Syria on high alert despite ceasefire; security deployed near Sweida to halt Bedouin entry
Syria on high alert despite ceasefire; security deployed near Sweida to halt Bedouin entry
03:22 Min | July 21, 2025, 7:11 AM IST
As calm was reported in the Syrian city of Sweida on Sunday (July 20), members of the internal security command were deployed in Al-Mazra'a village near the city, blocking entry of armed Bedouin tribesmen. One member of a tribe said they would wait until 1 p.m. (1000 GMT) for the Druze fighters to hand in their arms, injured people, and dead bodies following intense fighting over the past days. There was no sound of gunfire on Sunday morning, according to a resident speaking from the city outskirts, while a Druze source in the region said there was calm in most areas.
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Indian Express
3 hours ago
- Indian Express
Why are Thailand and Cambodia fighting at the border and what happened today?
Cambodia and Thailand traded fire across their disputed border on Thursday, marking the most serious escalation in decades between the two Southeast Asian neighbours. The clashes came as political instability deepened in Thailand following the suspension of Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra earlier this month. Both country has blamed the other for sparking the escalation, which reportedly began with gunfire over the contested border. Thailand claims Cambodia fired rockets into its territory, prompting retaliatory air strikes on Cambodian military targets. So how did they get here – and where is it going? Thailand and Cambodia have offered sharply conflicting accounts of Thursday's deadly exchange of fire along their disputed border. According to Thailand's National Security Council (NSC) as reported by BBC, the incident began just after 7:30am local time (00:30 GMT), when Cambodian forces allegedly deployed drones to monitor Thai troop positions near the border. Shortly after, Thai officials claim, Cambodian soldiers armed with rocket-propelled grenades assembled in the area. Thai troops attempted to negotiate by shouting across the border, but received no response. By 8:20am, Cambodian forces reportedly opened fire, prompting a Thai counterattack, where Bangkok deployed F-16s to strike Cambodian targets and ordered evacuations in Surin Province. Residents in Thailand's Surin province bordering Cambodia ran for cover as the neighboring countries exchanged fire, after weeks of tension over a border dispute that has escalated into clashes — Reuters (@Reuters) July 24, 2025 The NSC accused Cambodia of escalating the situation by using heavy weapons, including BM-21 rocket launchers and artillery. These strikes, Thailand said, damaged civilian infrastructure in four Thai provinces — including homes, a hospital, and a petrol station. Thailand's acting premier Phumtham Wechayachai said that its dispute with Cambodia remains 'delicate' and must be addressed with care, and in line with international law. Cambodia, however, tells a different story. Officials in Phnom Penh claim the clash began an hour earlier, at around 6:30am, when Thai soldiers allegedly violated a prior agreement by advancing near Prasat Ta Muen Thom, an ancient Khmer-Hindu temple near the border and placing barbed wire around its base. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said the country had 'no choice but to respond with armed force against this armed invasion,' accusing Thai troops of opening fire first at the temple. According to Cambodian Defence Ministry spokesperson Maly Socheata, Thai forces launched a drone just after 7:00am and fired warning shots into the air around 8:30. At 8:46am, she said, Thai troops 'pre-emptively' opened fire on Cambodian soldiers, forcing them to return fire in self-defence. Socheata also accused Thailand of deploying an overwhelming number of troops and using disproportionate force, including airstrikes on Cambodian territory. Thai authorities reported 12 deaths — 11 civilians and one soldier — and at least 31 injuries, including a child. Thousands have begun fleeing the conflict zone. Cambodia has not confirmed casualty numbers. The dispute between Thailand and Cambodia is far from new — it stretches back over a century to when the borders between the two nations were first drawn during the French colonial occupation of Cambodia. Hostilities intensified in 2008 when Cambodia sought to register an 11th-century temple located in the contested border zone as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The move sparked fierce protests in Thailand and set off a series of armed confrontations, with the deadliest flare-up in 2011, when week-long fighting killed 15 people and displaced tens of thousands. Since then, sporadic clashes have flared up periodically, resulting in casualties among both soldiers and civilians. The current wave of tension began in May, following the death of a Cambodian soldier in a border skirmish. That incident pushed relations to their lowest point in over a decade. A land mine injury to a Thai soldier on Wednesday further inflamed tensions. Thailand has since downgraded diplomatic relations, expelling Cambodia's ambassador and recalling its own. In the weeks since, both nations have imposed tit-for-tat restrictions — Cambodia banned Thai imports including fruits, vegetables, electricity, and internet services, while both sides have deployed additional troops to the contested border areas. In June, Paetongtarn Shinawatra called Hun Sen, Cambodia's de facto leader and father of the current prime minister, to discuss the escalating border tensions. Hun Sen has close ties with her father, Thaksin Shinawatra, a former Thai prime minister and leader of a powerful political dynasty, as well as one of the country's wealthiest figures. Hun Sen later posted a recording of their call, in which Paetongtarn appeared to disparage Thailand's powerful military while taking a deferential tone. She referred to him as 'uncle' and assured him she would 'arrange' anything he wanted. The call sparked public outrage, with thousands of protesters taking to the streets of Bangkok. Despite her public apology, Paetongtarn has come under mounting pressure to resign less than a year into her term — including from within her own governing coalition. In early July, a Thai court suspended her from office.
