Recent Appearances...

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Hello !
Recent Appearances...

SOHRABUDIN SHEIKH	Sohrabuddin Sheikh	Lashkar-e-Taiba	India-Pakistan	Kasmiri	Deceased		20070506	Link
		extortionist and gun-runner, killed with his partner in a "false encounter" with Indian troops.

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

US-backed forces to launch anti-ISIS operation in Syria: Brigade spox.

2025-06-30

[Rudaw] US-backed forces in Syria are preparing to launch a large-scale military operation against 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....
(ISIS) cells, a spokesperson for a faction aligned with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) told Rudaw on Sunday. The campaign comes amid a growing threat from ISIS across the country, especially in northeast Syria (Rojava).

Mahmoud Habib, spokesperson for the North Democratic Forces - a component of the SDF - said the campaign is in response to a recent uptick in ISIS activities. "The details of the operation are not yet known. We do not know when it will be launched, what its nature will be, or which forces will take part alongside the SDF and coalition troops," Habib stated.

The US-backed SDF functions as the de facto military force in Rojava and is the primary local partner of the Washington-led Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS. The North Democratic Forces operate mainly in northern Syria and share the SDF’s objective of combating terrorism.

According to Habib, the upcoming operation may see the participation of other US-backed groups, namely, the Syrian Free Army (SFA). He noted that the campaign aims not only to dismantle ISIS cells but also to prevent potential attacks on major population centers, including the capital Damascus, its surrounding countryside, and the central Homs province.

The Syrian Free Army (SFA), originally a broad rebel coalition, has evolved over the past decade from earlier US-backed groups such as the New Syrian Army (NSA) and the Revolutionary Commando Army (RCA). These factions were trained and supported by the US and have operated primarily from the al-Tanf garrison - a strategically located US military base near the Syrian, Iraqi, and Jordanian borders - carrying out counter-ISIS operations.

Following the fall of Syrian dictator Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad
Supressor of the Damascenes...
in early December, the SFA is reportedly being integrated into the newly established 70th Division of the unified Syrian army, currently being formed by the incumbent transitional government.

Importantly, Habib noted that the upcoming operation follows recent intelligence reports indicating that ISIS cells are planning attacks near urban areas. "The goal of the operation is to stop these kinds of attacks," he said.

ISIS was territorially defeated in Syria in 2019. However,
a woman is only as old as she admits...
in recent months, the group has seemingly been trying to make a comeback, capitalizing on the shifting security landscape following Assad’s ouster.

Last week, a deadly bombing struck the Mar Elias Church in Damascus during Sunday mass. Two assailants opened fire on worshippers before detonating an explosive vest, killing 25 people and injuring 63 others, according to the Syrian health ministry’s final toll.

On Tuesday, the Syrian interior ministry attributed the attack to an ISIS cell. Ministry spokesperson Noureddine al-Baba claimed the two jacket wallahs were "non-Syrian" and had infiltrated the capital from al-Hol camp, located in SDF-controlled northeast Syria (Rojava). al-Hol camp houses thousands of individuals, many of whom are family members of suspected ISIS murderous Moslems.

However,
a woman is only as old as she admits...
the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) swiftly rejected the ministry’s claims, emphasizing that al-Hol primarily shelters women and kiddies rather than imported muscle. The SDF also noted that any individuals released from the camp in recent months, were freed at the request of Damascus authorities.

Notably, the upcoming military campaign also comes amid a surge of ISIS attacks across SDF-controlled areas, with both civilians and security forces increasingly being targeted.

In mid-May, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that it had documented 84 ISIS operations in Rojava since the beginning of 2025. These included armed assaults, targeted liquidations, and bombings.

Link

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

SDF says ‘disinformation campaign’ seeks to undermine the force

2025-06-29

[Rudaw] Kurdish-led forces in northeast Syria (Rojava) said on Saturday that there is a targeted "disinformation campaign" to undermine the force by falsely linking them to the terror attack on a Christian church in Damascus.

"A renewed targeted online disinformation campaign falsely claims that an ISIS [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....
] member who contributed to the terrorist attack on the Mar Elias Greek Orthodox Church in Damascus had previously received kerosene aid from an American NGO while residing in al-Hawl camp. This narrative is part of a broader effort to attack the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), continuing a pattern of falsifying documents to undermine their legitimacy," the SDF said in a statement on Saturday.

