Latest news with #Al-Qa'ida
Irish Independent
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Irish Independent
Syrian president Ahmed al-Sharaa says Israel is trying to fracture Syria with attacks
Overnight, the Islamist-led government's troops withdrew from the predominantly Druze city of Sweida, where scores of people have been killed in days of conflict pitting Druze fighters against government troops and Bedouin tribes. A military commander for the Bedouin said their fighters had launched a new offensive against Druze fighters in Sweida province, and that the truce only applied to government forces. The Bedouins, who have long-standing frictions with the Druze, were seeking to free detained colleagues, he told Reuters. A round of fighting between the Bedouins and Druze earlier this week prompted the government to send troops to Sweida to quell the fighting, but the violence grew until a ceasefire was declared. On Wednesday, Israel launched airstrikes in Damascus while also hitting government forces in the south, demanding they withdraw and saying Israel aimed to protect Syrian Druze. Israel has struck the country repeatedly this year, describing its new leaders as barely disguised jihadists and saying it will not allow them to deploy forces in areas of southern Syria near its border. Addressing Syrians yesterday, Mr al-Sharaa accused Israel of seeking to 'dismantle the unity of our people', saying it had 'consistently targeted our stability and created discord among us since the fall of the former regime'. Mr al-Sharaa, who was commander of an Al-Qa'ida faction before cutting ties with the group in 2016, said protecting Druze citizens and their rights was 'our priority'. He also vowed to hold to account those who committed violations against 'our Druze people'. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had established a policy demanding the demilitarisation of a swathe of territory near the border, stretching from the Israel-occupied Golan Heights to Jabal Druze. US secretary of state Marco Rubio said late on Wednesday that the US had engaged all parties, and steps had been agreed to end 'this troubling and horrifying situation'. Mr al-Sharaa credited US, Arab and Turkish mediation for saving 'the region from an uncertain fate'. He faces challenges to stitch Syria back together in the face of deep misgivings from groups that fear Islamist rule.
Express Tribune
15-02-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
'Misleading' mention in US-India statement 'surprises' Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office on Friday rejected a reference to Pakistan in the joint statement issued after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meeting with US President Donald Trump, expressing surprise over what it described as "one sided and misleading" allegations. Modi on Thursday held wide-ranging talks with Trump at the White House. In the joint statement, the two sides reaffirmed that the global scourge of terrorism must be fought and terrorist safe havens eliminated from every corner of the world. "They committed to strengthen cooperation against terrorist threats from groups, including Al-Qa'ida, ISIS, Jaish-e Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, in order to prevent heinous acts like the attacks in Mumbai on 26/11 and the Abbey Gate bombing in Afghanistan on August 26, 2021," read the joint statement. Recognising a shared desire to bring to justice those who would harm our citizens, the US announced that the extradition to India of Tahawwur Rana has been approved. They called on Pakistan to expeditiously bring to justice the perpetrators of the 26/11 Mumbai and Pathankot attacks, and ensure that its territory is not used to carry out cross-border terrorist attacks. The leaders also pledged to work together to prevent proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems and to deny access to such weapons by terrorists and non-state actors. "We consider the Pakistan-specific reference in the 'India-US Joint Statement of February 13, 2025 as one-sided, misleading and contrary to diplomatic norms," Foreign Office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan told reporters at his weekly briefing. "We are surprised that the reference has been added to the Joint Statement notwithstanding Pakistan's counterterrorism cooperation with the United States," he added. He said such references cannot cover up India's sponsorship of terrorism, subversion and extrajudicial assassinations in the region and beyond; nor can they shift international attention from the stark reality of India being a safe haven for the perpetrators of hate crimes against Muslims and other minorities. The joint statement, according to the spokesperson, failed to address non-compliance of India with the UNSC resolutions which is the key source of tension and instability in the region and to take cognizance of the grim human rights situation in the Indian-Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IIOJK). Regrettably, this is tantamount to abdication of international responsibility. "The international community recognises Pakistan's efforts and sacrifices in the fight against terrorism. As a country that has enormously suffered from terrorism, Pakistan would continue to contribute constructively to the regional and global efforts to promote peace and stability in the region," he said. He said Pakistan remains committed to bring the fight against terrorism to its logical conclusion by eliminating this scourge from its soil. "Pakistan also remains committed to continue with counter terrorism efforts to address the issue of terrorism including acts of terrorism perpetrated by foreign elements." During Modi's visit, President Trump signaled further deepening of defense ties with India, including the sale of F-35 stealth fighter jets. The spokesperson, however, said Pakistan was deeply concerned over the planned transfer of advanced military technologies to India. "Such steps accentuate military imbalances in the region and undermine strategic stability. They remain unhelpful in achieving the objective of a durable peace in South Asia," he added. "We urge our international partners to take a holistic and objective view of the issues of peace and security in South Asia and refrain from endorsing positions that are one-sided and divorced from ground realities." Despite criticizing the joint statement, the Foreign Office spokesperson said Pakistan considers relationship with the US important. "It's a multi-dimensional relationship, rooted in history, with decades-long history of cooperation. It's a very dense relationship and we remain committed to continuing to work with the new administration for the further consolidation and growth of Pakistan-US relations," he said.
