Syria Notes
@syrianotes.org
Informing UK policy debates on Syria. Focused on human rights and accountability.
Web: https://www.syrianotes.org/
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Web: https://www.syrianotes.org/
Facebook: http://facebook.com/SyriaNotes/
YouTube: http://youtube.com/@syrianotes5908
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Syria Notes
@syrianotes.org
· Jun 1
Syria Notes
Freedom’s price Syria Notes no. 30, spring 2025. On the 8th of December, Bashar al-Assad fled to Moscow, ...
www.syrianotes.org
Aid cuts hit Syrian independent media just as they are most needed
We talked to Ahmad Primo of Verify Syria, Yara Bader of Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression, Kholoud Helmi of Enab Baladi, and Camilla Bruun Randrup of International Media Support.
www.syrianotes.org/2025/05/free...
We talked to Ahmad Primo of Verify Syria, Yara Bader of Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression, Kholoud Helmi of Enab Baladi, and Camilla Bruun Randrup of International Media Support.
www.syrianotes.org/2025/05/free...
Syrian Arab Army Operations Command:
Army forces enter Al-Mansoura and seize Al-Hajana camp near Al-Tabqa.
Army forces seize village of Rajm Al-Ghazal in Raqqa countryside.
Army advance units approaching Al-Tabqa.
Army forces enter Al-Ghanim Al-Ali.
— Zain al-Abidin
x.com/i/status/201...
Army forces enter Al-Mansoura and seize Al-Hajana camp near Al-Tabqa.
Army forces seize village of Rajm Al-Ghazal in Raqqa countryside.
Army advance units approaching Al-Tabqa.
Army forces enter Al-Ghanim Al-Ali.
— Zain al-Abidin
x.com/i/status/201...
January 17, 2026 at 4:33 PM
Syrian Arab Army Operations Command:
Army forces enter Al-Mansoura and seize Al-Hajana camp near Al-Tabqa.
Army forces seize village of Rajm Al-Ghazal in Raqqa countryside.
Army advance units approaching Al-Tabqa.
Army forces enter Al-Ghanim Al-Ali.
— Zain al-Abidin
x.com/i/status/201...
Army forces enter Al-Mansoura and seize Al-Hajana camp near Al-Tabqa.
Army forces seize village of Rajm Al-Ghazal in Raqqa countryside.
Army advance units approaching Al-Tabqa.
Army forces enter Al-Ghanim Al-Ali.
— Zain al-Abidin
x.com/i/status/201...
Enab Baladi reports that the Syrian army has brought reinforcements to Deir Ez-Zor fronts facing SDF.
Fighting continues on the front lines in southwestern countryside of Raqqa, after govt forces consolidated control over Deir Hafer and Maskana in eastern Aleppo countryside.
x.com/i/status/201...
Fighting continues on the front lines in southwestern countryside of Raqqa, after govt forces consolidated control over Deir Hafer and Maskana in eastern Aleppo countryside.
x.com/i/status/201...
January 17, 2026 at 2:01 PM
Enab Baladi reports that the Syrian army has brought reinforcements to Deir Ez-Zor fronts facing SDF.
Fighting continues on the front lines in southwestern countryside of Raqqa, after govt forces consolidated control over Deir Hafer and Maskana in eastern Aleppo countryside.
x.com/i/status/201...
Fighting continues on the front lines in southwestern countryside of Raqqa, after govt forces consolidated control over Deir Hafer and Maskana in eastern Aleppo countryside.
x.com/i/status/201...
Two weeks ago in Syria, an IDF battalion from the Golan Brigade stole a herd of some 250 goats belonging to Syrian farmers and smuggled them into West Bank farmlands, Israeli television revealed Thursday, citing information from law enforcement authorities.
www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-troo...
www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-troo...
Israeli troops smuggled herd of 250 goats from Syria to West Bank farms — report
IDF tells Israeli TV network that team commander was dismissed from service over incident and company commander reprimanded, while squad itself was suspended for significant period
www.timesofisrael.com
January 17, 2026 at 1:48 PM
Two weeks ago in Syria, an IDF battalion from the Golan Brigade stole a herd of some 250 goats belonging to Syrian farmers and smuggled them into West Bank farmlands, Israeli television revealed Thursday, citing information from law enforcement authorities.
www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-troo...
www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-troo...