On Sunday, a jacket wallah affiliated with the Islamic State (ISIS) entered Mar Elias Church in Damascus during mass, opened fire on worshippers and detonated an explosive vest, killing 25 people and injuring 63 others. The attack renewed fears of sectarian violence in Syria as it tries to recover from decades of dictatorship and years of civil war.

Syrian authorities arrested six suspects and killed two others during a raid on an ISIS cell. Interior Ministry spokesperson Noureddine al-Baba said that two of the suspects were not Syrian nationals and had infiltrated the capital from al-Hol camp that houses thousands of ISIS family members in the SDF-held northeast.

The SDF denied the connection, saying that it reviewed camp files and no one fitting the ministry’s description had been released during the timeframe specified. The SDF, which is keeping several thousand ISIS fighters in prisons, further explained that the camp mostly comprises women and kiddies rather than imported muscle of ISIS.

The director of the Middle East Institute’s Syria Program, Charles Lister, then shared on X a document that claimed to show one of the suspects received aid in al-Hol delivered by the humanitarian organization Blumont.

Blumont on Friday said the document is not legitimate. "We are aware of images circulating online reportedly from our team’s work in Syria. The images are not authentic and do not reflect how we track the distribution of humanitarian assistance," it said.

Lister has since deleted the post and on Friday he confirmed that the document was fake but said a senior Syrian government official had confirmed that two of the six members of the ISIS cell were "smuggled out from al-Hol in late-2024."

Smuggling people out of al-Hol is a problem at the sprawling camp. The SDF has reported arresting suspected smugglers. In March they captured a man accused of "smuggling terrorists, particularly foreign ISIS women, out of al-Hol camp.

The accusations against the SDF come at a sensitive time as the Kurdish administration in Rojava is in talks with the interim government about their integration into national institutions. Kurds are looking for guarantees of their political and cultural rights that had been denied under the former regime.

SDF chief Mazloum Abdi and Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa signed a landmark agreement in March over the future of SDF and the Kurdish enclave. Several articles of the agreement have been implemented, including swapping of prisoners, and there are ongoing talks between both sides.

Sheikhmous Ahmed, who supervises Rojava’s camps, told Rudaw English on Friday that the recent deadly festivities between Damascus-affiliated gangs and religious minorities like the Druze and Alawites created the belief that only the SDF can protect the minorities.

He claimed that Damascus is using the attack on the church as a pretext to spread disinformation about the SDF as part of "a smear campaign."

Rojava has been internationally praised for its coexistence and women rights.

Violence broke out in early March in the Alawite-majority coastal areas of western Syria after loyalists of ousted Syrian dictator Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad
Supressor of the Damascenes...
launched attacks on security forces affiliated with the new Syrian leadership.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) then reported that around 1,500 people, mostly Alawite civilians, have been killed in the violence. The UK-based war monitor added that most casualties were caused by government or government-affiliated forces.

In April, global human rights
...which are usually open to widely divergent definitions...
watchdog Amnesty International censured the "mass killings," accusing Damascus of perpetrating a "war crime" against the minority group and warning of further "atrocities" if accountability is not enforced.

Many members of the Druze community were killed in late April following attacks by groups linked to Damascus. The fighting was initially triggered by an audio recording that was allegedly blasphemous toward the Prophet Muhammad. Initially attributed to a prominent Druze holy man, the recording was later discredited by both the holy man and Syrian authorities.

Link

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

IED attack: Officer of National Army and his wife and daughter injured in eastern Aleppo

2025-05-29

[SYRIAHR] A first lieutenant in a faction of the ''National Army,'' his wife and his daughter sustained various injuries by the earth-shattering kaboom of an IED planted earlier by unidentified individuals.

The officer's car was targeted on the road to al-Kusa village in the eastern countryside of Jarabulus.

The injured persons were taken to the hospital.

According to SOHR sources, the officer was an official in an ISIS prison in the city which is now under the control of the Ottoman Turkish-backed ''National Army,'' while no parties have grabbed credit of the attack.

The explosion comes nearly 22 days after a similar attack in the same area, where SOHR sources reported on May 6 that an IED planted by unidentified individuals went kaboom! near al-Kusa complexes in areas controlled by factions of the ''National Army'' in the eastern countryside of Aleppo. However,
there's no worse danger than telling a mother her baby is ugly...
no casualties were reported.

