Latest news with #civilDefense
Al Arabiya
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
At least 20 killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza: Civil defense
At least 20 people have been killed in Israeli air strikes on Gaza, the territory's civil defense says. Developing...
CNN
09-07-2025
- Climate
- CNN
Wildfires spread in northeastern Syria
Hundreds of people have been forced to flee as wildfires spread in northeastern Syria, according to civil defense officials. Emergency crews are battling to contain the fast-moving flames which have been fuelled by intense heat and strong winds. Thousands of hectares of forest and farmland have burned in the country's northwest Latakia province. The fires, which have been burning for nearly a week, come as Syria's new government tries to push forward the country's recovery after more than a decade of war and crippling sanctions, with basic services non-existent in many areas. The country is also in the grip of a long-running drought.
France 24
08-07-2025
- Politics
- France 24
Gaza civil defence says 29 killed in Israeli strikes
Among those were nine people killed in a drone strike on a camp for displaced people near Khan Yunis, in southern Gaza, according to civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal. Shaimaa Al-Shaer, 30, a resident of the Al-Sanabel camp, told AFP: "I was in front of my tent preparing breakfast for my four children -- beans and a bit of dry bread. Suddenly, there was an explosion. "Smoke and dust filled the area. Debris and stones flew in all directions and hit our tent," she added. "Four children who were playing in front of the neighbouring tent were injured. I saw people carrying martyrs. We don't know where death comes from, the bombings continue." Bassal said that 20 other people, including at least three children and two women, were killed in six other strikes on Tuesday across the Gaza Strip. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military when contacted by AFP. The military earlier announced that five of its soldiers were killed in northern Gaza and two others were severely wounded. Due to restrictions imposed on media in the Gaza Strip and difficulties accessing the area, AFP is unable to independently verify the death tolls and details shared by the parties involved. The war was triggered by Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas's unprecedented attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. The attack resulted in 1,219 deaths on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to an AFP count based on official data. Of the 251 people abducted that day, 49 are still hostages in Gaza, including 27 declared dead by the Israeli army. At least 57,523 Gazans, most of them civilians, have been killed in Israel's retaliatory campaign, according to data from the Hamas-run territory's health ministry. The figures are deemed reliable by the UN. © 2025 AFP
CNN
06-07-2025
- Climate
- CNN
Wildfires sweep through forests in drought-hit Syrian coast in major test for new government
Massive wildfires have torn through Syria's coastal mountain region of Jabal Turkman since Thursday, destroying thousands of hectares of forest and overwhelming emergency services. Abdel Kafi Kayyal, director of civil defense in Lattakia province, said efforts to control the fires have been hampered by strong winds, rugged terrain and the danger of landmines left behind from years of war. The fires come as Syria's new government tries to drive the country's recovery after more than a decade of war and crippling sanctions, with basic services non-existent in many parts of the country. The fires have burned along a line of 20-kilometers (12 miles), cutting off roads and forcing thousands to flee their homes. They have also left some areas without power. Drone video showed fires advancing along a broad front in rugged territory, occasionally flaring up as they encounter tinder-dry woodland. 'This fire is extremely difficult,' Kayyal told CNN on Saturday, adding that reinforcements have been called in from across the country. The fires have now spread into parts of Tartous province, despite the efforts of more than 60 firefighting units. Syrian authorities have appealed for international assistance. Turkey has sent two helicopters and 11 firefighting vehicles, and on Sunday Jordanian civil defense teams crossed the border to join efforts to contain the fires. Satellite data from NASA's FIRMS service indicates the burned area now exceeds 180 square kilometers, an area larger than the capital, Damascus. According to Syrian government figures from 2023, the country's forest cover stands at around 5,270 square kilometers, suggesting that these fires have consumed more than 3% of the country's total forested land in just three days. The country is also in the grip of a long-running drought. The Carnegie Endowment Middle East program reported last year that the entire Euphrates Basin region, particularly the southern and eastern desert areas of Syria, had suffered from low rainfall and exceptionally high temperatures for four years.
CNN
06-07-2025
- Climate
- CNN
Wildfires sweep through forests in drought-hit Syrian coast in major test for new government
Massive wildfires have torn through Syria's coastal mountain region of Jabal Turkman since Thursday, destroying thousands of hectares of forest and overwhelming emergency services. Abdel Kafi Kayyal, director of civil defense in Lattakia province, said efforts to control the fires have been hampered by strong winds, rugged terrain and the danger of landmines left behind from years of war. The fires come as Syria's new government tries to drive the country's recovery after more than a decade of war and crippling sanctions, with basic services non-existent in many parts of the country. The fires have burned along a line of 20-kilometers (12 miles), cutting off roads and forcing thousands to flee their homes. They have also left some areas without power. Drone video showed fires advancing along a broad front in rugged territory, occasionally flaring up as they encounter tinder-dry woodland. 'This fire is extremely difficult,' Kayyal told CNN on Saturday, adding that reinforcements have been called in from across the country. The fires have now spread into parts of Tartous province, despite the efforts of more than 60 firefighting units. Syrian authorities have appealed for international assistance. Turkey has sent two helicopters and 11 firefighting vehicles, and on Sunday Jordanian civil defense teams crossed the border to join efforts to contain the fires. Satellite data from NASA's FIRMS service indicates the burned area now exceeds 180 square kilometers, an area larger than the capital, Damascus. According to Syrian government figures from 2023, the country's forest cover stands at around 5,270 square kilometers, suggesting that these fires have consumed more than 3% of the country's total forested land in just three days. The country is also in the grip of a long-running drought. The Carnegie Endowment Middle East program reported last year that the entire Euphrates Basin region, particularly the southern and eastern desert areas of Syria, had suffered from low rainfall and exceptionally high temperatures for four years.