Israeli troops smuggled herd of 250 goats from Syria to West Bank farms
IDF tells Israeli TV network that team commander was dismissed from service and company commander was reprimanded, while squad was suspended for significant period.
— Times of Israel
www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-troo...
IDF tells Israeli TV network that team commander was dismissed from service and company commander was reprimanded, while squad was suspended for significant period.
— Times of Israel
www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-troo...
Israeli troops smuggled herd of 250 goats from Syria to West Bank farms — report
IDF tells Israeli TV network that team commander was dismissed from service over incident and company commander reprimanded, while squad itself was suspended for significant period
www.timesofisrael.com
January 17, 2026 at 1:40 PM
Israeli troops smuggled herd of 250 goats from Syria to West Bank farms
IDF tells Israeli TV network that team commander was dismissed from service and company commander was reprimanded, while squad was suspended for significant period.
— Times of Israel
www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-troo...
IDF tells Israeli TV network that team commander was dismissed from service and company commander was reprimanded, while squad was suspended for significant period.
— Times of Israel
www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-troo...
“The Syrian Arab Army Operations Authority published a number of maps of locations in Raqqa and Tabqa and warned residents of the need to stay away from them”
— SANA (Syrian state-owned news agency)
sana.sy/governorates...
— SANA (Syrian state-owned news agency)
sana.sy/governorates...
هيئة العمليات تنشر خرائط مواقع في الرقة والطبقة وتحذر الأهالي للابتعاد عنها
نشرت هيئة العمليات في الجيش العربي السوري عدداً من الخرائط لمواقع في الرقة والطبقة وحذرت الأهالي بضرورة الابتعاد عنها.
sana.sy
January 17, 2026 at 1:37 PM
“The Syrian Arab Army Operations Authority published a number of maps of locations in Raqqa and Tabqa and warned residents of the need to stay away from them”
— SANA (Syrian state-owned news agency)
sana.sy/governorates...
— SANA (Syrian state-owned news agency)
sana.sy/governorates...
Official control map after SDF withdrawal from Eastern Aleppo countryside today.
New front near Dibsi Afnan (SW. Raqqa).
Area in red under SDF control, including the town of Tabqa, is the new military zone designated by the Defence Ministry.
Via @qalaatalmudiq.bsky.social.
x.com/i/status/201...
New front near Dibsi Afnan (SW. Raqqa).
Area in red under SDF control, including the town of Tabqa, is the new military zone designated by the Defence Ministry.
Via @qalaatalmudiq.bsky.social.
x.com/i/status/201...
January 17, 2026 at 1:28 PM
Official control map after SDF withdrawal from Eastern Aleppo countryside today.
New front near Dibsi Afnan (SW. Raqqa).
Area in red under SDF control, including the town of Tabqa, is the new military zone designated by the Defence Ministry.
Via @qalaatalmudiq.bsky.social.
x.com/i/status/201...
New front near Dibsi Afnan (SW. Raqqa).
Area in red under SDF control, including the town of Tabqa, is the new military zone designated by the Defence Ministry.
Via @qalaatalmudiq.bsky.social.
x.com/i/status/201...
Reposted by Syria Notes
Joy among residents in eastern Aleppo as the Syrian Arab Army enters and liberates them from the SDF and PKK.
January 17, 2026 at 11:10 AM
Joy among residents in eastern Aleppo as the Syrian Arab Army enters and liberates them from the SDF and PKK.
Reposted by Syria Notes
The Syrian army has announced its control of two oil fields near Raqqa.
This is also a key point: the SDF is unwilling to share the resources in northeast Syria with the rest of the Syrian population, not even with the inhabitants of their own areas. Services are practically nonexistent and have..
This is also a key point: the SDF is unwilling to share the resources in northeast Syria with the rest of the Syrian population, not even with the inhabitants of their own areas. Services are practically nonexistent and have..
January 17, 2026 at 12:23 PM
The Syrian army has announced its control of two oil fields near Raqqa.
