BEIRUT: Militants have killed almost 60 Syrian regime troops in 48 hours, a monitor said on Saturday, in some of the deadliest attacks on pro-Damascus forces in recent weeks.
Kurdish-led forces in March announced the defeat of Daesh in eastern Syria, but the militants have retained hideouts there and in other parts of the country as well as the ability to carry out deadly assaults.
Since Thursday, Daesh militants have killed 35 pro-Damascus fighters in regime-held parts of central and eastern Syria, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman described those attacks as producing “the highest death toll among regime forces” since the proto-state was declared defeated in the eastern village of Baghouz last month.
Meanwhile, regime fighters also came under attack on another front of Syria’s grinding eight-year war, the Britain-based monitor added.
On Saturday, militants linked to Syria’s former Al-Qaeda affiliate attacked loyalist checkpoints and positions on the western edges of the northern city of Aleppo, killing 13 more pro-Assad fighters, it said.
It was the latest death tally in a civil war that has killed more than 370,000 people since starting in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-government protests.
President Bashar Assad has managed to claw back around 60 percent of the country with Russian military backing since 2015, but several regions remain beyond its control.
These include a large swathe of northeastern Syria held by Kurdish-led forces who have been fighting Daesh with the support of a US-led coalition, as well as the militant-held region of Idlib west of Aleppo city.
Regime forces in theory control the vast desert that stretches from the capital Damascus to the Iraqi border, but Daesh is still present there.
Attacks by the militants have killed 27 troops and allied militiamen, including four senior Syrian army officers, in the desert east of Homs province since Thursday, the Observatory said.
The propaganda arm of Daesh said its fighters carried out the operation.
The Observatory also said Daesh fighters killed another eight soldiers and militiamen, including two officers, in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor on Thursday night.
That attack targeted a desert village south of the city of Mayadeen on the Euphrates River, upstream from the village of Baghouz where Daesh made a desperate last stand in March.
Daesh swept across a large swathe of Syria and Iraq in 2014, declaring a cross-border “caliphate” in areas it controlled.
At the height of its rule, the extremist group imposed its brutal ideology on millions in territory roughly the size of the UK.
But after various military operations in both countries, Daesh lost the last shred of its proto-state on the eastern banks of the Euphrates last month.
The US-led coalition has however warned repeatedly that the militants’ loss of their last piece of territory does not mean their elimination as a fighting force.
Earlier this month, Daesh claimed responsibility for a twin attack on April 9 in the northern city of Raqqa held by Kurdish-led forces, which the Observatory said killed 13 people, mostly civilians.
In the north of Syria, regime forces face another militant group.
Syria’s former Al-Qaeda affiliate, Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS), control the northwestern region of Idlib, which remains beyond regime control.
Idlib is supposed to be protected from a massive regime military offensive by a deal inked in September by government ally Russia and rebel backer Turkey.
But the accord has unwound as HTS took full control of the region in January, and the area has come under increasing bombardment.
The Observatory said Saturday’s attack by the HTS-linked Abu Bakr Al-Sadeeq Army on the western edges of Aleppo city came after regime bombardment overnight hit eastern and southeastern parts of the Idlib region.
A planned buffer zone around the region was never fully implemented as militants refused to withdraw from it.
On Friday, Assad insisted the main aim of the Idlib deal was to “eliminate terrorists,” after they failed to pull out from the planned demilitarized cordon.
He urged progress on removing “obstacles” to the stalled deal ahead of talks to be attended by Russia, fellow ally Iran, and Turkey next week in Kazakhstan.
Endless rounds of UN-backed peace talks have failed to end Syria’s war, and the parallel track backed by Moscow, Tehran and Ankara has gained momentum.
Daesh kills almost 60 regime fighters across Syria
Daesh kills almost 60 regime fighters across Syria
- Daesh lost its last territories in Syria in March after months of battles with US-backed Kurdish-led fighters in the eastern province of Deir El-Zour
- The militant group, which once controlled large swathes of territory in Syria and Iraq, has kept a network of sleeper cells active in both countries
Iraq restoration work brought back Mosul’s ‘identity’: UNESCO chief
- The director-general of United Nations heritage body UNESCO hailed the completion of their restoration work in the Iraqi city of Mosul, saying on Wednesday it had allowed it to recover its “identity”
MOSUL: The director-general of United Nations heritage body UNESCO hailed the completion of their restoration work in the Iraqi city of Mosul, saying on Wednesday it had allowed it to recover its “identity” after destruction inflicted by the Daesh group.
Mosul’s historic Al-Nuri Mosque with its famed leaning minaret, nicknamed Al-Hadba or “hunchback,” has been restored using its original brickwork, years after it was reduced to rubble under Daesh group rule.
