BEIRUT: Unknown gunmen abducted and killed nine policemen Monday in southern Syria in a rare attack on a government building in the defeated cradle of the nine-year uprising, a monitor said.
The killings, for which there were no immediate claim of responsibility, occurred in a town called Muzayrib in Daraa province, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
“Unknown assailants attacked the municipality building... abducting nine members of the security forces before shooting them dead and abandoning their bodies in a square,” Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said.
State news agency SANA quoted the interior ministry as the nine policemen were killed “after a terrorist group attacked them as they were performing their job,” using the government’s term for rebels and jihadists.
Attacks are common in the province, which was retaken by regime forces from rebels in 2018, usually targeting loyalists and civilians working for the state, according to the Observatory.
But the nature of Monday’s incident and high toll are unusual.
“Usually attacks against regime forces target checkpoints or patrols, not government buildings,” Abdel Rahman said.
Daraa is considered to be the birthplace of the popular uprising that erupted across Syria in 2011, before spiralling into a full-blown conflict.
After its recapture by Russia-backed regime fighters in 2018, state institutions returned but the army is still not deployed in the whole province, says the Observatory, which relies on a network of sources in Syria.
Many former rebels stayed instead of evacuating under a Moscow-brokered deal, either joining the army or remaining in control of parts of the province and some neighborhoods of the provincial capital, also called Daraa.
The Daesh group has in the past claimed attacks in the area. In July last year it said it had killed six soldiers at a checkpoint.
The jihadists lost the last scrap of their territorial “caliphate” a year ago, but retain a presence in Syria’s vast Badia desert.
The civil war has killed more than 380,000 people and displaced millions from their homes since starting with the brutal repression of government protests.
Nine policemen abducted and killed in south Syria: monitor
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Nine policemen abducted and killed in south Syria: monitor
- Daraa has seen frequent violence seince being recaptured by government forces, but attacks on government buildings are uncommon
- Over 380,000 people have been killed in Syria's nine-year civil war
UAE’s president welcomes Israel-Iran ceasefire
- In call with Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan says he hopes agreement will enhance security, peace across Middle East
LONDON: Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, the president of the UAE, welcomed a ceasefire agreement between Iran and Israel during a phone call with his Iranian counterpart on Tuesday.
Sheikh Mohamed told President Masoud Pezeshkian he hoped the agreement would “serve as a foundation for enhancing stability, security and peace across the Middle East,” the Emirates News Agency reported.
Sheikh Mohamed added it was important to “ensure the success of the agreement in a way that benefits all the countries and peoples of the region.”
Pezeshkian gave thanks for the UAE’s position during Israel’s recent airstrikes against Iran.
The ceasefire agreement brokered by US President Donald Trump came into force on Monday, a day after Iran attacked a US military base in Qatar in retaliation for the American bombing of its nuclear sites.
The UAE on Monday “condemned in the strongest terms” the Iranian attack on the Al-Udeid Air Base, which saw almost all of the missiles intercepted.
Rubio thanks Turkmenistan for letting through Americans from Iran
- Turkmenistan, one of the world’s most closed and authoritarian countries, initially balked at allowing Americans to cross
- Rubio, in his call with FM Rashid Meredov, expressed gratitude for Turkmenistan’s cooperation
WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday thanked Turkmenistan and promised cooperation with the authoritarian state after it let US citizens cross through as they fled Iran following Israeli strikes.
Turkmenistan, one of the world’s most closed and authoritarian countries, initially balked at allowing Americans to cross but agreed over the weekend following appeals from Washington, officials said.
Rubio, in his call with Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov, “expressed gratitude for Turkmenistan’s cooperation,” State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said.
Rubio said he “looks forward to further partnership with Turkmenistan, including expanding economic and commercial ties,” she said.
Washington has organized evacuation flights for its citizens in Israel, but has limited capacity in Iran due to the lack of diplomatic relations.
