Latest news with #RamiAbdelRahman
Qatar Tribune
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Qatar Tribune
Kurds reach deal with Syria on repatriation of IS-affiliated families
dpa Beirut The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in north-eastern Syria have reached a deal with the Syrian government to begin repatriating Islamic State-affiliated families from the Al-Hol camp, a monitor group and Kurdish sources confirmed on Tuesday. The agreement, announced by senior SDF official Sheikhmous Ahmed, stated that a joint mechanism will be established to facilitate the return of 'Syrian families' from the camp. 'This agreement will not include foreign fighters and their families,' Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The development follows a high-level meeting involving SDF representatives, Syrian government officials and members of the US-led international coalition, Kurdish sources said. Farhad al Shami, head of the SDF media centre, said: 'There is no change in the status or management of the Al-Hol camp. The Syrian Democratic Forces will continue their duties with increased intensity and consistent support from the concerned international powers.' Al-Hol camp, located in north-eastern Syria, currently holds around 40,000 people, mostly women and children with suspected ties to the Islamic State.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Kurds reach deal with Syria on repatriation of IS-affiliated families
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in north-eastern Syria have reached a deal with the Syrian government to begin repatriating Islamic State-affiliated families from the Al-Hol camp, a monitor group and Kurdish sources confirmed on Tuesday. The agreement, announced by senior SDF official Sheikhmous Ahmed, stated that a joint mechanism will be established to facilitate the return of "Syrian families" from the camp. "This agreement will not include foreign fighters and their families," Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights told dpa. The development follows a high-level meeting involving SDF representatives, Syrian government officials and members of the US-led international coalition, Kurdish sources said. Farhad al Shami, head of the SDF media centre, told dpa: "There is no change in the status or management of the Al-Hol camp. The Syrian Democratic Forces will continue their duties with increased intensity and consistent support from the concerned international powers." He added that the agreement reached pertains to the transfer of families affiliated with the Islamic State extremist militia organization who are originally from areas under government control, such as Hama and Aleppo. "This has been a long-standing demand by the SDF, but the transfer had been repeatedly delayed due to the lack of a responsible party to receive them," he said, adding that the transfer process will begin "once the objective conditions for receiving such cases by the government are in place." Al-Hol camp, located in north-eastern Syria, currently holds around 40,000 people, mostly women and children with suspected ties to the Islamic State.
Khaleej Times
12-03-2025
- Politics
- Khaleej Times
Thousands of Syria Alawites seek refuge in Russian air base: Monitor
Thousands of Alawites sought refuge in Russia's Hmeimim military air base in western Syria on Tuesday, a war monitor said, after sectarian mass killings swept the region. "Thousands of Alawite civilians fled the massacres in the city of Jableh and its surrounding villages to seek refuge inside and around the Hmeimim military base," the head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Rami Abdel Rahman, told AFP. The war monitor said that 1,225 civilians, the vast majority Alawites, had been killed since violence began on Thursday with clashes between security forces and fighters loyal to ousted president Bashar Al Assad. The killings have been concentrated on Syria's Mediterranean coast, the heartland of the Alawite minority to which Assad belongs. The Observatory said that some of the displaced, who began arriving at the base on Friday, were refusing to go home for fear of further violence while some had had their homes destroyed. It said they were suffering from severe shortages of food, medical equipment and other essentials. Other families were hiding in the mountains, the Observatory said. The mayor of Jableh, Amjad Sultan, told AFP he had come to the base to convince people it was safe to return home. "We came today... to inform them that the situation outside is now safe, as security forces have begun deploying and consolidating control," he said. "We have transported some of the wounded, they are currently in ambulances. We will also work to evacuate the families, one by one," he added. At the entrance to the base, an AFP journalist saw a Syrian Red Crescent convoy evacuating three wounded people, including two women. Some of the displaced were protesting outside, calling for international protection and chanting "Russia, Russia". Russia, which gave Assad military backing during the war, has been trying to establish contact with the new authorities in Damascus in the hope of maintaining control of Hmeimim and its naval base in Tartus.
