Latest news with #Druze
Egypt Independent
6 hours ago
- Politics
- Egypt Independent
ISIS claims first attacks against forces loyal to new government in Syria
CNN — ISIS has claimed two attacks on Syrian security forces – the first since the transitional government under former jihadist Ahmed al-Sharaa took office. The terror group, also known as Islamic State, said it had killed and injured seven members of 'the apostate Syrian regime' with an explosive device that was detonated on a road in southern Syria. It said the attack took place in the remote desert area of Talul al Safa in the southern Syrian province of Suwayda. A military source in the Suwayda region told CNN that a reconnaissance unit from the Free Syrian Army was ambushed Wednesday while tracking ISIS movements in the area. One fighter had been killed and three injured. Units of the Free Syrian Army are supported by the US military in what is called the al Tanf Deconfliction Zone close to the borders with Jordan and Egypt, where the US has a small outpost. The source added that the Talul al Safa area is 'extremely rugged and dangerous area, as ISIS had been exploiting its terrain for a long time.' ISIS lost almost all the territory it controlled in Syria by the end of 2017 but has maintained a foothold in Syria's vast central desert. ISIS claimed another attack in the same area several days ago. CNN has reached out to the government in Damascus for comment. Last week, the Syrian Interior Ministry said security forces operating in an area not far from where the attacks took place had seized 'a number of improvised explosive devices (IEDs), as well as weapons' at locations belonging to a terrorist cell affiliated with ISIS. The Washington DC-based Institute for the Study of War says the group has likely maintained cells in southern Syria despite not carrying out any attacks there for at least two years. The US and other Western governments have urged the new Syrian government to prevent a resurgence of ISIS and other terror groups on Syrian soil. But the government has struggled to extend its authority to Suwayda, where there have been clashes between Druze and Sunni groups.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
ISIS claims first attacks against forces loyal to new government in Syria
ISIS has claimed two attacks on Syrian security forces – the first since the transitional government under former jihadist Ahmed al-Sharaa took office. The terror group, also known as Islamic State, said it had killed and injured seven members of 'the apostate Syrian regime' with an explosive device that was detonated on a road in southern Syria. It said the attack took place in the remote desert area of Talul al Safa in the southern Syrian province of Suwayda. A military source in the Suwayda region told CNN that a reconnaissance unit from the Free Syrian Army was ambushed Wednesday while tracking ISIS movements in the area. One fighter had been killed and three injured. Units of the Free Syrian Army are supported by the US military in what is called the al Tanf Deconfliction Zone close to the borders with Jordan and Egypt, where the US has a small outpost. The source added that the Talul al Safa area is 'extremely rugged and dangerous area, as ISIS had been exploiting its terrain for a long time.' ISIS lost almost all the territory it controlled in Syria by the end of 2017 but has maintained a foothold in Syria's vast central desert. ISIS claimed another attack in the same area several days ago. CNN has reached out to the government in Damascus for comment. Last week, the Syrian Interior Ministry said security forces operating in an area not far from where the attacks took place had seized 'a number of improvised explosive devices (IEDs), as well as weapons' at locations belonging to a terrorist cell affiliated with ISIS. The Washington DC-based Institute for the Study of War says the group has likely maintained cells in southern Syria despite not carrying out any attacks there for at least two years. The US and other Western governments have urged the new Syrian government to prevent a resurgence of ISIS and other terror groups on Syrian soil. But the government has struggled to extend its authority to Suwayda, where there have been clashes between Druze and Sunni groups.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Inside Israel's buffer zone in Syria
The Merkava main battle tank is parked as discreetly as possible behind the makeshift antenatal clinic, but its enormous turret still pokes out. Batal Ali, 25, does not seem fazed, however. Her mind is elsewhere. Nine months into her fourth pregnancy she has just been informed that the level of amniotic fluid around the baby is dangerously low. 'She needs to have a C-section and we're just working out which hospital to evacuate her to – probably Haifa,' says the chief physician. If this conversation were taking place just two miles to the west it would be unremarkable. But we are standing in Syria, part of Israel's controversial 150 square mile 'buffer zone' along its north-eastern border, which the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) seized in December 2024 after the fall of Bashar al-Assad. To critics it was a cynical land grab, nothing short of an invasion. According to the Israelis, however, it is a vital defensive measure to safeguard their communities in the Golan Heights from marauding jihadis and ultimately to prevent another Oct 7-style massacre. Nine forward operating bases have now been built across the dramatic countryside between Mount Hermon and the Jordanian border. Machine gun-mounted Humvees bearing the flag of the front-line Golani Brigade, and more ponderous armoured personnel carriers, churn up the roads in clouds of dust while sentries watch from the hilltops. The soldiers are fully armed and body armoured at all times. In the words of one Israeli military official from the 210th Division, the communities here are 'fragmented, suspicious'. Tension radiates out of the hills. The official says that Hezbollah elements have been detected in the region. There are also Isis supporters in the more southern section of the border zone, he claims. Although he concedes that the IDF has detected no active plots for an incursion into the Israel-controlled Golan Heights, he says hatred of the Jewish state constitutes a perpetual threat. 