Israel Strikes Southern Syria in New Flareup of Violence
Israel's military said the tanks were advancing toward the city of Sweida, the center of the clashes, and were hit 'in order to prevent their arrival to the area.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
31 minutes ago
- New York Times
What to Know About the Fighting in Southern Syria
More than 100 people have been killed in southern Syria since Sunday, according to a war monitoring group, in one of the deadliest bouts of sectarian violence in the region in years. The clashes erupted on Sunday between Bedouin groups and militias drawn from the Druse religious minority that control the southern province of Sweida. Those clashes set off days of fighting in a rugged stretch of southern Syria, throwing a spotlight on the difficulties Syria's new government has had asserting its authority over the country. The conflict has also drawn in neighboring Israel, which launched a wave of airstrikes at Syrian government forces in Sweida. On Tuesday, government reinforcements entered the province, and the Syrian minister of defense announced a cease-fire. Here's what you need to know: Why did the fighting erupt? The fighting started on Sunday after members of a Bedouin tribe attacked and robbed a Druse man along Sweida's main highway, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor based in Britain. That incident prompted an exchange of attacks and kidnappings between Druse militias in Sweida and armed Bedouin groups there, some of which are seen as pro-government. As that unrest swelled, the Syrian government deployed military forces on Monday to quell the conflict, Syrian officials said. But given the deep-seated mistrust of the new government, many in the Druse militia groups thought that the government forces were coming to aid the Bedouins and attack the Druse, according to Druse militia leaders. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Los Angeles Times
an hour ago
- Los Angeles Times
Sectarian violence erupts again in Syria, leaving at least 160 dead
BEIRUT — Sectarian fighting persisted in southern Syria on Tuesday, adding to a death toll that after three days of clashes has exceeded 160 people, according to observer groups. The violence triggered yet more conflict, prompting Israel to launch a wave of airstrikes on Syrian government forces who had entered the area to restore order. The strife in recent days adds to the challenges facing Syria's fledgling government, which is headed by a one-time Al Qaeda-affiliated rebel faction that ousted former Syrian President Bashar Assad late last year. The government has sought to reassure minority communities in the country that it has abandoned its hardline past, even as fighters working under its aegis have engaged in several bouts of sectarian violence. This week's violence, which pitted local Sunni Bedouin tribes against armed factions for the Druze religious community, is likely to add to minorities' fears. Israel, which has its own Druze community, has portrayed itself as the defender of Druze in Syria. Despite U.S. efforts to broker diplomatic openings between the two countries, Israel still counts Syria's new authorities a threat. After Assad's fall, Israel grabbed swaths of Syrian territory — including a U.N.-patrolled buffer zone — and launched airstrikes to destroy military equipment it said could be used against its territory. Earlier on Tuesday, Druze religious leaders called on local armed factions to surrender to the authorities when the authorities entered Sweida. And the government's defense minister, Murhaf Abu Qasra, announced a ceasefire that he said was brokered with the city's 'notables and dignitaries.' But a few hours later, clashes began anew as Sheikh Hijmat Al-Hijri, a prominent Druze leader who has long resisted cooperating with the new government, issued a statement accusing it of continuing 'indiscriminate shelling of unarmed civilians.' He called on local fighters to defy state security forces. Syria's Interior Ministry said on Monday that more than 30 people were killed and 100 others wounded. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor, said on Tuesday that 166 people have been killed since fighting erupted on Sunday. Videos published on social media and local news outlets depicted gunmen dashing through abandoned streets in Sweida's downtown districts as shooting can be heard in the background; several storefronts in the city's main market appear to have been torched or vandalized. Another video depicts government-affiliated gunmen cheering and shooting in the air as they claim to have seized control of Sweida. Accusations of sectarian violations against civilians have dogged government forces operating in minority-dominated areas. In March, pro-government factions committed what rights groups called a pogrom in