Most US citizens in Iran are dual nationals and hundreds have left since Israel launched its military campaign on June 13, another State Department official said.
Around 200 Americans had voiced an interest in going through Turkmenistan, which shares a 1,148-kilometer (713-mile) border with Iran, although so far only “tens” have proceeded through that route, the official said.
“We’re communicating to all of the US citizens... in Iran looking to go to Turkmenistan that that border is open,” the official said on customary condition of anonymity.
With flights unavailable, the vast majority have gone through Azerbaijan, with some also going through Armenia and Turkiye, the official said.
President Donald Trump, who has prioritized cracking down on immigration, earlier this month banned virtually all Iranian citizens and partially restricted nationals of Turkmenistan from entering the United States.
The visa restrictions continue to apply to Iranian nationals who leave even if they are family members of US citizens, the State Department official said.
Trump on Monday announced a ceasefire between Israel and Iran but voiced frustration at implementation.
Israel lifts domestic restrictions linked to Iran war
- Israel’s airport authority also announced that all flights to and from the country would resume
- The country has been under tight restrictions since the start of the war, with schools closed and non-essential businesses shut
JERUSALEM: Israel’s military said Tuesday it was lifting restrictions on public gatherings, workplaces and schools it imposed during its 12-day war with Iran after a ceasefire took effect.
“All areas of the country will shift to full activity” from 8:00 p.m. (1700 GMT) on Tuesday on the orders of Defense Minister Israel Katz, the military said in a statement.
The guidelines will be effective until Thursday evening when they will be reviewed.
Israel’s airport authority also announced that all flights to and from the country would resume.
According to the transport ministry, between 100,000 and 150,000 Israelis were stranded abroad when Israel closed its airspace after launching a massive bombing campaign against Iran on June 13.
Tens of thousands of them have since been repatriated by air or sea.
The country has been under tight restrictions since the start of the war, with schools closed and non-essential businesses shut.
Israel and Iran both said Tuesday they would abide by a ceasefire deal first announced by US President Donald Trump.
Israel, in announcing it had agreed to Trump’s plan, said it had achieved all its military objectives.
Iran initially stopped short of officially accepting the proposal, but President Masoud Pezeshkian later said that if “the Zionist regime does not violate the ceasefire, Iran will not violate it either.”
Israel hit Iranian military and nuclear facilities as well as key commanders and scientists, prompting waves of retaliatory Iranian missile fire at Israel.
The full extent of the damage in Israel is still not known due to military censorship rules, but at least 50 impacts have been acknowledged nationwide and the official death toll stands at 28.
At least four people died in the southern city of Beersheba on Tuesday in a missile attack launched by Iran shortly before the ceasefire entered force, the emergency services said.
Qatari emir holds calls with Iranian and US presidents, condemns targeting Al-Udeid
- Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani said Iran’s action contradicted the principles of good neighborliness
- Masoud Pezeshkian expressed regret to Sheikh Tamim for the damages caused by Monday’s attack
- Donald Trump rejected ‘any aggression that threatens the security and safety of the State of Qatar’
LONDON: The emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, received separate phone calls from Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and US President Donald Trump on Tuesday following the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps’ missile attack on Al-Udeid Air Base.
Sheikh Tamim strongly condemned the Iranian attack at the outset of his call with Pezeshkian. He said the act was “a blatant violation of Qatar’s sovereignty and airspace, as well as a breach of international law and the United Nations Charter.”
The IRGC on Monday night fired missiles at Al-Udeid Air Base, the largest US military base in the Middle East, accommodating about 10,000 service members, located 30 kilometers southwest of Doha. The attack was a retaliatory action after the US hit three of Iran’s nuclear facilities over the weekend.
Sheikh Tamim said that Iran’s action contradicted the principles of good neighborliness and highlighted Doha’s ongoing commitment to dialogue with Iran.
He urged an immediate halt to military operations and a return to negotiations to resolve the crisis and ensure regional security and safety, the Qatar News Agency reported.
