Russian Forces Reopen M4, Reinforce Presence in Raqqa

Turkish and Russian military vehicles take part in a joint patrol in northern Idlib (Turkish Defence Ministry)
Turkish and Russian military vehicles take part in a joint patrol in northern Idlib (Turkish Defence Ministry)
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Russian Forces Reopen M4, Reinforce Presence in Raqqa

Turkish and Russian military vehicles take part in a joint patrol in northern Idlib (Turkish Defence Ministry)
Turkish and Russian military vehicles take part in a joint patrol in northern Idlib (Turkish Defence Ministry)

Russian forces reopened the Syrian international highway (M4) for civilian and commercial use after about a month of closure following Turkish military operations in Ain Issa, with the participation of loyal Syrian factions.

The highway is now open from Ain Issa district in Raqqa countryside towards Tal Tamr to the northwest of Hasakah governorate, and from regions in al-Jazira reaching al-Yaaroubia border crossing with Iraq.

Moscow opened the road after reaching an understanding with Ankara during the talks at the end of last year between Russian officials and Turkish border officers in Sharkarak village.

Eyewitnesses reported seeing dozens of vehicles carrying goods and civilians crossing the road accompanied by Russian patrols.

Russia reinforced its presence in the northern and western countryside of Raqqa, after their base in Tal al-Saman area was attacked on Friday.

The attack was claimed by the al-Qaeda-linked Hurras al-Deen extremist group.

Russian officials and Syrian regime officers met with Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) officials, without reaching a final agreement on the fate of Ain Issa.

The Turkish army and Syrian armed opposition factions targeted the region, and a number of medical teams reported the attacks to have taken place in al-Mushrefa and al-Jhabal villages.

Russia and the Syrian regime demanded a complete SDF withdrawal from Ain Issa and its surroundings at a depth of five kilometers, indicating that it should be handed to regime forces.

Tal Abyad Military Council Commander Riyad al-Khalafawi, affiliated with SDF, confirmed that the council’s forces had responded to the attacks of the Turkish forces and their loyal factions.

Khalafawi denied the “baseless” reports about reaching a final agreement with the Russian forces on handing over the area to the regime.

He indicated that the deployment of regime forces is limited to a number of military points, noting that the Russian forces have established three military bases.

Russian forces continue to patrol the international highway M4, according to Khalafawi.

Ain Issa is strategically important given its location overlooking the highway M4, as it connects al-Hasakah, Raqqa, and Deir Ez-Zor, in the east, with Aleppo in the north.

The area also contains a major road network connecting east of the Euphrates to its west.

Several protests erupted in Ain Issa denouncing Russia’s silence about the military escalation in the region, as Turkey aims to control the town.

In turn, the head of the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC), Ilham Ahmed, indicated that Russia should support the Autonomous Administration, adding that Moscow is responsible for the mistakes of the Syrian regime.



Druze Group ‘Rijal al-Karama’ Rejects Disarmament, Calls for Weapons Regulation in Sweida

Mourners attend funeral of those killed in clashes in southern Sweida town on Saturday (AFP)
Mourners attend funeral of those killed in clashes in southern Sweida town on Saturday (AFP)
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Druze Group ‘Rijal al-Karama’ Rejects Disarmament, Calls for Weapons Regulation in Sweida

Mourners attend funeral of those killed in clashes in southern Sweida town on Saturday (AFP)
Mourners attend funeral of those killed in clashes in southern Sweida town on Saturday (AFP)

A leading Druze movement said on Sunday that the issue of surrendering arms remains unresolved, even as local leaders in southern Syria announced the official start of implementing a peace agreement brokered by Druze clerics and dignitaries in Sweida province.

Bassem Abu Fakhr, spokesman for the “Rijal al-Karama” movement, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the group's weapons were solely for defense and had never been used offensively.

“The matter of handing over weapons falls under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Defense, and no final decision has been made yet,” Abu Fakhr said. “Our arms have never posed a threat to any party. We have not attacked anyone, and our weapons exist to protect our land and honor.”

He added that while the group does not object to regulating the presence of weapons, full surrender was out of the question.

“We have no issue with organizing arms under state authority, provided they remain within the province’s administrative boundaries and under state supervision,” he said. “But the matter of weapons remains unresolved.”

Formed in 2013, Rijal al-Karama was established to protect the Druze community and prevent its youth from being conscripted into fighting for any side in Syria’s protracted conflict, which erupted after mass protests against then President Bashar al-Assad.

The group continues to operate as an independent local defense force, separate from state security institutions.

Abu Fakhr told Asharq Al-Awsat that a high-level meeting held last Thursday in Sweida—attended by senior Druze spiritual leaders Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri and Sheikh Hammoud al-Hanawi, along with local dignitaries and community members—resulted in an agreement to reactivate the police and judicial police under the Ministry of Interior.

Abu Fakhr also denied recent reports claiming that Druze clerics, tribal leaders, and faction commanders had agreed to fully surrender their weapons to the state.

“This issue has not been resolved by all parties in Sweida,” he said, reiterating the group’s position: “We have no objection to organizing the weapons under state oversight, as long as they remain within the administrative boundaries of the province, but not to surrendering them.”

The statement underscores continuing tensions over the role of armed groups in Sweida, a province that has largely remained outside the control of both government and opposition forces throughout Syria’s civil war.