Overview
- Syria’s Interior Ministry reported 61 nationwide raids against Islamic State cells with 71 arrests, explosives and weapons seized, one IS member killed and one security officer injured.
- Ahmed al‑Sharaa arrived in the United States ahead of a Monday meeting with President Donald Trump, marking the first White House visit by a Syrian president.
- The United States removed al‑Sharaa from its terrorism list after a UN Security Council vote lifted sanctions tied to him, enabling the visit.
- US Syria envoy Tom Barrack says al‑Sharaa is expected to join the US‑led coalition against IS, and diplomats report US plans for a military base near Damascus.
- UN human‑rights officials cite ongoing abductions and disappearances in Syria, intensifying scrutiny of normalization and demands for accountability.