Alexander McKeever
@akmckeever.bsky.social
Amman-based New Yorker obsessed with Cape Breton (and Syria)
Author of This Week in Northern Syria newsletter, regular open sourced updates on northern Aleppo and SDF-controlled eastern Syria:
https://akmckeever.substack.com
Author of This Week in Northern Syria newsletter, regular open sourced updates on northern Aleppo and SDF-controlled eastern Syria:
https://akmckeever.substack.com
Apparently no one in the last 9 years has changed the al-Bab highway sign that still reads "Wilayat al-Barakah," the Islamic State name for al-Hasakah governorate
t.me/ehtemlat2/60...
t.me/ehtemlat2/60...
November 9, 2025 at 7:08 PM
Apparently no one in the last 9 years has changed the al-Bab highway sign that still reads "Wilayat al-Barakah," the Islamic State name for al-Hasakah governorate
t.me/ehtemlat2/60...
t.me/ehtemlat2/60...
Sharaa and Shaibani's shots look like shit tbh
November 9, 2025 at 6:51 PM
Sharaa and Shaibani's shots look like shit tbh
Cizre 1938 - photo taken by French Army aircraft from about the Syria border looking NNE
November 9, 2025 at 3:42 PM
Cizre 1938 - photo taken by French Army aircraft from about the Syria border looking NNE
1941 US Army map of southern al-Raqqah/Resafa badiyah
November 9, 2025 at 12:39 PM
1941 US Army map of southern al-Raqqah/Resafa badiyah
One of my aunts - a gym teacher on Long Island - has taken to using her Instagram account to promote hockey-themed gay (sorry, ‘double bi-awakening’) romance novels. My brother asked her if she knew we can all see it and she said she doesn’t care. Not sure what my uncle thinks
November 6, 2025 at 1:18 PM
One of my aunts - a gym teacher on Long Island - has taken to using her Instagram account to promote hockey-themed gay (sorry, ‘double bi-awakening’) romance novels. My brother asked her if she knew we can all see it and she said she doesn’t care. Not sure what my uncle thinks
mast as seen from the southwest
t.me/radiorojava/...
t.me/radiorojava/...
November 4, 2025 at 1:49 PM
mast as seen from the southwest
t.me/radiorojava/...
t.me/radiorojava/...
Erdogan portrait along with Turkish and Suleiman Shah flags (flags might be temporary) taken down at al-Sheikh Hadid roundabout, Ottoman seal on the billboard in the background gone as well
November 4, 2025 at 1:41 PM
Erdogan portrait along with Turkish and Suleiman Shah flags (flags might be temporary) taken down at al-Sheikh Hadid roundabout, Ottoman seal on the billboard in the background gone as well
SDF member climbed the TV mast on MT. Qarachok for a view of the Derik countryside and the network of SDF headquarters on and around the mountain (strategic depth vs. IS, less so vs. Turkey)
37.064101, 42.159784
37.064101, 42.159784
October 31, 2025 at 6:12 AM
SDF member climbed the TV mast on MT. Qarachok for a view of the Derik countryside and the network of SDF headquarters on and around the mountain (strategic depth vs. IS, less so vs. Turkey)
37.064101, 42.159784
37.064101, 42.159784
Aldar Xelil with horse painting
October 29, 2025 at 3:52 PM
Aldar Xelil with horse painting
October 28, 2025 at 11:46 AM
Division 82: Brig. Gen. Khalid al-Halabi (Ansar al-Tawhid), Hama
Division 84: Brig. Gen. Abdulaziz Dawud Hudaberdi (Turkistan Islamic Party), Latakia