This is also a key point: the SDF is unwilling to share the resources in northeast Syria with the rest of the Syrian population, not even with the inhabitants of their own areas. Services are practically nonexistent and have..
This is also a key point: the SDF is unwilling to share the resources in northeast Syria with the rest of the Syrian population, not even with the inhabitants of their own areas. Services are practically nonexistent and have..
Reposted by Syria Notes
This area was captured by the SDF during the brief power vacuum that arose when the regime withdrew after the fall of Aleppo in late November 2024.
The Syrian army has declared the area between Tabqa and Ma'dan a closed military zone (red, West Euphrates). Clashes have been reported in this area between the Syrian army on one side and the PKK & the former Assad regime on the other.
January 17, 2026 at 11:45 AM
This area was captured by the SDF during the brief power vacuum that arose when the regime withdrew after the fall of Aleppo in late November 2024.
Reposted by Syria Notes
The Syrian army has declared the area between Tabqa and Ma'dan a closed military zone (red, West Euphrates). Clashes have been reported in this area between the Syrian army on one side and the PKK & the former Assad regime on the other.
January 17, 2026 at 11:45 AM
The Syrian army has declared the area between Tabqa and Ma'dan a closed military zone (red, West Euphrates). Clashes have been reported in this area between the Syrian army on one side and the PKK & the former Assad regime on the other.
Reposted by Syria Notes
The inability of the SDF to secure loyalty of Arabs in territory under its control is again evident in how it had to withdraw from the East Aleppo region without a fight.
SDF control over Raqqa and DeZ is not politically viable, and without them the PYD/KCK project in Syria collapses economically
SDF control over Raqqa and DeZ is not politically viable, and without them the PYD/KCK project in Syria collapses economically
January 17, 2026 at 10:40 AM
The inability of the SDF to secure loyalty of Arabs in territory under its control is again evident in how it had to withdraw from the East Aleppo region without a fight.
SDF control over Raqqa and DeZ is not politically viable, and without them the PYD/KCK project in Syria collapses economically
SDF control over Raqqa and DeZ is not politically viable, and without them the PYD/KCK project in Syria collapses economically
The Kurds, who make up about a tenth of Syria’s population, were denied many basic rights, including identity papers and business licenses, under more than five decades of Assad family rule. Ahmed al-Sharaa’s decree “breaks decisively” with decades of exclusion.
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/16/w...
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/16/w...
Syria’s President Affirms Kurds’ Rights, in Overture to the Minority
www.nytimes.com
January 17, 2026 at 6:29 AM
The Kurds, who make up about a tenth of Syria’s population, were denied many basic rights, including identity papers and business licenses, under more than five decades of Assad family rule. Ahmed al-Sharaa’s decree “breaks decisively” with decades of exclusion.
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/16/w...
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/16/w...
Ahmed al-Sharaa issues decree declaring Kurdish a national language that can be taught in schools in areas where Kurds are heavily present.
Decree also restores nationality to Kurds as 20% of them had been stripped of it in 1962, and makes Nowruz an official holiday.
www.newarab.com/news/syrian-...
Decree also restores nationality to Kurds as 20% of them had been stripped of it in 1962, and makes Nowruz an official holiday.
www.newarab.com/news/syrian-...
Syrian president declares Kurdish a national language
Sharaa also made the Kurdish New Year, Nowruz, which falls on 21 March, an official holiday and granted nationality to Kurds
www.newarab.com
January 17, 2026 at 5:53 AM
Ahmed al-Sharaa issues decree declaring Kurdish a national language that can be taught in schools in areas where Kurds are heavily present.
Decree also restores nationality to Kurds as 20% of them had been stripped of it in 1962, and makes Nowruz an official holiday.
www.newarab.com/news/syrian-...
Decree also restores nationality to Kurds as 20% of them had been stripped of it in 1962, and makes Nowruz an official holiday.
www.newarab.com/news/syrian-...
SDF commander Mazloum Abdi, announced the withdrawal of his forces to the east of the Euphrates.
