Latest news with #HmeimimAirBase
Straits Times
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
How Reuters counted the dead in the March killings of Syrian Alawites
A man pushes an elderly woman on an airport luggage trolley at Hmeimim Air Base, in Latakia, western Syria, March 20, 2025. Thousands of Alawite families sought refuge there after deadly attacks by pro-government forces targeting their villages. A Reuters investigation found the violence left nearly 1,500 people dead. REUTERS/Stringer To match Special Report SYRIA-SECURITY/COASTAL-KILLINGS LATAKIA, Syria -A Reuters investigation pieced together how the March 7-9 massacres of Syrian Alawites along the country's Mediterranean coast unfolded, identifying a chain of command leading from the attackers directly to men who serve alongside Syria's new leaders in Damascus. The investigation found 1,479 Syrian Alawites were killed and dozens were missing from 40 distinct sites of revenge killings, rampages and looting against the religious minority, long associated with the Assad government. Reuters spoke with over 200 families of victims during visits to massacre sites and by phone, 40 security officials, fighters and commanders, and government-appointed investigators and mediators. Journalists for the news agency also reviewed messages from a Telegram chat established by a Defense Ministry official to coordinate the government response. Journalists examined dozens of videos, obtained CCTV footage and compiled handwritten lists of victims' names. Reuters counted the dead by gathering local lists of names of victims, many of them handwritten, from community leaders and families of the victims. Villagers also gathered pictures and personal details about the victims. For each list, written in Arabic, Reuters cross-checked the names with activists who are either in the relevant village, run Facebook pages, or in the diaspora and have relatives in the places that came under attack. For each massacre site, Reuters also gathered pictures of victims, and photos and locations of mass graves. On March 11, the U.N. said it had counted 111 deaths but acknowledged it as an undercount. It hasn't updated its death tally since. The most recent count from the Syrian Network for Human Rights, an independent monitoring group, shows 1,334 people killed, including 60 children and 84 women. Of that total, 889 were killed by government forces while 446 were killed by pro-Assad fighters, it said. Of the 446, SNHR said that half were civilians and half were government forces. SNHR did not explain how it confirmed the identity of the perpetrators. Reuters could not confirm the SNHR toll for Alawites killed by Assad loyalists or that for the government forces. On March 17, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, another civil society organization, said it had tallied 1,557 civilian deaths but did not detail how it arrived at the figure. The group also counted 273 dead among government forces and 259 among Alawite gunmen affiliated with pro-Assad forces. President al-Sharaa has said 200 government forces died. The government has not released a tally of the dead among Alawite civilians. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
The Independent
21-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Militants kill 2 soldiers in attack on Russian air base in Syria
Militants attacked a Russian air base in Syria, killing two soldiers, a Syrian government official and a local activist said Wednesday. They said that the two militants who launched the attack Tuesday on the Hmeimim air base on Syria's coast were also killed. Both spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation. The Syrian official said that it was unclear whether the two people killed at the base were Russian soldiers or Syrian contractors. Russia's ministry of defense did not respond to a request for comment. The Syrian government has given no official statement on the incident. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based war monitor, reported that at least three people were killed in the attack but that it had been unable to determine if they were attackers or Russian forces. It said the attackers were believed to be foreign fighters affiliated with the new Syrian defense forces. The government official said the two militants who were killed were foreign nationals who had worked as military trainers at a naval college that was training members of the new government's military. He said they had acted on their own in attacking the base and were not officially affiliated with any faction. The new Syrian government, which has been trying to build its diplomatic ties, has been under pressure by the United States and other countries to deal with the ranks of foreign Islamist fighters who joined the armed opposition to Assad and who are often seen as having more extreme and fundamentalist views than their Syrian counterparts. The local activist said he had heard clashes in the area around the base, including both gunfire and shelling. Videos shared on social media showed smoke rising from behind a building at the base amid the sound of gunshots. Former Syrian President Bashar Assad, who fell in a lightning rebel offensive in December, was a close ally of Russia. Moscow's scorched-earth intervention in support of Assad once turned the tide of Syria's civil war, and since his ouster, he has been granted asylum in Russia. But the former insurgents leading Syria's transitional government since Assad's fall have maintained relations with Moscow and have not forced a complete exit of Russian military forces from bases in Syria. In March, when clashes between pro-Assad armed groups and the new government security forces spiraled into sectarian attacks on civilians from the Alawite religious minority to which Assad belongs, thousands of Alawite civilians took refuge in the Hmeimim base, many of whom have remained there. On Tuesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov publicly condemned what he called 'ethnic cleansing' in Syria but did not mention the reported attack on the air base.
