Nearly one million refugees have returned to Syria from neighboring countries since the fall of President Bashar al-Assad, according to a report from Syrian news on September 19th. The largest wave of returns in years has seen approximately 988,000 Syrians repatriated. This influx of refugees follows the recent political shift in Syria. The U.S. Central Command had previously announced the successful completion of a raid in Syria on September 19th that killed Omar Abdul Qader, an ISIS external operations planner who was allegedly plotting attacks against the United States and its allies. Admiral Brad Cooper of CENTCOM confirmed the operation, emphasizing the continued pursuit of terrorists. In separate but related security developments, Iraqi intelligence provided Syria with evidence that thwarted a suicide bombing attempt targeting Syrian President Ahmed Al-Shara in Damascus. This intelligence sharing underscores ongoing security coordination between Iraq and Syria aimed at dismantling ISIS cells planning sectarian operations. Plans are also underway for a meeting between President Al-Shara and U.S. President Donald Trump during the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
