Four Die in Car Bomb Blast in Government-Held Homs

At least four people were killed and 16 injured in the al-Zahra neighborhood of Homs by a car bomb blast on Tuesday morning, reported Al Jazeera, citing the U.K.-based monitor the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights (SOHR).

The attack comes after the Syrian government’s assertion that it has regained complete control of Homs following the final evacuation of rebel fighters from the al-Waer neighborhood over the weekend.

A second car bomb blast was also reported on Tuesday in an area close to the Sayyida Zeinab shrine in Damascus, according to SOHR. However, no casualties were reported.

‘De-Escalation Zone’ Sees Spike in Armed Conflict

One of Syria’s “de-escalation zones” has seen a massive increase in armed conflict, with intense clashes breaking out between government forces and rebel fighters on Monday, reported ABC News, citing the SOHR.

Parts of Daraa, declared a safe zone following the Astana peace talks earlier this month, were bombarded by shelling from both government forces and rebel militias.

The SOHR reported that government forces fired 11 missiles on rebel-held parts of Daraa while insurgent fighters, including the al-Qaida-linked Levant Liberation Committees, shelled government-held parts of the city.

Violence has been reported in the safe zones since the Astana agreement, but the clashes in Daraa are believed to be among the worst so far.

Macron Resists Syrian Diplomacy Efforts With Embassy Snub

The French Foreign Ministry has said that France has no plans to reopen its embassy in Syria, Reuters reported.

It is the strongest indication yet of what the French government’s policy toward Syria will be under the country’s new president, Emmanuel Macron.

While some of France’s E.U. neighbors have expressed a willingness to reopen diplomatic ties with the Assad regime, ostensibly to coordinate efforts to defeat the so-called Islamic State in the region, this is the strongest sign yet that Macron’s foreign policy won’t include engagement with the Syrian government.

“The reopening of our embassy in Damascus is not on the agenda,” Romain Nadal, a foreign ministry spokesman, said in a daily briefing on Tuesday.

Following the Khan Sheikhoun attack in April, Macron said that Assad would have to “answer for his crimes in international courts.”

Recommended Reads:

• Middle Eastern Eye: U.S. Strikes in Syria Kill More Civilians Than Assad Air Forces
• The Washington Post: In Syria’s Devastated Twin Towns, Tears Mix With Rubble
• Foreign Policy: Russia’s Hearts-and-Minds Campaign in Syria Is Aimed at Home
• Teen Vogue: Syrian Women Explain How They’ve Survived Under a Leader Accused of War Crimes