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Africa North

Libyan migrant round-up

2024-11-18

All articles from the Libya Review.

31 Syrian Migrants Rescued Off Libyan Coast
The Libyan Stability Support Agency announced the rescue of 31 Syrian migrants off the coast near Suwai’diyah Beach in the Salloum area after their boat capsised. Among the rescued, 25 were in good health, four received critical medical care in intensive care units, and two unfortunately succumbed despite rescue efforts.

The agency reported that after receiving information about the presence of migrants at sea, Al Khoms office responded swiftly. They rescued the migrants and brought the capsised boat ashore.

The boat was subsequently destroyed by fire due to the inability to identify its owner and based on migrants’ claims that they had purchased it. This measure was taken to prevent its future use.

Legal procedures were followed, and the migrants were handed over to the relevant authorities for further processing.

Nigerian Migrants Deported by Libyan Authorities
The Libyan Department for Combating Illegal Migration recently deported a group of migrants, including seven Nigerians, three Bangladeshis, and three Ghanaians, for violations of Libyan law. The agency confirmed on social media platform X that the individuals had been held at the Qanfoudah Immigration Detention Centre before being flown out via Benina International Airport in Benghazi.

This deportation incident follows recent tensions between Nigeria and Libya, stemming from an incident involving the countries’ football teams during the qualifiers for the 2025 African Cup of Nations (AFCON). Disputes arose after the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) claimed that Nigerian players were stranded at a Libyan airport.

In response, the Libyan Football Federation (LFF) alleged similar treatment for their own players in Nigeria. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) reviewed the matter, concluding that Libya had breached AFCON regulations and CAF’s disciplinary code. Subsequently, CAF penalised Libya by awarding Nigeria a 3-0 victory, even though the match was not played after Nigeria’s decision to withdraw.

Following CAF’s ruling, rumours began to circulate about mass arrests of Nigerians in Libya, with some suggesting these were reprisals. However, Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs quickly refuted these claims, dismissing any large-scale targeting of Nigerian nationals by Libyan authorities.

Migrant Boat Capsizes Near Libyan Coast
Libya’s Ambulance and Emergency Service has reported that a migrant boat capsized off the coast of Al Khums early today, with efforts underway to rescue those on board. The service said its emergency teams were quickly dispatched from Al Khums, Msallata, Qarabulli, and Qasr Al-Akhyar to respond to the incident and conduct search and rescue operations.

The authorities have not yet disclosed the number of people on the vessel or confirmed any casualties or survivors. Rescue workers are reportedly navigating difficult conditions to reach potential survivors and continue their efforts along the coast.

Libya remains a significant transit point for migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean to Europe, often in unsafe and overcrowded boats. The increased migrant flows and dangerous conditions have led to numerous maritime accidents in recent years. Libya’s coastal regions, particularly areas like Al Khums, frequently witness similar incidents, prompting repeated calls for enhanced rescue capabilities and greater international assistance.

Egyptian Migrants Deported from Libya
The Libyan Anti-Illegal Migration Authority announced on Wednesday the deportation of Egyptian migrants via the Imsaad Land Crossing. In a statement on its social media page, the authority confirmed the migrants’ removal due to violations of entry laws and regulations governing entry to Libyan territory. While the exact number of deported individuals was not disclosed, the authority indicated that deportation efforts are ongoing.

In a related context, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported on July 23 that over 80,000 migrants have been voluntarily repatriated from Libya to their home countries since 2015 through the Voluntary Humanitarian Return program. The IOM has facilitated the return of migrants from 49 different countries across Africa and Asia, ensuring they receive necessary assistance upon arrival in their home countries. This support includes comprehensive reintegration aid, such as economic, social, and psychosocial assistance to help migrants rebuild their lives.

Libyan Security Forces Foil Human Trafficking Attempt to Europe
On Tuesday, Libyan security forces detained 90 migrants in Sabratha who were allegedly about to be smuggled to Europe by a human trafficking gang. The migrants, from various African nations, were discovered in a hideout used as a staging point for illegal crossings of the Mediterranean.

