Latest news with #SyriaConflict
Asharq Al-Awsat
5 days ago
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
US Forces in Syria Intercept Iranian Missile Attacks on Bases
US forces in Syria's northeastern Hasakah province intercepted several Iranian missiles aimed at their military bases over the weekend, local sources said, amid heightened tensions and fears of retaliatory attacks by Iran-backed militias. Air raid sirens wailed and warplanes roared overhead late Saturday as US and coalition troops responded to what appeared to be a coordinated strike by Iranian-linked groups. The missiles were reportedly launched from across the Iraqi border, where Tehran-backed militias operate with influence. According to local monitoring groups, media activists, and eyewitnesses, US and coalition forces successfully intercepted an Iranian missile targeting the Kharab al-Jir base near the town of Rmelan. The missile fell in the surrounding area without causing any casualties. In a separate incident, three Iranian missiles were shot down near the al-Shaddadi base in southern Hasakah, prompting a state of high alert. Another missile was intercepted near the Marsho roundabout in central Hasakah before it could reach the coalition base in the Ghuweiran district. A military official from the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said the targeted bases had activated air defense systems and radar networks ahead of the missile attacks, anticipating possible strikes. He confirmed that air raid sirens were triggered and US warplanes carried out intensified flights over the bases and adjacent border areas. Local residents reported seeing flares lighting up the sky late Friday near the Kharab al-Jir base in Rmelan countryside -- a site that has repeatedly come under rocket and drone attacks in recent months. Witnesses said the base's air defenses intercepted an Iranian drone as it flew overhead, preventing it from reaching its target. Washington has long accused Iran-backed militias operating from Iraqi territory - just 15 kilometers away - of launching such attacks. The same SDF official, speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat on condition of anonymity, said the missiles that landed near coalition bases in Kharab al-Jir, Rmelan, and al-Shaddadi were clearly intended to strike US forces stationed in northeast Syria. 'The flight path of the Iranian attacks on Israel is far from the areas targeted over the past two days,' they noted, suggesting the strikes were part of a broader campaign to pressure US positions in the region. On June 12, an Iraqi militia known as Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada threatened to deploy dozens of suicide attackers against US interests if the conflict with Iran escalated. A local monitoring platform on Facebook published images and videos documenting the Iranian missile strikes on Syrian territory. At least one missile reportedly landed near the town of al-Hol, about 45 kilometers east of Hasakah. Another Iranian missile struck the village of Shalala, located between al-Hol and al-Shaddadi towns, near a base housing international coalition forces, local sources reported. There were no immediate reports of casualties or material damage. Social media platforms tracking the strikes urged residents to avoid approaching missile debris, warning: 'Please stay away from fragments and remains of the missiles intercepted by coalition forces.' Following Israel's recent strikes on Iranian targets, US forces in Hasakah province implemented a series of precautionary measures, a military source told Asharq Al-Awsat. These included activating radar and air defense systems and relocating advanced equipment - including radar and air defense units - from Iraq into Syria earlier this month. The source said the US also increased troop movements between its four main bases in the area in anticipation of a possible regional escalation. Residents reported near-daily US fighter jet patrols over the city of al-Malikiyah and surrounding areas, extending to the Semalka crossing that connects northeast Syria with the Faysh Khabur border point in Iraq's Kurdistan Region. Warplanes were also seen flying over the main road between Qamishli and Tal Tamr, where the coalition maintains a base in the village of Qasrak. These military maneuvers come shortly after Washington announced a partial drawdown of its forces in eastern Syria, including the closure of several positions in Deir Ezzor province. Among the largest bases to be shut were the al-Omar oil field and the Conoco gas facility.
