Syria’s International Airport to Reopen as Pressure on Government to Stabilize

Syria’s main airport in Damascus will reopen next week, the new government said on Saturday, as it tries to restore normalcy after the uprising that toppled President Bashar al-Assad.

The announcement came amid unrest on the Syrian-Lebanon border, where four Lebanese soldiers were injured in clashes on Friday night. The Lebanese army said the Syrian army fired on Lebanese soldiers near the border.

Ahmad al-Shara, Syria’s new leader, faces the challenge of imposing rule in a country that has been ravaged by a 14-year civil war that has divided it into several warring regions and fueled the proliferation of armed groups.

Mr al-Shara, who heads Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the Islamist group that led the coup that toppled Mr al-Assad, has worked to project a more moderate image, meeting with Western elites and trying to reassure both Syrians and foreigners. governments that the country is on a stable path.

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati spoke with Mr al-Shara to discuss border violence, according to the Lebanese leader’s office. During the call, Mr al-Shara promised that “the Syrian authorities are doing everything necessary to restore peace on the border and prevent this issue from happening again,” Mr Mikati’s office said in a statement.

The authorities in the neighboring countries of Syria were afraid that the expulsion of Mr.

In eastern Syria, Turkish-backed forces continue to fight Kurdish forces, carving out an independent region. At the same time, there have been scattered clashes between the new regime and those still loyal to Mr al-Assad.

On Saturday, forces allied with Syria’s new government searched for “remnants of Assadist forces” near the city of Homs, SANA news agency reported, after arresting two former officials overnight.

In an attempt to stop a possible attack on Syrian territory, the Israeli army attacked military bases across the country and sent its troops to the area that was once cleared of war between the two sides. Jordan also closed its crossing into Syria.

Mr al-Shara and his allies want to disperse the remaining militant groups under the pressure of a single armed force. Last week, they officially appointed an acting defense minister to oversee the reforms.

In another incident in the region, Israel continued its military operation in Gaza on Saturday. The Civil Defense of the Enclave, a rescue agency under the Hamas-run interior ministry, reported at least two airstrikes in which at least 11 people were killed and more than 20 were missing under rubble throughout the area. The agency does not distinguish between civilians and military personnel in its rates. The Israeli military said it had struck Hamas fighters in Gaza City in another incident and had no further comment.