“I am very happy to stand before you and before the minaret over 850 years old... and the fact to have it here behind me in front of you is like history coming back... is like the identity of the city coming back,” Audrey Azoulay said.
The mosque and minaret were destroyed in June 2017 during the battle to oust IS from Mosul, and Iraq’s authorities accused the jihadists of planting explosives before their withdrawal.
They are the latest landmarks in Mosul to be restored by UNESCO, whose teams have worked for five years to revive several sites.
“The reconstruction of this minaret needed to reuse nearly 45,000 original bricks,” the UNESCO chief said, adding that traditional techniques were used to rebuild the iconic structure.
Azouley said residents had wanted the rebuilt minaret to resemble the original. “The people of Mosul wanted it tilted,” she said.
Eighty percent of Mosul’s old city was destroyed in the fight against IS.
UNESCO restoration project also include Al-Tahira and Our Lady of the Hour churches and 124 heritage houses.
Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani will inaugurate the restored landmarks in the coming weeks.
Egypt wants Palestinian Authority to ‘assume its duties’ in Gaza: FM
CAIRO: Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty called on Wednesday for the Palestinian Authority to govern the Gaza Strip, hours after President Donald Trump announced a proposal for the United States to take over the territory.
In a meeting with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa, Abdelatty said Egypt was eager for the Palestinian Authority to “assume its duties in the Gaza Strip as part of the occupied Palestinian territories,” according to a foreign ministry statement.
Abdelatty called for swift reconstruction of Gaza without the displacement of Palestinians from the territory after Trump’s proposal to take it over.
The two men agreed on “the importance of moving forward with early recovery projects... at an accelerated pace... without the Palestinians leaving the Gaza Strip, especially with their commitment to their land and refusal to leave it,” the Egyptian foreign ministry said.
Hope turns to regret among Syrians returning home from Turkiye
- More than 80,000 have gone back to Syria since Assad’s fall
- Those who returned in December lost right to re-enter Turkiye
ALEPPO: Ahmed Al-Sheikh’s excitement at returning to his homeland from neighboring Turkiye after the fall of Bashar Assad has turned to bitter disappointment at the grim living conditions in Syria after some 13 years of war.
Sheikh is one of 35,000 Syrians who left Turkiye for Syria full of hope in the first three weeks after Assad was toppled on Dec. 8, giving up the right to come back to Turkiye after signing a voluntary return document.
Turkiye’s refugee association says many, like him, are now disillusioned by the reality of life in a war-ravaged country.
“I was shocked by the catastrophic situation, which was beyond my expectations,” said Sheikh, 35, speaking in his home after returning to Aleppo, eight years after he fled to Turkiye. He said that water and electricity are frequently cut off and Internet communication is almost non-existent.
Migrant returns are a key element of burgeoning ties between Syria and NATO-member Turkiye, which is emerging as a power broker able to wield influence economically and diplomatically. Syria’s transitional President Ahmed Al-Sharaa visited Ankara on Tuesday, discussing an expected rapid expansion of economic ties.
The presence of nearly 3 million Syrians in Turkiye has become a sensitive political issue. Many have faced bouts of anti-migrant sentiment that made them feel like unwanted guests, and some rushed to the border after rebels forced Assad out.
“Most of the refugees were initially excited about returning after the fall of the Assad regime, but this excitement faded over time,” said Kadri Gungorur, social welfare director of the Refugees Association in Turkiye, citing complaints such as the lack of education and health services.
“Some families feel regret and want to return,” he said. “When they compare the living conditions in Turkiye with Syria, we can accept that Turkiye offers them more opportunities.”
BID TO SUPPORT VOLUNTARY RETURNS
Sheikh was among those enthused by the rebels’ victory, dreaming of rebuilding his bombed Aleppo home. He vowed to go back as soon as Assad fell, despite friends’ efforts to dissuade him. Now he is dismayed by the comparatively poor living conditions and scarcity of job and education opportunities.
“I started thinking about returning to Turkiye because my life was stable there, and my children were in school. My living conditions were stable,” he said. “But I can’t go back now because I signed a voluntary return document.”
Due to such negative experiences, Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced at the end of 2024 a scheme designed to enable migrants to better plan their return home.
The scheme entitles the heads of Syrian migrant families to visit Syria three times between January and June this year, according to an Interior Ministry document.
Between Assad’s fall and late January, 81,576 Syrians had entered Syria, indicating a slight fall in the daily rate of returns from December to some 1,600 a day, Yerlikaya said. It was unclear how many of those returning in January had signed the voluntary return document.
During a visit to Turkiye last week, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi expressed support for Turkiye’s refugee response and voluntary returns.
He praised the policy of what he called “go-and-see visits,” saying they were “a best practice, as it allows refugees to assess conditions for themselves and can pave the way for sustainable returns to Syria.”
’PERHAPS IN THE FUTURE’
Some Syrians are more inclined to wait and see.