Sabratha, a city in western Libya, is frequently used by traffickers as a key launch site for unauthorized migration to Europe. Libyan authorities have intensified efforts to intercept these operations, with ongoing arrests in areas where trafficking is prevalent. These interventions underscore the challenges Libya faces in managing migration routes and curbing human trafficking from its borders.

According to the Sabratha Security Directorate, the successful raid was carried out by intelligence and patrol units who acted on a tip-off, detaining the migrants before they were taken to the coast. Legal actions have been initiated against those involved in the smuggling network, and the migrants have received the necessary care and assistance.

In a separate incident, Libya’s Interior Ministry reported that security patrols rescued 13 African migrants who were found stranded in the Hamada Al-Hamra desert. The migrants, who had lost their way in the vast desert, were provided with medical care and transported to a safe location.

Libya’s expansive deserts pose severe risks for migrants attempting remote border crossings. Authorities have previously recovered the remains of migrants who perished after becoming lost in these harsh conditions, highlighting the dangers faced by those seeking to enter Libya through isolated routes.

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Missiles hitting northern Aleppo have cluster munitions warheads

2021-03-15

[PUBLISH.TWITTER]

Missiles hitting northern Aleppo have cluster munitions warheads pic.twitter.com/mFN8q5Djcx
— ELINT News (@ELINTNews) March 14, 2021

Hearing more missiles are being launched https://t.co/AVGHhAhIKX
— ELINT News (@ELINTNews) March 14, 2021

Suspected Russian strikes target oil smuggling sites along Syrian-Turkish border

[AlMasdar] On Sunday evening, the areas of al-Bab and Jarablus in the northeastern countryside of Aleppo witnessed missile strikes targeting the sites used for oil smuggling near the ~~Ottoman~~ Turkish border.

According to local reports from the Aleppo Governorate, the missiles heavily targeted the area around the village of al-Hamran, which is located south of Jarabulus and the ~~Ottoman~~ Turkish border.

The reports said that the missiles were likely fired by the Russian Armed Forces, who have heavily targeted these on several occasions in the past year.

These strikes reportedly caused significant damage to the site, while also causing the outbreak of large fires that spread through this part of the Aleppo Governorate’s northeastern countryside.

Shortly after the missile strike that targeted the fuel market in al-Hamran, the oil sites near the town of Tarheen in the al-Bab countryside were struck by several missiles that were also believed to have been launched by the Russian Armed Forces.

These strikes on Tarheen caused massive explosions that could be heard as far west as the administrative capital of Aleppo, which is under the control of the Syrian government.

It should be noted that the Russian Ministry of Defense has not commented on allegations of striking these oil sites in the past.

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Arabia

Prominent Houthi Leader Mohammed al-Hamran Killed Amid Clashes in Yemen

2020-05-08

[SPUTNIKNEWS] Ansarallah, the rebel Iran's Houthi sock puppets

...a Zaidi Shia insurgent group operating in Yemen. They have also been referred to as the Believing Youth. Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi is said to be the spiritual leader of the group and most of the military leaders are his relatives. The legitimate Yemeni government has accused the them of having ties to the Iranian government. Honest they did. The group has managed to gain control over all of Saada Governorate and parts of Amran, Al Jawf and Hajjah Governorates. Its slogan is God is Great, Death to America™, Death to Israel, a curse on the Jews They like shooting off... ummm... missiles that they would have us believe they make at home in their basements. On the plus side, they did murder Ali Abdullah Saleh, which was the only way the country was ever going to be rid of him...
movement in Yemen
...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of...
, confirmed on Thursday the death of Mohammed Abdel Karim al-Hamran, a special forces commander. He was killed in battle west of the hotly contested city of Ma'rib.