Syria's coastal region, torturing, kidnapping and killing some 1,500 people from the Alawite community. In his statement, Qasra, the defense minister, warned security personnel that any transgression and vandalism would face 'harsh legal measures.' But the Observatory, which relies on a network of activists in the country, accused government-affiliated fighters of engaging in field executions that killed 21 people in Sweida, including three women. Later, a video said to be taken at the site of those executions shows men in civilian clothing lying on the ground, with streaks of blood on the ground around their corpses. Other videos emerged showing government-affiliated gunmen beating up captured Druze fighters and mutilating the corpses of those killed, as well as humiliating Druze men they encountered around Sweida. The clashes in Sweida initially broke out Sunday after a wave of kidnapings and robberies between Bedouin and Druze in southern Syria. But they reflect a longer grievance: Druze factions have so far refused to surrender their areas to the government, which they say does not represent Syria's multi-ethnic and religious makeup. As the clashes stretched into the late afternoon, Israeli warplanes conducted several airstrikes, including on a police headquarters inside the city and a tank, activists said. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement Tuesday that 'Israel is committed to preventing harm to the Druze in Syria due to the deep brotherly alliance with our Druze citizens in Israel, and their familial and historical connection to the Druze in Syria.' 'We are acting to prevent the Syrian regime from harming the Druze and to ensure the demilitarization of the area adjacent to our border with Syria,' he added.
Politico
an hour ago
- Politico
Mamdani's biggest DC defender is… Ritchie Torres?
HIS HATER BECAME HIS WAITER: Israel-supporting, defund-the-police-decryin' and Cuomo-primary-allignin' Rep. Ritchie Torres seems to be going out of his way to defend Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani. When President Donald Trump threatened to arrest Mamdani, Torres called it 'disgraceful.' When more Republicans attacked Mamdani, he slammed them as Islamophobic on MSNBC. And when the controversy emerged around Mamdani identifying as African American on his college application, Torres defended him. 'I have had political opponents question the authenticity of Afro-Latino identity, and question my blackness,' he told The New York Times. 'And I deeply, deeply resent it. It makes my blood boil.' On Thursday, Torres even introduced a bill to censure a Tennessee House Republican who called for Mamdani's deportation. Those who know the Bronx's staunchest supporter of Israel may be surprised at his increasing bid to shield Mamdani from the onslaught of GOP attacks. But he is just the latest backer of Cuomo's primary bid who has sought to distance himself from the former governor — and even warm up to the lefty nominee. Today, Brooklyn Democratic Party Chair Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn — who backed Mayor Eric Adams, then endorsed Cuomo, and now backs Mamdani — appeared in a cheery video with Mamdani in which the pair toured Brooklyn's Little Haiti and asked voters to put Mamdani on their general election ballots. Torres still has not made an endorsement in the general election, but he made clear his Cuomo endorsement 'only applies to the Democratic primary' and had a 'mutually respectful' phone call with Mamdani. His team would not reveal to Playbook much about the conversation, beyond that Torres expressed he's committed to having a working relationship. Torres also faces the prospect of defending a challenge to his own seat from former Bronx electeds. Long-shot mayoral candidate and Mamdani-ally Michael Blake has recently taken to attacking Torres on social media since the primary, and pro-Trump pol Ruben Diaz Sr. said he might vie for Torres' post. On Monday, Torres was spotted smiling ear to ear in a group photo with Mamdani. His team did not comment on whether the two interacted at all during that event, either. 'If Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans are despicably demanding the 'deportation' and 'denaturalization' of a Democratic nominee — simply because he is a Muslim American — then I will speak out forcefully against their bigotry, and Democrats across the ideological spectrum should do the same,' Torres told Playbook in a statement. 'We must stand up and speak out against all forms of bigotry with moral clarity and consistency.' — Jason Beeferman FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL FLASH WARNING: The treacherous flash flood on Monday night and high temperatures expected later this week are laying bare the massive climate and infrastructure challenges facing New York City. As the city saw its second-wettest hour in history — and videos of rainwater spewing into subway stations went viral — Mamdani and incumbent Mayor Eric Adams were in agreement that the sewer systems of yesteryear were not meant to handle the storms of today. Mamdani honed in on the issue Monday night on X. 