Israel Thwarts Attempt to Smuggle Weapons Between Syria and Lebanon
ARK News.. The Israeli army announced that it had foiled an attempt to smuggle weapons from Syrian territory into Lebanon, near the summit of Mount Hermon, and confirmed the arrest of several suspects involved in the operation.
Avichay Adraee, spokesperson for the Israeli army, stated that troops from the “Mountain Brigade”, in cooperation with Unit 504, detained several individuals who were attempting to transfer weapons from Syria into Lebanon across the Mount Hermon area on the Syrian side.
Adraee added that during the operation, the forces detected suspicious movements and acted immediately to arrest the suspects, confiscating the weapons that were being smuggled. The detainees were transferred for further investigation, he noted.
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The Wall Street Journal: ISIS Changes Its Tactics, Becomes Active Again in Syria
ARK News.. The Wall Street Journal has revealed that the Islamic State (ISIS) has intensified its attacks in northeastern Syria throughout 2025, taking advantage of the reduced U.S. military presence and the instability following recent political changes in the country.
According to the newspaper’s sources, the withdrawal of U.S. forces has “emboldened ISIS,” with the group’s militants carrying out more frequent operations as civilians increasingly complain about the deteriorating security situation in northeastern Syria.
The report stated that since April 2025, the United States began withdrawing 500 of its roughly 2,000 troops from Syria, most of them from Deir Ez-Zour, while several bases have been handed over to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
The paper noted that ISIS has shifted its combat tactics, now operating through small, independent cells of no more than five fighters each. These cells often function within a single city without knowing or coordinating with other units, making them harder to track.
Moreover, ISIS fighters no longer wear military uniforms or display black flags as they once did, instead blending into the local population, particularly as most of them are Syrian nationals.
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Israeli Artillery Shells Land Near a Town in Western Daraa Countryside
ARK News.. A Syrian human rights source reported that Israeli army artillery shells landed near a town in the western countryside of Daraa.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, three artillery shells fired by the Israeli army fell late Wednesday night, October 22, 2025, in the vicinity of Koya town in western Daraa.
The shells were launched from the “Al-Jazeera Barracks,” where Israeli forces are stationed in Quneitra Governorate. No human casualties or material damage were reported.
The Observatory added that Israeli forces fired several artillery rounds from the Tel al-Ahmar al-Gharbi base located in the town of Kodna in Quneitra countryside, as part of large-scale military maneuvers the Israeli army recently launched in the Golan Heights.
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UN Calls for Broader and Faster Lifting of Sanctions on Syria
ARK News.. The United Nations Deputy Special Envoy for Syria, Najat Rochdi, stated that the Syrian parliamentary elections were conducted in an orderly and sound environment.
Speaking at a UN Security Council session on Syria, Rochdi emphasized the need to lift sanctions on a wider and faster scale to give the transitional phase a genuine chance to succeed.
For his part, U.S. Representative to the Security Council Mike Waltz expressed his country’s support for Syria’s efforts to strengthen relations with neighboring states and to make the most of President Donald Trump’s decision to ease sanctions.
Waltz added: “We call on the Security Council to support efforts aimed at reducing UN sanctions on Syria to ensure the well-being of the Syrian people and to give the country a fair opportunity to achieve the desired development.”
He affirmed that the United States will continue to work with Syria to prevent the resurgence of terrorism and ISIS, and to support the return of displaced persons and refugees to their homeland.
Meanwhile, Syria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ibrahim Ulabi, said the country is entering a new phase of active political participation and engagement, noting that the Syrian government has granted the International Commission of Inquiry unrestricted access to Suwayda Governorate.
Ulabi also highlighted the government’s continued efforts to combat narcotics, stressing that the previous regime had used the drug trade to destabilize the region’s peoples.
He reaffirmed Syria’s ongoing regional and international cooperation in counter terrorism, which he said “reflects Syria’s commitment not to be a source of threat to any nation in the world.”
