Page 10 - Syria

Fall of Bashar Assad after 14 yrs of war in Syria ends decades-long dynasty

The fall of Syrian President Bashar Assad's government Sunday brought to a dramatic close his nearly 14-year struggle to hold onto power as his country fragmented amid a brutal civil war that became a proxy battlefield for regional and international powers. Assad's downfall came as a stark contrast to his first months as Syria's unlikely president in 2000, when many hoped he would be a young reformer after three decades of his father's iron grip. Only 34 years old at that time, the Western-educated ophthalmologist was a rather geeky tech-savvy fan of computers with a gentle demeanour. But when faced with protests against his rule that erupted in March 2011, Assad turned to the brutal tactics of his father in an attempt to crush them. As the uprising hemorrhaged into an outright civil war, he unleashed his military to blast opposition-held cities, with support from allies Iran and Russia. International rights groups and prosecutors alleged widespread use of torture and extrajudicial

Oppn fighters drive Syrian leader from country. Who are they, what now?

Syria's government appears to have fallen after opposition fighters said they entered Damascus following a stunning advance. Syrian Prime Minister Mohammed Ghazi Jalali said the government was ready to extend its hand to the opposition and hand over its functions to a transitional government. I am in my house and I have not left, and this is because of my belonging to this country, Jalili said in a video statement. He said he would go to his office to continue work in the morning and called on Syrian citizens not to deface public property. A Syrian opposition war monitor, Rami Abdurrahman, said Assad left the country on a flight from Damascus early Sunday. Jalili did not address reports of Assad's departure. Opposition fighters entered Syria's capital in a swiftly developing crisis that has taken much of the world by surprise. Syria's army has abandoned key cities with little resistance. Who are these opposition fighters? If they take control of Damascus after seizing some of Syria

Syrian govt appears to fall after lightning rebel offensive; Assad flees

Insurgents' stunning march across Syria accelerated on Saturday with news that they had reached the gates of the capital and that government forces had abandoned the central city of Homs. The government was forced to deny rumours that President Bashar Assad had fled the country. The loss of Homs is a potentially crippling blow for Assad. It stands at an important intersection between Damascus, the capital, and Syria's coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartus the Syrian leader's base of support and home to a Russian strategic naval base. The pro-government Sham FM news outlet reported that government forces took positions outside Syria's third-largest city, without elaborating. Rami Abdurrahman who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said Syrian troops and members of different security agencies have withdrawn from the city, adding that rebels have entered parts of it. The insurgency announced later Saturday that it had taken over Homs. The city's capture is a

Not our fight: US should have nothing to do with Syria conflict, says Trump

The rebels are battling Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces from two directions; the north and the south, in an attempt to close in on Damascus

Syrian rebels quicken momentum as Assad tries to shore up defence

Since the rebels' sweep into Aleppo a week ago, government defences have crumbled across the country at dizzying speed as insurgents seized a string of major cities

Govt issues advisory for Syria, advises citizens to restrict movements

This warning comes in light of the situation prevailing in Syria, which poses significant risks to travellers

Over 280K displaced in northwest Syria amid rebel offensive, says UN

Amid already dire living conditions after 13 years of war, the UN is scaling up humanitarian efforts to assist the most vulnerable

Syrian insurgents enter 2 central towns, bringing them close to Homs

Syrian insurgents entered two central towns early Friday just north of the central city of Homs, bringing them closer Syria's third largest city, an opposition war monitor and pro-government media both reported. The break into Rastan and Talbiseh came a day after opposition gunmen captured the central city of Hama, Syria's fourth largest, after the Syrian army said it withdrew to avoid fighting inside the city and spare the lives of civilians. The insurgents, led by the jihadi Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, or HTS, have said that they will march to Homs and Damascus, President Bashar Assad's seat of power. The city of Homs, parts of which were controlled by insurgents until 2014, is a major intersection point between the capital, Damascus, and Syria's coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartus where Assad enjoys wide support. Homs province is Syria's largest in size and borders Lebanon, Iraq and Jordan. Insurgents are now 5 kilometers (3 miles) away from Homs, according to the Britain-ba