Asharq Al-Awsat
5 days ago
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Damascus Stands at Equal Distance in Hostility to Both Tel Aviv and Tehran
Damascus remains a wary onlooker as conflict escalates between Israel and Iran, a confrontation threatening to engulf the broader Middle East. Syria's state media has given top billing to the tit-for-tat strikes, with the country's main news channel devoting extended airtime to live coverage and in-depth analysis of the fast-moving developments. Despite widespread Arab and regional condemnation of Israel's actions, Syria has yet to issue an official statement or comment on the matter. In a notable statement, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, who accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government of dragging the region and the world toward catastrophe, advised Syria to steer clear of the conflict. Erdogan described Israel's actions as 'reckless, aggressive and illegal,' calling them a clear provocation and blatant violation of international law. During a phone call with Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa on Saturday, Erdogan urged Damascus to avoid being drawn into the regional confrontation. The two leaders discussed the rapidly intensifying Israeli-Iranian standoff and other regional and international issues of mutual concern, according to a statement from the Turkish presidency. Syria has no intention of becoming involved in the conflict between Israel and Iran, according to sources close to the government in Damascus, who say the war-ravaged country remains equally distrustful of both sides. 'The Syrian state is too fragile, and its priority is rebuilding and stabilization. It cannot afford to take ill-considered positions in a conflict involving two parties that have both contributed to Syria's destruction,' a senior source told Asharq Al-Awsat. The source said Damascus is exercising 'extreme caution' as regional tensions mount and is working to shield itself from any potential spillover. Since returning to the regional fold, Syria has placed how it deals with Israel issue firmly on the Arab and international agenda, advocating negotiations and the implementation of the 1974 disengagement agreement without ruling out the possibility of a future peace deal. Despite repeated Israeli airstrikes on Syrian territory, including hits on military sites, Damascus has stuck to its position, seeking diplomatic solutions while avoiding direct confrontation. As for Iran, even after its withdrawal from Syria, Damascus still views Tehran as a rival, accusing it of continued interference and attempts to undermine Syria's security and stability. Sources close to the Syrian government said Damascus fears the broader implications of Israel's aggressive posture, warning that unchecked escalation could destabilize the entire region. 'There will be no official position from Damascus against either side, unless Syria itself is directly targeted,' one source said, noting that the government remains focused on protecting its own fragile recovery and avoiding entanglement in a wider regional conflict.
Arab News
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Syria condemns Israeli incursion into Damascus countryside
LONDON: The Syrian Arab Republic condemned an overnight incursion by Israeli forces into its southern territory, resulting in the death of a civilian and the detention of scores of residents. '(The) escalation represents a clear violation of international law and relevant Security Council resolutions, including the 1974 Disengagement Agreement,' the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates said in a statement on Thursday. It added that the attack undermines Syria's efforts to achieve stability and reconstruction and called on the UN Security Council 'to take decisive steps to halt those repeated attacks and ensure respect for international law, in order to preserve regional security and stability.' Syria's Ministry of Interior said on Thursday that the Israeli forces killed one civilian and 'kidnapped seven others during a raid in the town of Beit Jinn, (in the) Damascus countryside' overnight. The Israeli forces, comprised of tanks, armored personnel carriers, and infantry vehicles, along with reconnaissance drones, entered Beit Jinn in the Qatana area in the country's southern territory, 12 km from the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. 'These practices cannot lead to stability in the region and will only lead to further tension and unrest,' the Ministry of Interior said. Israeli forces took the detained Syrians into the territories it controlled following the fall of the Assad regime in December, and their fate remains 'unknown,' the ministry added.