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Kurdistan Region Implements 87.5% of International Human Rights Recommendations
ARK News.. The Coordinator for International Recommendations in the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) announced that 87.5% of international human rights recommendations have been implemented under the KRG’s 2021–2025 Human Rights Action Plan.
The announcement came during a forum held in Erbil on Thursday, October 23, 2025, dedicated to reviewing the implementation results of the KRG Human Rights Plan (2021–2025). The event was attended by representatives of government institutions, international organizations, members of the Human Rights Forum, and the International Human Rights Council.
Dindar Zibari, the KRG Coordinator for International Recommendations, stated that the plan’s main achievements included the appointment of 47 representatives from ministries and related institutions, submission of 109 reports to international bodies, and the issuance of over 175 statements explaining KRG policies on governance and human rights.
He added that the office also prepared 10 analytical reports assessing progress, and organized 12 training sessions and workshops with government agencies, consulates, and UN bodies.
According to Zibari, the office played a central role in evaluating 364 recommendations submitted by 96 countries during the 18th Universal Periodic Review (UPR). He also highlighted the UN’s key role in ensuring that the KRG’s perspectives, challenges, and achievements were reflected in Iraq’s national position.
Regarding specific fields, Zibari noted that:
• 84% of recommendations on counter terrorism were implemented,
• 75% of anti-corruption recommendations were fulfilled,
• 83.3% of recommendations on the right to live in a clean environment were achieved,
• 80% of recommendations on internally displaced persons (IDPs) were implemented,
• 53 recommendations on drug and narcotics control were completed, while 73.7% are still in progress.
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Kurdistan Region President Receives Turkish Ambassador to Iraq
ARK News.. Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani received Anil Bora Inan, the Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey to Iraq, on Tuesday, October 21, 2025.
During the meeting, the two sides discussed relations between Turkey, Iraq, and the Kurdistan Region, as well as the water issue between Turkey and Iraq, the upcoming Iraqi parliamentary elections, and the future of the political process and internal situation in both Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.
Both sides stressed the importance of strengthening Turkey’s relations with Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, particularly in the economic sphere.
They described the resumption of Kurdistan Region oil exports as a positive step for the overall Iraqi economy and exchanged views on cultural and social ties between both sides.
The meeting also addressed recent regional developments and several issues of shared interest, with the Turkish Consul General in the Kurdistan Region in attendance.
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Nechirvan Barzani and Tom Barrack Discuss Developments in Syria
ARK News.. Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani held a phone call on Tuesday, October 21, 2025, with Thomas Barrack, the U.S. Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy to Syria.
During the call, the two discussed the situation in Syria and the latest regional developments, emphasizing the need to resolve issues through dialogue and mutual understanding.
Ambassador Barrack expressed his gratitude and appreciation for President Nechirvan Barzani’s role and cooperation in helping address Kurdish issues in Syria with Damascus, and encouraged him to continue his constructive engagement.
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President Barzani: The Constitutional Rights of the People of Kurdistan Are a Sacred Trust Paid for With the Blood of Martyrs and Can Never Be Surrendered
ARK News.. President Masoud Barzani met with a group of university professors, writers, journalists, intellectuals, artists, and athletes from the Kurdistan Region.
In his remarks, President Barzani expressed his pleasure at meeting the attendees and spoke about the current political situation and the upcoming sixth session elections for the Iraqi Council of Representatives.
“The elections are a democratic process through which the people must decide their own fate and freely choose their representatives,” Barzani said. “For us, elections are a matter of principle. During the March 1991 uprising in Koya, I personally called for holding elections — that’s why it’s a fundamental issue for us.”
Barzani recalled that the first free elections in Kurdistan were held in 1992, forming the foundation for building the region’s institutions. Iraq later witnessed its first free elections in 2005, following the adoption of a new constitution.
While noting his reservations about Iraq’s electoral law since 2010, President Barzani stressed that participation in elections stems from a sense of national responsibility, expressing hope that the next elections would help correct Iraq’s political course and ensure that the state is governed according to the constitution.
