News Monitors Analysis:

The Syrian conflict continues to be a complex and multifaceted war, with various countries and non-state actors vying for influence and control. Israel, Turkey, and Russia have all been actively involved in the conflict, with Israel conducting airstrikes against Syrian targets, Turkey supporting Syrian rebel groups and carrying out its own airstrikes, and Russia providing military support to the Syrian government.

ISIL (also known as ISIS) remains a significant presence in Syria, with the group continuing to carry out attacks against government and Kurdish forces. The al Hol prison camp, which is run by the Kurdish SDF militia, has been a source of tension and violence, with ISIL claiming that its attacks are in retaliation for the way the camp is run.

In the northwest, Turkish forces and their Syrian rebel allies have recently captured several towns that were previously held by government forces. In the east, Russian and Syrian warplanes have been conducting airstrikes against ISIL targets in the Deir Ezzor province. The conflict in Syria shows no signs of abating, with various parties continuing to engage in military operations and clashes.

Timeline:
On January 4, 2023, an Israeli airstrike targeted the international airport in Damascus, killing two Syrian soldiers and wounding two others. The runways were also damaged by anti-runway bombs. Despite these attacks, Iran continued to fly in weapons for use against Israel. On January 3, 2023, Turkish missile attacks using armed drones killed three Kurdish military commanders in the Hasaka province, which is controlled by Turkey. These attacks, which began in 2022 and continued into 2023, have killed a total of 96 people and wounded 126, with most of the victims belonging to the Kurdish forces. On January 2, 2023, Kurdish security forces arrested 45 people in the Hasaka province, accusing most of being members of ISIL (also known as ISIS). At least 11 of those arrested were locals who operated a logistics network that supplied ISIL with supplies and assisted in moving its members around the province. In the adjacent Raqqa province, a curfew was declared in the city of Raqqa due to recent ISIL violence. ISIL has claimed that these attacks are in retaliation for the way the Kurds run the al Hol prison camp, which holds a large number of captured ISIL fighters and their families. On January 1, 2023, two policemen were killed when their vehicle was hit by an ISIL roadside bomb in the east, and an ISIL attack was also suspected in the murder of a local man. In the Hasaka province, the Kurdish SDF militia suffered casualties while searching for ISIL members. On December 31, 2022, nearly half of the war-related deaths in Syria occurred in remote desert areas of the Homs, Suwaidaa, Hama, Al-Raqqah, Deir Ezzor, and Aleppo provinces. These deaths were largely due to the ongoing presence of ISIL in the area, which frequently engages in violence. Most of the ISIL deaths in these areas were caused by Russian airstrikes and ground troops, while other deaths were the result of Turkish airstrikes and ground troops. On December 30, 2022, Turkish troops and their Syrian rebel allies captured the town of Saraqeb, which had been held by government forces. In the east, Russian and Syrian warplanes conducted airstrikes against ISIL targets in the Deir Ezzor province. On December 29, 2022, Syrian government forces launched a major offensive against Turkish forces and their Syrian rebel allies in the northwest, in an attempt to regain control of the Saraqeb area. On December 28, 2022, Turkish troops and their Syrian rebel allies captured the town of Maarat al-Numan, which had been held by government forces. In the east, Russian and Syrian warplanes conducted airstrikes against ISIL targets in the Deir Ezzor province. On December 27, 2022, Turkish troops and their Syrian rebel allies captured the town of Saraqeb, which had been held by government forces. In the east, Russian and Syrian warplanes conducted airstrikes against ISIL targets in the Deir Ezzor province. On December 26, 2022, Turkish troops and their Syrian rebel allies captured the town of Maarat al-Numan, which had been held by government forces. In the east, Russian and Syrian warplanes conducted airstrikes against ISIL targets in the Deir Ezzor province.

News Monitors