Timeline of the Syrian Civil War (May 2017–present)

May 2017

2 May

• At peace talks in Astana, the presidents of the Russian Federation and Turkey announced their support for the creation of "safe zones" in Syria. Rebels walked out of a press conference on the talks as they do not accept the inclusion of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the deal.^[1]

5 May

• Lebanese troops reported capture of Muhammad Hassan Hasweh, who they describe as a senior Tahrir al-Sham commander, in the frontier town of Arsal^[2]

• The Russian delegation at the Astana talks announced that the "safe zone" (or "de-escalation zone") agreement sponsored by Russia, Iran and Turkey - covering four areas, in the Idlib Governorate, the northern rebel-controlled parts of the Homs Governorate, the rebel-controlled eastern Ghouta, and the Badia region - would come into effect at 12:00 P.M. Damascus Time.^[3][4] Neither the rebels nor the main Syrian Kurdish group, the PYD, recognised the zones.^[4]

9 May

• Relocation begins of Tahrir al-Sham and other rebel fighters, family members and supporters from Qaboun, Barzeh and Tishreen in the Damascus suburbs to Idlib Governorate^[5][6]
• The Trump administration approved a plan to arm Kurdish forces in Syria, despite opposition from Turkey. The moves comes with the aim of helping Kurds forces to capture Raqqa from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.^[7]

10 May

• SDF forces have completed the capture of the town of Taqba and the adjacent Taqba Dam from Islamic State forces.^[8]

16 May

• A US led Coalition bombing kills 42 civilians in al-Bokamal city, including 11 children and 6 women.^[9]

22 May

• Dozens of rebels killed or wounded by an Islamic State bombing of Ahrar al-Sham headquarters in a village east of Saraqeb in Idlib Province in northwest Syria.^[10]

26 May

• A US led Coalition bombing kills over 108 civilians in Al Mayadeen Syria.^[11]
• The government re-takes the Damascus–Palmyra highway from ISIL.^[12]

June 2017

5 June

• Government forces and allies captured areas of Al-‘Alb, Bi’r Dahlon and Sharat Dahlon in Eastern Homs Governorate from ISIL.^[13] They reported to have captured over 6,000 sq km of ISIS held territory ^[14]

6 June

• SDF started the fifth phase of the campaign to capture Raqqa.^[15]

10 June

• The government announced it had captured over 20,000 sq km of territory.^[16]

• Two FSA commanders are killed in the city of Daraa.^[17]

18 June

• A U.S. F/A-18E Super Hornet shoots down a Syrian Arab Air Force Su-22 warplane after it allegedly dropped bombs near Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighters in Raqqa Governorate, according to United States Central Command. ^[18]

20 June

• The Departement of Defense of Australia reported that the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) halt its air military involvement in Syria.^[19] Meanwhile CNN report that a U.S F-16 shoot down an Iranian made drone near al-Tanf.^[20]

21 June

• The Royal Australian Air Force announced a resumption of military air operations in Syria.^[21]

22 June

• The United States is sending a civilian team of State Department officials and security team to help stabilise areas that have been captured from ISIS by American-backed forces.^[22]

24 June

• Israeli airforce attacks Syrian government positions in the Quneitra province after fighting between rebels and the Syrian government spilled over the Israeli controlled Golan Heights.^[23]

30 June

• The Syrian Observatory of Human Rights reports that the Islamic State withdrew from Aleppo province^[24]

July 2017

1 July

• Syrian Army forces fully recaptures the quarries area west of Baath City in Quneitra reversing all rebel gains during the offensive.^[25]

4 July

• A fifth round of talks organized by Russia, Turkey and Iran takes place in Astana, Kazakhstan discussing the implementation of safe zones in Syria.^[26]

11 July

The Syrian Observatory of Human rights confirm the death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the Caliph of the Islamic State and the Levant.^[27]

14 July

• Free Syrian Army commander of Regiment 107 is killed by a roadside bomb planted by the Syrian Arab Army in Daraa.^[28]
• The FSA and Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in Southern Syria reject the US-Russia ceasefire.^[29]

24 July

• The Russian General Staff announced the introduction of new de-escalation zones in Syria, including in the north of the city of Homs and in East Ghouta region.^[30]

26 July

• A FSA military commander of the Syrian Revolutionaries Front, Bashair al-Numairi, is targeted and killed by a IED at the road between the towns of Zimrin and Um Al-Uosaj in northern Daraa.^[31]

29 July

• The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant loses 6,000 square kilometers during the first month of the 4th year of its creation. Over 5,635 square kilometers are lost to government forces and the rest to SDF forces.^[32]

References