Orientul Mijlociu

On 7 November, outgoing Iraqi prime minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi survived an assassination attempt, casting a shadow over the country’s recent elections. While the attack remains unclaimed, pro-Iranian Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) groups are suspected of being involved following their party’s (the Fatah Alliance) rejection of the election results. The attack occurred only days after large demonstrations, held by Fatah supporters, turned violent last week in Baghdad. The protestors are claiming election fraud after the party lost a significant chunk of its parliamentary seats in the October 10 elections.

More than 900 pro-Turkish Syrian fighters have returned to Syria after the end of fighting in the disputed area of Nagorno-Karabakh, a British-based Syrian war monitor said Wednesday.

A November 9 truce ended more than a month of fighting between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the ethnic Armenian enclave that broke away from Baku’s control in a war in the 1990s.

Al-Hasakah province: SOHR activists reported that militants of ISIS cells, stationed in al-Hawl camp in al southeast al-Hasakah countryside have attacked in the early hours of Friday a reception department inside the camp and shoot fire randomly on the people which caused death of two young men from Iraqi al-Nabar neighborhood and also wounded a third person.

Idlib province: SOHR activists have reported new assassination took place in the past few hours in Idlib city against an Iranian jihadist by unknow gunmen in al-Sheikh Thols neighborhood in middle of Idlib city while he was leaving his house for praying al-Fajr.

Later, HTS security forces have cordoned off the scene of crime and told the body to unknown place.

Jordan’s document and its confidential addendum for normalizing ties with Damascus display that the final goal for Arab countries restoring their relationship with the Syrian capital is that foreign forces and fighters exit Syria.

According to the document, which Asharq Al-Awsat reviewed, US and International Coalition forces in northeastern Syria and Al-Tanf military base near borders with Jordan and Iraq would also need to withdraw from the war-torn country.

One-time U.S. foe emerges as top vote-getter but could still struggle to form the next government.

Muqtada al-Sadr, a Shia cleric whose Mahdi Army followers battled U.S. forces during the years of the occupation, made big gains in Iraq’s parliamentary election on October 10. His victory could pose problems for the United States and Iran. But despite the Sadrist List’s electoral success, it is not a given that al-Sadr’s list will form the government, or even be the only kingmaker. USIP’s Elie Abouaoun examines the outcome of the election, the electoral process and the implications for Iraq’s future.

Turkey is being accused by Kurdish security forces of carrying out a drone attack Tuesday in northeastern Syria that killed three civilians in a car.

The strike took place in Qamishli, a city on the Syria-Turkey border that is controlled by the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

SOHR activists have reported that a regime soldier was shot dead by rebel factions on Saraqib frontlines, east of Idlib city.

Meanwhile, opposition factions have shelled, with rockets, positions of regime forces in Telat al-Burkan in northern Latakia, al-Shaikh Uqail frontline, Ourom al-Soughra in western Aleppo, al-Dar al-Kabera frontline and al-Talheya village in Idlib countryside. However, no casualties have been reported yet.