In December, a consortium of rebel factions led by the group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham unexpectedly toppled the dictator Bashar al-Assad, whose family had ruled Syria for five decades. The new regime in Damascus inherited a country ruined by a 13-year civil war.

Ankara, in line with its own security and threat assessments in the region, is open to addressing any issue that would serve bilateral cooperation with Damascus, say diplomatic sources - Anadolu Ajans

Syria and Lebanon are intensifying actions against armed Palestinian factions long present in their countries. The move aligns with Lebanon’s intent to consolidate military power and emerging political shifts in Syria.

Syrian authorities in Damascus this week detained two senior officials of the Iran-backed Palestinian Islamic Jihad group and briefly detained and questioned the leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command, FLP-GC, that since its founding had been a key ally of Assad.

Instability in Syria could pose security risks for Europe, according to a draft internal EU counter-terrorism document seen by Reuters warning that the overall terror threat level remains high.

General António Guterres is following developments in Syria, where fresh fighting in the capital Damascus and elsewhere is threatening fragile efforts toward peace and political transition.