News18
4 hours ago
- News18
Explosion in northern Syria kills at least 6 people, injures dozens
Damascus, Jul 24 (AP) At least six people were killed and dozens injured in an explosion in northern Syria's Idlib province, officials said Thursday. There was no official statement on the cause of the blast. The UK-based war monitor Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that the explosion took place in an ammunition depot. The Syrian Civil Defence, also known as the White Helmets, reported that at least six people were killed in the blast, which took place in the town of Maarat Misrin north of the city of Idlib on Thursday. 'This is the death toll only of those recovered by Syrian Civil Defence teams, who continue to search for those trapped under the rubble," the White Helmets said in a statement. Syrian Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management Raed al-Saleh in a post on social media platform X that teams were transporting the wounded and dead despite 'continued recurring explosions in the area, which are hampering response efforts." The state-run news agency, SANA, reported four people killed and 116 injured, citing health officials, without giving further details. Syria is struggling to recover from a nearly 14-year civil war that ended with the ouster of former President Bashar Assad in a lightning rebel offensive. During the war, which killed nearly half a million people and displaced half the country's pre-war population of of 23 million, Idlib was an opposition-held enclave. The country's current interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa formerly led Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, an insurgent group based in Idlib that spearheaded the offensive that unseated Assad. (AP) RD RD (This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI) view comments First Published: July 24, 2025, 18:45 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
News18
4 hours ago
- News18
Huge Plume Rises, Smoke Fills Sky After Deadly Explosion In Syria
Last Updated: A powerful explosion in Idlib, Syria, killed at least two and injured over 70. Fires and panic ensued near Maarrat Misrin. A powerful explosion tore through the northwestern Syrian province of Idlib on Thursday, killing at least two people and injuring more than 70, according to state news agency SANA. The blast occurred near the town of Maarrat Misrin, sending a towering plume into the sky and triggering widespread panic in nearby villages, including al-Foua. Syrian state broadcaster Ikhbariya reported that fires broke out in the area as ambulances and civil defence teams rushed to the site. Raed Al-Saleh, Syria's minister for emergency and disaster management, said teams were carrying out evacuation and rescue operations despite ongoing secondary blasts that were complicating the response. 'No final toll of casualties has been confirmed," Al-Saleh posted on X, urging residents to avoid the area as teams continued working under dangerous and complex conditions. Turkish state-run news agency Anadolu put the death toll at five, reporting that around 15 explosions occurred at an arms depot in the town of Kafriya, damaging nearby buildings and injuring at least 63 others. The Emergency Operations Directorate in Idlib also confirmed casualties from the still-unexplained explosion. While the cause remains unclear, private broadcaster Syria TV suggested it may have originated from an ammunition depot. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights added that unidentified aircraft were flying over the region at the time of the blast, though there has been no official confirmation of an airstrike. Syria TV reported that 'war remnants and ammunition" had exploded at the site, triggering a series of deadly blasts. The channel's correspondent said several people may have been trapped under the rubble. 'The area witnessed successive explosions as a result of the detonation of war remnants and munitions present at the site," the broadcaster said. There was no immediate indication that the Idlib blast was connected to recent deadly fighting in Syria's southern Sweida province, where violent clashes between pro-government forces and local militias have left hundreds dead in recent weeks. view comments Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
