Summary Syria: August 16, 2026. 

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Fire extinguished in southern Syria after Israeli forces fire flares

Civil defence teams have extinguished a fire that broke out near the town of al-Rafid in Syria’s Quneitra region following Israeli incursions into the area, according to local authorities.

The Quneitra Media Directorate said in a post on Telegram that “the fire was caused by flares fired” by Israeli forces.

“No injuries were reported,” it added.

The Anadolu news agency meanwhile reported that Israeli forces had raided al-Rafid and searched several homes there. The raid is part of a string of Israeli incursions into southern Syria since 2024, when Israel moved troops into a UN-monitored buffer zone and seized Syrian territory there.

 

   

Qatar’s top diplomat discusses regional tensions with Saudi, Jordanian, Syrian counterparts

Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has released a series of statements about telephone calls between the country’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, and the top diplomats of Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Syria.

It also said that in each conversation, the expiring US-Iranian MoU was discussed, along with the importance of guaranteeing “freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz”.