“Aerial defenses targeted luminous objects coming from the occupied territories, shooting down a number of them,” a military source told SANA.Here's the full story.
Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar and his Russian counterpart discussed ways to reduce tension in Syria’s Idlib province, the Turkish Defence Ministry said on Tuesday, after the biggest military escalation in northwest Syria in nearly a year. Russia has backed the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, while Turkey has backed some rebels in Syria’s eight-year civil war, but they have recently worked together to try to contain fighting in the country’s northwest. That effort has been strained by the surge in violence in Syria’s last major insurgent stronghold in recent weeks. The offensive by the Syrian army and its allies, backed by Russia, has uprooted more than 150,000 people, the United Nations says, while rescue workers and civil defence officials say more than 120 civilians have been killed. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu called the attacks by Syrian forces a flagrant violation of a September ceasefire that had averted a government offensive. He said in a tweet on Tuesday it went counter to the spirit of Turkey’s efforts to work with Russia and Iran to reduce hostilities and casualties in Idlib and neighbouring areas. On Monday, rebels said they mounted a counterattack against government forces. A senior rebel commander said on Tuesday the offensive showed an array of rebel forces – from Turkey-backed rebels to jihadists – were still able to prevent the army from making major advances despite heavy air strikes. “We conducted this lighting offensive to show the Russians we are not easy prey and throw theHere's the full story.
“I promised that we would establish a community named after President Trump. I would like to inform you that we have already selected a site in the Golan Heights where this new community will be established, and we have started the process,” Benjamin Netanyahu said in Hebrew.Here's the full story.
“The regime’s brutal war on the Syrian people, who have been calling for freedom and a representative government, not only endangers the Syrian people themselves, but also generates instability throughout the region.”Here's the full story.
Syria’s army, backed by Russian air power, launched ground operations this week against the southern flank of the rebel zone consisting of Idlib and parts of adjacent provinces.Here's the full story.
UN Secretary General António Guterres urged all parties to recommit to a truce covering opposition-held parts of Idlib, Aleppo and Hama provinces.Here's the full story.
“There are ongoing attempts to attack the Hmeimim airbase and positions of the Syrian army in the Latakia province by the terrorist groups staying in the Idlib de-escalation zone with multiple-launch rocket systems and unmanned aerial vehicles,” Major General Viktor Kupchishin, the head of the Russian Defense Ministry’s Center for Syrian Reconciliation said.Here's the full story.
Born in the village of Qardaha in Syria on October 6, 1930, Hafez al-Assad became Syrian president of the country in 1971, after taking part in multiple coups. Though widely criticized for brutal tactics (most notably the 1982 Hama massacre), he is also praised for bringing stability to Syria, and for improving relations between Syria and Western powers by supporting America in the Persian Gulf War. He served as president of Syria until his death on June 10, 2000.
Of the five members of the Ba’ath Party’s Military Committee who seized power in Syria in 1963, Hafez Al-Assad went the furthest. Of the other four, one took the blame for Syria’s loss of the Golan Heights during the Six Day War and was pushed out of politics; one committed suicide; a third was assassinated; the other died in prison after 25 years.
Bashar al-Assad inherited power in July 2000, a month after his father, military strongman Hafez al-Assad died. But since March 2011, his rule over Syria has been under threat, with the country beset by violence that has killed an estimated 465,000 people and embroiled regional and world powers in the never-ending horror.
Despite Western and Arab countries backing the opposition, Assad has survived seven years of war and refuses to step aside.
But the U.S. officials confirmed that equipment was being moved out of Syria, a sign that despite mixed messages from Washington preparations for a withdrawal of troops was proceeding apace.Here's the full story.
Syria and North Korea are longtime allies. They have been accused of cooperating on chemical weapons, a charge they both deny. Syria’s President Bashar Assad received Ri Yong Ho on Tuesday.Here's the full story.
“Coalition forces conducted precision strikes against a senior ISIS member, Abu al Umarayn, and several other ISIS members in the Badiyah Desert, Syria,” said Sean Ryan, spokesman for the US-led coalition.Here's the full story.
“Our air defense forces shot down an Israeli war plane and four missiles before they reached the targets”, the source said. The attack was the first since Russia announced that it has given Syria the Russian S-300 air defense system.Here's the full story.
The Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad has blamed fighters in neighbouring Idlib for the attack, which the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said hospitalised 94 people.Here's the full story.
“According to our preliminary information, confirmed in particular by symptoms of poisoning among the victims, the shells used to bombard residential areas of Aleppo were filled with chlorine (gas)” Russian Major-General Igor Konashenkov said in the statement.Here's the full story.
Counter-attacks by the Islamic State group have killed at least 47 US-backed fighters over two days as the jihadists struck from their embattled holdout in eastern Syria, a war monitor said.Here's the full story.
Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan has signalled Turkey was ready to expand operations. Turkey fears YPG’s presence across its border could fuel a Kurdish insurgency at home.Here's the full story.