Syrian chemist Jafer, 27, came to Turkiye 12 years ago and will not consider returning with his wife and three children until conditions improve.
“My children are currently well-adjusted in Turkiye, which makes staying here more likely since they have adapted to life, language, and education in Turkiye,” he said.
“Some people will return, but the lack of basic necessities prevents them from doing so. They think about returning, but not now, perhaps in the future.”
It is an option no longer open to Sheikh.
He was forced out of Aleppo in late 2016 when Assad forces, with the support of Russian air strikes, seized control of the eastern part of the city from rebels. He went on to build a stable life for his wife and four children in Turkiye.
He has opened a mobile phone repair shop in Aleppo, but his plan to fix his house there is on hold.
“I don’t know if the project will succeed here in the country or if it will fail. If it fails, I will have lost everything I earned during my time in Turkiye.”
Saudi Arabia says no to displacement of Gazans, rejects relations with Israel without Palestinian state
- Statement comes after President Trump hinted at US ownership of Gaza after Palestinian displacement
- Trump insists Egypt and Jordan will have to take the displaced Gazans, with both states rejecting the idea
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia on Wednesday said its long-held position that Palestinians must have their own independent state was firm and not open to negotiation, a stance Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has reiterated many times before.
The Saudi Foreign Ministry statement came shortly after President Donald Trump said he wants the US to own the Gaza Strip after all Palestinians are displaced from there and sent to other countries, where settlements will be constructed for them.
The Kingdom’s position has been a longstanding one with its leaders repeatedly calling for justice for Palestinians, who they say deserve a state of their own alongside Israel as a way to find a lasting solution to the decades long conflict.
Saudi leaders have repeatedly said any formal relations between the Kingdom and Israel hinge on the creation of a viable Palestinian state on the 1967 borders.
The ministry statement highlighted a speech by the crown prince at the Shoura Council on September 18, 2024, where he stressed that Saudi Arabia will continue its tireless work toward the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, adding the Kingdom will not normalize ties with Israel without it.
The crown prince expressed a similar sentiment during the extraordinary Arab-Islamic summit in Riyadh on Nov. 11, 2024, where he stressed the continuation of efforts to establish a Palestinian state and demanded an end to Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories.
He also urged more countries to recognize the State of Palestine, stressing the importance of mobilizing the international community to support the rights of Palestinians, which were expressed in the resolutions of the UN General Assembly by considering Palestine eligible for full membership of the world body.
“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia also stresses its previously announced categorical rejection of any violation of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, whether through Israeli settlement policies, annexation of Palestinian territories, or attempts to displace the Palestinian people from their land,” the statement added.
Trump, standing next to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Tuesday, said the Palestinians would be better off living outside of Gaza which has been bombed to rubble during Israel’s brutal 15-month attack.
“I don’t think people should be going back,” Trump said. “You can’t live in Gaza right now. I think we need another location. I think it should be a location that’s going to make people happy.”
The president insists Egypt and Jordan would have to take the Gazans he plans to displace. Both countries have rejected the idea outright.
Trump also did not rule out the use of American troops to help reconstruct the enclave and ensure the ownership of the territory, which he said could become the “Riviera of the Middle East,” given its temperate climate and prime location on the Mediterranean coast.
The Kingdom said that it’s the international community’s duty to work to alleviate the severe human suffering of the Palestinian people, who will remain in their land.
“Lasting and just peace cannot be achieved without the Palestinian people obtaining their legitimate rights in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions, and this is what was previously explained to the previous and current American administrations,” the ministry statement said.
Hamas ready for talks with Trump administration, Hamas official tells RIA
- Trump vowed on Tuesday that the US would take over the war-shattered Gaza Strip after Palestinians are resettled elsewhere and develop it economically, a move that would shatter decades of US policy toward the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
GAZA CITY: The Palestinian Hamas movement is ready to establish contact and hold talks with the administration of US President Donald Trump, Russia’s RIA state news agency cited a senior Hamas official as saying in remarks published early on Wednesday.
“We are ready for contact and talks with the Trump administration,” RIA cited senior Hamas Politburo member Mousa Abu Marzouk as saying.
“In the past, we did not object to contacts with the administration of (former US President Joe) Biden, Trump or any other US administration, and we are open to talks with all international parties.”
It was not clear when RIA interviewed Marzouk, who was visiting Moscow on Monday for talks with the Russian foreign ministry.
Trump vowed on Tuesday that the US would take over the war-shattered Gaza Strip after Palestinians are resettled elsewhere and develop it economically, a move that would shatter decades of US policy toward the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Marzouk told RIA that talks with the US have become a kind of necessity for Hamas, considering that Washington is a key player in the Middle East.
“That is why we welcomed the talks with the Americans and have no objection to this issue,” he added.
