Latest from Ya Libnan
Ya Libnan
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Ya Libnan
Israel strikes military tanks in southern Syria, where government forces clash with Druze militias
Syrian security forces joined the bedouins in their attack against the Druze in Swida province BUSRA AL-HARIR, Syria (AP) — Israel's army said Monday it has struck military tanks in southern Syria, where government forces and Bedouin tribes clashed with Druze militias. Dozens of people have been killed in the fighting between local militias and clans in Syria 's Sweida province. Government security forces that were sent to restore order Monday also clashed with local armed groups. Syria's Interior Ministry has said more than 30 people have died and nearly 100 others have been injured. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a U.K.-based war monitor, reported at least 89 dead, including two Druze children and two Druze women and 14 members of the security forces. The clashes in Syria initially broke out between armed groups from the Druze and Sunni Bedouin clans, the observatory said, with some members of the government security forces 'actively participating' in support of the Bedouins. Interior Ministry spokesperson Noureddine al-Baba claimed the government forces entered Sweida in the early morning to restore order 'Some clashes occurred with outlawed armed groups, but our forces are doing their best to prevent any civilian casualties,' he told the state-run Al-Ikhbariya TV. A clear warning Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz stated that striking targets in Syria was a clear warning to the Syrian regime, stressing that Israel would not allow harm to the Druze in Syria. Failure to protect ninorities 'Ahmed al-Sharaa is not just any leader. He is a former jihadist figure with documented ties to al-Qaeda and ISIS. His sudden transformation into a statesman has done little to reassure those who remember the cruelty of Syria's darkest years. While he and his allies now speak the language of governance and unity, the ground reality tells a very different story.' Ya Libnan, a Lebanese dailynwrote in its editorial today'. 'Ahmed al-Sharaa still has a choice to make—though time is quickly running out. If he is truly seeking redemption from his militant past, if he truly believes in a future for Syria, then protecting the country's minorities must be his immediate priority. That means deploying state resources to guard vulnerable communities, prosecuting those responsible for sectarian violence, and publicly affirming the equal rights of all Syrians, regardless of sect or ethnicity, ' Ya Libnan added. 'If Sharaa fails to rise to this moment, Syria's minorities will not wait to be slaughtered—they will flee, they will resist, and they may ultimately seek international protection. And when that happens, Syria may cease to exist as we know it', Ya Libnan concluded AP
Ya Libnan
16 hours ago
- General
- Ya Libnan
AIR INDIA CRASH: 32 seconds to disaster
Indian army soldiers stand near the wreckage of the aircraft after it crashed in central Kashmir's Budgam district. Pakistan has said it has shot down two Indian aircraft. Photo by Farooq Khan/EPA-EFE From lift-off to impact: What happened on Air India flight 171 in the final seconds before its crash in western India By Vijdan Mohammad Kawoosa , Adolfo Arranz , Arathy J Aluckal and Han Huang A preliminary investigation report into the Air India crash on June 12 has revealed what happened on the Boeing Dreamliner during its final moments — a 32-second journey from lift-off to its crash into hospital buildings near the airport. The crash near Ahmedabad airport killed 241 people on board and 19 on ground. Just one passenger survived. The report focused on the moments after the takeoff, showing the aircraft's two fuel control switches moved to the 'cutoff' position in quick succession. This action cut off fuel supply to the engines, immediately causing the aircraft to lose all thrust. The switches are on the centre console of the cockpit, just below the engine thrust levers. They are used to control fuel flow to the engines—primarily during engine start-up and shutdown on the ground, or to shut down an engine in the event of an engine failure during flight. An illustrated graphic showing part of the cockpit of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, highlighting the location of the fuel switches, flaps lever, speed brake and thrust lever. The metal guards next to the fuel switches are meant to stop anyone touching or activating them accidentally. The fuel control switches are equipped with a spring-loaded locking mechanism that keeps them in position and prevents unintended movement. You would have to pull the switch up before moving it from run to cutoff, or vice versa. Aviation experts say a pilot would not have been able to move the fuel switches accidentally. Once moved, the effect would be immediate, cutting off engine power. A diagram illustrating the function of a fuel control switch in the cockpit of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner. It shows three positions: 'Run', where fuel is supplied to the engines; 'Switch Unlocked', where the switch must be lifted to enable movement; and 'Cutoff', where the fuel supply to the engine is immediately stopped. The preliminary report highlighted key events before and after the aircraft took off. All systems were reported to be functioning normally up until the moment the aircraft became airborne. Aerial map of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport showing Air India Flight 171's location 20 minutes before the crash, leaving the terminal. Aerial map showing the aircraft's movement path as it begins taxiing toward Runway 23 at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, 13 minutes before the crash. Aerial map showing the location and movement path of the aircraft. The aircraft is cleared for takeoff 1 minute and 38 seconds before the crash. It begins rolling four seconds later. The aircraft takes off from the runway 32 seconds before the crash. A series of critical events unfolded in the 32 seconds after the aircraft became airborne, lost thrust and started going down — from the fuel control switches transitioning to the 'cutoff' position to the activation of emergency power supply units and the attempted relighting of the engines. The air inlet door of the Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) begins opening, consistent with its auto start logic. Air flow enters into the APU The APU is a small gas turbine engine located in the tail. APU door During emergencies or when the main engines are off, the APU supplies vital power to maintain the operation of the aircraft's systems. 