Posted by: Fred ||
12/23/2025 ||
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#1
For my California friends and ex-pats:
"Genoa, Nev. — A winter storm warning was issued by the National Weather Service starting 10 p.m. today for the Sierra Nevada from stem to stern. The warning expires 10 a.m. Friday with 3-5 feet of snow forecast for above 7,000 feet. Gusty winds are predicted to hit 100 mph on the ridges and 50 mph on the Lake.
Forecasters are predicting hazardous travel conditions in the Sierra through Wednesday and Christmas, so it might be a good idea to find a spot and hunker down for a spell."
[FoxNews] Operation Highway Sentinel targets drivers from Russia, Mexico, India and other countries following fatal accidents
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested more than 100 illegal alien truck drivers on California highways in Operation Highway Sentinel, launched after a string of deadly crashes linked to commercial driving licenses (CDLs) issued under Gov. Gavin Newsom’s policies.
Federal authorities said the sweep was launched after multiple fatal crashes across several states involving illegal alien truck drivers licensed in California, underscoring growing concerns that the state’s commercial licensing policies are putting motorists nationwide at risk.
Those arrested included illegal aliens from India, Mexico, Colombia, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Nicaragua, Russia, Georgia, Venezuela, El Salvador and Honduras.
"Gavin Newsom’s sanctuary state policies are costing American lives," ICE Deputy Director Madison Sheahan said. "His government knowingly issued thousands of CDLs to illegal aliens who had no business driving at all, let alone behind the wheel of a massive semi-truck. These drivers get their licenses, leave California, then terrorize roads all over the country."
"ICE is stepping in where his state failed," Sheahan added. "Just like our operations in Oklahoma and Indiana, we are taking these dangerous illegal alien truckers off the roads and making California streets safe again."
ICE said in a press release that Operation Highway Sentinel was launched in direct response to growing concerns that criminal illegal aliens driving commercial vehicles on U.S. roads cause multiple fatal accidents in states like California, Florida and Oregon, claiming "eight innocent lives."
The agency accused California, under Newsom’s leadership, of issuing thousands of CDLs to illegal aliens, some of whom could not read English or understand road signs.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Newsom's office for comment on the matter.
Similar operations targeting illegal aliens have been executed in Indiana, New York and Oklahoma, and have resulted in the arrest of over 200 illegal immigrant truck drivers who were issued CDLs.
"This week HSI, along with our partners, conducted enforcement operations targeting illegal alien commercial truck drivers across California’s Central Valley in the interest of public safety," Tatum King, the special agent in charge at Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Francisco, said. "In the wake of multiple deadly motor vehicle accidents involving illegal aliens operating as commercial truck drivers, federal law enforcement is taking action to prevent further tragedy."
The latest operation in California targeted trucking companies in central and northern portions of the state that were suspected of engaging in criminal activity, ICE said.
ICE also said the trucking industry is known by law enforcement to involve criminal organizations engaged in human smuggling, labor trafficking, narcotics trafficking and cargo theft, among other things.
Of the 101 illegal alien truck drivers arrested during the operation, all will be held by ICE pending immigration proceedings.
Earlier this year, an Indian national who was issued a CDL by California allegedly killed a carload of people after attempting to make an illegal U-turn on a highway in Florida.
The Florida Attorney General’s Office said in October that the driver, Harjinder Singh, failed his CDL test 10 times in two months before finally receiving a license in 2023 in Washington State.
The Washington company that trained Singh for his CDL attested that he could speak English, even though he struggled to speak it proficiently, the senior official said. Still, Washington issued Singh his first CDL, and California later granted him another.
Officials investigating the wreck in Florida said Singh failed English and road sign tests. He's accused of jackknifing his 18-wheeler during an illegal U-turn, causing a van to smash into the side of the semi, leaving three people dead.
The Florida AG’s office has since sued California and Washington in a Supreme Court filing to prevent both states from issuing CDLs to illegal immigrants. The lawsuit accuses the states of failing to comply with federal safety and immigration status requirements.
Elsewhere in Blue America:
BREAKING: Kamalpreet Singh, the ILLEGAL truck driver who reportedly caused a deadly crash in WA, has been RELEASED from prison after paying a $100,000 bond.
