# Syria Map: Live Syria War Map and Latest News

Updated 11:30 UTC, 29 Oct 2026. Canonical: https://monitorworld.app/live/syria-war-map

**Syria's civil war as it was is over, but violence has not ended.** Bashar al-Assad's government fell on 8 December 2024; a transitional government under President Ahmed al-Sharaa now runs most of the country, and the Kurdish-led SDF announced its dissolution into the state on 25 August 2026 (Al Jazeera). UCDP recorded 8 armed-conflict events in Syria (30 Aug 2026 to 30 Sep 2026), with 40 deaths reported by UCDP, and our risk score for Syria is 60/100. Suwayda, Israeli moves in the south and ISIS cells are the main sources of violence now.

## Key numbers

- Conflict events in Syria (UCDP): **8** (30 Aug 2026 to 30 Sep 2026)
- Deaths, UCDP best estimate: **40** (range 40-40)
- Refugees returned from abroad since Dec 2024: **1.82M** (UNHCR, to 1 Oct 2026)
- Syria risk score (our model): **60/100** (trend stable)

## Syria news: latest media reports

No matching media reports in the past 3 weeks. The dated timeline below lists the key events with their sources.

## Syria: dated timeline

- [DATED] [Jordan strikes sites in Daraa and Suwayda after an attack in Jordan; Syria says 7 civilians were killed and briefly closes the Nassib crossing](https://aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/27/why-jordan-has-struck-syria-what-we-know) (2026-10-27, reported by Al Jazeera)
- [DATED] [Suwayda remains in deadlock: the government does not fully control the province, where a "National Guard" force is linked to Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/26/suwayda-remains-in-deadlock-as-us-signals-differences-with-israel-on-syria) (2026-10-26, reported by Al Jazeera)
- [DATED] [Two Syrian security officers are killed in a raid on an ISIS cell in Rankous, near Damascus](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/22/two-syrian-security-officers-killed-in-raid-on-isil-cell-near-damascus) (2026-10-22, reported by Al Jazeera)
- [DATED] [Israeli tanks advance in northern Quneitra, in the south-west](https://english.news.cn/20261020/db7fc8e243ce4393ba0ca8c27fa877ba/c.html) (2026-10-20, reported by Xinhua)
- [DATED] [SDF commander Mazloum Abdi announces the dissolution of the Kurdish-led SDF after its merger with the army](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/25/kurdish-led-forces-in-syria-dissolve-after-merging-with-the-army) (2026-08-25, reported by Al Jazeera)
- [DATED] [The US removes Syria from its State Sponsors of Terrorism list](https://aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/24/us-removes-syria-from-state-sponsor-of-terrorism-list) (2026-08-24, reported by Al Jazeera)
- [DATED] [US forces hand over Qasrak, their last major base in Syria](https://app.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/04/us-troops-depart-syria-ending-decade-presence-fight-against-isis) (2026-04-16, reported by Al-Monitor)
- [DATED] [Ceasefire and integration deal after fighting with the SDF: Raqqa, Deir ez-Zor, the border crossings and the oil fields move to Damascus](https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/factbox-full-terms-of-ceasefire-integration-agreement-between-syrian-government-sdf/3803298) (2026-01-18, reported by Anadolu Agency)
- [DATED] [Israel and Syria agree a US-supervised communication line in talks in Paris](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/1/6/israel-syria-agree-to-dedicated-communication-line-in-us-brokered-talks) (2026-01-06, reported by Al Jazeera)
- [DATED] [The US repeals the Caesar Act sanctions on Syria](https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2025/12/20/syria-welcomes-repeal-of-sweeping-us-sanctions) (2025-12-18, reported by The National)
- [DATED] [UN Commission of Inquiry: about 1,400 people, mainly civilians, killed in the coastal violence of March 2025; war crimes likely](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/8/14/war-crimes-likely-committed-by-both-sides-in-syria-sectarian-violence-un-commission-says) (2025-08-14, reported by Al Jazeera)
- [DATED] [President al-Sharaa signs a constitutional declaration for a five-year transition](https://aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/syrian-president-signs-constitutional-declaration-for-5-year-transitional-period/3508592) (2025-03-13, reported by Anadolu Agency)

## Key context

### Who holds what in Syria now

The transitional government in Damascus, formed after opposition forces led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) took the capital on 8 December 2024, runs most of the country. Former opposition factions, including the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army, were merged into the Defence Ministry in 2025, by the ministry's own account. After fighting in January 2026, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) handed Raqqa, Deir ez-Zor, the border crossings and the oil fields to Damascus; government forces deployed in Hasakah and Qamishli in February, and the SDF announced its dissolution on 25 August 2026.

Two areas are not under full government control. In Suwayda in the south, Druze armed groups have resisted Damascus since deadly fighting in July 2025. In the south-west, Israel has kept troops in and beyond the UN buffer zone on the Golan since December 2024; ACLED counted nine Israeli positions in June 2026, four of them outside the zone. ISIS cells still attack security forces, mostly in the desert and the east.

