BREAKING - Killings of Alawites in March, "though widespread, were not organized" , spokesperson for Syrian investigative committee says, citing final report. Found most killings driven by revenge, not ideological reasons. Committee able to identify 1,426 dead, most

While first meetings between Syria and Israel rather happened covert and through backchannels, diplomacy between the two is now moving to a more formal and open level. Which is progress in itself too.

Uncovered IS documents show Ahmed al-Sharaa already was plotting a jihadist movement to overthrow Assad before the Syrian revolution broke out, eventually piggy backing al Qaeda and IS in Iraq to be able to found al Nusra in Syria.

It looks like Suwayda effectively has a frontline now and also is treated as such by Hijri alligned druze forces.

Resistance in Syria is coalescing. While groups of Assad remnants and resistance groups mainly operated independently, they now have been incorporated in the umbrella of Islamic Resistance in Syria, giving the organisation a countrywide presence.

Islamic Resistance in Syria underwent a trajectory numerous other groups in the Middle East already followed, bearing all the hallmarks of a Iran-backed proxy group.

It seems that al Hijri effectively sidelined other Sheikhs of Reason Hinnawi and Jarbou by unilaterally deciding to erect a self-administration for Suwayda.

AANES brings clerics to conflate threats to groups like Druze & Alawi with its own Kurdish cause, hoping to strengthen it by linking them all together. A message for an international audience but domestically counterproductive.

Emboldened by laissez-faire of tribal forces by Syrian Transitional Government, sheikh Al-Salameh of Bu Shaaban tribe in Raqqa announced general mobilisation to fight SDF, urging other sheikhs of the tribe to follow suit. Bu Shabaan also participated in fighting in Suwayda.

Days of arrest campaigns in Deir Ezzor by SDF culminated in tribal resistance in Gharanij. After a night of clashes SDF was ousted from the village, now beleaguering it.

Nothing more than a palace coup is happening within Druze community in Suwayda. As al Hijri announced formation of National Guard, most other Druze factions have been joining. Both spiritual and military leadership is now in hands of al Hijri.

The US Treasury has fully removed #Syria from its sanctions list, allowing US companies to engage with Damascus for the first time in 21 years. This will take effect starting tomorrow. The final step to completely lift the wide array of US sanctions will be the abrogation

Syrian goverment is exploring rehabilitating Block 26 oil field, originally managed by Gulfsands before 2011. The cooperation and reestablishment of Gulfsands could undermine AANES' control of the oil wells, one of its main income sources.

Despite efforts by al Hijri and National Guard Forces to subdue and unite Suwayda, groups, especially former regime such as SSNP and former affiliated to intelligence services, are increasingly drawn into a spiral of rivalry.

JUST NOW: A Reuters investigation has found that Assad carried out a two-year clandestine operation to truck thousands of bodies from a notorious Syrian mass grave to a secret location in remote desert. The site may hold tens of thousands of remains. Tens of thousands.

While Syria has been freed from Assad, it isn't from Russia. Russia still has a military presence in Syria and holds some cards regarding sanction removal. Therefore, cultivating a pragmatic relationship with Russia is still high on Syria's agenda.

Security forces surrounded the camp of French jihadist group Firqat al-Ghuraba in Harem, in what seems a bid to dismantle the group. The group has a history of frictions with HTS, but so far was useful as shock troops in offensives against regime. This might come to an end.

Firqat al-Ghuraba leader Omar Omsen ultimately caved in and allowed security forces to enter the compound and start an investigation his involvement in a kidnapping case, preventing worse for the whole group.