The money was then RETURNED to him after prosecutors failed to follow up on the case
OK!
ICE is addressing the results of an ongoing organized criminal conspiracy.
Given, it has been abundantly clear for YEARS now, that even UPPER LEVEL California politicians conspired to violate numerous Federal Laws and even their own state laws.
[KhaamaPress] The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the occupiers of Greek Asia Minor... ’s intelligence agency has arrested a senior ISIS-K member near the Afghanistan—Pakistain border, foiling planned attacks and gaining critical intelligence on the group’s recruitment and operational networks.
Turkey’s intelligence agency has captured a senior member of Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems.... ’s Khorasan branch in a covert operation carried out near the Afghanistan—Pakistain border, Ottoman Turkish state media reported on Monday.
The suspect, identified as Yahya and also known by the alias Mohammed Goren, was described as a high-ranking ISKP operative involved in planning suicide kabooms across several countries.
According to Anadolu Agency, the operation helped prevent planned suicide kabooms in Turkey and elsewhere, dealing a significant blow to the group’s external attack network.
Ottoman Turkish intelligence officials said the suspect, a Ottoman Turkish national, was detained in a secret cross-border operation and later brought to Turkey. Authorities did not disclose when the arrest took place or whether Afghan or Pak officials were involved.
The report said Goren had received ideological and military training in Islamic State camps and gradually rose through the ranks, eventually being tasked with organising attacks in Turkey, Pakistain, Afghanistan and parts of Europe.
Officials said his arrest has yielded critical intelligence on Islamic State’s recruitment methods, logistics and operational planning, strengthening Turkey’s counterterrorism capabilities.
Islamic State has previously carried out deadly attacks in Turkey, including the 2017 New Year’s Eve assault on an Istanbul nightclub that killed 39 people, highlighting the persistent threat posed by the group.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
12/23/2025 00:00 ||
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As a result of the Sudanese Air Force targeting the Colombian mercenaries’ camp at Nyala Airport, a fire erupted that is considered the largest since the outbreak of the war at the airport. The fire spread near the Colombian mercenaries’ tents and extended from the airport… https://t.co/m272ebHGubpic.twitter.com/OzEFsXGg6U
As a result of the Sudanese Air Force targeting the Colombian mercenaries’ camp at Nyala Airport, a fire erupted that is considered the largest since the outbreak of the war at the airport. The fire spread near the Colombian mercenaries’ tents and extended from the airport perimeter fence to the runway, indicating that the site was likely evacuated temporarily until the fire was brought under control.
The Sudanese Air Force had previously carried out dozens of airstrikes on Nyala Airport, rendering it completely out of service. Despite this, the Rapid Support Forces militia continues its attempts to reactivate the airport for the launch of drones or for transporting Colombian mercenaries and returning them to the breakaway region of Somaliland.
Jubaland’s Hanqadh intelligence forces move against Al-Shabaab remnants in Badhaadhe, denying them any safe space as pressure mounts on the Jamaame–Jilib front.
Jubaland’s Intelligence and Security Forces (NISA) Hanqadh Unit have carried out targeted clearance… pic.twitter.com/H1rgdyjZQN
Jubaland’s Hanqadh intelligence forces move against Al-Shabaab remnants in Badhaadhe, denying them any safe space as pressure mounts on the Jamaame–Jilib front.
Jubaland’s Intelligence and Security Forces (NISA) Hanqadh Unit have carried out targeted clearance operations in areas of Badhaadhe district, 200 km south of Kismayo, as part of parallel counter-insurgency efforts supporting the main advance in the Jamaame–Jilib corridor.
The operation focused on flushing out remaining Al-Shabaab elements attempting to hide in rural areas away from the frontlines, as pressure intensifies on the group further north toward Jamaame and Jilib.
During the operation, forces reached a location used by militants to manufacture improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and seized landmines intended for attacks on civilians, disrupting planned sabotage efforts and further degrading Al-Shabaab’s operational reach.
Officials said the action helps secure rear areas and supply routes, ensuring that advances toward Jamaame and Jilib are not undermined by infiltration or asymmetric attacks.
