Barzani and al-Sisi Affirm Coordination to Protect Regional Security
ARK News.. On Sunday, Masrour Barzani met with Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Cairo. The Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government, Masrour Barzani, and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi emphasized the importance of coordination to protect regional security.
The Kurdistan Regional Government said in a statement that the Egyptian president expressed his pleasure at Prime Minister Masrour Barzani's visit and reaffirmed Egypt's commitment to expanding bilateral relations.
For his part, Masrour Barzani praised the role of Egypt and President al-Sisi’s efforts in promoting peace and stability in the region.
The two sides stressed the importance of strengthening bilateral relations in all areas, especially investment and trade exchange.
They also emphasized the importance of enhancing coordination and joint cooperation to safeguard the security of the Kurdistan Region, Iraq, and the wider region.
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International Coalition Military Convoy Arrives at Qasrek Base North of Hasaka
ARK News.. A Syrian human rights source reported that International Coalition forces have brought in new military reinforcements to one of their bases north of Hasaka.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that a coalition convoy arrived at Qasrek Base north of Hasaka on Sunday, December 21, 2025.
The convoy reportedly included 24 trucks loaded with fuel tankers and sealed containers, in addition to large military vehicles.
The convoy arrived as part of ground reinforcements to military bases belonging to the International Coalition in Syria.
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Dozens of Mass Graves Discovered Across Syria in 2025
ARK News.. A Syrian human rights source reported the discovery of dozens of mass graves across Syria during 2025, containing the remains of hundreds of victims who were killed or forcibly disappeared by forces of the former regime or allied militias.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a total of 50 mass graves have been uncovered since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, containing the remains of 2,865 victims. The most significant discoveries were reported in Daraa, Homs, Hama, and Deir Ez-Zour.
The source added that the mass graves include women, children, and men who were subjected to brutal killing methods, including execution by gunfire and being burned alive, in scenes reflecting an unprecedented level of violence and brutality.
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Damascus: ISIS Terrorist Cell Dismantled in Darayya
ARK News.. Specialized units of the Internal Security Forces, in cooperation with the General Intelligence Service, carried out a tightly coordinated security operation in the Darayya area, targeting an ISIS terrorist hideout, following weeks of intelligence gathering, surveillance, and precise tracking of the group’s movements.
According to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), the Commander of Internal Security in the Rural Damascus Governorate, Brigadier General Ahmad al-Dalaati, stated that the operation resulted in the complete dismantling of the terrorist cell, the arrest of its ringleader along with six other members, and the seizure of various weapons and ammunition intended for use in terrorist activities.
He added that the operation was executed with the highest levels of planning and precision, while fully adhering to precautionary measures to ensure the safety of civilians. The operation also reflected the high level of coordination between security and intelligence units, as well as their capability to dismantle terrorist cells effectively.
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UNHCR Expects One Million Syrian Refugees to Return in 2026
ARK News.. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has projected that around one million Syrian refugees are expected to return to their country during 2026, amid what it described as a “gradual recovery” in Syria following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime on 8 December 2024.
Speaking in an interview with Turkey’s Anadolu Agency, published on Monday, 21 December 2025, UNHCR’s Representative in Syria, Gonzalo Vargas Llosa, said that approximately 1.3 million Syrian refugees and nearly two million internally displaced persons have returned to their areas of origin since December 2024.
He noted that “this large-scale return is taking place under extremely difficult conditions,” stressing that international financial support is an urgent and critical necessity to ensure stability and prevent a further deterioration of the humanitarian situation.
The UN official explained that this means more than three million Syrians have returned to their homes within a relatively short period of time, in a country exhausted by years of war at the economic, infrastructural, and service levels.
Vargas Llosa recalled that on 9 December 2024, he and his team traveled to the Lebanese border, where they witnessed thousands of Syrians spontaneously returning home after more than 14 years of forced displacement.
He added that many returnees expressed overwhelming joy upon reaching their homeland, with some kissing the ground upon arrival. Most of the returnees came from Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan, with smaller numbers returning from Egypt and Iraq.
He concluded by noting that “the fear that once dominated Syrian society has rapidly receded, replaced by a widespread sense of hope.”
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U.S. Military Strikes Dozens of ISIS Targets in Syria
ARK News.. The U.S. Department of Defense (Pentagon) announced that dozens of targets belonging to the terrorist organization ISIS have been struck in Syria.
