Activists and rebels said an al Qaeda splinter group had withdrawn its forces from Syria's oil-rich eastern province of Deir al-Zour on Monday after days of heavy fighting with its rivals, Reuters said. Islamist opposition groups joined forces with some secular...

World View: With jihadis at their door, terrified Maysoun, Nizar, Karim and Bishr reached for grenades rather than face torture and inevitable death at the hands of Jabhat al-Nusra It is a terrible story but it throws a grim light on the terrors of the Syrian war. It is...

  A second round of  Syria  peace talks got off to a shaky start on Monday with the international mediator meeting the two sides separately after violations of a local ceasefire and an Islamist offensive set back his efforts. Ahead of the talks, mediator Lakhdar Brahimi...

  Geneva talks aimed at ending the Syrian war will tackle the key issues of stopping violence, setting up a transitional governing body, and plans for national institutions and reconciliation, mediator   Lakhdar Brahimi   has told the two sides in a document obtained...