NEW | Al Shabaab has increased the scale of its attacks on Somali federal government (SFG) facilities in Mogadishu in December amid rising tensions between the SFG and opposition over electoral reforms.
NEW | Al Shabaab has increased the scale of its attacks on Somali federal government (SFG) facilities in Mogadishu in December amid rising tensions between the SFG and opposition over electoral reforms.
The group carried out suicide bombings on two separate military bases in Mogadishu on December 10, which were part of at least seven total al Shabaab attacks on SFG facilities from December 10 to 13.
Growing tensions over upcoming federal elections in 2026 could create additional security gaps and high-publicity targets for al Shabaab to exploit.
Al Shabaab has previously increased activity in Mogadishu amid political tension, including elections, and has already threatened to target election sites as the SFG has rolled out a contentious new direct election system for Mogadishu’s municipal elections in late December 2025.
Al Shabaab has consolidated support zones outside of Mogadishu in the Middle Shabelle region and the Afgoi corridor despite earlier SFG and African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) gains in the lower Shabelle River valley in 2025.
#ALERT: Al-Shabaab Advances Toward the coastal town of Warsheikh as Fighting Intensifies in Jabad-Godane and Allanleey in the Middle Shabelle Region
Reports from Somalia’s Middle Shabelle region indicate that Al-Shabaab militants are advancing toward the coastal town of Warsheikh. The militants are reportedly engaged in heavy fighting with government forces in the areas of Jabad-Godane and Allanleey, both of which fall under the administration of Warsheikh District.
Four days ago, Al-Shabaab militants seized control of the town of Nuurdugle, heightening concerns over their expanding presence and growing security threats in the region.
Sources further report that, for the first time, a significant number of Al-Shabaab militants have reached the outskirts of Warsheikh District in Middle Shabelle. Additionally, explosions were reported earlier today targeting units of the Federal Government forces as they were traveling through villages under the jurisdiction of Warsheikh.
Niger – On December 21, 2025, the MPLJ, a pro-Bazoum
…former philosophy professor Mohamed Bazoum is a Nigerien politician who served as the 10th president of Niger from 2021 to 2023. Then he was overthrown by a general, and with his wife thrown in jail, no doubt to keep him safe…
rebel group, attacked a pipeline south of Jaouro, in the Agadem area. (📽️)
🔸 This pipeline supplies crude oil to the SORAZ refinery, a Nigerien company whose capital is majority-owned by a Chinese firm: the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC).
ℹ️ This is the MPLJ's (Patriotic Movement for Freedom and Justice) 6th official communiqué since early September. four claiming attacks, including three on the Agadem oil field, similar to yesterday's, and one against the Nigerien National Guard, resulting in one death and three injuries. (see article below ⏬)
⚠️ In its communiqués, the MPLJ calls on "companies to immediately disengage from all activities linked to the current junta" and states that these attacks will continue and intensify as long as "Tiani clings to illegitimate power."
Armed bandit arrested following gun battle in Zamfara
By: Zagazola Makama
An armed bandit has been arrested by security forces after a gun battle on the Tsafe–Yanwaren Daji feeder road in Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
An armed bandit has been arrested by security forces after a gun battle on the Tsafe–Yanwaren Daji feeder road in Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
Sources Zagazola that the incident occurred at about 4:55 p.m. on Dec. 21, when a group of armed bandits blocked the road, disrupting traffic along the axis.
According to the source, a security team on patrol along the route engaged the bandits in a serious exchange of gunfire, forcing them to retreat with multiple gunshot injuries.
“One of the bandits, identified as Umar Alhaji Buhari, also known as Bingel, was arrested during the encounter,” the source said.
The source added that the road was subsequently cleared for the free flow of motorists and other road users.
The arrested bandit has been handed over to police SCID Gusau for investigation.
🚨News Summary : -DRC Government coalition special forces ATTACKED the M23 positions in Makobola. They were defeated and neutralized. Is the international community going to discuss these attacks on the M23 positions in Makobola? Will anyone consider this a ceasefire… pic.twitter.com/IBWkZisUiN
🚨News Summary :
-DRC Governmentcoalition special forces ATTACKED the M23 positions in Makobola. They were defeated and neutralized.