The Syrian Ministry of Defence welcomed the announcement, which came hours after govt artillery targeted locations inside the town of Deir Hafer, according to Enab Baladi.
www.enabbaladi.net/791930/
The Syrian Ministry of Defence welcomed the announcement, which came hours after govt artillery targeted locations inside the town of Deir Hafer, according to Enab Baladi.
www.enabbaladi.net/791930/
"قسد" تعلن انسحابها إلى شرق الفرات
أعلن قائد "قوات سوريا الديمقراطية" مظلوم عبدي سحب قواته إلى شرق الفرات من المناطق التي تحشد عليها القوات الحكومية شرقي حلب. وقال عبدي، في 17 من كانون قوات قسد تتجهز للانسحاب إلى شرق نهر الفرات عند الس...
www.enabbaladi.net
January 17, 2026 at 5:41 AM
SDF commander Mazloum Abdi, announced the withdrawal of his forces to the east of the Euphrates.
The Syrian Ministry of Defence welcomed the announcement, which came hours after govt artillery targeted locations inside the town of Deir Hafer, according to Enab Baladi.
www.enabbaladi.net/791930/
The Syrian Ministry of Defence welcomed the announcement, which came hours after govt artillery targeted locations inside the town of Deir Hafer, according to Enab Baladi.
www.enabbaladi.net/791930/
UK tribunal hears challenge by Syrian nationals regarding certification of their asylum claims on basis that they could be returned to a safe third country, Bulgaria.
It is believed to be first case of its kind since the UK left the EU.
@freemovement.bsky.social
freemovement.org.uk/syrian-natio...
It is believed to be first case of its kind since the UK left the EU.
@freemovement.bsky.social
freemovement.org.uk/syrian-natio...
Syrian nationals challenge proposed removal to Bulgaria - Free Movement
The men fled Bulgaria and sought asylum in the United Kingdom, whereupon they were notified of the intention to find their claims inadmissible on the basis
freemovement.org.uk
January 16, 2026 at 1:00 PM
UK tribunal hears challenge by Syrian nationals regarding certification of their asylum claims on basis that they could be returned to a safe third country, Bulgaria.
It is believed to be first case of its kind since the UK left the EU.
@freemovement.bsky.social
freemovement.org.uk/syrian-natio...
It is believed to be first case of its kind since the UK left the EU.
@freemovement.bsky.social
freemovement.org.uk/syrian-natio...
“When I began my role I never thought I would see a hotel housing asylum seekers set on fire, hear from refugees who had been beaten up in the street, watch organisations working with refugees face sustained attacks”
— Enver Solomon, Refugee Council’s outgoing CEO
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
— Enver Solomon, Refugee Council’s outgoing CEO
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
I never thought I’d see an asylum hotel on fire, or worry about my staff’s safety. The past five years changed that | Enver Solomon
As head of an immigration charity, I’ve seen firsthand how hostility and toxicity have reached unprecedented levels, says outgoing Refugee Council CEO Enver Solomon
www.theguardian.com
January 16, 2026 at 12:52 PM
“When I began my role I never thought I would see a hotel housing asylum seekers set on fire, hear from refugees who had been beaten up in the street, watch organisations working with refugees face sustained attacks”
— Enver Solomon, Refugee Council’s outgoing CEO
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
— Enver Solomon, Refugee Council’s outgoing CEO
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Unlike Aleppo, a conflict in northeast Syria would be neither swift nor contained, @haidhaid22.bsky.social writes. SDF fighters there are better trained and equipped, while tribal actors have expressed desire to join a confrontation against the SDF, raising risks.
www.arab-reform.net/publication/...
www.arab-reform.net/publication/...
Aleppo’s Escalation Could Win Territory, but Lose the Peace
Clashes erupted on 6 January between Syrian government forces and Kurdish fighters in Aleppo, marking the most serious confrontation between the two sides since the fall of the Assad regime. What h…
www.arab-reform.net
January 16, 2026 at 11:53 AM
Unlike Aleppo, a conflict in northeast Syria would be neither swift nor contained, @haidhaid22.bsky.social writes. SDF fighters there are better trained and equipped, while tribal actors have expressed desire to join a confrontation against the SDF, raising risks.
www.arab-reform.net/publication/...
www.arab-reform.net/publication/...
