2026 in Syria

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See also:	Other events of 2026 List of years in Syria

Events in the year 2026 in Syria .

Incumbents

Ahmed al-Sharaa
President of Syria

• President: Ahmed al-Sharaa
• Speaker: Abdul Hamid al-Awak
• President of the Supreme Constitutional Court: Issam al-Khalif

Events

For events related to the civil war, see Timeline of the Syrian civil war (November 2024–present)

January

• 3 January –
  • An unidentified missile explodes at Mezzeh Air Base in Mezzeh, Damascus. ^{[1] [2]}
  • The United Kingdom and France carry out a joint airstrike on an underground arms cache used by Islamic State north of Palmyra. ^[3]
  • New banknotes for the Syrian pound to replace those issued during the Assad regime begin circulation. ^[4]
• 6 January – At least nine people are killed in clashes between the transitional government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Aleppo. ^[5] The fighting subsides with the SDF's withdrawal on 11 January. ^[6]
• 10 January – A drone attack is carried out on the headquarters of the Aleppo Governorate's government in Aleppo city. ^[7]
• 13 January – The Syrian army declares the towns of Maskana and Dayr Hafir in Aleppo Governorate as closed military zones due to the presence of the SDF. ^[8]
• 16 January –
  • President Ahmed al-Sharaa issues a decree recognising Syrian Kurds as an essential part of the Syrian people and the country's diverse national identity. The decree also recognizes Kurdish as a national language and Nowruz as a national holiday. ^[9]
  • The United States carries out an airstrike in northwestern Syria that kills a senior al-Qaeda militant. ^[10]
• 17 January – The Syrian army retakes Dayr Hafir following the withdrawal of the SDF. ^[9]
• 18 January –
  • The Syrian army retakes the Al-Omar field following the withdrawal of the SDF. ^[11]
  • The transitional government reaches a ceasefire agreement with the SDF, allowing for the government in Damascus to reassert control over Al-Hasakah, Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa Governorates. ^[12]
• 19 January – Around 120 members of Islamic State held in al-Aqtan prison in Al-Shaddadah escape amid clashes in the town between the Syrian army and the SDF. ^[13]
• 20 January – The transitional government reaches a new four-day ceasefire agreement with the SDF. ^[14] The ceasefire is extended for another 15 days on 24 January. ^[15]
• 21 January –
  • The transitional government takes control of the Al-Hawl refugee camp from the SDF. ^[16]
  • Seven Syrian army soldiers are killed in a drone strike blamed on the SDF in Al-Hasakah Governorate. ^[16]
• 30 January –
  • The SDF reaches a comprehensive agreement with the transitional government to be integrated into the Syrian Armed Forces. ^[17]
  • The Lebanese government approves an agreement allowing for the repatriation of Syrian nationals serving prison sentences in Lebanon. ^[18]

February

• 4 February – The Syrian Petroleum Company signs an agreement with Chevron Corporation and Qatar's Power International Holding to develop Syria's first offshore oil and gas field. ^[19]
• 7 February – Syria and Saudi Arabia sign a series of investment agreements that include the development of new airports in Aleppo and the establishment of a low-cost Syrian-Saudi airline called Flynas Syria and the SilkLink telecommunications project. ^[20]
• 12 February – The Syrian army retakes control of the Al-Tanf military base following the withdrawal of US forces. ^[21]
• 15 February – The Syrian army retakes control of the al-Shaddadi military base following the withdrawal of US forces. ^[22]
• 21 February – Islamic State carries out attacks on Syrian Army personnel in Mayadin and Raqqa. ^[23]
• 22 February – The Al-Hawl refugee camp is completely vacated. ^[24]
• 23 February – Islamic State militants kill four Syrian security personnel in Raqqa. ^[25]
• 28 February – In retaliation for the 2026 Israeli–United States strikes on Iran, Iran launches missiles at neighbouring countries, with at least four people being killed by an Iranian missile strike in Sweida Governorate. ^[26]

March

• 9 March – Syrian civil war, Syria–United Kingdom relations: The United Kingdom's Crown Prosecution Services charges a former soldier from the Air Force Intelligence Directorate with three counts of murder and three counts of torture as crimes against humanity under the International Criminal Court Act for his attacks on civilians in Damascus in 2011. ^[27]
• 17 March – Parliamentary elections are held in Raqqa, Tabqa and Tal Abyad. ^[28]
• 20 March – Israeli forces strike Syrian military sites, including command and control centres and supply depots, in the south of the country, in response to Syrian government attacks on the Druze population. ^[29]

April

• 16 April – The US military completes its withdrawal from Qasrak air base in Hasakah Governorate. ^[30]
• 20 April – The Yarubiyah border crossing with Iraq reopens for the first time since 2011. ^[31]
• 24 April – Amjad Yousef, an Assad-era intelligence official involved in the killings of inmates at a prison in Tadamon in 2022, is arrested in Hama Governorate. ^[32]