Is the international community going to discuss these attacks on the M23 positions in Makobola? Will anyone consider this a ceasefire violation, or people think Tshisekedi is permitted to act as he pleases?
- Reliable Reports mention that Burundi army is deploying in Kalemi
- Some Congolese refugees facing threats in Gatumba, some killed.
For the first time, the US Air Force conducts ISR operations on ISWAP strongholds in Sambisa forest and Al-Faruq (Timbuktu Triangle) in Borno State, northeast Nigeria, four days in a row of ISR on the two Islamic State provinces in Nigeria (IS-Sahel and ISWAP). https://t.co/ywymQjXSdBpic.twitter.com/43v6hAUZy6
For the first time, the US Air Force conducts ISR operations
…for those like me not military or related, that’s intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance…
on ISWAP strongholds in Sambisa forest and Al-Faruq (Timbuktu Triangle) in Borno State, northeast Nigeria, four days in a row of ISR on the two Islamic State provinces in Nigeria (IS-Sahel and ISWAP).
#2
RUFKM (fitting for a title loaded with Acronym gibberish). Missions over Nigeria and the Timbuktu Triangle? In what universe is this God-forsaken-place of meaningful significance to our national security?
A border area between Nigeria's Borno and Yobe states is known as the "Timbuktu Triangle". It should not be confused with the city of Timbuktu in Mali.
[IsraelTimes] The US military says it killed one alleged drug trafficker aboard a “low-profile” boat travelling along what it added were known drug transit routes in the eastern Pacific Ocean.
“One male narco-terrorist was confirmed killed during this action. No US military forces were harmed,” US Southern Command, which oversees Washington’s military operations in South America, says in a post on X.
#1
sounds like it's getting hard to find ppl to operate these boats.
Posted by: chris ||
12/23/2025 4:59 Comments ||
Top||
#2
I withheld judgement until Senator Rand Paul came out strongly against the boat bombings. Rand Paul's objections clearly prove Trump is taking the correct course of action.
[IsraelTimes] German authorities have detained a 21-year-old man in the central city of Magdeburg who was allegedly plotting to attack “large crowds,” regional officials tell AFP.
The man, who is originally from Central Asia, expressed plans to carry out an attack that “could have had an Islamist motivation,” according to the interior ministry of Saxony-Anhalt, the eastern state that includes Magdeburg.
The ministry says it is preparing a deportation order, citing a “fact-based prognosis” that the man may pose a danger to Germany or a “terrorist threat.”
The 21-year-old man was taken into custody on Friday, the same day that German police arrested five men for allegedly plotting an Islamist car-ramming attack on a Christmas market in the southern German state of Bavaria.
The five suspects arrested in Bavaria include three Moroccans, a Syrian and a 56-year-old Egyptian who — according to the tabloid, “Bild” — serves as imam at a mosque in the Bavarian town of Dingolfing-Landau.
[Yahoo-DPA] The suspect in the Christmas market car ramming that claimed six lives in the east German city of Magdeburg a year ago is not fit to stand trial, presiding judge Dirk Sternberg said on Thursday.
Sternberg based his ruling on a report by the prison doctor in Burg where Taleb al-Abdulmohsen,
… the drug-using, German-trained psychotherapist from Hofuf in the Shiite region of Saudi Arabia who treated German patients for eighteen years — since his arrival in 2006 — despite becoming dangerously mentally unstable himself. A mental instability that was reported to various authorities a number of times over the years, and an equal number of times brushed off — possibly because no one wanted to be seen as racist, the other possibility being that no one cared that the welfare of the masses receiving government health insurance was placed in the hands of a dangerous monomaniac who spent all his free time tweeting about German unfairness to non-Syrian refugees and whether he ought to commit mass murder to punish them for it…
the 51-year-old suspect, is being held. Al-Abdulmohsen was on hunger strike and his weight had fallen to 47.6 kilograms, with his vital signs deteriorating by the day, the judge said.
Doctors are predicting the likelihood of acute kidney failure, with a medical expert in the court saying that al-Abdulmohsen will need constant monitoring.
The Magdeburg district court was considering how to proceed in the case and whether the trial can proceed without the presence of the accused, who hails from Saudi Arabia. He has admitted responsibility.