Link

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Jihadists Launch Deadly Attack On Russian Airbase On Syria's Coast

2025-05-24

(ZeroHedge] In another clear indicator of just how drastically everything has changed in Syria in the wake of Bashar al-Assad's ouster in December last year, a militant group attempted to storm Russia's Hmeimim air base on Syria’s coast on Wednesday. Already the future of the base is uncertain, but Russia has still been maintaining it - given also Hmeimim is Moscow's only airbase on the Mediterranean.

"Militants attacked a Russian air base in Syria, killing two soldiers, a Syrian government official and a local activist said Wednesday," according to The Associated Press. Russian statements, which offered little detail, did not indicate if the slain were Russian soldiers or possibly foreign nationals who were contractors.

At least two militants were killed during their assault on the airbase. They are being widely reported as foreign Islamist fighters affiliated with the new Syrian government's military under President Sharaa (Jolani).

The Jolani/HTS government has tried to distance itself from the attack, as it is still seeking diplomatic normalization with Russia and a reset in relations:

The government official said the two militants who were killed were foreign nationals who had worked as military trainers at a naval college that was training members of the new government’s military. He said they had acted on their own in attacking the base and were not officially affiliated with any faction.

Damascus has on Thursday deployed additional forces in an effort to stabilize the security situation in villages near the airbase.

"The city of Jableh and the villages surrounding the Russian Hmeimim air base in the Jableh countryside are witnessing a security alert. Heavy deployment of public security forces has been observed in the villages of Al-Sharashir and Al-Qubaisa, both close to the base," the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) says.

SOHR had further described "clashes in which medium and heavy machine guns were used, coinciding with the sounding of alarm sirens inside the base" - when the incident unfolded.

One regional outlet has said Russian soldiers were killed, and that it was Uzbek terrorists behind the assault:

According to a report by the Erem outlet, the 20 May attack resulted in the killing of three Russian soldiers and the injury of at least six others. The report says the attack was carried out by an Uzbek-led faction, which afterwards began to mobilize in the village of Al-Sharashir, just two kilometers from the base.

Erem also said the Uzbek armed group, responsible for past atrocities including the killing of children, have displaced and intimidated scores of residents and have seized homes in in the nearby town.

#BREAKING | Islamist militants reportedly affiliated with ruling HTS attacked Russia’s Khmeimim Air Base in Syria around 4–5 AM. Russian forces returned fire, reportedly killing four militants. https://t.co/UQGcfjWqt0 pic.twitter.com/JorasQW3My
— The Global Eye (@TGEThGlobalEye) May 21, 2025

This coastal area near Latakia has for months seen attacks and massacres conducted by Islamic militant factions against the minority Alawite community of Syria. Christians and Druze have also been targeted.

Thousands of Alawites have been reported killed, and while the Jolani government has formally condemned the killings, eyewitnesses have consistently said the attacks had the involvement of HTS (Hayat Tahrir al-Sham) fighters, which remains the ruling faction in Damascus.

During the height of the sectarian killings, Alawite families sought refuge at Hmeimim air base in large numbers. Many thousands have been camped out on the base tarmac, with at times Russian troops seen handing out food and water and necessities of survival.

Back in March, Alawites expressed their distrust of HTS provided "security"...

HTS AlQaeda reps try to convince Syrian Alawi refugees to leave the Russian Hmeimim air base and go home. "Trust us now, mistakes happen, things got out of control". pic.twitter.com/JIpzSHpAB0

— tim anderson (@timand2037) March 18, 2025

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov earlier this week expressed particular concern about the chaotic situation in Syria, where he said extremist militant groups are carrying out "real ethnic cleansing and mass killings based on ethnic and sectarian identity". He blasted what he called the West’s "stunning" indifference to mass killings acts of terrorism.

The strong comments followed in the wake of President Trump meeting with Syria's Sharaa while in Saudi Arabia earlier this month. This stunned even some Washington officials, given that Sharaa/Jolani has long been a US-designated terrorist. Trump has said he wants to give Syria a fresh start, and also announced the US will drop sanctions.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio this week told a Senate hearing that Syria could collapse within just weeks; however, he didn't acknowledge in the testimony that it was the CIA's Operation Timber Sycamore which served to weaken and destabilize the country in the first place.

Link

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Three killed in car bomb blast targeting police station in east Syria

2025-05-20

[Rudaw] Three people were killed and several others injured in a blast caused by an explosive-rigged vehicle in the Deir ez-Zor countryside of eastern Syria on Sunday, according to the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).