Al-Hamran, who commanded Houthi special forces in the battlezones of Ma'rib and Bayda' governorates in central Yemen, was the highest-ranking rebel leader killed this year.

A journalist with the Syrian news outlet al-Masdar News reported al-Hamran was actually killed several days ago in the city of Sirwah, a hotly contested town west of Ma'rib.

According to the News Agency that Dare Not be Named, al-Hamran's death came amid a massive assault along the entire front by Saudi aircraft and their allied ground forces in the region that included strikes in Sana'a, the Yemeni capital.

The Houthis launched a major offensive aimed at seizing Ma'rib one month ago, just as the Saudis were preparing to offer a ceasefire on humanitarian grounds, as the COVID-19 pandemic was spreading in the region. Ma'rib has long remained loyal to ousted Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, who fled the southern city of Aden in early 2015 as the rising Houthis threatened to capture the city.
Hadi sought Saudi help in returning to power, and the Saudis assembled a coalition that included the United Arab Emirates, Sudan, Morocco, and other countries, and which enjoyed support and cooperation from the US military, launching a major air and ground campaign in Yemen that has killed at least 100,000 people and threatened millions more with starvation and disease.

On April 30, Houthi military spokesperson Brigadier General Yahya Saree announced that all that remained of the loyalist pocket in northern Yemen was the city of Ma'rib itself, nearly all of the surrounding territory having been seized in the offensive, including vital military bases, Middle East Monitor reported at the time.

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Arabia

Yemeni Army Controls more Fronts in Marib, Inflict Saudi Mercenaries Heavy Losse

2016-02-12

[ALMANAR.LB] The Yemeni army and the Popular Committees seized control on Thursday over new positions in more than a front in Marib province east of Yemen, a military source told Al-Manar Website.

Another military source told Al-Massira website that the national military and the Committees inflicted the mercenaries heavy losses in ammunition and ordnance.

Earlier, the Yemeni army established control over the mercenaries' positions near Tala't Al-Hamra in Saraweh directorate.

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Arabia

Family dispute horror: Saudi pumps five bullets into sister

2015-06-13

[ARABNEWS] A Saudi man shot his sister five times at her workplace in Al-Hamra district in Jeddah on Thursday because of a family disagreement, media reports said on Friday.

The woman, 27, had been living in a Ministry of Social Affairs shelter, which had provided her transport to and from work. She was a manager at her company.

According to the report, the man entered the women's department at the company, shot his sister at point blank range and expeditiously departed at a goodly pace. She died of her wounds on the way to hospital.

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Africa North

Sudan Rebels Shell Kordofan State Capital

2014-06-29

[AnNahar] Rebels in Sudan's war-torn South Kordofan region shelled the state capital Saturday during what they called a counter-attack on an area the government said it had seized in early June.

A resident of the town confirmed the shelling, saying rounds had passed over his house.

"Two rockets or mortars from SPLM-North" were fired into Kadugli town, the resident told Agence La Belle France Presse, asking for anonymity.

Reports of casualties could not be immediately confirmed.

A statement from the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North said "our artillery unit shelled military positions inside Kadugli city" as well as in the Daldako and Al-Hamra areas outside it.

The strike on Kadugli occurred as rebels launched an offensive against government forces in the Al-Atmur area east of Kadugli, SPLM-N said, adding the rebels had destroyed a tank.

Fighting in the area has intensified over the past couple of months, and Sudan's Armed Forces announced on June 6 they had "liberated" Al-Atmur.

The Kadugli resident said he could hear the fighting which began about 6:00 am (0300 GMT) and continued for about four hours.

"There was mutual heavy artillery from the two parties," he said.

Sudan's military front man could not immediately be reached for comment.

SPLM-N has periodically shelled Kadugli since late 2012 in attacks the government says have killed civilians.

On Wednesday, rights group ~~Amnesia~~ Amnesty International said the government's intensified aerial bombing of South Kordofan in recent weeks may be part of an attempt to starve the population.