Al-Abdulmohsen's refusal to eat has been at the focus since the start of the trial on November 10. On the second day of the trial, he said: "I started the hunger strike yesterday. I intend to do it for three weeks. No physical harm is expected."
Sternberg responded at the time: "You do not have the power to delay or torpedo the trial by going on hunger or thirst strike." As the charges had been read out in court and the accused had been allowed the opportunity to respond, proceedings could continue without him, Sternberg ruled.
On December 20 last year, al-Abdulmohsen drove a 2-ton hired vehicle at up to 48 kilometres an hour into the Christmas market in the German city. Six people died, and more than 300 were injured.
Man drives car into bus stop in Giessen, at least four injured
[DW] A 32-year-old man drove his car into a bus stop in the town of Giessen, 50 kilometers (31 miles) north of Frankfurt, on Monday afternoon, injuring at least four people, one of them seriously.
Police said the man — an Azerbaijani national who lives in Giessen — had previously crashed into two other vehicles at a junction before continuing, driving into the bus stop shortly after.
Only after driving a bit further did he then stop before being arrested.
Possibly he was drunk or overtired. Possibly it was Sudden Jihad Syndrome. Possibly we’ll be informed which.
"The exact circumstances of the incident are currently unknown and are the subject of the investigation," a police spokesperson said, but declined to comment on whether the incident was believed to be an accident or deliberate behavior.
[IsraelTimes] A Christmas tree and nativity were burned before dawn on Monday in Jenin’s Holy Redeemer Church, the Latin Catholic church says on Facebook.
The Palestinian Authority’s civil defense agency was able to contain the fire within the church gates, according to the church. No injuries or arrests are reported.
The church indicates that the arson is thought to have been committed by Muslim Palestinians rather than Jewish settlers.
Father Amer Jubran, the parish priest, says in a statement via the church that the fire was a “shameful and reprehensible act perpetrated by outlaws” that did not reflect Muslim-Christian relations among Palestinians.
Jenin area church leaders met with Jenin Governor Kamal Abu al-Rub and other PA officials at the governor’s office later Monday to discuss the arson investigation and stress inter-communal unity, according to the Holy Redeemer Church.
Referring to Israel, the church says: “We’re certain that this incident only serves the occupation’s agenda — to sow division among our people.”
[IsraelTimes] Demonstrations to ramp up as ministerial committee advances government’s plan for politically appointed investigation of October 7 attack, rather than state commission of inquiry.
[IsraelTimes] Syria’s interior ministry says it has seized SAM-7 anti-aircraft missiles that were being smuggled out of the country.
The weapons were located in a house in the town of al-Bukamal, close to the Iraqi border in Syria’s Deir ez-Zor region, the ministry says. It does not specify the date of the operation, the source of the weapons, where they were headed, or how many there were.
Sources close to the ministry are cited by UK-based Arabic newspaper Asharq al-Awsat as saying the missiles were being smuggled to Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The sources do not identify the origin of the weapons, but say Iran used to smuggle weapons to Hezbollah through al-Bukamal during the 14-year Syrian civil war that ended when rebels toppled Syria’s longtime Iran-backed President Bashar al-Assad a year ago.
Local sources quoted by Asharq al-Awsat say the area still has “sleeper cells belonging to Iran and Hezbollah that are trying to smuggle these weapons.” The new Syrian regime has succeeded in arresting some of the smugglers, the sources say.
Pro-Iranian Iraqi militias seized al-Bukamal during the Syrian civil war and dug a large network of smuggling tunnels that passed near an Iranian base called Imam Ali, mere kilometers from the border with Iraq, Asharq al-Awsat says.
Citing footage published two days ago, the newspaper says the tunnels were large enough for a vehicle to pass through and appear to have been a major smuggling route.
The local sources quoted by Asharq al-Awsat say the new Syrian regime has uncovered and destroyed some of the tunnels, but not all.
وردت معلومات دقيقة إلى مديرية الأمن في البوكمال تفيد بإخفاء صواريخ مضادة للطيران داخل أحد المنازل، تمهيدًا لتهريبها خارج البلاد.