Here's why rebel capture of Syria's Hama, city with dark history, matters

It was one of the darkest moments in the modern history of the Arab world. More than four decades ago, Hafez Assad, then president of Syria, launched what came to be known as the Hama Massacre. Between 10,000 to 40,000 people were killed or disappeared in the government attack on the central Syrian city. It began on Feb 2, 1982, and lasted for nearly a month, leaving the city in ruins. The memory of the government assault and the monthlong siege on the city, which at the time was a stronghold of Syria's Muslim Brotherhood, remains visceral in Syrian and Arab minds. Now Islamist insurgents have captured the city, tearing down a poster of Hafez Assad's son, President Bashar Assad, and swarming security and government offices scenes unimaginable 40 years ago. The moment carried great symbolism in Syria's long-running civil war, which began 13 years ago but many say is rooted in Hama. A dark history Hama, Syria's fourth-largest city, is known for its quaint waterwheels, a landmark .

Syrian cities under siege after nearly a decade: What's happening?

Syrian forces crumble against rebel Islamist group as Aleppo falls in stunning three-day offensive. Here's all that happened

Al-Golani tours seized city of Aleppo in Syria; battles intensify near Hama

The leader of Syria's most powerful insurgent group toured the seized city of Aleppo on Wednesday in a surprise visit the first since the group captured large parts of the city over the weekend as fierce fighting intensifies in the government-led counter-offensive in northern Hama. Abu Mohammed al-Golani, who heads the jihadi group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, greeted crowds of supporters near the city's iconic citadel as he smiled and waved in dark green military garb. Surrounded by masked gunmen in flak jackets, men and boys chanted God is great as he walked through the heart of Syria's largest city. The sudden capture of Aleppo, also an ancient business hub, was a stunning prize for Syrian opponents of President Bashar Assad. It was the first opposition attack on the city since 2016, when a brutal Russian air campaign retook the northwestern city for Assad after rebel forces had initially seized it. Intervention by Russia, Iran and Iranian-allied militant Hezbollah and other groups has

Who is Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the leader of Syria's shock insurgency?

Over the past dozen years, Syrian militant leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani has worked to remake his public image and the insurgency he commands, renouncing longtime ties to al-Qaida and consolidating power before emerging from the shadows. Now al-Golani, 42, seeks to seize the moment yet again, leading his fighters in a stunning offensive that has put them in control of Syria's largest city, reigniting the country's long civil war and raising new questions about President Bashar Assad's hold on power. The surge and al-Golani's place at the head of it are evidence of a remarkable transformation. Al-Golani's success on the battlefield follows years of maneuvering among extremist organisations while eliminating competitors and former allies. Along the way he moved to distance himself from al-Qaida, polishing his image and his extremist group's de-facto salvation government in an attempt to win over international governments and the country's religious and ethnic minorities. Putting hims

New UN aid chief admits to challenges in fundraising amid numerous crises

The new head of the UN humanitarian aid agency says it will be ruthless when prioritising how to spend money, a nod to challenges in fundraising for civilians in war zones like Gaza, Sudan, Syria and Ukraine. Tom Fletcher, a longtime British diplomat who took up the UN post last month, said his agency is asking for less money in 2025 than this year. He said it wants to show "we will focus and target the resources we have, even as crises grow more numerous, intense and long-lasting. His agency, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, on Wednesday issued its global appeal for 2025, seeking USD 47 billion to help 190 million people in 32 countries though it estimates 305 million worldwide need help. The world is on fire, and this is how we put it out, he told reporters on Tuesday. The office and many other aid groups, including the international Red Cross, have seen donations shrink in recent years for longtime trouble spots like Syria, South Sudan, the Middle Eas

Turkey calls for reconciliation between Syria govt, Oppn to end conflict

The recent rapid advance by opposition fighters in Syria shows that Syrian President Bashar Assad must reconcile with his own people and hold dialogue with the opposition, the Turkish foreign minister said Monday. At a joint news conference in Ankara with his Iranian counterpart, Hakan Fidan said Turkey and Iran, which support opposing sides in Syria's civil war, have agreed to resume diplomatic efforts along with Russia to restore calm days after insurgents launched a lightning offensive and captured almost all of the country's largest city, Aleppo. The swift advance by fighters that Turkey supports was a huge embarrassment for Assad and it comes at a time when his allies Iran and groups it backs and Russia are preoccupied with their own conflicts. The push is among the rebels' strongest in years and raises the prospect of another violent front reopening in the Middle East when U.S.-backed Israel is fighting Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, both Iranian-allied groups. Fid