Associated Press
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Militants kill 2 soldiers in attack on Russian air base in Syria
IDLIB, Syria (AP) — Militants attacked a Russian air base in Syria, killing two soldiers, a Syrian government official and a local activist said Wednesday. They said that the two militants who launched the attack Tuesday on the Hmeimim air base on Syria's coast were also killed. Both spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation. The Syrian official said that it was unclear whether the two people killed at the base were Russian soldiers or Syrian contractors. Russia's ministry of defense did not respond to a request for comment. The Syrian government has given no official statement on the incident. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based war monitor, reported that at least three people were killed in the attack but that it had been unable to determine if they were attackers or Russian forces. It said the attackers were believed to be foreign fighters affiliated with the new Syrian defense forces. The government official said the two militants who were killed were foreign nationals who had worked as military trainers at a naval college that was training members of the new government's military. He said they had acted on their own in attacking the base and were not officially affiliated with any faction. The new Syrian government, which has been trying to build its diplomatic ties, has been under pressure by the United States and other countries to deal with the ranks of foreign Islamist fighters who joined the armed opposition to Assad and who are often seen as having more extreme and fundamentalist views than their Syrian counterparts. The local activist said he had heard clashes in the area around the base, including both gunfire and shelling. Videos shared on social media showed smoke rising from behind a building at the base amid the sound of gunshots. Former Syrian President Bashar Assad, who fell in a lightning rebel offensive in December, was a close ally of Russia. Moscow's scorched-earth intervention in support of Assad once turned the tide of Syria's civil war, and since his ouster, he has been granted asylum in Russia. But the former insurgents leading Syria's transitional government since Assad's fall have maintained relations with Moscow and have not forced a complete exit of Russian military forces from bases in Syria. In March, when clashes between pro-Assad armed groups and the new government security forces spiraled into sectarian attacks on civilians from the Alawite religious minority to which Assad belongs, thousands of Alawite civilians took refuge in the Hmeimim base, many of whom have remained there. On Tuesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov publicly condemned what he called 'ethnic cleansing' in Syria but did not mention the reported attack on the air base.
Asharq Al-Awsat
05-02-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Russia's Lavrov: Syrian Authorities Facing Challenges, National Dialogue Progressing Slowly
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov indirectly criticized Syria's new authorities, stating that they have failed to initiate meaningful internal dialogue among various factions. He also warned against Western efforts to sideline Russia, China and Iran, stressing that coordinated international efforts are essential to advancing Syria's national reconciliation. Speaking at the 14th Middle East Conference on the sidelines of Valdai International Discussion Club, Lavrov's remarks carried unprecedented undertones, particularly given Russia's recent emphasis on strengthening Syrian-Russian dialogue and holding new rounds of negotiations to shape future relations. His assessment of the situation in Syria was striking, especially as he avoided referring to Ahmed Al-Sharaa as 'president', instead saying 'the authorities represented by Sharaa.' Lavrov noted that these authorities are facing significant challenges, adding that dialogue and mutual understanding within the country have not progressed well. When asked about his evaluation of the current situation in Syria, Lavrov responded: 'We can certainly discuss this in more detail later, but there are serious problems, including with the authorities currently represented by Ahmed Al-Sharaa. The groups that were part of this structure have not engaged in successful dialogue or understanding following the change in power.' He emphasized the need for a pragmatic and constructive approach, urging all stakeholders to focus on the future of the Syrian people rather than pursuing geopolitical gains. A unified effort by all external players is necessary to advance the national dialogue. Lavrov also warned of Western attempts to marginalize Russia, China and Iran in Syria, pushing them into secondary roles in the settlement process. 'Efforts to exclude Russia, China, and Iran from external support for Syria's resolution are not driven by goodwill, but rather expose Western plans to weaken their geopolitical rivals,' he stated. His comments came just a day after the Kremlin reaffirmed its commitment to dialogue with Syria's new authorities, confirming that upcoming rounds of talks would address all outstanding issues, including Russia's military presence at the Hmeimim Air Base and Tartus Naval Base. Russia's intervention in the civil war in Syria and its support to ousted President Bashar al-Assad's regime against opposition factions tipped the conflict in his favor. It granted Assad and his family asylum after Sharaa's opposition fighters took control of Damascus following a lightning and largely unopposed advance in December. Last week, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, who also serves as Presidential Envoy to the Middle East and North Africa, led a high-level delegation to Syria, including officials from Russia's Defense and Foreign Ministries, as well as representatives from its economic sector. The meetings resulted in agreements to continue discussions between Damascus and Moscow. Russian sources viewed the visit as a breakthrough in easing tensions between the two sides and establishing priorities for future negotiations.