May

• 1 May – A Shiite cleric is killed in a grenade attack on his car in Sayyidah Zaynab. ^[33]
• 9 May – President al-Sharaa implements a cabinet reshuffle that also sees the removal of his brother Maher al-Sharaa as Secretary-General to the Presidency. ^[34]
• 19 May – A soldier is killed while 21 people are injured in a car bombing near a facility of the defense ministry in the Bab Sharqi area of Damascus. ^[35]
• 21 May – Three people are killed in a landmine explosion in Abu Habbah, Idlib Governorate. ^[36]
• 23 May – Turkey apprehends 10 Islamic State operatives in Syria. ^[37]
• 24 May – Parliamentary elections are held in Kobani and Hasakah Governorate. ^[38]

June

• 15 June – A court in the Netherlands sentences a Syrian asylum-seeker to 26 years' imprisonment for the torture and rape of imprisoned opponents of the Assad regime during the Syrian Civil War. ^[39]
• 19 June — The US Central Command announces that it killed Ali Husayn al-Ulaywi, a senior Islamic State leader in a strike in northwestern Syria. ^[40]
• 20 June –
  • Two soldiers are killed in an Islamic State attack in the vicinity of Manbij. ^[41]
  • Sami al-Oraydi, a senior leader of the Islamist militant group Hurras al-Din, is killed in a U.S.-led coalition airstrike in northern Syria. ^[42]

July

• 1 July — President al-Sharaa appoints the remaining 70 vacancies in the People's Assembly of Syria. ^[43]
• 2 July — At least nine people are killed and 20 others are injured in a bombing at a cafe in Damascus. ^[44]
• 5 July — Syria postpones the initial session of the People's Assembly. ^[45]
• 6 July — French President Emmanuel Macron visits Syria, in first visit by a western leader since the fall of Assad regime. ^[46]
• 7 July — Twin explosions in Damascus kill one person and injure 36 others. ^[47]
• 8 July — France returns 23 Syrian antiques it has held since the civil war. ^[48]

Holidays

Further information: Public holidays in Syria

In January 2026, President Ahmed al-Sharaa issued a further decree establishing Newroz as a public holiday. ^{[49] [50]}

• 1 January – New Year's Day
• 18 March – Syrian Revolution Day
• 20–22 March – Eid al-Fitr
• 21 March – Mother's Day
• 21 March – Newroz
• 5 April – Gregorian Easter
• 12 April – Easter (Eastern Christianity)
• 17 April – Independence Day
• 1 May – Labour Day
• 26-30 May – Eid al-Adha
• 16 June – Islamic New Year
• 25 August – The Prophet's Birthday
• 8 December – Liberation Day
• 25 December – Christmas Day

Deaths

• 11 January – Ahmad Melli, 80, actor. ^[51]
• 20 January – Rifaat al-Assad, 88, vice president (1984–1998). ^[52]
• 3 March – Muhammad al-Khuli, 88, chief of the air force intelligence directorate (1970–1987) and the air force (1994–1999). ^[53]