A senior ruling party official, Rabbie Abdelatti Ebaid, countered it is the government's responsibility to protect civilians, while aiming to establish peace and security in the area.

Like the 11-year conflict in Darfur, the three-year-old South Kordofan war has been fueled by complaints among non-Arab groups of neglect and discrimination by the Arab-dominated regime in Khartoum.

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Air raids kill at least 22 in Aleppo

2013-12-16

Syrian activists said government air raids have killed at least 22 people, including 14 children, in the northern city of Aleppo. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the aircraft dropped barrel bombs on the Haidariya and Ard Al Hamra neighbourhoods on Sunday.

The Observatory also said the number of people killed in the town of Adra northeast of Damascus after an al-Qaida-linked rebel faction attacked on Wednesday has risen to 28.

Observatory director Rami Abdurrahman said the dead are primarily members of President Bashar Assads minority Alawi sect, as well as a few Druse and Shias. All three sects largely support Assad in the fight against mainly Sunni rebels.

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Arabia

UN Envoy to Yemen escapes assassination attempt

2013-11-24

[Yemen Post] A senior Interior Ministry official confirmed to the Yemen Post that UN envoy to Yemen Jamal Benomar escaped an liquidation attempt Friday evening while his convoy was on Shurta St. of the capital Sanaa.

A top National Dialogue official and Houthi
...a Zaidi Shia insurgent group operating in Yemen. They have also been referred to as the Believing Youth. Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi is said to be the spiritual leader of the group and most of the military leaders are his relatives. The Yemeni government has accused the Houthis of having ties to the Iranian government, which wouldn't suprise most of us. The group has managed to gain control over all of Saada Governorate and parts of Amran, Al Jawf and Hajjah Governorates. Its slogan is "God is Great, Death to America", Death to Israel, a curse on the Jews" ...
spokesperson Hasan Al-Hamran confirmed the attack on the UN envoy and the NDC secretary general to Yemen Post.

The official said that National Dialogue Conference (NDC) Secretary General Dr Ahmed Ben Mubarak was with the UN envoy at the time of the attack.

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Arabia

Fighters blast Al-Qaeda's weapon stocks

2012-05-24

[Yemen Post] Yemen's air fighters blasted on Wednesday Al-Qaeda weapon stocks and hideouts close to Jaar town, military sources affirmed.

The sources said that the Yemeni army could recapture a number of positions that was controlled by Ansar Al-Sharaia in Zinjibar.

The army have been trying for two weeks to enter Zinjibar and Jaar and eliminate Al-Qaeda Death Eaters.

Clashes were resumed after two days of an uneasy calm due to the suicide kaboom that killed about 96 soldiers and maimed hundreds others in Sana'a.

Military sources told Yemen Post that the army could recapture the strategic Altabah Al-Hamra, an area nearby Zinjibar, pointing out that two troops were killed and four others were maimed.

They also said thon the lam numbers of the faceless myrmidons were killed in the west of Zinjibar.

The sources anticipated that the army might cleanse the forces of Evil form Zinjibar within two days.

Other sources said that at least seven soldiers were killed in Al-Jablian, an area close to Jaar, as the army sought to advance to Jaar.

Local sources said that air forces raided the coastal city of Shaqra and some areas of Wadi Jar, an area close to Lawdar district.

Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) grabbed credit for the attack and said it targeted "the defense minister and other leaders of the US war" on the southern Abyan
...a governorate of Yemen. The region was a base to the Aden-Abyan Islamic Army terrorist group until it dropped the name and joined al-Qaeda. Its capital is Zinjibar. In March 2011, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula declared the governate an Islamic Emirate after seizing control of the region. The New York Times fastidiously reported that those in control, while Islamic hard boyz, are not in fact al-Qaeda, but something else that looks, tastes, smells, and acts the same. Yemeni government forces launched an effort to re-establish control of the region when President-for-Life Saleh was tossed and the carnage continues...
province.

