• Israeli forces have launched artillery attacks on the outskirts of al-Rafid in southern Syria.

Syria ends Kurdish autonomy as government tightens control of northeast

The Syrian government is tightening its control over the northeast following the disbanding of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces at the end of August, ending more than a decade of effective Kurdish autonomy in the region.

In Kurdish-majority cities such as Qamishli and Hasakah, there is cautious hope that integration into a new Syria could bring greater political participation and recognition of Kurdish rights.