وبناءً على هذه المعلومات، نُفذت عملية مداهمة محكمة أسفرت عن ضبط صواريخ من نوع "سام-7". pic.twitter.com/7L1hgKcIhn
[AnNahar] An Israeli strike targeted Monday a car in the Sidon district near the southern villages of Erkay, Maamariyyeh and Qonaytra, killing three people.
The state-run National News Agency said the strike on a vehicle was carried out by an Israeli drone along a road around 10 kilometers from the coastal city of Sidon and "killed three people who were inside".
An Israeli military statement said the army "struck several Hezbollah terrorists in the area of Sidon".
Israel has kept up regular strikes on Lebanon, usually saying it is targeting Hezbollah infrastructure or operatives, despite a November 2024 ceasefire that sought to end more than a year of hostilities that erupted over the Gaza war.
It has also kept troops in five south Lebanon areas that it deems "strategic".
The IDF said Tuesday that an airstrike the previous day killed a Hezbollah operative who also served in a Lebanese army intelligence unit, marking a rare and potentially explosive overlap between Lebanon’s military and the Iran-backed terrorist group. Two other Hezbollah members were also killed in the strike.
According to the military, the main target, Ali Abdullah, was a Hezbollah operative and concurrently a soldier in Lebanon’s army. The strike, which targeted a car in al-Quneitra near the southern city of Sidon, also killed Mustafa Balout, reportedly active in Hezbollah’s air defense in the Sidon region, and Hassan Hamdan.
In anticipation of a potential broader military campaign in Lebanon, the IDF revealed earlier this month that at least 40 Hezbollah operatives had been killed in 30 southern Lebanese villages since early October. These casualties are in addition to more than 380 Hezbollah members killed since the current ceasefire technically took effect, a period during which Israel says Hezbollah has violated the agreement more than 1,900 times.
The IDF said those killed were involved in various terror activities, including restoring military infrastructure, weapons smuggling and coordinating locals with Hezbollah’s command structure.
UK-based Iranian opposition outlet Iran International reported in early December that Hossein Mohammadi Sirat of Imam Sadegh University, speaking on a website affiliated with Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, claimed that 30% of Lebanon’s military personnel are Hezbollah members and likened the group to Iran’s Basij militia.
[Rudaw] At least two person have been killed and around a dozen others injured in festivities that erupted in northern Aleppo on Monday between the Kurdish-led internal security forces (Asayish) and Damascus-affiliated factions, with both sides blaming each other for the fighting that also forced dozens of families to evacuate their homes.
In a statement on X, the Asayish said that "a checkpoint jointly manned by our forces and the [Damscus-affiliated] General Security Forces at the al-Shihan roundabout in [northern] Aleppo came under an armed attack by factions affiliated with the interim defense ministry, leaving two of our personnel injured with varying degrees of wounds."
The Asayish added that their forces "managed the situation in a way that upheld the right to self-defense while exercising restraint to prevent escalation and ensuring the safety of civilians."
Similarly, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), affiliated with the Asayish, condemned in a statement on X the "attack carried out by factions affiliated with the defense ministry," calling it "a clear continuation of uncontrolled escalation that threatens the city’s security and civilian lives, and exposes the Damascus government’s inability to control its factions."
In later updates, the SDF reported that the festivities had spread to additional areas in the Kurdish-majority Sheikh Maqsood and Ashrafiyeh neighborhoods in northern Aleppo, with "Damascus-affiliated factions using mortar shells and heavy weapons," resulting in "the injury of five civilians, including a maiden of tender years."
"Residents of the [Sheikh Maqsood and Ashrafiyeh] neighborhoods, along with the [Kurdish-led] Internal Security Forces [Asayish], continue to confront this aggression, taking all possible measures to protect themselves and civilian lives," the SDF added.
OFFICIAL STANCE
For its part, the Syrian interior ministry rejected the SDF’s statement, accusing "SDF forces stationed in the Sheikh Maqsood and Ashrafiyeh neighborhoods" of "treacherously attacking the internal security forces at the joint checkpoints."