Deforestation in Syria
Between 2010 and 2019, Syria lost nearly 20% of its forest cover, primarily in the northwest. In Latakia governorate forest cover has fallen by roughly 30–35%; in Hama about 25–30%; and in Idlib close to one-quarter.
— Syria in Figures
karamshaar.com/syria-in-fig...
Between 2010 and 2019, Syria lost nearly 20% of its forest cover, primarily in the northwest. In Latakia governorate forest cover has fallen by roughly 30–35%; in Hama about 25–30%; and in Idlib close to one-quarter.
— Syria in Figures
karamshaar.com/syria-in-fig...
Syria Forest Crisis: Third Lost in War, Now Climate Threat
Nearly a third of Syria's forests destroyed by war, fires, and poverty. Environmental damage becomes political flashpoint in transitional government.
karamshaar.com
January 16, 2026 at 11:37 AM
Deforestation in Syria
Between 2010 and 2019, Syria lost nearly 20% of its forest cover, primarily in the northwest. In Latakia governorate forest cover has fallen by roughly 30–35%; in Hama about 25–30%; and in Idlib close to one-quarter.
— Syria in Figures
karamshaar.com/syria-in-fig...
Between 2010 and 2019, Syria lost nearly 20% of its forest cover, primarily in the northwest. In Latakia governorate forest cover has fallen by roughly 30–35%; in Hama about 25–30%; and in Idlib close to one-quarter.
— Syria in Figures
karamshaar.com/syria-in-fig...
On Thursday, the Syrian army gave civilians around SDF-held Deir Hafer a deadline to leave the area.
SDF denied claims they were restricting civilians from leaving, but announced the closure of all crossings in Tabqa, Raqqa, and Deir Ezzor.
@thenewarab.bsky.social
www.newarab.com/news/syria-p...
SDF denied claims they were restricting civilians from leaving, but announced the closure of all crossings in Tabqa, Raqqa, and Deir Ezzor.
@thenewarab.bsky.social
www.newarab.com/news/syria-p...
Syria prepares major push on Kurdish-held areas near Aleppo
Following the fall of two Kurdish-held neighbourhoods in Aleppo City, a new assault by government forces on SDF positions appears to be in the making.
www.newarab.com
January 16, 2026 at 3:47 AM
On Thursday, the Syrian army gave civilians around SDF-held Deir Hafer a deadline to leave the area.
SDF denied claims they were restricting civilians from leaving, but announced the closure of all crossings in Tabqa, Raqqa, and Deir Ezzor.
@thenewarab.bsky.social
www.newarab.com/news/syria-p...
SDF denied claims they were restricting civilians from leaving, but announced the closure of all crossings in Tabqa, Raqqa, and Deir Ezzor.
@thenewarab.bsky.social
www.newarab.com/news/syria-p...
SDF forces in Deir Hafer, Aleppo province, are outnumbered, and if the SDF opts to fight rather than negotiate, Syria’s interim government may aim to destabilise SDF control behind contact lines.
— ETANA Syria
etanasyria.org/brief-clashe...
— ETANA Syria
etanasyria.org/brief-clashe...
BRIEF: Clashes erupt in Aleppo province – Etana Syria
Mounting tensions between interim authorities and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) led to heavy military clashes in Aleppo mid-January. The situation in eastern Aleppo province at Deir Hafer and Tis...
etanasyria.org
January 16, 2026 at 3:29 AM
SDF forces in Deir Hafer, Aleppo province, are outnumbered, and if the SDF opts to fight rather than negotiate, Syria’s interim government may aim to destabilise SDF control behind contact lines.
— ETANA Syria
etanasyria.org/brief-clashe...
— ETANA Syria
etanasyria.org/brief-clashe...
Reposted by Syria Notes
Syria formally requests extradition from Lebanon of 200 Assad regime officials.
www.reuters.com/world/middle...
www.reuters.com/world/middle...
Syria asks Lebanon to hand over Assad-era officers after Reuters report
Syrian authorities have asked Lebanese security forces to hand over more than 200 senior officers who fled to Lebanon after the fall of Bashar al-Assad, following a Reuters investigation that showed h...
www.reuters.com
January 15, 2026 at 2:37 AM
Syria formally requests extradition from Lebanon of 200 Assad regime officials.
www.reuters.com/world/middle...
www.reuters.com/world/middle...