In a statement on X, SANA quoted a "security source" stating that "three deaders have fallen and several others were maimed in the initial toll of the earth-shattering kaboom that targeted a cop shoppe in the city of Mayadeen," located 45 kilometers southeast of Deir ez-Zor. The agency later confirmed that the three fatalities were coppers.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) shared footage of the deadly blast, adding that the earth-shattering kaboom occurred outside a prison in Mayadeen.

Importantly, the deadly incident occurred just hours after the Syrian Ministry of Interior announced that the Syrian General Security and General Intelligence directorates had launched a "joint security operation" targeting a "hideout of an 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....
(ISIS) terrorist cell" in the eastern neighborhoods of Aleppo, northern Syria.

The ministry reported that one Damascus-affiliated security officer was killed during the operation, along with three members of the terrorist cell. Four additional cell members were arrested for their involvement in "carrying out terrorist activities, including direct attacks on General Security personnel."

The Syrian interior ministry further noted that "weapons, kabooms, and boom jackets" were seized from the suspects, reinforcing its "commitment to combating criminal cells" and emphasizing that it would "not hesitate to protect the security and stability of the country and confront anyone who attempts to disrupt it."

In a separate development, Syria's Defense Minister, Murhaf Abu Qasra, confirmed on Saturday that all armed units had been integrated into his ministry to unify the country’s armed forces.

He issued a ten-day ultimatum to "remaining small military groups" to complete the unification and organizational efforts, warning that any delay in compliance would be dealt with under the law.

Abu Qasra further explained that the push to consolidate all armed units under a single institutional structure began shortly after the fall of Syrian dictator Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad
Lord of the Baath...
in early December, when a coalition of opposition groups, led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, formerly al-Nusra, before that it was called something else

Tahrir al-Sham, formerly al-Nusra, before that it was called something else

...al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate, from which sprang the Islamic State...
(HTS), overthrew Assad.

On Saturday as well, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) reported capturing suspected members of an ISIS cell in Syria’s eastern Deir ez-Zor province.

"Based on precise intelligence, our forces raided the location where members of the terrorist cell were hiding in the town of al-Busayrah and successfully captured them," read a statement from the SDF.

The operation was carried out with the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ).

"The captured holy warriors were planning to carry out attacks targeting our military and security forces, as well as civilians and public institutions in the area," the SDF statement added.

ISIS, which was territorially defeated in 2019, has recently attempted to regain ground, taking advantage of the prevalent instability in Syria following the fall of the Assad regime.

On Friday, the SDF announced that they had captured 10 ISIS suspects in Deir ez-Zor after one of their fighters was killed and three others injured in an ISIS attack.

According to the UK-based war monitor, SOHR, there have been 84 operations carried out by ISIS cells in northeast Syria (Rojava) since the beginning of 2025, including armed attacks, assassinations, and bombings.

Link

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

SDF captures 10 ISIS suspects in east Syria, kills 1

2025-05-17

[Rudaw] The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said on Friday they captured 10 Islamic State

Link

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

SDF thwarts multiple ISIS attacks in Syria’s eastern Deir ez-Zor province

2025-05-11

[Rudaw] The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Thursday said they had successfully thwarted a number of attacks by the 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....
(ISIS) in Syria’s eastern Deir ez-Zor province.

"Today, our forces successfully thwarted an attempted terrorist attack by ISIS cells on one of our military points in the Hawaij Dhiban, Deir Ezzor’s eastern countryside," read a statement by the SDF.

It added that "the terrorist attackers, riding a cycle of violence, opened fire on the military point using AK-47 rifles. Our forces responded decisively, engaging in a direct clash that forced the Death Eaters to flee under heavy fire. One member of the attacking cell was maimed, while no casualties were reported among our forces."

Earlier in the same day, the SDF announced it had thwarted two additional ISIS attacks in the same region.

"Our forces successfully foiled two ISIS terrorist attacks Wednesday evening in Deir Ezzor’s eastern countryside, when ISIS cells targeted a checkpoint of the Internal Security Forces [Asayish] in Dhiban and a Self-Defense vehicle in Jdeidet Akidat," the SDF said in a statement.

No casualties were recorded in the attacks, according to the SDF.

"Vigilance and swift response by our forces foiled both attacks," the statement added.

These incidents are part of a broader uptick in ISIS activity in Deir ez-Zor.