'There are streams that run underground,' he says. 'It's not happening yet but it will happen.' Alongside the military presence, the Israelis are providing humanitarian assistance to the Syrian border communities – those who will accept it at least. By and large these are the Druze, the minority Arab sect of Islamic origin with strong links to Israel thanks to the roughly 150,000 who live there. The liberation of Syria from Assad's tyranny has been a troubling time for many of them, with reports of sectarian clashes and massacres at the hands of the Sunni majority. The new IDF field clinic near the village of Hader is, in part, designed to give the Druze access to advanced healthcare now that the road to Damascus, less than 40 miles away, is so dangerous for them. 'I would rather go to Haifa for the birth than take my chances going to Damascus,' says Batal, who is now sitting in the waiting room, a large khaki tent, with her husband. 'It isn't safe for us.' She is one of about 40 patients who will visit the clinic that day, a collection of temporary metal cabins and army tents in the lee of Mount Hermon that has been open now for nearly a month. There, the team can carry out essential diagnostic work, such as Batal's ultrasound, along with blood tests and X-rays. 'Anyone with an immediate threat to life we evacuate [to Israel],' says the chief physician, an IDF colonel who cannot be named. 'We're trying not to replace the local doctors in the villages, that's a key humanitarian principle. But we'll tell them that, for example, on Thursday we'll have an orthopaedic clinic, on Monday we have our Obgyn specialist [obstetrician-gynaecologist], so they can tell their patients when to come.' Judging by the men's exuberant moustaches, distinctive dark clothes and short-sided white and light-blue hats, all the dozen or so patients waiting are Druze. The official confirms that the Sunni villages, by and large, want nothing to do with the Israelis, although the clinic will treat anyone who turns up. At first patients were presenting with war injuries, some months old, that had been left untreated. Now it's more likely to be everyday complaints. Once seen, each patient is handed a detailed discharge form written in Hebrew and English. In the past, this would have been a highly dangerous practice. During the early years of the Syrian civil war, when the IDF provided some medical care in this border region, they went to vast lengths to do so in secret, cutting the labels out of clothes they gave patients, aware that anyone known to have received Israeli help would be in grave danger. 'It's different now,' says the chief physician. 'Everyone knows we're here and we're helping them.' As well as assisting a community to which Israel has traditionally felt a strong sense of responsibility, the clinic at Hader serves their agenda by reminding the world of the sectarianism and continued violence east of the border, justifying their military takeover of the region and their wider scepticism of the new regime. Since Ahmed Al-Sharaa, a former jihadi with previous links to both al-Qaeda and Islamic State, swept to power in December 2024, Israel has been reminding anyone who will listen that you can't trust a 'terrorist in a suit'. They have continued their campaign of air strikes against former regime facilities and heavy weapons that could be used against Israel, and even bombed near the presidential palace recently as a 'warning' to the new leader not to allow attacks on the Druze. However, it is an argument they appear to be losing, as demonstrated by Donald Trump's decision in May to lift all sanctions to give Syria 'a chance of greatness'. Indeed, rather than fretting about his terrorist past, much more of a neo-conservative preoccupation than a Maga concern, Mr Trump praised Al-Sharaa as an 'attractive, tough guy'. There have even been suggestions of a Trump Tower in Damascus. On Thursday, the US's newly appointed envoy for Syria was in the capital as the Stars and Stripes were raised over the ambassador's residence for the first time since 2012. Meanwhile, seemingly ignored by its closest ally in Washington, Israel digs in, literally. It is digging a vast anti-tank defensive ditch along the border, with 30km now completed and another 30 to go. 'Mortal danger. Active military zone,' reads the sign on the border fence, topped with coils of vicious-looking barbed wire. That more or less sums up Israel's attitude to Syria at the moment, despite the great wave of hope across the Middle East unleashed by the fall of Assad. The day before The Telegraph visited, troops stationed on the Israel-occupied Golan side of the border conducted an exercise to see how fast they could reach certain Syrian villages in an emergency. And they say that while they have had some success in persuading villagers in the border zone to give up their weapons, few communities trust the situation enough to hand over all their guns. 'We don't want to occupy, we don't want to kill,' the official said. 'We just want to protect the border and protect our people.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
US envoy urges Syria-Israel non-aggression pact
