Page 6 - Syria Crisis

Bombing kills co-founder of Syria's main al-Qaida-linked group Nusra Front

A suicide bomber set off his explosives late on Thursday in northwestern Syria, killing the co-founder of the country's main al-Qaida-linked group that controls much of the northwest, a war monitor said. Some activists disputed the source of the explosion, saying instead that a remotely detonated bomb killed Abu Maria al-Qahtani, whose real name was Maysara al-Jubouri. Al-Qahtani co-founded the Nusra Front in Syria, a militant group that later renamed itself Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and claimed it had severed ties with al-Qaida. The conflicting accounts could not immediately be reconciled. According to the Britain-based Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor with a network of activists on the ground, the bomber entered al-Qahtani's guesthouse in the town of Sarmada in Idlib province late in the evening and detonated his explosives. The small enclave of northwestern Syria is the country's last rebel-held territory. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham controls the northwestern Idlib province while

We had nothing to do with it: US after attack on Iranian consulate in Syria

Shortly after an airstrike widely attributed to Israel destroyed an Iranian consulate building in Syria, the United States had an urgent message for Iran: We had nothing to do with it. But that may not be enough for the US to avoid retaliation targeting its forces in the region. A top US commander warned on Wednesday of danger to American troops. And if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's recent broadening of targeted strikes on adversaries around the region to include Iranian security operatives and leaders deepens regional hostilities, analysts say, it's not clear the United States can avoid being pulled into deeper regional conflict as well. The Biden administration insists it had no advance knowledge of the airstrike Monday. But the United States is closely tied to Israel's military regardless. The US remains Israel's indispensable ally and unstinting supplier of weapons, responsible for some 70% of Israeli weapon imports and an estimated 15% of Israel's defense budget.

Houthis may be low on weapons as attacks on ships slow, says US commander

Houthi rebels in Yemen may be running through their supplies of drone swarms and anti-ship ballistic missiles as the pace of their attacks has slowed a bit, the top US Air Force commander for the Middle East said Wednesday. Lt. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, who heads US Air Forces Central, said that the persistent American retaliatory strikes on the Iran-backed militia group have certainly affected their behaviour. Their pace of operations is not what it was. The Houthis have been conducting near daily attacks on commercial and military ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, launching drones and missiles from rebel-held areas of Yemen. The attacks -- which are often unsuccessful but at times have struck the ships have disrupted a crucial shipping route. In response, the US and allies have been forced to increase their military ship presence along the waterway, and on several occasions have launched wider retaliatory strikes on ammunition, weapons and other facilities. US ships and fighte

Israeli strike on Iran's Syria consulate killed two generals, says Iran

An Israeli airstrike that demolished Iran's consulate in Syria killed two Iranian generals and five officers, according to Iranian officials. The strike appeared to signify an escalation of Israel's targeting of military officials from Iran, which supports militant groups fighting Israel in Gaza, and along its border with Lebanon. Since the war in Gaza began nearly six months ago, clashes have increased between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah militants based in Lebanon. Hamas, which rules Gaza and attacked Israel on Oct. 7, is also backed by Iran. Israel, which rarely acknowledges strikes against Iranian targets, said it had no comment on the latest attack in Syria, although a military spokesman blamed Iran for a drone attack early Monday against a naval base in southern Israel. Israel has grown increasingly impatient with the daily exchanges of fire with Hezbollah, which have escalated in recent days, and warned of the possibility of a full-fledged war. Iranian-backed Houthi rebel

Highlights of the day: Ladakh shuts down as thousands march for statehood

Updates: Catch all the latest updates from around the world

Iraq condemns US military strikes, calls it 'violation of sovereginty'

Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden in a statement said that the US does not seek confilct in the Middle East but "if you harm an American, we will respond"

Syria faces airstrikes likely conducted by Jordan's air force, 9 killed

An airstrike on southern Syria early Thursday killed at least nine people and was probably carried out by Jordan's air force, Syrian opposition activists said, the latest in a series of strikes in an area where cross-border drug smugglers have been active. There was no immediate confirmation from Jordan on the strike that hit the province of Sweida, The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said nine people, including two children and at least three women, were killed in the strike on the village of Orman. The head of the Observatory, Rami Abdurrahman, said the people killed had nothing to do with smuggling, suggesting that the Jordanian air force might have received incorrect intelligence from local residents. Smugglers have used Jordan as a corridor over the past years to smuggle highly addictive Captagon amphetamines out of Syria, mainly to oil-rich Arab Gulf states. The Jordanian authorities have managed to stop several smuggling attempts

US tries to persuade shippers to sail Red Sea despite Houthi attacks

The Pentagon is engaged with industry on a near-daily basis to gauge needs and provide reassurance that the international community is there to help with safe passage

US conducts airstrikes in Syria in retaliation for attacks on its troops

The US military conducted airstrikes on two locations in eastern Syria involving Iranian-backed groups, hitting a training location and a weapons facility, according to the Pentagon and US officials. It marks the third time in a bit more than two weeks that the US has retaliated against the militants for what has been a growing number of attacks on bases housing US troops in Iraq and Syria. In a statement, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the strikes targeted sites near Abukama and Mayadin and were used by Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps as well as Iran-backed militias. The President has no higher priority than the safety of US personnel, and he directed today's action to make clear that the United States will defend itself, its personnel, and its interests, Austin said. A U.S. official said one site also included weapons storage. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details of a military operation. The militant groups, many operating under the umbrella of t