On Tuesday, the SDF reported the deaths of two of its fighters following a machine-gun assault by an ISIS cell on a military point in the town of al-Bahra, located in the eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor. The assailants reportedly expeditiously departed at a goodly pace on cycle of violences.

The SDF, backed by the United States, functions as the de facto military force of northeastern Syria (Rojava) and remains a key partner of the US-led Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS.

Since its territorial defeat in Syria in 2019, ISIS has been trying to regain its strength, particularly after a coalition of opposition groups led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, formerly al-Nusra, before that it was called something else

...al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate, from which sprang the Islamic State...
(HTS) on December 8 toppled the regime of Syrian dictator Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad
The Scourge of Hama...
The Kurdish-led force on Tuesday characterized the latest attacks as "part of a broader escalation by the terrorist organization against our forces in northern and eastern Syria, making use of the ongoing chaos in the country."

"Our forces reaffirm their commitment to pursuing these terrorist cells until they are completely dismantled and the security and stability of the region are secured," the SDF asserted.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported in early April that ISIS has ramped up its attacks in SDF-controlled areas, targeting both civilians and security forces. The monitor documented over 50 such incidents since the beginning of 2025.

SDF chief Mazloum Abdi has repeatedly warned about the persistent threat of ISIS, especially within detention centers and camps. In January, Abdi stressed the "need to intensify efforts to continue the fight against ISIS if we don’t want to see it make a comeback."

Link

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

ISIS escalates attacks on SDF, kills two fighters in east Syria

2025-05-07

[Rudaw] The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced on Tuesday that two of their fighters were killed by the 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....
(ISIS) in Syria’s eastern Deir ez-Zor province.

A statement by the SDF noted that late in the day on Tuesday "an ISIS terrorist cell launched a machine-gun attack on one of our military points in the town of al-Bahra, located in the eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor."

"Clashes ensued between our fighters and the attackers, resulting in the martyrdom of two of our comrades," the statement added, noting that "the members of the terrorist cell expeditiously departed at a goodly pace on cycle of violences."

The SDF, backed by the United States, functions as the de facto military force of northeastern Syria (Rojava) and remains a key partner of the US-led Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS.

Since its territorial defeat in Syria in 2019, ISIS has been trying to regain its strength, particularly after a coalition of opposition groups led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, formerly al-Nusra, before that it was called something else

...al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate, from which sprang the Islamic State...
(HTS) on December 8 toppled the regime of Syrian dictator Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad
Before going into the family business Pencilneck was an eye doctor. If he'd stuck with it he'd have had a good practice by now...
.

The Kurdish-led force on Tuesday characterized the latest attack as "part of a broader escalation by the terrorist organization against our forces in northern and eastern Syria, making use of the ongoing chaos in the country."

"Our forces reaffirm their commitment to pursuing these terrorist cells until they are completely dismantled and the security and stability of the region are secured," the SDF asserted.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported in early April that ISIS has ramped up its attacks in SDF-controlled areas, targeting both civilians and security forces. The monitor documented over 50 such incidents since the beginning of 2025.

SDF chief Mazloum Abdi has repeatedly warned about the persistent threat of ISIS, especially within detention centers and camps. In January, Abdi stressed the "need to intensify efforts to continue the fight against ISIS if we don’t want to see it make a comeback."

Link

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

IDF says it is ready to protect Druze villages from Syria

2025-05-04

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has announced its readiness to defend local Druze settlements. This became known from the army's corresponding press release.

"The IDF is deployed in southern Syria and is ready to prevent hostile forces from entering the Druze villages area," the statement on the Telegram channel said.

It is noted that on the night of May 3, five representatives of this ethno-confessional group were evacuated from Syria for treatment in Israel.

The Druze are an Arab ethnic group that practice their own form of Islam. They live in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Israel.

As reported by Regnum news agency, on May 2, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced an IDF strike on a facility near the presidential palace of de facto Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus in order to eliminate the threat to the Druze in Syria and prevent the deployment of forces south of Damascus. According to the Israeli army, fighter jets were shot down.

Israel regularly strikes Syrian territory. In early April, Israeli fighter jets attacked airfields in the provinces of Hama and Homs more than 20 times. The T4 airfield near Palmyra and a military facility in the Masaken Berzi area of Damascus were also attacked.

The Times of Israel adds:

On Saturday, the IDF said troops were "deployed to southern Syria and prepared to prevent hostile forces from entering the area and Druze villages."