Division 86: Brig. Gen. Ahmad al-Hayyes (SNA - Furqat Ahrar al-Sharqiyah), Deir ez-Zour
Division 98: Brig. Gen. ‘Abd al-Basit al-Jamal (HTS), Idlib
Division 84: Brig. Gen. Abdulaziz Dawud Hudaberdi (Turkistan Islamic Party), Latakia
Division 86: Brig. Gen. Ahmad al-Hayyes (SNA - Furqat Ahrar al-Sharqiyah), Deir ez-Zour
Division 98: Brig. Gen. ‘Abd al-Basit al-Jamal (HTS), Idlib
October 28, 2025 at 11:27 AM
Division 82: Brig. Gen. Khalid al-Halabi (Ansar al-Tawhid), Hama
Division 84: Brig. Gen. Abdulaziz Dawud Hudaberdi (Turkistan Islamic Party), Latakia
Division 86: Brig. Gen. Ahmad al-Hayyes (SNA - Furqat Ahrar al-Sharqiyah), Deir ez-Zour
Division 98: Brig. Gen. ‘Abd al-Basit al-Jamal (HTS), Idlib
Division 84: Brig. Gen. Abdulaziz Dawud Hudaberdi (Turkistan Islamic Party), Latakia
Division 86: Brig. Gen. Ahmad al-Hayyes (SNA - Furqat Ahrar al-Sharqiyah), Deir ez-Zour
Division 98: Brig. Gen. ‘Abd al-Basit al-Jamal (HTS), Idlib
Division 72: Brig. Gen. ‘Aqil Muhammad al-‘Amir (HTS), Aleppo
Division 74: Brig. Gen. Jamil al-Salih (Jaysh al-‘Izzah), Hama
Division 76: Brig. Gen. Saif Polat (SNA - Furqat al-Hamzah), Aleppo
Division 80: Brig. Gen. Ahmad Rizq (SNA - Harakat Nour al-Din al-Zenki), Aleppo
Division 74: Brig. Gen. Jamil al-Salih (Jaysh al-‘Izzah), Hama
Division 76: Brig. Gen. Saif Polat (SNA - Furqat al-Hamzah), Aleppo
Division 80: Brig. Gen. Ahmad Rizq (SNA - Harakat Nour al-Din al-Zenki), Aleppo
October 28, 2025 at 11:27 AM
Division 72: Brig. Gen. ‘Aqil Muhammad al-‘Amir (HTS), Aleppo
Division 74: Brig. Gen. Jamil al-Salih (Jaysh al-‘Izzah), Hama
Division 76: Brig. Gen. Saif Polat (SNA - Furqat al-Hamzah), Aleppo
Division 80: Brig. Gen. Ahmad Rizq (SNA - Harakat Nour al-Din al-Zenki), Aleppo
Division 74: Brig. Gen. Jamil al-Salih (Jaysh al-‘Izzah), Hama
Division 76: Brig. Gen. Saif Polat (SNA - Furqat al-Hamzah), Aleppo
Division 80: Brig. Gen. Ahmad Rizq (SNA - Harakat Nour al-Din al-Zenki), Aleppo
Division 62: Muhammad Jasim (SNA - Furqat al-Sultan Suleiman Shah), Hama & Aleppo
Division 64: Muhammad al-Gharib (Faylaq al-Sham), Idlib
Division 66: Brig. Gen. Ahmad al-Muhammad (HTS), Deir ez-Zour
Division 70: Damascus**
Division 64: Muhammad al-Gharib (Faylaq al-Sham), Idlib
Division 66: Brig. Gen. Ahmad al-Muhammad (HTS), Deir ez-Zour
Division 70: Damascus**
October 28, 2025 at 11:27 AM
Division 62: Muhammad Jasim (SNA - Furqat al-Sultan Suleiman Shah), Hama & Aleppo
Division 64: Muhammad al-Gharib (Faylaq al-Sham), Idlib
Division 66: Brig. Gen. Ahmad al-Muhammad (HTS), Deir ez-Zour
Division 70: Damascus**
Division 64: Muhammad al-Gharib (Faylaq al-Sham), Idlib
Division 66: Brig. Gen. Ahmad al-Muhammad (HTS), Deir ez-Zour
Division 70: Damascus**
Division 52: Brig. Gen. Haitham al-‘Ali (HTS), Homs
Division 54: Col. Hussein ‘Ubaid (Ahrar al-Sham), Hama
Division 56: Brig. Gen. Munir al-Sheikh (HTS), Latakia
Division 60: Brig. Gen ‘Awad Muhammad (HTS), Aleppo
Division 54: Col. Hussein ‘Ubaid (Ahrar al-Sham), Hama
Division 56: Brig. Gen. Munir al-Sheikh (HTS), Latakia
Division 60: Brig. Gen ‘Awad Muhammad (HTS), Aleppo
October 28, 2025 at 11:27 AM
Division 52: Brig. Gen. Haitham al-‘Ali (HTS), Homs
Division 54: Col. Hussein ‘Ubaid (Ahrar al-Sham), Hama
Division 56: Brig. Gen. Munir al-Sheikh (HTS), Latakia
Division 60: Brig. Gen ‘Awad Muhammad (HTS), Aleppo
