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Syria War Deaths Reach 387,000 in Slowest Annual Increase, Says Monitor

People visit a cemetery in the al-Shaar neighborhood of Aleppo. (Reuters file photo)
People visit a cemetery in the al-Shaar neighborhood of Aleppo. (Reuters file photo)
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Syria War Deaths Reach 387,000 in Slowest Annual Increase, Says Monitor

People visit a cemetery in the al-Shaar neighborhood of Aleppo. (Reuters file photo)
People visit a cemetery in the al-Shaar neighborhood of Aleppo. (Reuters file photo)

The overall death toll for Syria's war has crept up to 387,000 following the least deadly of 10 years of conflict, a monitor said Wednesday.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which relies on a wide network of sources inside Syria, said the new figure included almost 117,000 civilians, among them more than 22,000 children.

The Observatory's previous tally was issued in January and stood at more than 380,000.

The fighting, which erupted in 2011 after the brutal repression of anti-government protests, has largely abated this year as a ceasefire held in northwestern Syria and attention turned to containing the coronavirus pandemic.

The latest toll included more than 130,500 pro-government fighters, among them foreigners.

More than half of those were Syrian soldiers, while 1,703 were from the Lebanese Hezbollah party whose members have been fighting in Syria since 2013.

The conflict has claimed the lives of more than 57,000 non-extremist opposition fighters.

It has also killed more than 67,500 extremists, mainly from the ISIS group and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a group dominated by ex-members of Syria's former al-Qaeda affiliate.

More than 12,500 Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces fighters have been killed in battles against ISIS and Turkish forces.

The Observatory's toll does not include some 88,000 people it says died of torture in government-run prisons, nor thousands who were abducted during the conflict and are still missing.

After turning the tide of the war with Russian and Iranian support since 2015, the Syrian government now controls around two-thirds of the country.

Among the regions still beyond its reach are the last opposition enclave of Idlib in the northwest, Turkish-held areas along the northern border, and northeastern parts of the country held by US-backed Kurdish forces.

The war has forced more than half the country's pre-war population to flee their homes.

Some 6.7 million Syrians remained displaced inside the country, while 5.5 million are registered as refugees abroad, according to the United Nations.

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Arab World

Attacks in Baghdad Breach Fragile Militia Truce

An Iraqi armored vehicle near the US Embassy in Baghdad (AFP)
An Iraqi armored vehicle near the US Embassy in Baghdad (AFP)
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Attacks in Baghdad Breach Fragile Militia Truce

An Iraqi armored vehicle near the US Embassy in Baghdad (AFP)
An Iraqi armored vehicle near the US Embassy in Baghdad (AFP)

A wave of coordinated attacks struck Baghdad in a sharp escalation of Iraq’s security tensions, pointing to a shift in armed factions’ tactics and signaling that an undeclared truce may have effectively collapsed, with the US’s “Victory Base” being among the targets.

The attacks began with a strike on the headquarters of Iraq’s Intelligence Service in the Mansour district. Security sources said the blast hit the communications tower and server systems inside the compound, killing two officers and wounding several personnel, some critically.

The Security Media Cell said a drone crashed inside the compound at 10:15 a.m., striking the communications tower, while air defenses moved quickly to engage it.

The Intelligence Service mourned one of its officers, describing the attack as a “terrorist” act carried out by outlaws. It said the strike was a failed attempt to disrupt its work and vowed to pursue those responsible and bring them to justice.

The repeated use of the term “terrorism” in official statements tied to attacks attributed to armed factions underscores rising friction between the government and these groups.

The escalation came two days before the end of a five-day truce announced by Kataib Hezbollah, which pledged not to target the US Embassy in Baghdad under mediation led by Supreme Judicial Council head Faiq Zaidan and National Security Adviser Qassem al-Araji.

The understanding appeared limited to the embassy, excluding other locations such as logistical support facilities near Baghdad airport.

Sources said the United States did not provide a clear response to the truce conditions, while the US chargé d’affaires denied the presence of weapons at Victory Base, saying it serves as a diplomatic support center.

Violence also flared outside Baghdad. The Al-Haliwa military airport in Tuz Khurmatu, east of Salahuddin province, was hit in an attack marked by four explosions.

The site hosts units from the 4th Regiment of the 52nd Brigade of the Popular Mobilization Forces. Initial reports pointed to no casualties, but the PMF later said one of its fighters was killed and others wounded, describing the strike as a “Zionist-American bombardment.”

Security forces imposed a cordon and launched an investigation.

In a parallel development, Ashab al-Kahf claimed a drone attack on Victory Base, located near Baghdad’s international airport, warning civilians to stay away from areas hosting US presence and saying its operations would intensify.

The claim is significant, suggesting the truce has effectively ended, even without a formal announcement.

US sources say the site referred to as Victory Base has not been an official military base since 2011, when the complex was handed over to Iraqi authorities. It is now used as a diplomatic support facility rather than a standalone combat base.