Russian fighter jets harass American drones over Syria: US military

Russian fighter jets have harassed American drones over Syria for the third day in a row this week, the U.S. military said. Tension between Russian and U.S. troops is not uncommon in Syria as both countries conduct patrols on the ground as well as overflights. Syria's 12-year conflict has left half a million people dead and over 1 million wounded. The U.S. military said in a statement that Friday's encounter lasted for about two hours during which three MQ-9 drones were once again harassed by Russian fighter aircraft while flying over Syria. Russian aircraft flew 18 unprofessional close passes that caused the MQ-9s to react to avoid unsafe situations, Lt. Gen. Alex Grynkewich, head of U.S. Air Forces Central Command, said in a statement. Rear Adm. Oleg Gurinov, head of the Russian Reconciliation Center for Syria, said earlier this week that the Russian and Syrian militaries have started a six-day joint training that ends Monday. Gurinov added in comments carried by Syrian state me

Syrian army bombards positions of former el-Qaida affiliate in Syria

According to Syrian Observatory for Human Rights figures, 211 people have been killed in mutual shellings between the Syrian forces and the rebels in northern Syria so far this year

Israel launches fresh missile attack at military sites in Syria: Report

It is not known yet if there were any casualties

Syria, Saudi Arabia agree to resume consular services, air flights

Syria and Saudi Arabia have agreed in a joint statement to resume consular services and flights, after the bilateral ties have been stranded for years

As tension peaks, Israeli warplanes and artillery strike targets in Syria

Israeli warplanes and artillery struck targets in Syria following rare rocket fire from the northeastern neighbour, as Jewish-Muslim tensions reached a peak on Sunday at a volatile Jerusalem shrine with simultaneous religious rituals. Thousands of Jewish worshippers gathered at the city's Western Wall, the holiest place where Jews can pray, for a mass priestly benediction prayer service for the Passover holiday. At the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, a walled esplanade above the Western Wall, hundreds of Palestinians performed prayers as part of observances during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Hundreds of Jews also visited the Al-Aqsa compound under heavy police guard Sunday, to whistles and religious chants from Palestinians protesting their presence. Such tours by religious and nationalist Jews have increased in size and frequency over the years, and are viewed with suspicion by many Palestinians who fear that Israel plans one day to take over the site or partition it. Israeli ...

Israeli military retaliates after rockets fired from Syria, no casualties

The Israeli military said its forces attacked targets in Syria early Sunday after six rockets were launched from Syrian territory in two batches toward Israel in a rare attack from Israel's northeastern neighbor. After the second barrage of three rockets, Israel initially said it responded with artillery fire into the area in Syria from where the rockets were fired. Later, the military said Israeli fighter jets attacked Syrian army sites, including a compound of Syria's 4th Division and radar and artillery posts. The rocket firings came after days of escalating violence on multiple fronts over tension in Jerusalem and an Israeli police raid on the city's most sensitive holy site. In the second barrage, which was launched early Sunday, two of the rockets crossed the border into Israel, with one being intercepted and the second landing in an open area, the Israeli military said. In the first attack, on Saturday, one rocket landed in a field in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights. ...

Turkiye, Syria earthquake toll crosses 11,000-mark; deadliest in decade

The death toll from an earthquake in Turkiye and Syria has passed 11,000. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is visiting the quake zone. He said the fatalities in Turkiye alone have passed 8,500. He conceded shortfalls in the response during the first day but said the situation has improved since then. We won't allow any of our citizens to be left in the streets, he said. Thinly stretched rescue teams worked through the night in Turkiye and Syria, pulling more bodies from the rubble of thousands of buildings toppled by a catastrophic earthquake. The death toll rose Wednesday to more than 9,500, making the quake the deadliest in more than a decade. Turkiye's disaster management agency said the country's death toll had risen to 7,108, bringing the overall total to 9,638, including fatalities reported in neighbouring Syria, since Monday's earthquake and multiple aftershocks. The death toll in government-held areas of Syria has climbed to 1,250, with 2,054 injured, according to t

Germany warns of violent escalation after Turkish operations in Syria, Iraq

German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser expressed solidarity with Turkey in its fight against terrorism

Syria facing 'acute violence', worst economic crisis since war: UN

Syria is facing acute violence, the worst economic crisis since the war began in 2011, and a rapidly spreading cholera outbreak with more than 24,000 suspected cases reported throughout the country and at least 80 deaths, U.N. officials have said. U.N. special envoy Geir Pedersen told the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday that the conflict remains very active across the country despite the strategic stalemate that has blocked efforts to launch a political process between the government and opposition. He pointed to infighting between armed opposition groups in Afrin in northern Aleppo province in recent weeks, pro-government airstrikes in the northwest, violence in the northeast, security incidents in the southwest, airstrikes attributed to Israel on airports in Damascus and Aleppo, and discovery in the northeast of one of the largest Islamic State arms caches since its so-called caliphate fell in 2017. In recent weeks, Pedersen said, the Syrian currency, the pound, lost a tremendous

Fight against terrorism can't be compromised for politics: India on Syria

Calling for a long-term solution to the Syrian conflict, India at UNSC said the global fight against terrorism cannot and should not be compromised for narrow political games

Second Israeli airstrike in a week puts Syrian airport out of commission

Israel launched a missile attack on Tuesday targeting the airport in the Syrian city of Aleppo for the second time in a week, this time putting it out of commission, Syrian state media said. The Syrian government did not report any casualties. State media, citing a military source, reported that Syrian anti-missile defense systems fired back at what they said were Israeli missiles. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a U.K.-based opposition war monitor, the airstrikes also destroyed warehouses belonging to Iran-backed militias. Israel launched airstrikes at Aleppo airport last week, damaging its runway and, according to the war monitor, a warehouse that likely stored a shipment of Iranian rockets. Syria's foreign minister last week said the attack completely destroyed the navigation station with its equipment. Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes on targets inside government-controlled parts of Syria in recent years, but rarely acknowledges or discusses su