In a statement on X, the ministry said that the Kurdish-led forces had "suddenly withdrawn" from the joint outposts and "opened fire on the checkpoints, despite the agreements in place." The statement added that "the attack left one member of the internal security forces and one army soldier injured, along with multiple injuries among civil defense personnel and civilians."
Similarly, the Syrian defense ministry denied the SDF’s claims, accusing the Kurdish-led forces of launching a "sudden attack" on outposts of the Syrian internal security forces and the Syrian Arab Army in northern Aleppo, "causing casualties among security personnel and army members.
The ministry added that the Syrian army is "responding to SDF fire targeting civilians’ homes and movements, as well as army and security positions around the Ashrafiyeh and Sheikh Maqsood neighborhoods" in northern Aleppo.
In a statement on X, Aleppo Governor Azzam al-Ghareeb urged civilians to avoid "areas of engagement" and "refrain from using roads leading to Aleppo city center until further notice." He also advised residents along the lines of fire to "remain indoors in safe locations, avoid exposing themselves to danger, and seek information only from official and trusted sources."
"Readiness has been heightened across all specialized directorates - particularly emergency, disaster, health, services, and social affairs - to ensure rapid response and immediate intervention when needed," Ghareeb added.
Meanwhile,
...back at the pie fight, Bella grabbed the cocoanut cream... the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) claimed that the SDF has been "randomly shelling several neighborhoods in Aleppo, including al-Jamiliyah and al-Suryan [in central and northwest Aleppo, respectively], with mortars and rocket launchers," resulting in "the killing of one civilian" and "injuries to several others," including "two children."
SANA further said that the SDF reportedly struck al-Razi hospital in Aleppo and caused a wave of displacement from the al-Maydan neighborhoods "due to its targeting of civilian homes with machine guns and mortars."
The state-run al-Ikhbariya TV also reported that Syrian internal security forces in Aleppo "have cut off all routes leading to the Sheikh Maqsood and Ashrafiyeh neighborhoods" while "facilitating the evacuation of residents caught in the festivities and ensuring ambulances can reach the injured."
The outlet added that one civilian was killed in the Jamiliyah neighborhood allegedly due to being "directly targeted in the head" by the SDF.
TIMING AND BACKDROP
The Monday festivities erupted hours after Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani accused the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) of showing "no initiative or serious will" to implement the March 10 integration agreement. He added that "there has been systematic stalling" by the Kurdish-led forces regarding the accord.
Shaibani noted that "the Syrian defense ministry recently presented a simple proposal to positively advance the integration process," and that the SDF had "responded [to the proposal] yesterday, and its response is currently under review."
He emphasized that Syria’s reply would be framed within "a single, unified Syrian territory, without division or any form of partition, and without any administrative arrangements that would undermine Syrian illusory sovereignty."
Shaibani made the remarks during a joint presser with his Ottoman Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan, in Damascus.
Fidan stated that his country "attaches great importance to Syria’s stability and is ready to provide all forms of support to achieve it." He emphasized the significance of implementing the March 10 accord, saying it "would be in everyone’s interest," while expressing doubts about the SDF’s "intention to implement" the landmark deal.
Of note, Fidan had on Thursday hinted that delays in implementing the March accord were testing Ankara’s patience, stating, "We hope that issues are resolved through dialogue, negotiation, and peaceful means. We do not want to be forced to resort to military options again."
The festivities also follow warnings from local officials in Sheikh Maqsood and Ashrafiyeh, who told Rudaw last week that livelihoods in the Kurdish-majority neighborhoods are "on the verge of a complete halt."
Nouri Sheikho, co-chair of the General Council for the two neighborhoods, said, "A stifling siege has been imposed on the areas since September 24, with the main roads connecting them to other parts of the city closed," and urged "relevant authorities to support residents under these difficult circumstances."
This isn't the first time Sheikh Maqsood and Ashrafiyeh have drawn attention over deadly violence.
In early October, the Kurdish-majority quarters saw heavy festivities erupt between Damascus-aligned factions and the Kurdish-led Asayish. The violence followed a crackdown by Syrian government forces that left more than a dozen protesters injured, after authorities closed all seven entrances to the neighborhoods.
The Syrian interior ministry spokesperson, Nour al-Din al-Baba, then told Rudaw the shutdown was due to the quarters allegedly "turning into hotbeds for assembling remnants of the defunct regime."
