weapons are developed. Israel did not comment.
Tag: Assad, Bashar al-
How Authoritarian Governments Rig Elections to Stay in Power
Nicolás Maduro was declared the winner of Venezuela’s presidential election despite widespread irregularities. Here are some tools autocrats like Mr. Maduro use to stay in power.
Former Syrian Official in Charge of Notorious Prison Is Arrested in California
Samir Ousman al-Sheikh, who was seeking U.S. citizenship, is accused of falsely describing whether he persecuted anyone for their political beliefs or had been involved in any killings.
What to Know as Israel-Hezbollah Conflict Grows
A Hezbollah-Israel war could metastasize into a larger regional conflict that could dwarf the current fighting and draw in Iran and the United States.
Deadly Attacks in Russia’s Dagestan Region: What to Know
Gunmen killed at least 20 people in attacks in two Dagestan cities. No suspects or motives have been identified, but the region has long been rocked by ethnic and religious violence.
Russia’s Battle With Extremists Has Simmered for Years
The Islamic State has long threatened to strike Russia for helping the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, stay in control.
Riad al-Turk, the ‘Mandela of Syria,’ Dies in Exile at 93
Imprisoned four times, he spent almost 20 years in Syria’s prisons, nearly 18 in solitary confinement, for speaking out against the Assad regimes. He died in France.
International Court Orders Syria to Stop Torture of Political Opponents
Human rights experts have estimated that some 14,000 people died from torture or were killed in the prisons run by military intelligence and security forces during Syria’s long civil war.
French Judges Issue Warrant for Syria’s President in War Crimes Case
The warrant relates to the deadly use of chemical weapons and is a major step to hold President Bashar al-Assad accountable for some of the worst atrocities in Syria’s long conflict.
Iran’s Proxy Forces Across the Middle East
A “Shiite Crescent” stretches from Yemen on the Arabian Peninsula through Iraq, Syria and Lebanon and back down to the Gaza Strip.