15 seconds before crash (17 seconds after lift-off) The right engine fuel cutoff switch transitions from 'cutoff' to 'run' position. RUN CUTOFF The aircraft was equipped to automatically restart the engines when the fuel control switches are moved from the 'cutoff' to 'run' position. The report said: The Exhaust Gas Temperature was observed to be rising for both engines, indicating relight. Left engine's core deceleration stopped, reversed and started to progress to recovery. Right engine was able to relight but could not arrest core speed deceleration and reintroduced fuel repeatedly to increase core speed acceleration and recovery. 6 seconds before crash (26 seconds after lift-off) One of the pilots transmits 'Mayday Mayday Mayday', an emergency distress call used in aviation to signal a life-threatening emergency. Air traffic controller enquired, did not get any response from the pilots, and then saw the aircraft crashing outside the airport boundary. 13:39:11(local time) Aircraft's flight data recorders stop recording. The aircraft impacted the BJ Medical College hostel, about 1.6 kilometres from the end of the runway. According to the report, the wreckage was spread across an area of approximately 37,000 square metres. Five buildings shown in the illustration below were impacted and suffered major structural and fire damage. Approximate flight path Aircraft initially made contact with a series of trees and an incineration chimney Diagram showing the timeline of critical events in the final 29 seconds before the crash of Air India Flight 171, and a graphic of the crash site. Highlights include: 29 seconds before the crash, airspeed reached 180 knots; 24 seconds before, both engines' N2 values dropped and RAT hydraulic pump activated; 19 seconds before, Engine 1 fuel cutoff switch set to run; 17 seconds before, APU inlet door opened; 15 seconds before, Engine 2 fuel cutoff switch set to run; 6 seconds before, a 'Mayday' call was made. Recording stopped at 1:39 p.m. local time, marking the crash. Both fuel switches were found in the run position at the crash site. India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau is leading the investigation into the crash. A final report is expected within a year. Sources India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau; OpenStreetMap Edited by Vijdan Mohammad Kawoosa and Andrew Heavens (REUTERS)
Ya Libnan
a day ago
- Politics
- Ya Libnan
Time for Ahmed al-Sharaa to protect Syria's minorities before the country disintegrates
Time for Ahmed al-Sharaa to Protect Syria's Minorities Before the Country Disintegrates More than a decade after the Syrian revolution began, a new chapter is being written—but instead of hope, it is soaked in fear, especially for Syria's minority communities. With the collapse of the Assad regime, the rise of a Sunni-majority leadership under figures like Ahmed al-Sharaa has brought not stability, but renewed anxiety. Minorities such as the Druze, Alawites, and Christians—once wary of Assad but now terrified of what follows—are facing systematic violence and abandonment. Ahmed al-Sharaa is not just any leader. He is a former jihadist figure with documented ties to al-Qaeda and ISIS. His sudden transformation into a statesman has done little to reassure those who remember the cruelty of Syria's darkest years. While he and his allies now speak the language of governance and unity, the ground reality tells a very different story. Clashes in the city of Sweida, a Druze stronghold in southern Syria, have left at least 37 people dead and scores wounded. Sunni Bedouin tribes and Druze fighters have once again taken up arms, and the state—under Sharaa's leadership—has responded with silence or token de-escalation efforts. Hundreds of Druze, Alawites, and Christians have been killed since Sharaa's emergence, yet the government has made no real effort to protect them or hold attackers accountable. These aren't isolated incidents. They are part of a disturbing pattern that suggests the new rulers are either unwilling or incapable of protecting Syria's rich mosaic of identities. The result is a growing exodus, as minorities increasingly view departure as their only guarantee of survival. This failure to govern inclusively not only betrays Syria's remaining social fabric, but it opens the door to international fragmentation. External powers, already present in Syria in various forms, are monitoring closely. Some may seek to intervene under the guise of humanitarian concern; others may exploit the chaos to carve out influence. Either path leads to the same end: the partition of Syria into sectarian or ethnic cantons, forever ending the dream of a unified state. Ahmed al-Sharaa still has a choice to make—though time is quickly running out. If he is truly seeking redemption from his militant past, if he truly believes in a future for Syria, then protecting the country's minorities must be his immediate priority. That means deploying state resources to guard vulnerable communities, prosecuting those responsible for sectarian violence, and publicly affirming the equal rights of all Syrians, regardless of sect or ethnicity. Symbolic gestures are not enough. The people need action. Security. Justice. The assurance that the new Syria will not be a replica of the old tyranny in a different costume. If Sharaa fails to rise to this moment, Syria's minorities will not wait to be slaughtered—they will flee, they will resist, and they may ultimately seek international protection. And when that happens, Syria may cease to exist as we know it. The survival of the state—and the credibility of its new leadership—hinges on whether Ahmed al-Sharaa is willing to break from the very ideology that once sought to destroy Syria's pluralism. If he cannot, or will not, then he will go down not as a liberator, but as a destroyer wearing a different banner.
