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SOHR: ISIS Attacks Iranian Militias in Syria's Badia

An ISIS poster in the central Syrian town of Sukhnah is adorned with the flags of pro-government fighters after the Syrian government took control of the area (AFP)
An ISIS poster in the central Syrian town of Sukhnah is adorned with the flags of pro-government fighters after the Syrian government took control of the area (AFP)
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SOHR: ISIS Attacks Iranian Militias in Syria's Badia

An ISIS poster in the central Syrian town of Sukhnah is adorned with the flags of pro-government fighters after the Syrian government took control of the area (AFP)
An ISIS poster in the central Syrian town of Sukhnah is adorned with the flags of pro-government fighters after the Syrian government took control of the area (AFP)

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported a number of ISIS sudden attacks on posts of Iranian-backed militias and regime forces in the surrounding areas of Arak oil field in east Homs desert.

The attack was followed by clashes between the two sides, amid reports of casualties.

ISIS cells targeted a guard post of al-Qura Guards, militias backed by Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), on the bank of Euphrates river in al-Asharah city in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor, killing four Syrian militiamen and injuring others.

Earlier, a bomb planted by unknown gunmen believed to be of ISIS cells, exploded in the car carrying militiamen, near Wadha village of Maskanah town in the eastern countryside of Aleppo, according to the Observatory.

As a result, four Iranian-backed militiamen were killed, and two others injured.

ISIS also killed eight regime-backed militiamen in surprise attacks on their posts and checkpoints in different areas in the Syrian desert. In response, Russian jets executed tens of airstrikes on ISIS positions, leaving casualties.

Since March 2019, SOHR documented various ISIS attacks, bombings, and ambushes which resulted in the deaths of at least 1,339 regime soldiers and loyalists of various nationalities, including two Russians, and 145 Iranian-backed militiamen of non-Syrian nationalities.

Also, four civilians working in gas fields, 11 shepherds, and four other people were killed in ISIS attacks during the same period, according to the war monitor.

About 754 ISIS members were also killed in exchanged attacks and bombardment since March 2019.

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Arab World

Bashir Moved to Khartoum Hospital amid Reports He Will Be Flown Abroad

Sudan's ex-president Omar al-Bashir leaves the office of the anti-corruption prosecutor in Khartoum, Sudan, June 16, 2019. (Reuters)
Sudan's ex-president Omar al-Bashir leaves the office of the anti-corruption prosecutor in Khartoum, Sudan, June 16, 2019. (Reuters)
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Bashir Moved to Khartoum Hospital amid Reports He Will Be Flown Abroad

Sudan's ex-president Omar al-Bashir leaves the office of the anti-corruption prosecutor in Khartoum, Sudan, June 16, 2019. (Reuters)
Sudan's ex-president Omar al-Bashir leaves the office of the anti-corruption prosecutor in Khartoum, Sudan, June 16, 2019. (Reuters)

Sudanese former President Omar al-Bashir, 80, has been transferred from the northern city of Merowe to a hospital in the capital Khartoum for continued treatment and tests after he developed symptoms of an “unknown” medical case.

His lawyer, Mohamed El-Hassan El-Amin told Asharq Al-Awsat on Wednesday that his client was transferred to Khartoum two weeks ago for routine medical examinations, confirming that "there is no change in his health status."

However, he noted the emergence of certain symptoms of "unknown cause," which may require travel abroad to undergo testing using advanced medical equipment.

El-Amin declined to provide further details about Bashir’s condition.

However, he noted that the former president suffers from recurrent low blood pressure and infections, adding: "This is all we can disclose at this stage."

On reports about the Sudanese authorities approving Bashir's travel abroad, El-Amin stated: "There is no official decision so far."

However, he revealed that certain government officials expressed no objection.

"This request was raised more than a year ago, but no progress has been made in its implementation," he added.

Bashir's lawyer Mohamed El-Hassan El-Amin. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

El-Amin confirmed that the same official authorities facilitated the travel of the former Vice President, Bakri Hassan Saleh, to the Turkish capital, Ankara, for medical treatment, revealing for the first time his presence outside the country.

The International Criminal Court has accused Bashir of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Darfur region during his rule. He was also convicted on charges of corruption and illicit financing and faced other trials before the outbreak of the war in April 2023. At that time, he was held at a military base in Omdurman, prior to his transfer to Merowe in northern Sudan.

Sudanese media reports had said that the former president's health had deteriorated significantly over the past few days, necessitating his transfer to Khartoum.

However, high-level sources refuted to Asharq Al-Awsat claims regarding the deterioration of his health, saying that recent measures aim to pave the way for his travel abroad in anticipation of domestic political shifts or regional developments.

The sources said Islamists are seeking to preempt potential rapid shifts in the political landscape that could place the authorities, led by the President of the Sovereignty Council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, in extreme embarrassment before the International Criminal Court if Bashir remains in the country.

According to the sources, who preferred to remain anonymous, prominent Islamist leaders in the ousted National Congress Party had previously made contacts to arrange Bashir's transfer abroad, after obtaining approval to host him.