Pezeshkian expressed regret to Sheikh Tamim for the damage caused by Monday’s attack. He said that Qatar and its people were not the intended targets of the military operation and that “the attack does not constitute a threat” to Qatar.
Sheikh Tamim also spoke with Trump, who affirmed Washington’s solidarity with Doha after the Iranian attack and rejected “any aggression that threatens the security and safety of the State of Qatar and undermines the security and stability of the region.”
During the call with Sheikh Tamim, Trump urged restraint and seeking diplomatic solutions.
Sheikh Tamim thanked Trump for the supportive stance of the United States. He also mentioned that the readiness of the Qatari armed forces and the precautionary measures authorities took resulted in no fatalities or injuries.
Lebanon’s prime minister hails success in staying out of Iran-Israel conflict
- War prevented in Lebanon but true stability demands departure of Israeli forces from Lebanese territory, Nawaf Salam says during visit to Doha
- ‘We are striving to use all available political and diplomatic forces to pressure Israel’ into withdrawing, he adds
BEIRUT: During an official visit to Qatar on Tuesday, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam welcomed the fact that his country had managed to avoid being pulled into the conflict between Iran and Israel that began on June 13.
When he met the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, Salam hailed the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Iran announced on Monday, and thanked Doha for its efforts to help end the hostilities. Both leaders agreed that the end of the conflict would help foster stability in Lebanon, Palestine and the wider Gulf region, the prime minister’s media office said.
During a joint press conference with Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, Qatar’s prime minister and minister of foreign affairs, Salam said: “We in Lebanon, all of us, have succeeded in preventing the country from being drawn into a new war amid the ongoing regional conflict over the past two weeks.
“Now, with military operations having ceased, we look forward to turning a new page focused on diplomatic efforts.”
Israel has been accused of ramping up strikes on targets in southern Lebanon amid its conflict with Iran, and near-daily violations of a November ceasefire agreement that ended its 14-month war with Hezbollah.
Salam arrived in Doha on Tuesday morning, the day after Iran’s attack on a US military base in Qatar caused his flight to be diverted to Bahrain. He resumed his journey when airspace reopened and was the first passenger to land at the city’s airport following the previous day’s incident.
He condemned the attack on Qatar and expressed his full solidarity with the leadership of the country and its people. He also described the Israeli aggression against Iran as a violation of Iranian sovereignty and a breach of international law.
Addressing the possibility of renewed Hezbollah involvement in conflicts, Salam said: “The Lebanese state will extend its authority, through its own forces, over all Lebanese territory, as stipulated in the Taif Agreement.”
He added that “true stability cannot be achieved unless Israel fully withdraws from the Lebanese territories it continues to occupy, known as the Five Points.”
During talks with his Qatari counterpart, Sheikh Mohammed, Salam thanked Qatar for its “continued support for the Lebanese army.” They addressed the need for intensified international and regional efforts to halt repeated Israeli attacks on Lebanon, and reiterated calls for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from occupied Lebanese territories, reconstruction efforts, and the full restoration of Lebanese sovereignty over all of its territory.
Regarding the possibility that Lebanon could ask Qatar and Turkiye to put diplomatic pressure on Israel to withdraw from its positions in Lebanese territory, Salam said: “We are striving to use all available political and diplomatic forces to pressure Israel, beginning with our Arab brothers and extending to the permanent members of the UN Security Council and the United States.”
He highlighted reported Israeli violations of the November ceasefire deal and called for international pressure on the state “to respect and implement that agreement.”
Qatari officials offered their support for efforts to address the Syrian refugee crisis in Lebanon, and are considering “practical plans that would allow for a safe and dignified return to their homes,” Salam’s media office said.
The prime minister led a delegation during his trip to Qatar that included Minister of Culture Ghassan Salameh, Minister of Energy and Water Joe Saddi, Minister of Public Works and Transport Fayez Rasamni, and Minister of State for Administrative Reform Fadi Makki.