The developments point to growing signs that armed factions are rotating roles in carrying out attacks to obscure responsibility and complicate attribution, particularly in Baghdad, where targets span government facilities and sites linked to the US presence.

The escalation comes against a wider regional backdrop. Since fighting erupted between Iran, the US and Israel on Feb. 28, Iraqi factions close to Tehran have stepped up attacks on diplomatic sites and military bases in Iraq and the Kurdistan region, drawing a series of US strikes in response.

On March 19, 2026, Hadi al-Amiri, head of the Badr Organization, accused the US and Israel of carrying out attacks on PMF positions and called on Iraqi authorities to take firm measures to prevent further strikes, as tensions show no sign of easing.

Arab World

European Nations Decry ‘Increasing Settler Terror’ in West Bank

Israeli soldiers take position as Israeli settlers barricade themselves in Joseph's Tomb in Nablus, March 17, 2026. (EPA)
Israeli soldiers take position as Israeli settlers barricade themselves in Joseph's Tomb in Nablus, March 17, 2026. (EPA)
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European Nations Decry ‘Increasing Settler Terror’ in West Bank

Israeli soldiers take position as Israeli settlers barricade themselves in Joseph's Tomb in Nablus, March 17, 2026. (EPA)
Israeli soldiers take position as Israeli settlers barricade themselves in Joseph's Tomb in Nablus, March 17, 2026. (EPA)

Diplomats from 13 European countries and Canada on Saturday slammed growing "terror" by settlers against Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, after a surge in deadly attacks.

Since the start of March, six Palestinians have been shot dead in settler attacks in the West Bank, according to a tally of data from the Ramallah-based health ministry.

"We strongly condemn increasing settler terror and violence by the Israeli security forces inflicted upon Palestinian communities," said a joint statement from the diplomatic missions of countries including France, Spain and Britain.

"We are especially appalled by the killings of Palestinians over these past weeks. This violence by settler militias, aimed at taking over land and creating a coercive environment, forcing Palestinians to leave their homes, must end."

The statement called on the Israeli authorities to "prevent and prosecute the lethal violence, raids and attacks".

Israel's military chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir on Wednesday criticized the increase in settler attacks in the West Bank, calling it "morally and ethically unacceptable".

Alongside roughly three million Palestinians, more than 500,000 Israelis live in settlements and outposts in the West Bank, which are illegal under international law.

While most Israeli settlers do not engage in violence, a small but militant fringe has been linked to attacks on Palestinians.

More broadly, violence in the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967, has risen sharply since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel triggered the Gaza war.

It has continued despite the ceasefire and spiked since the start of the war against Iran.

According to an AFP tally based on Palestinian health ministry figures, Israeli troops or settlers have killed at least 1,050 Palestinians -- many of them gunmen, but also scores of civilians -- in the West Bank since the start of the Gaza war.

Israeli troops last week shot dead two children and their parents in a car, Palestinian authorities said. The Israeli military and police said soldiers opened fire on a vehicle over a perceived safety threat, killing four people inside.

Official Israeli figures say 45 Israelis, including soldiers and civilians, have also been killed in Palestinian attacks or during Israeli military operations.

Arab World

Jordan Says 240 Missiles, Drones Fired at Kingdom Since Start of Middle East War

Streaks of fire and light cross the night sky as an Israeli interceptor strikes an Iranian missile amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, over Tel Aviv, Israel, March 18, 2026. (Reuters)
Streaks of fire and light cross the night sky as an Israeli interceptor strikes an Iranian missile amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, over Tel Aviv, Israel, March 18, 2026. (Reuters)
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Jordan Says 240 Missiles, Drones Fired at Kingdom Since Start of Middle East War

Streaks of fire and light cross the night sky as an Israeli interceptor strikes an Iranian missile amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, over Tel Aviv, Israel, March 18, 2026. (Reuters)
Streaks of fire and light cross the night sky as an Israeli interceptor strikes an Iranian missile amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, over Tel Aviv, Israel, March 18, 2026. (Reuters)

The Jordanian army said on Saturday that 240 missiles and drones had targeted the kingdom since the Middle East war began last month, most of which were intercepted.

"The total number of missiles and drones fired towards the kingdom since the start of the war has reached 240," the army said in a statement.

"The Royal Air Force successfully intercepted and destroyed 222 missiles and drones, while 18 missiles and drones were not intercepted by the air defenses," it added.

The military's media office, meanwhile, said 36 missiles and drones had targeted the kingdom over the past week.

"Fourteen missiles and 21 drones were intercepted and destroyed, while defenses were unable to thwart one attack," it added.

Since the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28, the Islamic republic has struck countries across the region, including Jordan.

Iran has targeted US interests in the region, but attacks have also hit civilian infrastructure.

Jordan has recorded no deaths since the start of the war, with health authorities previously reporting 29 injured, all of whom have since been discharged from hospital.