"The IDF continues to monitor the developments, while maintaining readiness for defense and different scenarios," the military added.

The military’s statements came after Syria’s state news agency SANA reported Israeli ~~Arclight~~ airstrike
<del>Arclight</del> airstrike

...KABOOM!...
s near Damascus and in the west, at Latakia and Hama, as well as in Daraa in the south. SANA said one civilian was killed at Harasta near Damascus, and four people were maimed near Hama.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory of Human Rights, a watchdog of unclear funding, said Israel had carried out more than 20 strikes on military targets across Syria in the "heaviest" assault by Israel on its northeastern neighbor this year.

The Israeli strikes came after Druze holy mans and armed factions reaffirmed their loyalty to Damascus, following festivities between Druze fighters and Syrian forces, including government-affiliated groups, in the Damascus suburbs of Jaramana and Sweida province in southern Syria.

SOHR said more than 100 people were killed in the fighting, which took place in areas with large Druze populations. Sweida is the heartland of the Druze religious group, and an apparent dronezap killed four Druze fighters at a farm there Friday, SOHR said. SANA claimed it was an Israeli attack.

Israel, home to some 150,000 Druze, has in recent days taken in 15 Syrian Druze who were apparently maimed in the sectarian festivities there, including five more overnight, the IDF said Saturday. The fire were reportedly picked up by an Israeli Air Force helicopter.

They were all being treated at the Ziv Medical Center in Safed.

An IAF helicopter also ferried unspecified equipment and humanitarian aid

to Syrian Druze in the Sweida area, Army Radio reported on Saturday, citing sources with knowledge of the matter. The IDF did not comment on the report.

DE-ESCALATION DEAL IN AREAS THAT SAW SECTARIAN VIOLENCE
After this week’s festivities, a de-escalation deal was agreed between Druze representatives and Sharaa’s government, prompting troop deployments in Sahnaya and tighter security around Jaramana.

Syrian officials said the agreement also included the immediate surrender of heavy weapons.

An AFP photographer saw troops taking over checkpoints from Druze button men in Jaramana, although no handover of weapons was witnessed.

In Sweida, religious authorities and military factions said after a meeting that they are "an inseparable part of the united Syrian homeland," and rejected "division, separation or secession." SANA said government security forces were being sent to Sweida to "maintain security."

Link

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Violence continues between armed gangs in Syria, 56 or 70 dead thus far

2025-05-02

[HODHODYEMENNEWS.NET] Clashes continue across southern Syria despite a declared ceasefire, with festivities erupting in Kanaker as ''Israel'' seeks to exploit sectarian tensions.

Clashes continued to intensify across southern Syria this week, particularly in the Damascus countryside, despite the announcement of a preliminary ceasefire in select areas, according to Al Mayadeen.

Fighting erupted overnight on Thursday on the Kanaker front, with local sources confirming to Al Mayadeen that heavy gunfire and mortar shelling struck the village.

By dawn, local factions reportedly repelled an armed assault by bad boy groups, successfully halting the offensive although intermittent gunfire persisted.

The latest confrontation follows several days of deadly unrest in southern Damascus. On Tuesday, violence broke out between government-backed gangs and local residents in Jarmana and Ashrafiyet Sahnaya, resulting in approximately 70 fatalities. The dead included civilians, armed factions, and members of Syria's General Security Force.

The conflict was initially triggered by the leak of an audio clip containing insults directed at the holy Prophet Muhammad. Although Druze religious leaders swiftly denounced the content, the unrest persisted.

Rudaw adds:

The corpse count from recent violence between Damascus-affiliated security forces and affiliated gangs, and members of Syria’s Druze community has reached 56, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported on Thursday.

According to SOHR, the casualties include 16 members of the government-affiliated General Security, ten holy warriors from affiliated gangs, and 30 members of the Druze community.

The war monitor noted that nine Druze individuals were "executed in the field and some of their bodies were burned," after falling into an ambush on the road between Damascus and the Druze-majority province of Suwayda. SOHR reported that the ambush was carried out by forces affiliated with Syria's defense and interior ministries, along with allied gangs.

The war monitor also documented that 16 General Security personnel and eight Druze local fighters were killed in festivities in Ashrafiyat Sahnaya, south of Damascus, on Wednesday. Earlier, on Tuesday, 10 government-affiliated fighters and seven Druze locals were also killed in the Jaramana district of southern Damascus.