Division 54: Col. Hussein ‘Ubaid (Ahrar al-Sham), Hama
Division 56: Brig. Gen. Munir al-Sheikh (HTS), Latakia
Division 60: Brig. Gen ‘Awad Muhammad (HTS), Aleppo
Division 40: Col. Bunyan Ahmad Al-Hariri (Ahrar al-Sham), Dar‘a
Division 42: Brig. Gen. Ra’id al-‘Abdullah (SNA - Suqour al-Sham), Homs
Division 44: Brig. Gen. Najib Abu ‘Abd al-Rahman, Rural Damascus
Division 50: Brig. Gen. Mahmoud Hamidi, Latakia
Division 42: Brig. Gen. Ra’id al-‘Abdullah (SNA - Suqour al-Sham), Homs
Division 44: Brig. Gen. Najib Abu ‘Abd al-Rahman, Rural Damascus
Division 50: Brig. Gen. Mahmoud Hamidi, Latakia
October 28, 2025 at 11:27 AM
Division 40: Col. Bunyan Ahmad Al-Hariri (Ahrar al-Sham), Dar‘a
Division 42: Brig. Gen. Ra’id al-‘Abdullah (SNA - Suqour al-Sham), Homs
Division 44: Brig. Gen. Najib Abu ‘Abd al-Rahman, Rural Damascus
Division 50: Brig. Gen. Mahmoud Hamidi, Latakia
Division 42: Brig. Gen. Ra’id al-‘Abdullah (SNA - Suqour al-Sham), Homs
Division 44: Brig. Gen. Najib Abu ‘Abd al-Rahman, Rural Damascus
Division 50: Brig. Gen. Mahmoud Hamidi, Latakia
Map of French-planned Qamishli soon after its founding in the 1920s and a French map of the upper Jazirah from around the same time
ac-syria.com/c/?p=259
ac-syria.com/c/?p=259
October 26, 2025 at 7:13 AM
Map of French-planned Qamishli soon after its founding in the 1920s and a French map of the upper Jazirah from around the same time
ac-syria.com/c/?p=259
ac-syria.com/c/?p=259
October 25, 2025 at 8:33 AM
I think the first time I've used a photo of my own in the newsletter? the seat of Syriac Orthodox Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II (Cathedral of St. George, Bab Touma)
October 23, 2025 at 11:59 AM
I think the first time I've used a photo of my own in the newsletter? the seat of Syriac Orthodox Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II (Cathedral of St. George, Bab Touma)
From what I can tell this is the territorial situation in al-Sheikh Maqsoud and 6 of the 7 main entrance checkpoints (not sure where exactly Layramoun CP is but presumably on the N-S road east of the circle
October 22, 2025 at 9:37 PM
From what I can tell this is the territorial situation in al-Sheikh Maqsoud and 6 of the 7 main entrance checkpoints (not sure where exactly Layramoun CP is but presumably on the N-S road east of the circle
Today's addition: a chart of the c. Nov 2024 SNA roster with faction commander faces attached, many of whom now play roles in the new Syrian military
October 21, 2025 at 1:28 PM
Today's addition: a chart of the c. Nov 2024 SNA roster with faction commander faces attached, many of whom now play roles in the new Syrian military
Some of the stuff up on there now
October 20, 2025 at 2:51 PM
Some of the stuff up on there now
Arabic/Kurdish/Turkish vocab commonly seen in placenames (and translations btw communities of such) in northern Syria.
October 19, 2025 at 8:08 PM
Arabic/Kurdish/Turkish vocab commonly seen in placenames (and translations btw communities of such) in northern Syria.
I forgot about this photo... al-Banawi and Jund al-Haramain defected from the SDF in December 2024, effectively handing Manbij over to the SNA
October 10, 2025 at 11:49 AM
I forgot about this photo... al-Banawi and Jund al-Haramain defected from the SDF in December 2024, effectively handing Manbij over to the SNA