Arab News
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Syria condemns ‘blatant violation' of sovereignty after Israeli incursion
DAMASCUS: Syria's Interior Ministry condemned an Israeli incursion in southern Syria, saying Israeli forces killed one person and abducted seven others, calling it a 'blatant violation' of the country's sovereignty. 'We affirm that these repeated provocations constitute a blatant violation of the sovereignty of the Syrian Arab Republic,' the ministry said in a statement, adding that 'these practices cannot lead the region to stability and will only result in further tension and turmoil.' The Israeli military said those detained during the pre-dawn raid on Beit Jin were suspected of planning attacks against Israel, and that weapons also were found in the area. They were taken back to Israel for questioning, the military said. One person was killed and seven captured in the operation, Syria's Interior Ministry said, while the father of the young man killed said he had a history of mental illness. Since the fall of President Bashar Assad's government in early December, Israeli forces have moved into several areas in southern Syria and conducted hundreds of airstrikes throughout the country, destroying much of the assets of the Syrian army. Local broadcaster Syria TV described Thursday's raid as being carried out by about 100 Israeli troops who stormed Beit Jin, near the border with Lebanon, and called out the names of several people targeted for arrest through loudspeakers. Syria's Interior Ministry said such incursions spike tensions in the region. 'Such repeated provocative acts are a flagrant violation of Syria's sovereignty,' the ministry said in a statement. Village official Walid Okasha said that Israeli troops had entered the outskirts of Beit Jin in recent months, but that this was the first time they entered the center of the village. He added that Thursday's operation came four days after an Israeli drone strike hit a car in the village, inflicting casualties. 'They came targeting specific people,' said Okasha, who denied that Hamas members were in the village. He said the seven people taken to Israel were all Syrians and that two of them were members of the country's new security forces. He said the man who was killed suffered from mental illness. Ahmad Hammadi identified the victim as his son and told the AP that he had a history of schizophrenia. He said his son was shot dead in front of his home, and that he had no links to Hamas. He said two of the captured men were his nephews. Hussein Safadi said his two sons, Ahmad, 32, and Mohammed, 34, were captured, adding that his younger son, who raises goats, had lived in Lebanon for years until recently. He said his younger son was a member of the armed opposition against Assad and recently joined the security forces of the new authorities. As for why Israeli forces seized his sons, 'we don't know the reasons,' Safadi said. During a visit to France last month, Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa said that his country is holding indirect talks with Israel to prevent hostilities from getting out of control.
Al Jazeera
04-06-2025
- General
- Al Jazeera
Mapping Israel's expanding air attacks across Syria
The Israeli military says it shelled targets in Syria in response to a pair of projectiles that fell in open areas in the Israel-occupied Golan Heights on Tuesday. Since December 10, 2024, just two days after the stunning collapse of more than 53 years of the al-Assad family, Israel has waged a campaign of aerial bombardment that has destroyed much of Syria's military infrastructure, including major airports, air defence facilities, fighter jets and other strategic infrastructure. Over the past six months, Israeli forces have launched more than 200 air, drone or artillery attacks across Syria, averaging an assault roughly every three to four days, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data project (ACLED). The map below shows the ACLED-recorded Israeli attacks between December 8 and May bulk of the Israeli attacks have been concentrated in the southern Syrian governorates of Deraa, Damascus and Quneitra, which account for nearly 60 percent of all recorded Israeli attacks. In the immediate aftermath of al-Assad's ouster, Israeli troops advanced into the Syrian side of the Golan Heights, including areas within the United Nations-monitored demilitarised zone, violating the 1974 disengagement agreement with Syria. The incursion drew widespread international criticism. The UN, along with several Arab nations, condemned Israel's actions as breaches of international law and violations of Syria's sovereignty. Despite these condemnations, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said in February that Israeli forces would remain in the area indefinitely to 'protect Israeli citizens' and 'prevent hostile entities from gaining a foothold' near the border. Satellite imagery captured in February and analysed by Al Jazeera's Sanad verification unit showed six military bases were being constructed in the UN-supervised buffer zone on the border with Syria. Since taking power following the overthrow of al-Assad, President Ahmed al-Sharaa has consistently stated that his government seeks no conflict with Israel and will not permit Syria to be used by foreign actors to launch attacks. He has condemned Israel's continuing strikes on Syrian territory and its gradual expansion beyond the already-occupied Golan Heights. While Israel's air attacks on Syria have escalated in recent months, Israel has been attacking targets in Syria for years. ACLED data collected since January 2017 shows how Israeli attacks have been steadily increasing. The animated chart below shows the frequency of Israeli attacks from January 2017 to May 2025.