Speaking about the struggle, sacrifices, and achievements of the Kurdistan Region, Barzani stated: “No one has granted us these gains, nor can anyone claim credit for them. They are the fruit of the martyrs’ blood, their mothers’ tears, and the suffering of our people.”
He added that after 2003, the Kurds went to Baghdad “with goodwill and strong determination to build a new Iraq,” leading to the 2005 constitution. “This constitution may not fulfill all our aspirations,” he said, “but it contains positive principles we support. Had it been fully implemented, it would have served as a good constitution.”
Barzani expressed regret that “the culture of centralization still dominates Baghdad,” emphasizing that the Kurdistan Region will not accept anything less than what is guaranteed by the constitution.
Regarding the oil issue and the current tripartite agreement between the Kurdistan Regional Government, the federal government, and oil companies, he expressed hope that the deal would hold and form the basis for a future oil and gas law.
He reaffirmed: “The constitutional rights of the people of Kurdistan are a sacred trust granted through the blood of thousands of martyrs — and these rights can never be compromised.”
Addressing the issue of budget cuts and the suspension of salaries, Barzani said: “For me, and for every loyal Kurd with a conscience, depriving the people of Kurdistan of their livelihood was no less painful than the tragedies of the Anfal campaign and the chemical bombardments.”
He reminded the audience that the Peshmerga forces defeated ISIS, and urged intellectuals and educators to counter the alien culture seeking to instill defeatism and self-doubt among Kurdish youth, and to defend Kurdish identity and values.
“There are ongoing attempts to spread hopelessness and erode national identity,” he warned, adding that this foreign culture threatens our core values, such as the spirit of coexistence, and called on everyone to stand against these schemes.
President Barzani also highlighted the region’s progress in education, infrastructure, electricity, and construction, stressing the importance of environmental protection and calling for cooperation in preserving Kurdistan’s nature. He underscored the need to build dams and implement sound water management policies to prevent future crises.
Regarding the election campaign, he urged all parties to ensure a peaceful, calm, and respectful process, free of violence or hostility. “Every party has the right to present its program and campaign freely,” he said.
Barzani emphasized that the policy of the ruling party and the KRG focuses on laying strong foundations for future generations and serving all the people of Kurdistan for a better, more prosperous future.
On the internal political situation and formation of the new regional government, Barzani said that after the elections, he called for forming a broad-based government, but some parties chose not to participate or preferred to stay in opposition, leading to ongoing differences between the KDP and PUK.
He reiterated that the agreed government program is sound and coherent, and that cabinet posts should be distributed based on electoral entitlement. Barzani expressed hope that an agreement would soon be reached and that the new Kurdistan Regional Government would be formed before the next Iraqi parliamentary elections.
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Nearly 360 Civilians Killed in Criminal Incidents Since Beginning of 2025 in Syria
ARK News.. A Syrian human rights source has revealed a sharp rise in civilian deaths resulting from criminal acts across Syria since the start of this year.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a total of 319 criminal incidents have been documented across various Syrian provinces since January 2025, leaving 359 people dead — including 281 men, 28 children, and 50 women.
The source confirmed that all victims were civilians, losing their lives as a result of criminal-related violence in different parts of the country.
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Attempt to Smuggle 200,000 Captagon Pills into Syria Foiled
ARK News.. The Syrian General Authority for Land and Maritime Crossings announced that customs officers successfully thwarted an attempt to smuggle nearly 200,000 Captagon pills hidden inside a vehicle arriving from Lebanon at the Jdeidet Yabous border crossing.
In an official statement, the Authority said that the operation was carried out following a meticulous and high-precision inspection, as part of the agency’s ongoing daily efforts in coordination with the Anti-Narcotics Department of the Ministry of Interior.
The statement emphasized that the Authority remains committed to combating all forms of smuggling and preventing the infiltration of narcotics into the country, in order to protect national security and public health from the dangers of this deadly drug.
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