### What changed in 2026

The north-east changed hands: the January 2026 offensive and deals ended the SDF's separate administration, and US forces left their last major base in April. Sanctions were lifted (the Caesar Act was repealed in December 2025, and the US took Syria off its terrorism list in August 2026). The risks now are local: Suwayda, Israeli advances in Quneitra, cross-border strikes such as Jordan's in October 2026, and revenge violence of the kind seen on the coast in March 2025.

We do not draw areas of control or front lines: they change, and the evidence is often disputed. For control maps, see the UN Special Envoy's briefings and analysts such as ISW; for humanitarian needs, see UN OCHA.

### People and returns

UNHCR counts about 1.82 million refugees who returned from abroad and 2.04 million internally displaced people who went home between 8 December 2024 and 1 October 2026 (reported by Arab News, 10 October 2026). Millions remain displaced, and much housing and infrastructure is destroyed. [UN OCHA Syria](https://www.unocha.org/syrian-arab-republic) publishes the humanitarian updates.

### UCDP events by month (30 Aug 2026 to 30 Sep 2026)

Reported by UCDP (Uppsala Conflict Data Program), candidate events 30 Aug 2026 to 30 Sep 2026. Deaths: best estimate, with the low-high range in brackets.

| Month | Events | Deaths: best (low-high) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Sep 2026 | 8 | 40 (40-40) |

### Who fought whom (UCDP dyads)

UCDP candidate events 30 Aug 2026 to 30 Sep 2026. Actor names are UCDP's own labels; deaths are UCDP best estimates, reported by UCDP.

| Sides | Events | Deaths (best) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| unidentified armed group vs unidentified armed group | 3 | 31 |
| unidentified armed group vs Civilians | 4 | 8 |
| Government of Syria vs National Guard | 1 | 1 |

### Deadliest recorded events (UCDP, 30 Aug 2026 to 30 Sep 2026)

| Date | Place and sides | Deaths: best (low-high) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-09-09 | Syria: unidentified armed group vs unidentified armed group | 17 (17-17) |
| 2026-09-18 | Syria: unidentified armed group vs unidentified armed group | 11 (11-11) |
| 2026-09-30 | Syria: unidentified armed group vs Civilians | 5 (5-5) |
| 2026-09-17 | Syria: unidentified armed group vs unidentified armed group | 3 (3-3) |
| 2026-09-06 | Syria: unidentified armed group vs Civilians | 1 (1-1) |
| 2026-09-04 | Syria: unidentified armed group vs Civilians | 1 (1-1) |

## FAQ

### Is there still trouble in Syria?

Yes, but much less than during the civil war. UCDP recorded 8 armed-conflict events in Syria (30 Aug 2026 to 30 Sep 2026), with 40 deaths reported by UCDP. The main risks are clashes in Suwayda, Israeli operations in the south-west, ISIS attacks and cross-border strikes. 

### Who controls Syria now?

The transitional government of President Ahmed al-Sharaa controls most of Syria, including the north-east since the SDF handed over its areas in 2026. Suwayda in the south is not under full government control, and Israeli forces hold positions in the south-west near the Golan Heights.

### What happened to Bashar al-Assad?

Assad fled to Russia when opposition forces took Damascus on 8 December 2024, ending more than 50 years of rule by his family. Russia gave him asylum.

### Why is Israel in southern Syria?

Israel moved troops into the UN buffer zone on the Golan and beyond after Assad fell in December 2024, saying it needed to protect its border. Syria calls this a violation of the 1974 disengagement agreement. The two governments agreed a US-supervised communication line in January 2026; we found no signed security agreement.

### Is Syria safe to visit?

Most governments still advise against travel to Syria. Risks include armed clashes, ISIS attacks, unexploded ordnance and kidnapping. Check your government's current travel advice before any trip.

### How many people died in the Syrian war?

The UN human rights office estimated in 2022 that 306,887 civilians were killed from March 2011 to March 2021. Other groups, counting fighters too, give higher totals. These are estimates from different sources and methods; we do not add them to UCDP's figures on this page.

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## Sources

- [UCDP Candidate Events Dataset](https://ucdp.uu.se/): Uppsala Conflict Data Program, CC BY 4.0. Candidate (preliminary) events to 30 Sep 2026, not live. Fatalities are UCDP best / low / high estimates.
- [The GDELT Project (DOC 2.0 API)](https://www.gdeltproject.org/): media reports, matched by keyword. Headlines link to the publisher; MonitorWorld does not verify them.
- [MonitorWorld news digest](https://monitorworld.app/sources): headlines from public news feeds (Reuters, AP, BBC, Al Jazeera and others), severity rated by our model. Each headline links to the publisher.
- [MonitorWorld risk index](https://monitorworld.app/sources): 0-100 country and global risk scores computed from news activity, conflict data and military activity. An estimate, not an official rating.
- [UN OCHA: Syria](https://www.unocha.org/syrian-arab-republic): humanitarian situation updates.
- [UN Special Envoy for Syria](https://specialenvoysyria.unmissions.org/): briefings to the Security Council.
- [UNHCR Syria situation](https://data.unhcr.org/en/situations/syria): refugee and return figures.
- [UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria](https://www.ohchr.org/en/hr-bodies/hrc/iici-syria/independent-international-commission): investigations of violations.

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