Latest news with #SyrianObservatory
The National
2 days ago
- General
- The National
Israel attacks western Syria as indirect talks take place
Israel has bombed western Syria killing at least one person in the first such attack on the country in nearly a month, state media said on Friday. "A strike from Israeli occupation aircraft targeted sites close to the village of Zama in the Jableh countryside south of Latakia," state television said. One civilian was killed 'as a result of an Israeli occupation air strike targeting the vicinity of Zama', state news agency Sana reported. This month, Syrian President Ahmad Al Shara said that his government is holding indirect talks with Israel to bring an end to Israeli attacks on Syria. The US called for a 'non-aggression agreement' between the sides. The Israeli military said it had "struck weapon storage facilities containing coastal missiles that posed a threat to international and Israeli maritime freedom of navigation, in the Latakia area of Syria". "In addition, components of surface-to-air missiles were struck," it said, adding it would "continue to operate to maintain freedom of action in the region, in order to carry out its missions and will act to remove any threat to the state of Israel and its citizens". The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that jets likely to have been Israeli warplanes fired on military sites on the outskirts of Tartus and Latakia. Since 1948, Syria and Israel have technically been at war. The most notable event was when Israel seized the Golan Heights from Syria in 1967 and carried out hundreds of strikes and several incursions. Israel said its strikes were aimed at stopping advanced weapons reaching Syria's new authorities, whom it considers as terrorists. This comes as the newly-appointed US envoy to Syria, Thomas Barrack, visited Damascus and said he believed peace between Syria and Israel was achievable. Mr Barrack made his first trip to Damascus on Thursday and said "Syria and Israel are a solvable problem. But it starts with a dialogue.' The US official told the press that 'we need to start with just a non-aggression agreement, talk about boundaries and borders.' The US officially issued a sanctions waiver for Syria last week. Following the waiver, Mr Barrack met Mr Al Shara and Foreign Minister Asaad Al Shibani in Istanbul.
Al Arabiya
2 days ago
- General
- Al Arabiya
Israel strikes western Syria, civilian reported killed
Israel on Friday struck western Syria, the Israeli military and Syrian state media said, with one civilian reportedly killed in the first such attack on the country in nearly a month. It came after Damascus announced earlier this month indirect talks with Israel to calm tensions, and the United States called for a 'non-aggression agreement' between the two countries, which are technically at war. 'A strike from Israeli occupation aircraft targeted sites close to the village of Zama in the Jableh countryside south of Latakia,' state television said. State news agency SANA reported one civilian was killed 'as a result of an Israeli occupation airstrike targeting the vicinity of Zama.' The Israeli military said it had 'struck weapon storage facilities containing coastal missiles that posed a threat to international and Israeli maritime freedom of navigation, in the Latakia area of Syria.' 'In addition, components of surface-to-air missiles were struck,' it said, adding it would 'continue to operate to maintain freedom of action in the region, in order to carry out its missions and will act to remove any threat to the State of Israel and its citizens.' The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights meanwhile reported that jets likely to be Israeli struck military sites on the outskirts of Tartus and Latakia. 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 longtime Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad in December. Israel says its strikes aim to stop advanced weapons reaching Syria's new authorities, whom it considers extremists.
CTV News
2 days ago
- General
- CTV News
Israel strikes western Syria, civilian reported killed
A Syrian flag lies on the ground as opposition fighters stand on the tarmac of the Aleppo international airport, Monday, Dec. 2, 2024.(Omar Albam / The Associated Press) Damascus, Syria — Israel on Friday struck western Syria, the Israeli military and Syrian state media said, with one civilian reportedly killed in the first such attack on the country in nearly a month. It came after Damascus announced earlier this month indirect talks with Israel to calm tensions, and the United States called for a 'non-aggression agreement' between the two countries, which are technically at war. 'A strike from Israeli occupation aircraft targeted sites close to the village of Zama in the Jableh countryside south of Latakia,' state television said. State news agency SANA reported one civilian was killed 'as a result of an Israeli occupation airstrike targeting the vicinity of Zama'. The Israeli military said it had 'struck weapon storage facilities containing coastal missiles that posed a threat to international and Israeli maritime freedom of navigation, in the Latakia area of Syria'. 'In addition, components of surface-to-air missiles were struck,' it said, adding it would 'continue to operate to maintain freedom of action in the region, in order to carry out its missions and will act to remove any threat to the State of Israel and its citizens'. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights meanwhile reported that jets likely to be Israeli struck military sites on the outskirts of Tartus and Latakia. 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 longtime Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad in December. Israel says its strikes aim to stop advanced weapons reaching Syria's new authorities, whom it considers jihadists.
Arab News
2 days ago
- General
- Arab News
Israel strikes western Syria, despite talks
DAMASCUS: Israel on Friday struck western Syria, the Israeli military and Syrian state media said, in the first such attack on the country in nearly a month. It came after Damascus announced earlier this month indirect talks with Israel to calm tensions, and the US called for a 'non-aggression agreement' between the two countries, which are technically at war. 'A strike from Israeli occupation aircraft targeted sites close to the village of Zama in the Jableh countryside south of Latakia,' state television said. The Israeli military shortly thereafter said it 'struck weapon storage facilities containing coastal missiles that posed a threat to international and Israeli maritime freedom of navigation, in the Latakia area of Syria.' 'In addition, components of surface-to-air missiles were struck in the area of Latakia,' it said, adding that it would 'continue to operate to maintain freedom of action in the region, in order to carry out its missions and will act to remove any threat to the State of Israel and its citizens.' The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights meanwhile reported that jets likely to be Israeli struck military sides on the outskirts of Tartus and Latakia. 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 Assad in December. Israel says its strikes aim to stop advanced weapons reaching Syria's new authorities, whom it considers jihadists.
The National
3 days ago
- General
- The National
ISIS claims first attack on Syrian government since fall of Assad regime
ISIS has claimed responsibility for two attacks in southern Syria, including one on government forces that an opposition war monitor described as the first on the Syrian army to be adopted by the extremists since the fall of Bashar Al Assad. In two separate statements issued late on Thursday, ISIS said that in the first attack, a bomb was detonated targeting a vehicle belonging to the regime, leaving seven soldiers dead or wounded. It said the attack occurred 'last Thursday,' or May 22, in the Al Safa area in the desert of the southern province of Sweida. The second attack, ISIS said, occurred this week in a nearby area during which a bomb targeted members of the US-backed Free Syrian Army, claiming that it killed one fighter and wounded three. There was no comment from the government on the claim of the attack and a spokesperson for the Free Syrian Army didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that the attack on government forces killed one civilian and wounded three soldiers, describing it as the first such attack to be claimed by ISIS against Syrian forces since the fall of the Assad regime. Earlier this month, Syrian security troops have started operations to 'eradicate' ISIS from urban centres, an Interior Ministry official told The National. Over the past several months, ISIS has claimed responsibility for attacks against the US-backed and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in the north-east. ISIS once controlled huge swathes of Syria and Iraq. But it was defeated in Syria in March 2019 when SDF fighters captured the last piece of land that the group held. Since then, its sleeper cells have carried out deadly attacks, mainly in eastern and north-east Syria. The Assad regime fell last December in the face of a lightening offensive, who now lead the new government in Damascus.