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Fear lingers after Syrian violence as hundreds seek refuge
After the outbreaks of violence in Syria at the weekend, activists said on Tuesday that members of the Alawite religious minority in particular are still afraid of new attacks. "Everybody is terrified. Some people returned to their homes with the assurances of the security forces on the ground but others are still confined to mountains areas," a resident of Banias told dpa on condition of anonymity. He added that people in the coastal areas which witnessed violence, especially Banias, Jable and Latakia, are mainly confined to their homes - especially men. "Woman are buying the food and necessities for the homes, men are staying indoors with the children," he said. Around 1,000 people have also sought refuge in the Russian air base of Hmeimim on Syria's Mediterranean coast, Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, told dpa. The New York Times also reported the same, citing satellite images. Hundreds of people were on the grounds of the Russian base in Hmeimim and the adjacent Latakia airport. Russia was one of the closest allies of Syria's deposed long-time ruler Bashar al-Assad. The clashes began on Thursday. According to the new rulers in Damascus, armed supporters of the deposed al-Assad government attacked security forces in the coastal province of Latakia. The transitional government responded with a large-scale military operation. Refugees flee to Lebanon Meanwhile in northern Lebanon's Akkar region, mainly Alawite Syrians arrived after crossing a river that splits Syria and Lebanon. Children, the elderly and women crossed with their belongings, according to an eyewitness in the area. He added that they were met on the other side by Lebanese people from the Alawite religion, who drove them to nearby villages. "We lived in hell. The killing was frantic," an 80-year-old Syrian named Hussein Ismail from the coastal city of Tartour said weeping as he was carried on a chair by youths. Fellow refugee Hussam Al Ali, 46, told dpa they did not dare to venture from our home for five days. "We fled our village which is located on the edge of the river and then we crossed into Lebanon," he said. Lisa Abou Khaled, UNHCR spokeswoman in Lebanon, said that according to Lebanese authorities, 6,078 individuals have arrived in around a dozen villages in northern Lebanon alone. She added that "at the request of the government, the humanitarian community (including UNHCR, WFP, UNICEF and the Lebanese Red Cross) is providing immediate basic assistance to this group in the form of ready-to-eat food, hygiene kits and basic items, including blankets from UNHCR." According to the observatory, a total of around 1,500 people were killed in the recent violence, most of them civilians. Activists say the religious minority of the Alawites, to which Al-Assad also belongs, was particularly targeted. The transitional government saw the outbreak of violence as an attempt by Al-Assad loyalists to plunge the country into a new civil war after over a decade of conflict before his December ouster.
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Fear lingers after Syrian violence as hundreds seek refuge at base
After the outbreaks of violence in Syria at the weekend, activists said on Tuesday that members of the Alawite religious minority in particular are still afraid of new attacks. "Everybody is terrified. Some people returned to their homes with the assurances of the security forces on the ground but others are still confined to mountains areas," a resident of Banias told dpa on condition of anonymity. He added that people in the coastal areas which witnessed violence, especially Banias, Jable and Latakia, are mainly confined to their homes - especially men. "Woman are buying the food and necessities for the homes, men are staying indoors with the children," he said. Around 1,000 people have also sought refuge in the Russian air base of Hmeimim on Syria's Mediterranean coast, Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, told dpa. The New York Times also reported the same, citing satellite images. Hundreds of people were reportedly on the grounds of the Russian base in Hmeimim and the adjacent Latakia airport. Russia was one of the closest allies of Syria's deposed long-time ruler Bashar al-Assad. The clashes began on Thursday. According to the new rulers in Damascus, armed supporters of the deposed al-Assad government attacked security forces in the coastal province of Latakia. The transitional government responded with a large-scale military operation. According to the observatory, a total of around 1,500 people were killed, most of them civilians. Activists say the religious minority of the Alawites, to which Al-Assad also belongs, was particularly targeted. The transitional government saw the outbreak of violence as an attempt by Al-Assad loyalists to plunge the country into a new civil war after over a decade of conflict before his December ouster.