The Pentagon published an image showing a U.S. soldier writing on an artillery shell prior to its launch the names of three Americans who were killed in an attack in Palmyra, central Syria, days earlier. The message concluded with the words: “May your legacy live on.”
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced on Friday, December 19, 2025, the launch of a military operation against ISIS in Syria in response to an attack that killed three Americans.
In a post on the social media platform X, Hegseth said: “U.S. forces have launched Operation Eagle Eye in Syria to eliminate ISIS fighters, infrastructure, and weapons storage facilities, in a direct response to the attack that targeted U.S. forces on December 13.”
He added: “Today, we hunted down our enemies and killed many of them. And we will continue to do so.”
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Israel Calls for Demilitarized Buffer Zone Extending from Damascus to Existing Buffer Area
ARK News.. Israel has called for the establishment of a broader demilitarized buffer zone beyond the current separation area, reaffirming its commitment to defending its northern borders and rejecting the presence or deployment of any armed groups near its frontiers.
According to Anadolu Agency, Israel’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Danny Danon, urged the creation of a demilitarized zone stretching from the Syrian capital Damascus to the existing buffer zone.
Danon stated that Israel will not allow Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas, or any other groups to redeploy or maintain a presence along its northern border.
He stressed that Israel will continue to defend its northern borders and will not permit what he described as “terrorists and armed groups” to operate near Israeli territory.
Meanwhile, Syria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ibrahim Ulabi, said during a UN Security Council meeting—held to hear a briefing from a delegation that recently visited Syria and Lebanon—that Damascus remains committed to the 1974 Disengagement Agreement with Israel.
Ulabi accused Israel of continuing to violate the agreement, despite Syria’s adherence to its provisions.
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Official: Trump Lifts Caesar Act Sanctions on Syria
ARK News.. U.S. President Donald Trump signed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which includes the largest annual defense budget in U.S. history, exceeding $900 billion, as well as the lifting of the Caesar Act sanctions imposed on Syria since 2019.
Contrary to previous announcements, Trump signed the law privately after Congress approved it, away from media cameras.
The law sets U.S. defense priorities and requires the White House to submit periodic reports to Congress over four years confirming that the Syrian government is continuing its efforts in counterterrorism, combating drugs, protecting minorities, and pursuing peace with neighboring countries.
It stipulates that the U.S. president may impose targeted sanctions on Syria if reports are negative for two consecutive periods.
The U.S. Senate voted Wednesday in favor of the 2026 Defense Budget Act, which includes a provision to lift the Caesar Act sanctions on Syria, and sent the law to President Trump for signature.
Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives also approved lifting the Caesar Act sanctions, a move welcomed by the Syrian government, which said it would help Syria’s economic recovery.
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Netanyahu to Appoint New Israeli Representative for Negotiations with Syria
ARK News.. Israeli media reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will inform the U.S. administration in the coming days about the identity of Israel’s new representative in negotiations with Syria, succeeding Resigned Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer.
According to Channel 12, U.S. officials said Netanyahu told U.S. envoy to Syria Tom Barrack during a recent meeting that he intends to appoint a new envoy to handle negotiations with Damascus, following Dermer’s resignation. Dermer had been leading the track until recently.
Dermer resigned on 11 November, after conducting four rounds of talks on a possible security agreement between Israel and Syria, before negotiations were halted in recent weeks due to his departure.
During the same meeting, Barrack expressed Washington’s desire to resume negotiations on a security agreement and inquired who would lead the Israeli side.
Channel 12 noted that U.S. officials initially assumed Dermer might continue managing the file from outside the government as a special envoy for Netanyahu.
However, a senior U.S. official clarified that Netanyahu finalized the decision during the meeting, confirming that Dermer will not resume the role and a replacement will be appointed, with the U.S. administration to be officially informed in the coming days.
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Caitlin Piper: Kurdistan Region Is a Key Gateway for U.S. Companies
ARK News.. Acting U.S. Consul General Caitlin Piper on Thursday, 18 December 2025, received representatives of the Chambers of Commerce and Industry from the provinces of Erbil, Duhok, Sulaymaniyah, and Halabja at the new building of the U.S. Consulate General.
In a press statement, the Acting U.S. Consul General said:
“We consider the Kurdistan Region to be an active and important gateway for U.S. companies to enter the region.”
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