Latest news with #al-Assad
Shafaq News
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Alawite teen killed at checkpoint as sectarian violence surges in Syria
Shafaq News/ An 18-year-old Alawite man was shot dead at an armed group checkpoint in the town of Shin, west of Homs, on Wednesday, as Syria faces a sharp rise in sectarian killings and abductions following the collapse of al-Assad regime. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), the teenager was riding to work with a companion on a motorcycle when they were stopped by gunmen affiliated with pro-government factions tied to the defense and interior ministries. The assailants questioned the pair about their sect before executing one and briefly detaining the other. The body remained at the scene for hours before their ID cards were found near the local police station. #المرصد_السوري تصاعد في حـ ـوادث الـ ـعـ ـنـ ـف الطائفي.. إعـ ـدام شابين أحدهما في #حمص والآخر في #حماة — المرصد السوري لحقوق الإنسان (@syriahr) June 11, 2025 The killing is one of several violent incidents reported in recent days. In rural Hama, a young shopkeeper was gunned down in his store in the village of Turkmen Musa by two masked men on a motorcycle. Despite a heavy security presence in the area, the attackers escaped, raising suspicions of insider involvement. #المرصد_السوري استمرارا لـ ـحـ ـوادث الـ ـعـ ـنـ ـف.. استشهاد مدني بـ ـرصـ ـاص عـ ـصـ ـابـ ـة مـ ـسـ ـلّـ ـحـ ـة في ريف #مصياف — المرصد السوري لحقوق الإنسان (@syriahr) June 11, 2025 Meanwhile, factions known as 'Hamzat' and 'Amshat' abducted three displaced Kurdish men from Afrin while they were traveling from Qamishli to Aleppo. The men were accused of links to the Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration. They are originally from Jindires, Sharran, and Khirbat Sharran. #المرصد_السوري بحجة التعامل مع " #الإدارة_الذاتية".. القوة المشتركة تـ ـخـ ـتـ ـطـ ـف 3 مواطنين كرد في ريف #حلب — المرصد السوري لحقوق الإنسان (@syriahr) June 11, 2025 In a separate case, the same faction kidnapped a fourth Kurdish man from the village of Ali Baku in northern Aleppo. He had returned from Iraq to visit family when he was seized near Deir Hafer. His fate remains unknown.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Syria: Women should wear burkinis, 'appropriate' swimsuits on beaches
The Syrian Tourism Ministry on Tuesday said women should wear burkinis or "appropriate" swimsuits at public beaches. "People are asked to wear conservative swimsuits at public beaches and shores (burkinis or swimsuits which cover the whole body," a ministry statement said. "Swimmers and general beach visitors in general are required to wear appropriate swimming attire and behave in a manner that respects public taste," the statement added. The decision came six months after an Islamist coalition seized power and overthrew longtime dictator Bashar al-Assad in December 2024. Outside public swimming areas, women should wear loose-fitting clothing, and men must not walk around bare-chested even in hotel lobbies and restaurant areas, the statement said. During al-Assad's rule, women in Syria were not seen wearing swimsuits, especially on public beaches. But the ministry said the restrictions do not apply to private clubs, pools and luxury hotels. "It is allowed to wear regular Western swimsuits provided that appropriate behavior is adhered to," the statement said. Syria is currently led by a transitional government. It is largely comprised of the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. Since the takeover, the rights of minorities and women have been under particular scrutiny.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
1,500-year-old Byzantine tomb complex discovered under Syrian war ruins
A construction worker has unearthed a 1,500-year-old Byzantine tomb complex in the war-torn province of Idlib, northern Syria. The discovery occurred in Maarat al-Numan, a town of strategic importance between Aleppo and Damascus, which saw intense conflict during the Syrian civil war. The area, once a rebel stronghold, was reclaimed by former president Bashar al-Assad's forces in 2020, leaving many homes looted and demolished. As residents return to rebuild following the overthrow of Mr al-Assad in 2024, the chance discovery of stone openings led to the unearthing of ancient graves. Local authorities were promptly alerted, and a team of specialists has been dispatched to inspect and secure the site. Aboveground, it is a residential neighbourhood with rows of cinder-block buildings, many of them damaged in the war. Next to one of those buildings, a pit leads down to the openings of two burial chambers, each containing six stone tombs. The sign of the cross is etched into the top of one stone column. 'Based on the presence of the cross and the pottery and glass pieces that were found, this tomb dates back to the Byzantine era,' said Hassan al-Ismail, director of antiquities in Idlib. He noted that the discovery adds to an already rich collection of archeological sites in the area. Idlib "has a third of the monuments of Syria, containing 800 archaeological sites in addition to an ancient city', Mr al-Ismail said. The Byzantine Empire, which began in the 4th century AD, was a continuation of the Roman empire with its capital in Constantinople – today's Istanbul – and Christianity as its official religion. Abandoned Byzantine-era settlements called Dead Cities stretch across rocky hills and plains in northwest Syria, their weathered limestone ruins featuring remnants of stone houses, basilicas, tombs and colonnaded streets. In the past, the owners of sites where archeological ruins were found sometimes covered them up, fearful that their property would be seized to preserve the ruins, said Ghiath Sheikh Diab, a resident of Maarat al-Numan who witnessed the moment when the tomb complex was uncovered. He said he hoped the new government will fairly compensate property owners in such cases and provide assistance to the displaced people who have returned to the area to find their homes destroyed. The years of war led to significant damage to Syria's archeological sites, not only from bombing but from looting and unauthorised digging. Some see in the ruins a sign of hope for economic renewal. Another local resident, Abed Jaafar, came with his son to explore the newly discovered tombs and take pictures. 'In the old days, a lot of foreign tourists used to come to Maarat just to see the ruins,' he said. 'We need to take care of the antiquities and restore them and return them to the way they were before … and this will help to bring back the tourism and the economy.'
Shafaq News
08-06-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Gunmen target Israeli outpost in southern Syria
Shafaq News/ On Sunday, armed assailants opened fire on an Israeli military outpost in southern Syria before fleeing the area, in the latest cross-border incident near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. The Golan Heights, internationally recognized as Syrian territory, has been occupied and later annexed by Israel since the 1967 and 1981 wars—a move not recognized by any country except the United States. According to local media outlet Daraa 24, the attack targeted the al-Jazeera outpost, located in Daraa province. Two gunmen riding a motorcycle reportedly approached from a nearby mortar launch point and opened fire, then escaped, though their identities remain unknown. Israeli forces returned fire indiscriminately toward civilian homes in the village, with no casualties or damage reported. A similar incident occurred on June 7, when unidentified individuals on motorcycles neared a checkpoint near the same outpost before retreating, prompting Israeli troops to open fire in response. Israeli forces have expanded their presence inside southern Syria since December 8, 2024, establishing buffer zones and reinforcing positions in territory formerly controlled by the al-Assad regime. Analysts view Israel's continued incursions and strikes as a major obstacle to restoring stable governance in post-conflict Syria. Tel Aviv maintains that its operations are aimed at preventing Iranian entrenchment near its borders, while Damascus accuses Israel of violating national sovereignty and undermining regional stability.
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
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 30. The 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. Deraa was the most targeted governorate, with 57 recorded attacks, focusing on former regime military sites and suspected arms convoys. Damascus governorate, which hosts key military highways and logistics hubs, was attacked at least 49 times. Whereas Damascus city, the capital was attacked 18 times. Quneitra, adjacent to the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, was attacked at least 25 times; many attacks were aimed at radar and surveillance infrastructure. 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.