The sources added that the ousted president had previously been offered a transfer to Eritrea but refused, despite Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki having expressed his willingness to host him.

Arab World

Hezbollah Denies Any Link to Cell Dismantled in Syria

A man waves Hezbollah flag at the Tahrir Square in Baghdad on September 26, 2026, to mark the second anniversary of killing of Hezbollah's former chief Hassan Nasrallah, in a major strike by Israel on Beirut's southern suburbs in Lebanon. (AFP)
A man waves Hezbollah flag at the Tahrir Square in Baghdad on September 26, 2026, to mark the second anniversary of killing of Hezbollah's former chief Hassan Nasrallah, in a major strike by Israel on Beirut's southern suburbs in Lebanon. (AFP)
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Hezbollah Denies Any Link to Cell Dismantled in Syria

A man waves Hezbollah flag at the Tahrir Square in Baghdad on September 26, 2026, to mark the second anniversary of killing of Hezbollah's former chief Hassan Nasrallah, in a major strike by Israel on Beirut's southern suburbs in Lebanon. (AFP)
A man waves Hezbollah flag at the Tahrir Square in Baghdad on September 26, 2026, to mark the second anniversary of killing of Hezbollah's former chief Hassan Nasrallah, in a major strike by Israel on Beirut's southern suburbs in Lebanon. (AFP)

Hezbollah denied on Wednesday any connection to a cell that Syrian authorities said they had dismantled in the country's south and which they accused of being affiliated with the Lebanese group.

A statement from the Iran-backed movement's media office said it "categorically denies any relationship or connection between Hezbollah and the alleged cell" and emphasized that "it has no presence whatsoever on Syrian territory and has no involvement in any security or military activity there".

On Tuesday, Syria said intelligence services and security forces "thwarted a sabotage plot in the Yarmuk basin in Daraa (province) and arrested a Hezbollah-affiliated cell composed of three individuals".

Authorities said the cell attempted "to prepare rocket launch platforms with the aim of carrying out attacks to destabilize security and stability", without specifying the target.

The Yarmuk basin area, where state media has previously reported Israeli incursions and shelling, borders the Israeli-occupied Syrian Golan Heights, as well as Jordan.

Earlier on Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had said there were "indications" that Israel's enemies could try to attack ahead of elections scheduled for late October.

Syria's new authorities, who ousted longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in 2024, are hostile to Hezbollah, which is a sworn enemy of Israel and fought on Assad's side during the Syrian civil war.

Authorities have previously said they dismantled several Hezbollah-linked cells preparing attacks in Syria, accusations the group has denied.

In Wednesday's statement, Hezbollah accused Israel of seeking to disrupt ties between Lebanon and Syria.

It called on Syrian authorities "to identify the real beneficiary of escalating tensions between the two countries, namely the Israeli enemy".

Last month, Hezbollah's chief Naim Qassem said he had no objection to meeting openly with Syria's leadership.

In June, responding to a question about whether he would sit at the table with Hezbollah, Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa said that "if this serves Lebanon's interests and safeguards Syria's interests, why not".

Arab World

US Removes Syria from Arms Export Ban

A large Syrian flag flutters above Tishreen Park in Damascus on June 4, 2025. (AFP)
A large Syrian flag flutters above Tishreen Park in Damascus on June 4, 2025. (AFP)
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US Removes Syria from Arms Export Ban

A large Syrian flag flutters above Tishreen Park in Damascus on June 4, 2025. (AFP)
A large Syrian flag flutters above Tishreen Park in Damascus on June 4, 2025. (AFP)

The Trump administration is removing Syria from a list of countries that are not allowed to purchase or import US weaponry, a step that is part of a monthslong process of easing sanctions on the new government in Damascus and its leaders.

In a notice published Wednesday in the Federal Register, the State Department said it was amending its International Traffic in Arms Regulations, or ITAR, so that Syria no longer was among the nations subject to a policy of denial for licenses and other approvals needed for the sale of US weapons and munitions.

The change effective Thursday means that arms sales requests from Syria will now be considered on a case-by-case basis.

President Donald Trump acted last year to ease economic sanctions on Syria that had been in place for decades during now-ousted President Bashar al-Assad’s rule. In August, Secretary of State Marco Rubio rescinded Syria’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism, helping paving the way for the latest step in drawing closer to the current government.

The State Department has also announced plans to reopen the US Embassy in Damascus. It has been closed for 14 years.

With Syria’s removal from the ITAR blacklist, only seven countries remain subject to the policy of denial for licenses for US arms exports: Belarus, China, Cuba, Iran, Myanmar, North Korea and Venezuela.

Syria’s interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa overthrew the Assad government nearly two years ago and has embarked on a policy of change that has impressed the Trump administration. His moves have led to hopes of eventual stability in a country that was wracked by civil war and the ISIS insurgency that engulfed northeast and western Iraq for years.

Wednesday’s withdrawal of US forces from Iraq may mean that the Syrian government plays a greater role in preventing an ISIS resurgence.