Syria Crisis

As tension peaks, Israeli warplanes and artillery strike targets in Syria

Israeli warplanes and artillery struck targets in Syria following rare rocket fire from the northeastern neighbour, as Jewish-Muslim tensions reached a peak on Sunday at a volatile Jerusalem shrine with simultaneous religious rituals. Thousands of Jewish worshippers gathered at the city's Western Wall, the holiest place where Jews can pray, for a mass priestly benediction prayer service for the Passover holiday. At the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, a walled esplanade above the Western Wall, hundreds of Palestinians performed prayers as part of observances during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Hundreds of Jews also visited the Al-Aqsa compound under heavy police guard Sunday, to whistles and religious chants from Palestinians protesting their presence. Such tours by religious and nationalist Jews have increased in size and frequency over the years, and are viewed with suspicion by many Palestinians who fear that Israel plans one day to take over the site or partition it. Israeli ...

Israeli military retaliates after rockets fired from Syria, no casualties

The Israeli military said its forces attacked targets in Syria early Sunday after six rockets were launched from Syrian territory in two batches toward Israel in a rare attack from Israel's northeastern neighbor. After the second barrage of three rockets, Israel initially said it responded with artillery fire into the area in Syria from where the rockets were fired. Later, the military said Israeli fighter jets attacked Syrian army sites, including a compound of Syria's 4th Division and radar and artillery posts. The rocket firings came after days of escalating violence on multiple fronts over tension in Jerusalem and an Israeli police raid on the city's most sensitive holy site. In the second barrage, which was launched early Sunday, two of the rockets crossed the border into Israel, with one being intercepted and the second landing in an open area, the Israeli military said. In the first attack, on Saturday, one rocket landed in a field in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights. ...

Turkiye, Syria earthquake toll crosses 11,000-mark; deadliest in decade

The death toll from an earthquake in Turkiye and Syria has passed 11,000. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is visiting the quake zone. He said the fatalities in Turkiye alone have passed 8,500. He conceded shortfalls in the response during the first day but said the situation has improved since then. We won't allow any of our citizens to be left in the streets, he said. Thinly stretched rescue teams worked through the night in Turkiye and Syria, pulling more bodies from the rubble of thousands of buildings toppled by a catastrophic earthquake. The death toll rose Wednesday to more than 9,500, making the quake the deadliest in more than a decade. Turkiye's disaster management agency said the country's death toll had risen to 7,108, bringing the overall total to 9,638, including fatalities reported in neighbouring Syria, since Monday's earthquake and multiple aftershocks. The death toll in government-held areas of Syria has climbed to 1,250, with 2,054 injured, according to t

Germany warns of violent escalation after Turkish operations in Syria, Iraq

German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser expressed solidarity with Turkey in its fight against terrorism

Syria facing 'acute violence', worst economic crisis since war: UN

Syria is facing acute violence, the worst economic crisis since the war began in 2011, and a rapidly spreading cholera outbreak with more than 24,000 suspected cases reported throughout the country and at least 80 deaths, U.N. officials have said. U.N. special envoy Geir Pedersen told the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday that the conflict remains very active across the country despite the strategic stalemate that has blocked efforts to launch a political process between the government and opposition. He pointed to infighting between armed opposition groups in Afrin in northern Aleppo province in recent weeks, pro-government airstrikes in the northwest, violence in the northeast, security incidents in the southwest, airstrikes attributed to Israel on airports in Damascus and Aleppo, and discovery in the northeast of one of the largest Islamic State arms caches since its so-called caliphate fell in 2017. In recent weeks, Pedersen said, the Syrian currency, the pound, lost a tremendous

Fight against terrorism can't be compromised for politics: India on Syria

Calling for a long-term solution to the Syrian conflict, India at UNSC said the global fight against terrorism cannot and should not be compromised for narrow political games