'Earlier tonight, NYC was drenched by more than 2' of rain in a single hour, flooding streets, basements and subways,' the Democratic nominee for mayor posted, thanking city workers and emergency responders. 'We must upgrade our infrastructure for this new climate reality.' Adams, who's running as an independent against Mamdani in the general election, held a news conference Tuesday. 'At the heart of what we are facing, the rulebook, things have changed drastically,' the mayor said on a conference call with reporters. 'Second highest rainfall in Central Park, not due to a Category 5 hurricane or a tropical storm. … It really must resonate: Our sewer system is not built to manage this much water at a short period of time.' The deep investment and long-term planning necessary to address the climate crisis will play a key role in the race for mayor — even as affordability and public safety remain the top issues for voters. Already, how to implement Local Law 97, intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the largest buildings, has come into sharper focus. Mamdani has signaled he would enforce the law more robustly, The New York Times reported. — Emily Ngo with Amira McKee TRUMP SPEAKS: Much of the primary between Mamdani and Andrew Cuomo revolved around who could better stand up to President Donald Trump as mayor of New York City. Trump said today outside the White House that he believes the former governor has a 'good shot' at defeating Mamdani, a democratic socialist who's been a top foil for Republicans. 'I think he should stay. I think he has a shot,' the president said when asked about Cuomo announcing he'll run in the general election as an independent after losing the Democratic primary. Trump, who has a good working relationship with Eric Adams, would not say which candidate he prefers. But he said of Cuomo, 'He's got to run a tough campaign. You know he's running against a communist; I would think he has a good shot at winning.' Mamdani is not a communist. Updated city Board of Elections results today showed he defeated Cuomo in the primary by 12.8 percentage points. — Emily Ngo FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Democratic House candidate Blake Gendebien, who seeks the North County seat held by Rep. Elise Stefanik, will report nearly $2 million cash on hand in his federal campaign finance filing today. It's a massive haul for a relatively unknown Democratic challenger in a deep-red district. But Stefanik, the high-profile Republican weighing a bid for governor, has a monster campaign war chest of her own at $10 million, according to her filing. Gendebien, a dairy farmer, raised $212,000 in the past three months — significantly less than the $3 million he pulled in the first quarter. — Emily Ngo From the Capitol STEFANIK SLAMS CUNY: Rep. Elise Stefanik called on City University of New York Chancellor Félix Matos Rodríguez to step down after criticizing him for failing to adequately tackle campus antisemitism. Stefanik — who has built a reputation for grilling college presidents over the issue — assailed Matos Rodríguez throughout a three-hour plus congressional hearing for allegedly failing to discipline faculty and employees with ties to pro-Palestinian activism. She urged Gov. Kathy Hochul to push the chancellor to resign, as the Republican lawmaker eyes a gubernatorial bid. 'I am calling on Gov. Kathy Hochul — the worst governor in America who has bent the knee to the antisemites in her party — to call on Chancellor Rodriguez to resign,' Stefanik told reporters following the hearing. 'She needs to make that call today.' Matos Rodríguez defended his work with Jewish organizations. 'Anybody who behaves in any way that is antisemitic, that sponsors violence against members of the Jewish community or any community discriminated [against] or harassed will be investigated and held accountable based on our rules,' he said. — Madina Touré and Bianca Quilantan IN OTHER NEWS — JESSICA VS. JESSICA: Marking the first major lefty primary challenge in the wake of Mamdani's win, Assemblymember Jessica González-Rojas filed to run for state Sen. Jessica Ramos' seat. (City & State) — MAMDANI COURTS CONGRESS: On Wednesday, Mamdani plans to rub elbows in Washington with key Democrats, some of whom have been hesitant to endorse the Democratic nominee. (THE CITY) — ADAMS DENIED MATCHING FUNDS: The former mayor's struggles with the New York City Campaign Finance Board continue. (The New York Times) Missed this morning's New York Playbook? We forgive you. Read it here.