Ya Libnan
a day ago
- Politics
- Ya Libnan
US will send Patriot missiles to Ukraine, Trump says as he is increasingly disenchanted with Putin
A launcher of a Patriot air defence system of the Ukrainian Air Forces is seen on the ground, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in an undisclosed location, Ukraine August 4, 2024. REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko/File Photo By Steve Holland and Trevor Hunnicutt Ukraine , saying they are necessary to defend the country because Russian President Vladimir Putin 'talks nice but then he bombs everybody in the evening.' Trump did not give a number of Patriots he plans to send to Ukraine, but he said the United States would be reimbursed for their cost by the European Union. The U.S. president has grown increasingly disenchanted with Putin because the Russian leader has resisted Trump's attempts to negotiate a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia. Trump is expected to announce a new plan to arm Ukraine with offensive weapons in a sharp departure from his earlier stance, Axios reported on Sunday, citing two sources familiar with the matter. The White House did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Reuters couldn't immediately verify the report. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has asked for more defensive capabilities to fend off a daily barrage of missile and drone attacks from Russia. 'We will send them Patriots, which they desperately need, because Putin really surprised a lot of people. He talks nice and then bombs everybody in the evening. But there's a little bit of a problem there. I don't like it,' Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews outside of Washington. 'We basically are going to send them various pieces of very sophisticated military equipment. They are going to pay us 100% for that, and that's the way we want it,' Trump said. He plans to meet NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte to discuss Ukraine and other issues this week. (Reuters)
Ya Libnan
a day ago
- Politics
- Ya Libnan
Dozens killed in sectarian clashes in Syria as concern over protection of minorities intensifies
Screen capture from video purporting to show clashes between Syrian Druze and Bedouin militias in the area of Sweida, southern Syria, July 13, 2025. At least 37 people have been killed in clashes in southern Syria as authorities sent forces to de-escalate the situation. Scores of people were also injured in the violence between Bedouin Sunni tribes and fighters from the Druze religious minority in the city of Sweida. Syria's interior ministry said at least 30 people were killed, while the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor, put the death toll at 37. Fighting between different minority groups has escalated since the collapse of the Assad regime in December. A new Islamic-led government is working to establish control within the country, which remains in a fragile situation. At the end of last year, Sunni Islamist-rebels led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) stormed Damascus. They toppled President Bashar al-Assad , whose family had ruled the country for 54 years. Syria's interior ministry said early on Monday its forces would directly intervene to resolve the conflict and halt the clashes, which it said had left 100 injured. The governor of Sweida, Mustapha al-Bakur, called on his constituents to 'exercise self-restraint and respond to national calls for reform'. Spiritual leaders have also called for calm. In April and May clashes between the new security forces and Druze fighters killed dozens of people. The Druze faith is an off-shoot of Islam, with sizeable communities also in Lebanon, Jordan , Israel and the US. Under the Assad regime, many were quietly loyal to the state in the hope it would offer protection during the 13-year-long civil war. Lack of protection of Minorities by the regime Earlier this month, people from the Druze community told the BBC they were not only worried about physical attacks but also not being protected by the new government . In recent months, hundreds of people have also been killed from the Alawite minority, a branch of Shia Islam, and worshippers inside a church in Damascus have also been attacked. Western countries have sought to reset relations with Syria. The US took HTS off its list of foreign terrorist organisations this month, while Foreign Secretary David Lammy become the first UK minister to visit Syria since the uprising that led to the country's civil war began 14 years ago. BBC