Second Israeli airstrike in a week puts Syrian airport out of commission

Israel launched a missile attack on Tuesday targeting the airport in the Syrian city of Aleppo for the second time in a week, this time putting it out of commission, Syrian state media said. The Syrian government did not report any casualties. State media, citing a military source, reported that Syrian anti-missile defense systems fired back at what they said were Israeli missiles. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a U.K.-based opposition war monitor, the airstrikes also destroyed warehouses belonging to Iran-backed militias. Israel launched airstrikes at Aleppo airport last week, damaging its runway and, according to the war monitor, a warehouse that likely stored a shipment of Iranian rockets. Syria's foreign minister last week said the attack completely destroyed the navigation station with its equipment. Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes on targets inside government-controlled parts of Syria in recent years, but rarely acknowledges or discusses su

171 killed by explosive war remnants this year in Syria so far, say reports

A total of 171 civilians have so far been killed in 2022 by explosions of landmines and other ordnance left uncovered in previous war zones across Syria, a war monitor reported

Airstrikes in eastern Syria intended to send message to Iran, says US

US military airstrikes in eastern Syria were a message to Iran and Tehran-backed militias that targeted American troops this month and several other times over the past year, the Pentagon said Wednesday. Colin Kahl, the undersecretary of defense for policy, told reporters that the US airstrikes overnight on facilities used by "the United States will not hesitate to defend itself against Iranian and Iran-backed aggression when it occurs." He said the US decision to launch the strikes was based on both the nature of the militia attacks on August 15 at the al-Tanf Garrison, where US troops are based in the south, and the fact that, based on recovered drone parts, "we believe we have Iran dead to rights on attribution." Hours after the US strikes, two US military locations in northeastern Syria near large oil and gas fields were hit with rocket fire. According to US Central Command, the rockets hit near Green Village and the Conoco gas field in Deir el-Zour. One US service member was ..

Syria reports Israeli missile attack on coast, no immediate casualties

Israel launched a missile attack on western Syria Sunday night and explosions were heard in the coastal region of the war-torn country, Syrian state media reported

Turkey to address security concerns in Syria with new operation: President

Erdogan made the announcement in an address to his party members in the capital Ankara, noting the new operation will make up for the "shortcomings" of the security line on its southern borders

Over 113,000 Syrian immigrants gain right to vote in Turkey elections

Turkey hosts the highest number of Syrian refugees in the world, according to the migration authorities

Erdogan vows to send 1 mn refugees back to Syria amid Opposition's push

Turkey is currently hosting the largest number of refugees in the world which includes about 3.7 million from Syria

Humanitarian situation in Syria dire amid economic crisis: UN official

The humanitarian situation in Syria remains dire amid a worsening economic crisis, said Joyce Msuya, the deputy UN relief chief, on Tuesday.As the eyes of the world turn to other conflicts, Syria is on the verge of becoming a forgotten crisis. Yet millions of Syrians struggle each month to survive. For many, their situation has never been direr since the civil war erupted in 2011, she told the Security Council.Fighting in many areas continues, and civilians, including women and children, are being killed and injured. The economic crisis continues unabated, she said.Fuel shortages and lack of electricity impact the delivery of basic services, including health, education, and water and sanitation. Food and fuel prices are spiraling higher every month, putting the basic necessities for a healthy and dignified life even further out of reach for millions of people.Food prices rose another 18 percent between February and March, said Msuya, assistant secretary-general for humanitarian ...

241 civilians killed in Syria by explosive war leftovers this year

As many as 241 civilians have been killed in 2021 by landmines and other explosive materials left in previous war zones across Syria, a war monitor said Sunday.

Syria refugees suffered abuse, torture upon return, says Amnesty

A number of Syrian refugees who returned home have been subjected to detention, disappearance and torture at the hands of Syrian security forces

Israel says it strikes targets in Syria in response to missile attack

A missile launched from Syria struck Israel's Negev desert region early Thursday, setting off air raid sirens near the country's top-secret nuclear reactor, the Israeli military said

Israel carried out missiles attack on suburbs of capital Damascus: Syria

Syria's state media reported no immediate word on any casualties

Turkey, Russia agree to prevent ceasefire violations in Syria's Idlib

On Monday, Turkey expressed concern to the Russian envoy in Ankara over recent attacks in Idlib

International diplomacy crucial to end Syria's war, says United Nations

UN special envoy for Syria said that international diplomacy is crucial to end the 10-year war and it's important to establish a new format to bring together key nations with influence on the conflict