Reposted by Syria Notes
Sanctioned Syrian tycoon Hamsho eyes a ‘new chapter’ after financial settlement
✍️ @walid-alnofal.bsky.social
✍️ @walid-alnofal.bsky.social
Sanctioned Syrian tycoon Hamsho eyes a ‘new chapter’ after financial settlement
A financial settlement between sanctioned Syrian business tycoon Muhammad Hamsho and the country’s new government has sparked controversy given his deep ties to the Assad regime and role in profiting ...
syriadirect.org
January 14, 2026 at 4:08 PM
Sanctioned Syrian tycoon Hamsho eyes a ‘new chapter’ after financial settlement
✍️ @walid-alnofal.bsky.social
✍️ @walid-alnofal.bsky.social
Rather than marking the end of violence, reconstruction can become violence by other means.
The book Reconstruction as Violence in Assad’s Syria does not directly address the post-Assad transition, but its lessons are relevant in Syria today.
@thenewarab.bsky.social
www.newarab.com/features/how...
The book Reconstruction as Violence in Assad’s Syria does not directly address the post-Assad transition, but its lessons are relevant in Syria today.
@thenewarab.bsky.social
www.newarab.com/features/how...
How Assad turned reconstruction into a weapon in Syria
Book Club: ’Reconstruction as Violence in Assad’s Syria’ explains how post-war rebuilding was used to erase communities and extend Assad’s rule
www.newarab.com
January 15, 2026 at 12:43 PM
Rather than marking the end of violence, reconstruction can become violence by other means.
The book Reconstruction as Violence in Assad’s Syria does not directly address the post-Assad transition, but its lessons are relevant in Syria today.
@thenewarab.bsky.social
www.newarab.com/features/how...
The book Reconstruction as Violence in Assad’s Syria does not directly address the post-Assad transition, but its lessons are relevant in Syria today.
@thenewarab.bsky.social
www.newarab.com/features/how...
New report: Human Rights Watch documented 86 apparently unlawful killings including 67 Druze and 19 Bedouin civilians in Sweida governorate in July 2025.
Syria’s interim govt has failed to take adequate steps to impartially investigate abuses by all sides, @hrw.org says.
www.hrw.org/news/2026/01...
Syria’s interim govt has failed to take adequate steps to impartially investigate abuses by all sides, @hrw.org says.
www.hrw.org/news/2026/01...
Syria: Accountability Lacking for Sweida Abuses
Syrian government forces and local Bedouin and Druze armed groups are responsible for grave abuses during clashes in Syria’s southern Sweida governorate in July 2025.
www.hrw.org
January 15, 2026 at 12:01 PM
New report: Human Rights Watch documented 86 apparently unlawful killings including 67 Druze and 19 Bedouin civilians in Sweida governorate in July 2025.
Syria’s interim govt has failed to take adequate steps to impartially investigate abuses by all sides, @hrw.org says.
www.hrw.org/news/2026/01...
Syria’s interim govt has failed to take adequate steps to impartially investigate abuses by all sides, @hrw.org says.
www.hrw.org/news/2026/01...
SDF blocked civilians from leaving town of Deir Hafer (eastern Aleppo) this morning at their main checkpoint.
Some civilians tried another route on foot, including a damaged pedestrian bridge north of Deir Hafer, with some reaching govt-held areas.
@qalaatalmudiq.bsky.social
x.com/i/status/201...
Some civilians tried another route on foot, including a damaged pedestrian bridge north of Deir Hafer, with some reaching govt-held areas.
@qalaatalmudiq.bsky.social
x.com/i/status/201...
January 15, 2026 at 11:46 AM
SDF blocked civilians from leaving town of Deir Hafer (eastern Aleppo) this morning at their main checkpoint.
Some civilians tried another route on foot, including a damaged pedestrian bridge north of Deir Hafer, with some reaching govt-held areas.
@qalaatalmudiq.bsky.social
x.com/i/status/201...
Some civilians tried another route on foot, including a damaged pedestrian bridge north of Deir Hafer, with some reaching govt-held areas.
@qalaatalmudiq.bsky.social
x.com/i/status/201...