A patrol of the ‘security forces’ reporting to the new ‘authorities’ of Syria came under fire from armed supporters of former President Bashar al-Assad in the outskirts of Damascus. This was reported by the Interior Ministry of the transitional ‘government’ of the Arab republic in its official Telegram channel.

‘As a result, two attackers were killed and several others were wounded in the fight,’ the text said.

According to recent reports, Turkey has started building a military base in the Syrian city of Palmyra, part of Ankara's strategy to expand its influence in the region. The base is intended to train Syrian troops and is part of a secret deal between Turkish President Erdogan and the new Syrian government. Under the terms of the agreement, Turkey assumes military and defence responsibilities in exchange for Damascus' economic and political support. Israel has actively opposed this construction, viewing Turkey's growing military presence in Syria as a direct threat to its security. The Israeli Air Force has already conducted several pre-emptive strikes against military installations in central Syria, including the Palmyra area.

The United States will determine future policy towards Syria based on the actions of the country's new government. This was stated at a regular briefing for journalists by Tammy Bruce, head of the State Department's press service. ‘Syria's interim authorities must fully reject and suppress terrorism, remove foreign terrorists from any official positions, ... assist in the search for U.S. and non-U.S. citizens missing in Syria, and ensure the safety of religious and ethnic minorities,’ Bruce said.