logo
Car bomb blast in Damascus causes no casualties, say reports

Car bomb blast in Damascus causes no casualties, say reports

The Sun8 hours ago
DAMASCUS: Syrian state media reported a car bomb explosion in the capital on Saturday evening.
The blast occurred in the upscale Mazzeh area, known for housing embassies and UN offices.
State news agency SANA confirmed the explosion but stated no casualties were reported.
State television attributed the blast to an explosive device planted inside an old car.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights claimed the explosion targeted a vehicle near a hotel.
No group has claimed responsibility for the incident so far. - AFP
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Syrian president says unifying country 'should not be with blood'
Syrian president says unifying country 'should not be with blood'

New Straits Times

time4 hours ago

  • New Straits Times

Syrian president says unifying country 'should not be with blood'

DAMASCUS: Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has said the battle to unify his country after years of civil war "should not be with blood", rejecting any partition and accusing Israel of meddling in the south. His remarks, released by state TV on Sunday, came as hundreds demonstrated in south Syria's Sweida province, denouncing sectarian violence last month and calling for the right to self-determination for the Druze-majority province. "We still have another battle ahead of us to unify Syria, and it should not be with blood and military force... it should be through some kind of understanding because Syria is tired of war," Sharaa said during a dialogue session involving notables from the northwest province of Idlib and other senior officials. "I do not see Syria as at risk of division. Some people desire a process of dividing Syria and trying to establish cantons... this matter is impossible," he said according to a recording of the meeting, distributed overnight by state media. "Some parties seek to gain power through regional power, Israel or others. This is also extremely difficult and cannot be implemented," he said. At the protest in Sweida, some demonstrators waved the Israeli flag and called for self-determination for the region. A week of bloodshed in Sweida began on July 13 with clashes between Druze fighters and Sunni Bedouin, but rapidly escalated, drawing in government forces, with Israel also carrying out strikes. Syrian authorities have said their forces intervened to stop the clashes, but witnesses, Druze factions and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights have accused them of siding with the Bedouin and committing abuses against the Druze, including summary executions. Sharaa said that Sweida "witnessed many violations from all sides... some members of the security forces and army in Syria also carried out some violations." The state is required "to hold all perpetrators of violations to account", whatever their affiliation, he added. "Israel is intervening directly in Sweida, seeking to implement policies aimed at weakening the state in general or finding excuses to interfere in ongoing policies in the southern region," Sharaa said. Israel, which has its own Druze community, has said it has acted to defend the minority group as well as enforce its demands for the demilitarisation of southern Syria. Syria's new authorities are also in talks with a semi-autonomous Kurdish administration that runs swathes of the country's north and northeast and has called for decentralisation, which Damascus has rejected. Implementation of a March 10 deal on integrating the Kurds' semi-autonomous civil and military institutions into the state has been held up by differences between the parties.

Israel says struck Huthi 'energy infrastructure site' in Yemen
Israel says struck Huthi 'energy infrastructure site' in Yemen

The Sun

time4 hours ago

  • The Sun

Israel says struck Huthi 'energy infrastructure site' in Yemen

TEL AVIV: Demonstrators took to the streets across Israel Sunday calling for an end to the war in Gaza and a deal to release hostages still held by militants, as the military prepares a new offensive. The protests come more than a week after Israel's security cabinet approved plans to capture Gaza City, following 22 months of war that have created dire humanitarian conditions in the Palestinian territory. The war was triggered by Palestinian militant group Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel, during which 251 were taken hostage. Forty-nine captives remain in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead. A huge Israeli flag covered with portraits of the remaining captives was unfurled in Tel Aviv's so-called Hostage Square -- which has long been a focal point for protests throughout the war. Demonstrators also blocked several roads in the city, including the highway connecting Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, where demonstrators set tires on fire and caused traffic jams, according to local media footage. Protest organisers and the main campaign group representing the families of hostages also called for a general strike on Sunday. 'I think it's time to end the war. It's time to release all of the hostages. And it's time to help Israel recover and move towards a more stable Middle East,' said Doron Wilfand, a 54-year-old tour guide, at a rally in Jerusalem. However, some government members who oppose any deal with Hamas slammed the demonstrations. Israel's far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich decried 'a perverse and harmful campaign that plays into the hands of Hamas'. He argued that public pressure to secure a deal effectively 'buries the hostages in tunnels and seeks to push the State of Israel to surrender to its enemies and jeopardise its security and future'. APTFV footage showed protesters at a rally in Beeri, a kibbutz near the Gaza border that was one of the hardest-hit communities in the Hamas attack, and Israeli media reported protests in numerous locations across the country. Israeli plans to expand the war into Gaza City and nearby refugee camps have sparked an international outcry as well as domestic opposition. UN-backed experts have warned of widespread famine unfolding in the territory, where Israel has drastically curtailed the amount of humanitarian aid it allows in. According to Gaza's civil defence agency, Israeli troops shot dead at least 13 Palestinians on Saturday as they were waiting to collect food aid near distribution sites. Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Israel's offensive has killed more than 61,897 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to figures from the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza which the United Nations considers reliable - AFP

Car bomb blast in Damascus causes no casualties, say reports
Car bomb blast in Damascus causes no casualties, say reports

The Sun

time8 hours ago

  • The Sun

Car bomb blast in Damascus causes no casualties, say reports

DAMASCUS: Syrian state media reported a car bomb explosion in the capital on Saturday evening. The blast occurred in the upscale Mazzeh area, known for housing embassies and UN offices. State news agency SANA confirmed the explosion but stated no casualties were reported. State television attributed the blast to an explosive device planted inside an old car. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights claimed the explosion targeted a vehicle near a hotel. No group has claimed responsibility for the incident so far. - AFP

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store