The Syrian army has been placed on high alert and forces deployed along the border with Iraq following warnings to Baghdad regarding Iran-supported armed groups.
Syria's first public trial of officials linked to former President Bashar al-Assad opened in Damascus, with Atef Najib, a former brigadier general and cousin of Assad, facing charges related to crimes against the Syrian people. Najib headed the Political Security Branch in Daraa province in 2011 when teenagers were arrested and tortured for anti-government graffiti, an event that catalyzed mass protests and sparked the 14-year civil war ending with Assad's ousting in December 2024.