A jacket wallah, who was a soldier in the Yemen army, detonated a bomb in Al Sabeen Square in Sanaa during a military parade rehearsal on Monday that killed the troops and injured 300 more.

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Arabia

A terrible disease of the mind

2010-08-25

[Arab News] By ZAID NABULSI

An anti-Zionist rant from the Tragic Kingdom...
My family and I long to return to the Gardens of Cordoba (Qurtuba). We agonize with every breath to re-inhabit the castles of Seville (Ishbeelyah). In our veins, there runs an eternal longing to walk again in the footsteps of our forefathers in Zaragoza (Saraqusta). We yearn to once again cultivate the orchards of Valladolid (Balad Al Waleed). We shall strive, by military means if necessary, to see the blessed day when we can tread along the rose-scented pathways of the splendid palace of Al Hambra (Al Hamra'a) in Granada (Ghirnata).

Every stone and every particle of sand in that Iberian holy land belongs to me and to my people, exclusively. No Spaniard terrorist has the right to obstruct the will of God and deny my family the legal title to the land of our ancestors. It is God who had given us Andalucía (Al Andalus), and it is God who promised us that we, the exiles, shall ingather in it once again.

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Arabia

2 border guards killed in clash with drug smugglers

2010-08-08

[Arab News] Two Saudi border guards were killed on Friday during a clash with drug smugglers at the restive border with Yemen.

The clash took place at Dhahran Al-Janoub, Asir, when 15 traffickers tried to smuggle 500 kilograms of hashish into the Kingdom, police said.

Lt. Col. Abdullah Al-Hamrani, spokesman of the border guards, told Arab News that security officers were able to arrest some of the traffickers, who belong to different nationalities. "There were no Saudis among them," he said. He pointed out that the arrested included several intruders.

Al-Hamrani said his department prevents at least three attempts of drug smuggling through the southern border every week.

Speaking about the incident that took place on Friday, he said police were successful in driving the smugglers back. "Border patrols on a routine reconnaissance operation spotted a group of 15 smugglers who were trying to cross the border for the purpose of trafficking," the spokesman said.

"When they were warned to retreat to where they came from, they started shooting from several locations. But we don't know how many of them were killed in the operation," he said. He identified the slain policemen as Muhammad Saeed Al-Qahtani and Hussein Ali Hassan.

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India-Pakistan

Seven ~~Four~~ injured in Lahore CD market explosions

2010-06-27

Twin low intensity bomb blasts hit a CD market in Pakistan's eastern city of Lahore on Saturday wounding four people and creating havoc in the area, police said.

Police said the target of the blasts was one of the busiest music and CD markets in the city centre's Hall Road. Shopkeepers in the area said they had received threatening letters for selling Western movies and objectionable CDs' from unknown persons describing the business as dirty'.

Four people have been wounded in these two blasts. The target was the CD and music market,' Rafiullah, a police officer at the site who goes by one name, told AFP.

Sajjad Bhutta, the city's top administrative official, told reporters at the scene that the bombs were timed devices.

Mudasser Javed, an injured shopkeeper, said he and others like him had received threatening letters warning them to put a stop to the un-Islamic' business.

TV footage showed shopkeepers closing down their stores and running from the scene soon after the blasts.

Update: Seven people were injured in two low-intensity blasts at Lahore biggest electronic market at Hall Road on Saturday.

The first blast occurred near CDs market, Zaitoon Plaza, causing the panicked shoppers and shopkeepers running for cover. After five minutes another blast occurred near Rafi Plaza that further contributed to the panic among the people. The impact of the blasts smashed windowpanes of the nearby shops. The injured were rushed to Meo Hospital while police and relief crew reached the spot. They ordered the people to immediately leave the blasts site.

DCO Lahore Sajjad Bhatta said the blasts were part of conspiracy to spread fear and can be traced back to Al-Hamra Arts Council and Allama Iqbal Town blasts.

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