Sultan al-Kanj

Sultan al-Kanj
A Syrian Journalist and researcher 
Features Druze woman from Israeli-Occupied Golan gazes toward Syria (Reuters)

Sweida’s Druze, Bedouin Tribes Locked in Historic Grievances

Sweida, a province in southern Syria, is teetering on the brink after days of deadly violence and clashes between local communities and government security…

Sultan al-Kanj
Features Armed clashes between Arab tribal fighters and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in the Manbij area of northern Syria in September 2023 (Getty)

The End of a Forced Coexistence: Arab Tribes Turn Against the Syrian Democratic Forces in Eastern Syria

In Syria’s vast northeastern areas, a brittle arrangement has for years held together an uneasy coexistence between the Arab tribes and the Kurdish-led Syrian…

Sultan al-Kanj
Arab World Emergency services work at the scene of a suicide bombing at Mar Elias Church on the outskirts of Damascus, Syria, 22 June 2025. EPA/MOHAMMED AL RIFAI

Damascus Gov’t on Alert to Prevent ISIS Resurgence

A suicide bombing that targeted the Mar Elias church in the Dweila district of Damascus has reignited debate over ISIS’s activity inside Syria, amid growing…

Sultan al-Kanj (Damascus)
Features Nusra fighters train in Syria’s Idlib Province – August 16, 2024 (AFP)

Angry Groups Emerge and Fade in Syria, Terror Cells or Shadows?

When Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa met US President Donald Trump in Riyadh on May 14, the encounter marked a striking departure from Syria’s political norm,…

Sultan al-Kanj
Features In this photo released by the Saudi Royal Palace, Syria's interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, left, shakes hands with President Donald Trump, center, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. At right is Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.(Bandar Aljaloud/Saudi Royal Palace via AP)

Foreign Fighters in Syria: Problem or Part of the Solution?

US President Donald Trump’s announcement to lift sanctions on Syria came with five conditions, chief among them the demand that “all foreign fighters” leave…

Sultan al-Kanj
Features ISIS members in Syria (Syrian Observatory for Human Rights)

ISIS in Syria Eyes Revival by Exploiting Jihadist Disillusionment

Despite losing its last stronghold in Baghouz near the Iraqi border in Syria’s Deir al-Zor province in March 2019, the ISIS group has continued to pose a…

Sultan al-Kanj
Features Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham leader Abu Mohammad al-Jolani (Ahmad al-Sharaa’) in Aleppo on December 4, 2024 (Telegram). 

How Al-Sharaa Led Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham to the People’s Palace

Since the Syrian revolution transitioned into armed conflict—after the regime ruled out negotiations and used excessive force to suppress protests in 2011—the…

Sultan al-Kanj
Features Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa delivers a speech following the “Declaration of the Syrian Revolution’s Victory” (Syrian Presidency)

SDF Factions: Uncertain Scenarios in Complex Relations with Damascus

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) pose the main challenge to Syria’s new administration, led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, as it seeks to move past the conflict and…

Sultan al-Kanj