The United States' new envoy for Syria, Thomas Barrack, on Thursday called for a non-aggression agreement between Syria and Israel, describing their conflict as a "solvable problem". In remarks to Saudi channel Al Arabiya, Barrack said the two sides could "start with just a non-aggression agreement, talk about boundaries and borders" to rebuild ties. Syria and Israel have technically been at war since 1948. Israel seized the Golan Heights from Syria in 1967 and has carried out hundreds of strikes and several incursions since the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad in December. Israel says its strikes aim to stop advanced weapons reaching Syria's new authorities, whom it considers jihadists. It has also warned of further action if they fail to protect the Druze minority. Barrack made the comments after inaugurating the US ambassador's residence in Damascus, the first such move in more than a decade. Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa said earlier this month his administration was holding indirect talks with Israel to calm tensions. Sharaa, once a jihadist leader wanted in the United States, led the rebel offensive that toppled Assad. Since coming to power, he has pledged inclusive governance and openness to the world. His administration has re-established diplomatic ties with several powers. During a Gulf tour this month, US President Donald Trump announced the lifting of sanctions on Syria and voiced hope it would normalise relations with Israel. "I told him, I hope you're going to join once you're straightened out and he said yes. But they have a lot of work to do," he said of Sharaa, calling him a "young, attractive guy" and a "fighter". On May 8 in France, Sharaa said Syria was holding "indirect talks through mediators" with Israel to "try to contain the situation so it does not reach the point where it escapes the control of both sides." AFP
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
US envoy urges Syria-Israel non-aggression pact
Syria's interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, left, shakes hands with U.S. Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack (AP) DAMASCUS: The United States' new envoy for Syria, Thomas Barrack, on Thursday called for a non-aggression agreement between Syria and Israel, describing their conflict as a "solvable problem". In remarks to Saudi channel Al Arabiya, Barrack said the two sides could "start with just a non-aggression agreement, talk about boundaries and borders" to rebuild ties. Syria and Israel have technically been at war since 1948. Israel seized the Golan Heights from Syria in 1967 and has carried out hundreds of strikes and several incursions since the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad in December. Israel says its strikes aim to stop advanced weapons reaching Syria's new authorities, whom it considers jihadists. It has also warned of further action if they fail to protect the Druze minority. Barrack made the comments after inaugurating the US ambassador's residence in Damascus, the first such move in more than a decade. Also read: US envoy lands in Syria as Washington-Damascus ties begin to thaw Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa said earlier this month his administration was holding indirect talks with Israel to calm tensions. Restoring US ties Sharaa, once a jihadist leader wanted in the United States, led the rebel offensive that toppled Assad. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Bolsas nos olhos? (Tente isso hoje à noite) Revista Saúde & Beleza Saiba Mais Undo Since coming to power, he has pledged inclusive governance and openness to the world. His administration has re-established diplomatic ties with several powers. During a Gulf tour this month, US President Donald Trump announced the lifting of sanctions on Syria and voiced hope it would normalise relations with Israel. "I told him, I hope you're going to join once you're straightened out and he said yes. But they have a lot of work to do," he said of Sharaa, calling him a "young, attractive guy" and a "fighter". On May 8 in France, Sharaa said Syria was holding "indirect talks through mediators" with Israel to "try to contain the situation so it does not reach the point where it escapes the control of both sides." The United States has in recent months started rebuilding ties with Syria, ending more than a decade of diplomatic freeze. Syria signed a $7 billion energy deal on Thursday with a consortium of Qatari, US and Turkish companies as it seeks to rehabilitate its war-ravaged electricity sector. US flag raised The agreement, signed in the presence of interim Sharaa and Barrack, is expected to generate 5,000 megawatts of electricity and cover half of the country's needs. "Only a week after President Trump's announcement to lift sanctions, we have already unlocked billions of dollars of international investment for Syria," Barrack posted on X. Syria said the deal signalled the new authorities' openness to regional and global partnerships after 14 years of war. AFP photographers saw the US flag raised at the newly reopened ambassador's residence, just a few hundred metres (yards) from the US embassy in the Abu Rummaneh neighbourhood, under tight security. "Tom understands there is great potential in working with Syria to stop Radicalism, improve Relations, and secure Peace in the Middle East," Trump said, according to the State Department on X. The US embassy in Syria was closed after Assad's repression of a peaceful uprising that began in 2011, which degenerated into civil war. Barrack met Sharaa in Istanbul on 24 May, after Trump held talks with the Syrian interim leader in Riyadh and lifted sanctions on Syria. The last US ambassador to Syria, Robert Ford, was declared persona non grata in 2011 after defying the Assad government by visiting a city that was under army siege and the site of a major anti-regime protests. In December, a US delegation led by Barbara Leaf, the State Department's Middle East representative, held an initial meeting with the new leadership in Damascus.