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
As a cautious calm currently prevailed in all areas that were scenes of recent festivities, the situation remains highly volatile.

Suwayda24, an outlet dedicated to covering news from southern Syria’s Druze-majority Suwayda province, reported on Thursday that "local [Druze] tribes have foiled an attack by gangs" in Suwayda’s western countryside.

Earlier in the day, the outlet reported festivities against "extremist groups" in Suwayda’s western countryside that saw the use of "mortar shells and heavy machine guns." It added that that a widespread power outage had affected Suwayda, with no official explanation provided for the disruption.

A day prior, the state-run Syrian News Agency reported that the governors of Rif Dimashq and Suwayda and Druze "dignitaries and social figures" had reached a "preliminary agreement" to establish a ceasefire in both Jaramana and Ashrafiyat Sahnaya.

SANA further cited Damascus-affiliated security officials as declaring the "completion of the security operation in the Ashrafiyat Sahnaya area, and the deployment of General Security forces in the neighborhoods of the area to ensure the return of security and stability."

However,
if you can't say something nice about a person some juicy gossip will go well...
Suwayda24 reported that the meeting concluded "without a clear agreement, except for some non-binding points," which included a full ceasefire and the formation of a joint committee to discuss the aftermath of the deadly festivities.

The outlet further quoted "government officials" accusing "outlaw gangs" of attacking state security forces and "killing 35 members." They additionally called for the regulation and consolidation of arms under state authority in the Ashrafiyat Sahnaya area.

A senior Druze holy man from Syria’s southern Suwayda province, Sheikh Yusef al-Jarbou, challenged the government’s account, stating that "the unrest began with a assassination on Jaramana and then spread to Ashrafiyat Sahnaya and eventually to Suwayda."

Jarbou emphasized the growing crisis of trust between the government and the Druze community and condemned the repeated attacks on Druze civilians, urging an immediate cessation of such assaults to prevent further escalation and bloodshed.

Meanwhile,
...back at the buffalo wallow, Standing Buffalo drew a bead on his old enemy and squeezed the trigger...
on Wednesday, the Syrian Foreign Ministry firmly rejected "all forms of foreign interference in the country’s internal affairs," calling the "demands for international protection made by outlaw groups" both "illegitimate and completely unacceptable."

"Such actions pose a direct threat to the unity of the country and undermine national efforts aimed at restoring security and stability," the ministry stated in a post on X.

The ministry also reaffirmed Damascus’s "commitment to protect all components of the Syrian people," highlighting the "integral role of the Druze community in the national fabric."

It praised "the role of Druze sheikhs in maintaining civil peace and quelling unrest," while asserting that "all national issues must be addressed exclusively through national mechanisms," and stressing that "the country’s illusory sovereignty is not subject to negotiation."

Two more Syrian Druze wounded in sectarian violence evacuated to Israel for treatment
[IsraelTimes] Two Syrian Druze, who were apparently wounded during sectarian violence in the country, were evacuated by the Israeli military to a hospital earlier today, the IDF says.

The two were taken to Ziv Hospital in Safed, where three other wounded Syrian Druze were taken yesterday.

Some Druze in Syria begin to take up arms, as sectarian violence hits home
[IsraelTimes] Hundreds of armed Druze men are seen setting up positions to defend their towns after dozens killed in attacks near Damascus by Islamists loyal to new government

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

ISIS ramps up attacks in SDF-held regions: War monitor

2025-04-10

[Rudaw] The 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....
(ISIS) has been ramping up its attacks in regions controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) against both civilians and the Kurdish-led force. Over 50 such attacks have been documented since the start of 2025, according to a war monitor.

The US-backed SDF serves as the de facto army of northeast Syria (Rojava), and remains the main partner of the US-led global coalition to defeat ISIS.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) on Tuesday reported that holy warriors likely linked to ISIS launched a "machine-gunfire attack on a military vehicle" in SDF-controlled regions, northeast of Deir ez-Zor province in east Syria.

A day prior, the UK-based war monitor reported four other attacks in similar regions in Deir ez-Zor "within the span of 72 hours" since Friday.

The Observatory also said that "an oil investor sustained different injuries" after he "was targeted by ISIS button men" east of the province on Monday.

A day prior, a civilian was rubbed out by ISIS holy warriors north of Deir ez-Zor "on charges of collaborating with the SDF" after "he had received several threats" from ISIS.