References

1. "Missile hits near military airport in Syria's Damascus". The New Arab . 3 January 2026. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
2. Sio, Mohammad (3 January 2026). "Explosions heard as rockets hit Syria's Damascus". Anadolu Agency . Retrieved 3 January 2026.
3. "UK and France bomb underground IS arms bunker in Syria". BBC . 4 January 2026. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
4. "Syria begins circulating new post-Assad currency bills". AP News. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
5. "Nine dead in clashes between Syria govt, Kurdish forces in Aleppo". France 24. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
6. "Syria govt forces take control of Aleppo's Kurdish neighbourhoods". France 24. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
7. "Syrian army declares a closed military zone east of Aleppo as tensions rise with Kurds". AP News. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
8. "Syrian army declares military zones in rural Aleppo as SDF destroys bridges". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
9. "Syria decree grants Kurds new rights, formally recognising Kurdish language". Al Jazeera. 16 January 2026. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
10. "US strike in Syria kills man linked to attack on soldiers, officials say". BBC. 17 January 2026. Retrieved 18 January 2026.
11. "Syrian army seizes country's largest oil field from Kurdish forces". BBC. 18 January 2026. Retrieved 18 January 2026.
12. "Syria agrees ceasefire with Kurdish-led forces after two weeks of clashes". BBC. 18 January 2026. Retrieved 19 January 2026.
13. "Syrian army clashes with SDF test ceasefire, ISIL fighters arrested". Al Jazeera. 20 January 2026. Retrieved 20 January 2026.
14. "Syrian government, SDF agree on a four-day ceasefire". Al Jazeera. 20 January 2026. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
15. "Ceasefire with Kurdish-led force extended for another 15 days, Syrian army says". AP News. 25 January 2026. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
16. "Syrian army takes control of camp holding thousands linked to ISIL". Al Jazeera. 21 January 2026. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
17. "Kurdish-led SDF agrees integration with Syrian government forces". Al Jazeera. 30 January 2026. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
18. "Lebanon's government approves a deal to transfer Syrian prisoners back to Syria". AP News. 31 January 2026. Retrieved 1 February 2026.
19. "Syria signs landmark offshore oil field deal with Chevron and a Qatari investor". AP News. 5 February 2026. Retrieved 6 February 2026.
20. "Syria and Saudi Arabia sign multibillion-dollar investment deals". Al Jazeera. 8 February 2026. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
21. "Syrian army takes control of al-Tanf military base as US troops pull out". Al Jazeera. 12 February 2026. Retrieved 13 February 2026.
22. "Syrian army takes over al-Shaddadi base after US withdrawal". Al Jazeera. 15 February 2026. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
23. "Islamic State claims two attacks on Syrian army, announces 'new phase' of operations". Reuters. 22 February 2026. Retrieved 23 February 2026.
24. "A notorious camp in Syria tied to alleged IS families is emptied as final convoy departs". AP News. 23 February 2026. Retrieved 23 February 2026.
25. "Four Syrian security personnel killed in IS attack: State media". Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation International. Agence France Presse. 23 February 2026. Retrieved 23 February 2026.
26. "Report: At least four killed in Iranian missile strike in As-Suwayda, Syria". Ynetglobal. 28 February 2026. Retrieved 28 February 2026.
27. "UK prosecutors charge a former Syrian military member with 3 murders as crimes against humanity". Associated Press . 9 March 2026. Retrieved 9 March 2026.
28. "Polling opens for People's Assembly elections in Raqqa, northeast Syria". SANA. 17 March 2026. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
29. "Israel strikes Syria after Druze clashes". BBC News. 20 March 2026. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
30. "US completes withdrawal from key base in Syria as part of a larger drawdown". AP. 17 April 2026. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
31. "A long-shuttered Iraq-Syria border crossing reopens for the first time in more than a decade". AP News . 21 April 2026. Retrieved 21 April 2026.
32. Alsayed, Ghaith (24 April 2026). "Syrian authorities arrest ex-intelligence officer tied to a leaked video of a massacre". AP News. Retrieved 4 May 2026.
33. "Shiite cleric killed in grenade attack near Syrian capital of Damascus". AP News . 2 May 2026. Retrieved 2 May 2026.
34. "Syria's interim president moves his brother out of a top post in a government reshuffle". AP News. 10 May 2026. Retrieved 10 May 2026.
35. "At least one killed, 21 wounded in car bomb explosion in Syria's Damascus". Al Jazeera . 19 May 2026. Retrieved 20 May 2026.
36. "A grieving father buries his 6-year-old after a land mine kills 3 children in Syria's Idlib". AP News . 22 May 2026. Retrieved 29 May 2026.
37. "Turkey captures 10 Islamic State militants in Syria, sources say". The Straits Times. Reuters. 23 May 2026. Retrieved 23 May 2026.
38. "Syria holds legislative elections in Kurdish-majority northeast". AP News . 24 May 2026. Retrieved 29 May 2026.
39. "Syrian sentenced to 26 years in prison by Dutch court for crimes against humanity". Associated Press . 15 June 2026. Retrieved 25 June 2026.
40. "U.S. forces killed Islamic State leader in Syria airstrike, Central Command says". NBC News. Reuters. 24 June 2026. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
41. "Islamic State claims responsibility for northeastern Aleppo attack that killed two Syrian soldiers". Reuters . 20 June 2026. Retrieved 20 June 2026.
42. "US Coalition Strike Hits North Syria, Senior Militant Killed". Islam Times. 20 June 2026. Retrieved 21 June 2026.
43. "Syria's president names final 70 lawmakers to new post-Assad parliament". BBC. 1 July 2026. Retrieved 9 July 2026.
44. "Explosive device goes off in cafe in Syria's capital, killing at least 9 people". Associated Press. 2 July 2026. Retrieved 2 July 2026.
45. "Syria postpones first session of new parliament". Namibia Press Agency. Agence France Presse. 5 July 2026. Retrieved 5 July 2026.
46. "France's Macron visits Syria, in first trip by an EU head of state since Assad toppled". Reuters. 6 July 2026. Retrieved 6 July 2026.
47. "Syria says one killed, 36 wounded after Damascus blasts during Macron visit". Al Jazeera. 8 July 2026. Retrieved 8 July 2026.
48. "France returns Syrian artefacts it's held since civil war". Al Jazeera. 8 July 2026. Retrieved 8 July 2026.
49. Zaman, Amberin (16 January 2026). "Syria's Sharaa declares Kurdish a national language, recognizes Nowruz". AL-Monitor. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
50. "Syria Public Holidays 2026". timeanddate. Retrieved 31 December 2025.
51. Al Amir, Khitam (11 January 2026). "Veteran Syrian Actor Ahmad Melli dies at 80". Gulf News. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
52. "Rifaat al-Assad, Syria's 'butcher of Hama', dies at 88, family says". France 24. 21 January 2026. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
53. "Notorious Syrian Air Force Intelligence chief Muhammad al-Khouli dies in Beirut". The New Arab. 3 March 2026.

External links

• Online calendar