Iran-backed Iraqi militias enter Syria to help govt fighting rebels

At least 300 fighters, primarily from the Badr and Nujabaa groups, crossed late on Sunday using a dirt road to avoid the official border crossing

Around 25 killed as Russia, Syria intensify bombing Syrian rebel territory

Ten children were among the dead in the air strikes in and around Idlib and other targets in rebel-held territory near Aleppo, according to the White Helmets

Syrian army launches counterattacks to curb insurgency; Iran offers help

The Syrian military rushed reinforcements to the northwest and launched airstrikes Sunday in an attempt to push back insurgents who seized the country's largest city of Aleppo, as Iran pledged to help the government counter the surprise offensive. Iran has been a key political and military ally of Syrian President Bashar Assad in the country's long-running civil war, but it was unclear how Tehran would support Damascus in the latest flareup that began Wednesday. Insurgents led by jihadi group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham launched a two-pronged attack on Aleppo and the countryside around Idlib that day, before moving toward neighbouring Hama province. On Sunday, government troops created a strong defensive line in northern Hama, as they attempted to stall the insurgents' momentum, according to Britain-based opposition war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Meanwhile, jets pounded the cities of Idlib and Aleppo, killing at least 15 people, according to a group that operates in ..

Syria launches counterattacks in attempt to halt insurgents' advance

The Syrian military rushed in reinforcements and struck Idlib city Sunday in an attempt to push back insurgents from advancing farther after seizing Aleppo and surrounding strategic locations in an adjacent province in a surprise offensive. The insurgents led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham took over most of Aleppo on Saturday and claimed to have entered the city of Hama. There was no independent confirmation of their claim. The swift and surprise offensive is a huge embarrassment for Syrian President Bashar Assad and raises questions about his troops' preparedness. It also comes at a time when Assad's allies Iran and groups it backs and Russia are preoccupied with their own conflicts. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi travels to Syrian capital Damascus later Sunday. He told reporters that Tehran will back the Syrian government and army. Arab leaders, including Jordan's King Abdullah II and United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in calls with Assad ...

Israel strikes Hezbollah smuggling sites in Syria, testing ceasefire

Israeli aircraft struck Hezbollah weapons smuggling sites along Syria's border with Lebanon, the Israeli military said Saturday, testing a fragile, days-old ceasefire that halted months of fighting between the sides but has seen continued sporadic fire. The military said it struck sites that had been used to smuggle weapons from Syria to Lebanon after the ceasefire took effect, which the military said was a violation of its terms. There was no immediate comment from Syrian authorities or activists monitoring the conflict in that country. Hezbollah also did not immediately comment. The Israeli strike, the latest of several since the ceasefire began on Wednesday, came as unrest spread to other areas of the Middle East, with Syrian insurgents breaching the country's largest city, Aleppo, in a shock offensive that added fresh uncertainty to a region reeling from multiple wars. The truce between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah, brokered by the United States and France, calls for an

Syria insurgents breach second largest city of Aleppo, say fighters

Syrian armed groups launched a large-scale attack on areas controlled by government forces and seized territory in northwestern Syria, opposition groups said Thursday. The government and its allies responded with airstrikes and shelling to ward off the insurgent advances, activists said. The violence has displaced thousands of families, and forced aid groups to suspend some of their services. Volunteers with the Syrian Civil Defence, known as the White Helmets, said at least 18 people, including three children and two women, were killed in two different villages in western Aleppo following airstrikes. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor, said the airstrikes were from Russian warplanes. Syria's armed forces said Thursday the offensive was led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, which controls much of northwest Syria and is a violation of a de-escalation agreement. It said the attacks are ongoing and have targeted a number of villages and military bases. Turkey, which