Meanwhile,
...back at the pie fight, Bella grabbed the cocoanut cream... Sheikho warned last week that the continuation of "this siege" on the Kurdish-majority neighborhoods in northern Aleppo could have dire consequences for residents.
He appealed to the Damascus government as well as local and international communities for support and urged the Kurds in Syria and abroad "not to abandon these two neighborhoods amid their plight."
Over the past week (15–21 December), the #IDF continued operations against #Hezbollah, carrying out 11 airstrikes in #Lebanon. The strikes were directed at a range of Hezbollah targets, with the aim of degrading its military capabilities and its reconstruction activities. The… pic.twitter.com/cnByoVgQJx
Over the past week (15–21 December), the #IDF continued operations against Hezbollah, carrying out 11 airstrikes in #Lebanon. The strikes were directed at a range of Hezbollah targets, with the aim of degrading its military capabilities and its reconstruction activities.
The targets struck included military structures and terrorist infrastructure used by Hezbollah for operational purposes, rocket launchers intended for fire toward Israeli territory, as well as a military camp belonging to the organization. This camp was used for training and instruction of operatives, alongside the storage of weapons, indicating Hezbollah’s ongoing efforts to preserve and expand its military readiness.
As part of the strikes, three Hezbollah operatives were eliminated. Among those killed was an operative involved in the reconstruction of the organization’s infrastructure who also engaged in intelligence collection on IDF activity in southern Lebanon. In addition, a field commander and another operative—whose identity has not yet been published—were eliminated. In parallel, an operative from the Amal Movement was also eliminated.
The Amal Movement is a full and dominant partner of Hezbollah in the fighting against #Israel. During the war alone (from 8 October 2023 to 27 November 2024), 69 Amal operatives were eliminated, a figure that reflects the movement’s deep involvement in the fighting.
Since the beginning of the ceasefire, two additional Amal operatives have been eliminated, indicating that some level of operational activity by the organization against Israel has continued during this period as well.
The war crimes of Damascus and Ankara have been documented with images.
Images showing forces affiliated with the Damascus government, HTS, and Turkish state-backed SNA forces bombarding the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiya neighborhoods of Aleppo—where… pic.twitter.com/oE2PCLPLFp
The war crimes of Damascus and Ankara have been documented with images.
Images showing forces affiliated with the Damascus government, HTS, and Turkish state-backed SNA forces bombarding the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiya neighborhoods of Aleppo—where Kurds and Christians live—with mortars, howitzers, and missiles have been documented with camera recordings.
In the ongoing attacks so far, 6 civilians have been injured, and one mother has lost her life.
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Damascus-affillated factions are using tanks and artillery against residential neighborhoods in Aleppo.
The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) categorically deny the allegations made by the security and military agencies affiliated with the Damascus government which claimed that…
The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) categorically deny the allegations made by the security and military agencies affiliated with the Damascus government which claimed that our forces are targeting neighborhoods in Aleppo.
Our forces had already handed over their positions to the Internal Security Forces (Asayish) in accordance with the April 1 agreement.
Responsibility lies with the fragmented factions affiliated with the Damascus government, which have been deliberately creating crises over the past four months by besieging the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh neighborhoods, and by repeatedly carrying out provocations and attacks against civilians, while the government has failed to take any action.
Despite the April 1 agreement, the shelling of residential neighborhoods taking place today is a direct result of the actions of these factions, particularly in western and northern Aleppo. Rockets are being launched from their positions along clear military trajectories toward the city’s neighborhoods, with the aim of undermining security and inciting unrest.
These factions have escalated further by deploying tanks and artillery to bombard the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh neighborhoods, in a dangerous escalation that threatens civilian lives and regional stability.
#Syria 🇸🇾: "Syrian Army" (formerly #HTS) carried out attacks on Kurdish "Asayish" (Internal Forces) in Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh, #Aleppo.
Syrian Army members seemingly using Truck-Mounted 122mm Multiple Rocket Launcher (MRL) with 9M22U “Grad” pattern rockets as well. pic.twitter.com/RI8czi0v6R
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling 