On Saturday, ISIS holy warriors also bumped off a civilian east of the province, and the day before members of the organization launched a gunfire attack on a currency exchange office after its owner refused to pay extortion money to the group.

SOHR on Monday characterized these incidents as part of a wider resurgence activity by ISIS.

The war monitor noted that since the beginning of 2025, it has documented 53 attacks carried out by ISIS against civilians and employees of the SDF-held Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES) in Rojava.

The corpse count from these attacks has reached 13, ten from the SDF military personnel and three civilians, according to the war monitor.

The SDF played a key role in defeating ISIS in Syria in 2019 and capturing thousands of the group’s fighters and their kin. The SDF operates alongside hundreds of US troops as part of the global coalition to defeat ISIS.

The SDF, through its military forces and affiliated internal security forces (Asayish), are also the main on-the-ground personnel responsible for the physical securing of the Roj and al-Hol camps in northeast Syria.

Roj and al-Hol camps house an estimated 2,600 and 40,000 persons, respectively, who are believed to have ties to ISIS and have largely been branded as a breeding ground for terrorism.

Since its defeat in 2019, ISIS has been trying to regain its strength, particularly after a coalition of opposition groups led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, formerly al-Nusra, before that it was called something else

...al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate, from which sprang the Islamic State...
(HTS) on December 8 toppled the regime of Syrian dictator Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad
The Scourge of Hama...
SDF chief Mazloum Abdi has repeatedly warned of the growing threat posed by ISIS, especially within detention centers and camps.

On January 12, Abdi highlighted that while 10,000 ISIS fighters are imprisoned in Syria, 2,000 of whom are considered "highly dangerous."

He stressed the "need to intensify efforts to continue the fight against ISIS if we don’t want to see it make a comeback."

Link

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Israel escalates strikes in Syria, warns Sharaa against harboring ‘hostile’ forces

2025-04-04

[Rudaw] Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz on Thursday warned Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa against allowing “hostile” forces to operate in his country, cautioning that doing so would result in a “heavy price.”

Notably referring to Sharaa by his former nom de guerre, Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, Katz said, “I warn Syrian leader Jolani: If you allow hostile forces to enter Syria and threaten Israeli security interests, you will pay a heavy price,” according to a statement relayed by AFP.

Referencing a series of airstrikes carried out by Israel in Syria on Wednesday, Katz emphasized that “The [Israeli] Air Force’s activity yesterday near the airports in [Tiyas Air Base] T4, Hama, and the Damascus area sends a clear message and serves as a warning for the future.”

Israeli airstrikes targeted sites near the Scientific Studies and Research Center (SSRC) in Barzeh, north of Damascus, as well as the Hama military airport and the strategic T4 Air Base in Homs.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights on Thursday reported on “the major Israeli escalation” which “killed four defense ministry [personnel] and injured 12 others” in an “Israeli attack on Hama military airport” which saw “Israeli warplanes launch 18 airstrikes,” leaving the airport “completely out of service.”

The UK-based war monitor also reported seven other airstrikes on the T4 Air Base and its vicinity “leading to human losses.” The total number of Israeli air raids on Syrian territories on Wednesday reached 25, according to SOHR.

For their part, Daraa health officials reported on Wednesday that at least nine civilians were killed and 23 others were injured in the Israeli raids, according to a statement from Daraa province’s official channel on Telegram.

Earlier in the day, the Israeli military said it had conducted an infiltration operation, “confiscating weapons and destroying terrorist infrastructure” along Syria’s southern border with Israel, in Daraa province.

Following a swift offensive, a coalition of opposition groups led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), headed by Sharaa, in early December toppled the regime of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad. In late January, Sharaa was appointed as Syria’s interim president.

Since Assad’s ouster, Israel has intensified its efforts to destroy Damascus’s military stockpiles. Israeli forces have also entered a buffer zone east of the annexed Golan Heights, justifying the move as a security precaution amid Syria’s political instability.

Katz on Thursday underscored that Israeli forces “will continue to operate on the summit of Mount Hermon and in security and buffer zones to protect” Israeli communities in the Golan Heights and the Galilee.

Since the beginning of 2025, SOHR says it has documented 44 Israeli attacks on Syrian territory, including 37 aerial strikes and six ground attacks. The Israeli military action has resulted in the destruction of approximately 50 sites, including weapons and ammunition depots, headquarters, command centers, and vehicles, according to the war monitor.

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