A deadly raid tests a revolutionary town’s faith in Syria's new government

A deadly raid tests a revolutionary town’s faith in Syria's new government Submitted by Natacha Danon on Fri, 11/06/2026 - 10:04 Five people were killed in the town of Rankous after a government raid on alleged Islamic State sympathisers A blue mosque rebuilt by residents stands atop a hill in the small town of Rankous (MEE/Ammar Stifi) Off Driving north from Damascus, I made my way toward the Lebanese border, through barren apple and cherry orchards, up into the Qalamoun mountains. As the town of Rankous came into