Nearly 1,000 Killed In Clashes In Syria's South, With 80,000 Displaced
Among the dead are 326 Druze fighters and 262 Druze civilians, including 182 reportedly executed on the spot by forces from Syria's Hayat Tahrir al-Sham government fighters.
The Observatory also reported the deaths of 312 government security forces and 21 Sunni Bedouins—three of whom were civilians allegedly executed by Druze fighters. Additionally, some 15 Syrian government troops were killed in Israeli airstrikes amid the intermittent intervention by Israeli warplanes.
Damascus announced a ceasefire early on Saturday, saying in a statement the truce is badly needed in order 'to spare Syrian blood, preserve the unity of Syrian territory, the safety of its people.'
In a televised address, the country's self-appointed president Ahmed al-Sharaa stated that he 'received international calls to intervene in what is happening in Suwayda and restore security to the country.'
He described that Israeli military intervention has 'reignited tensions' in the city of Sweida, with fighting there at 'a dangerous turning point.' Interestingly he also at one point thanked the United States for its support.
Al Jazeera has observed that tens of thousands have been fleeing the fighting:
According to Syria's Health Ministry, the death toll from fighting in the Druze-majority city is now at least 260. An estimated 80,000 people have fled the area, according to the International Organization for Migration.
'A lot of extrajudicial killings [are] being reported,' said Vall. 'People are suffering, even those who have been killed or forced to flee, they don't have electricity, they don't have water, because most of those services have been badly affected by the fighting.'
Government forces further say they want to defeat Druze leaders who have allied themselves with a foreign power – Israel.
Israel has of late made no secret that it is backing the Druze cause, but critics see Netanyahu expansionist 'divide and rule' policies at work.
https://twitter.com/realMaalouf/status/1946161112908714112
HTS has just taken off the US-designated terrorism list earlier this month, after Trump had posed with its leader Sharaa (Jolani, who had earlier been a member of ISIS) while visiting Riyadh, expressing hope that he'll make for a good post-Assad ruler. HTS fighters have lately been massacring Druze, Christians, and Alawites – waging war against non-Sunni minorities.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Gulf Insider
17 minutes ago
- Gulf Insider
Kuwait Uncovers Major Citizenship Fraud By Single Syrian Family
Kuwait has revoked the nationality of 108 people after uncovering an elaborate fraud orchestrated by an extended Syrian family, the Ministry of Interior announced. According to local media reports, the investigation, months in the making, began when a man was stopped while trying to flee through Kuwait International Airport. Under questioning, he admitted he had obtained Kuwaiti nationality illegally and revealed that several of his siblings were in fact his Syrian brothers, all posing as Kuwaitis. At the centre of the scheme, officials say, was a Syrian national who had forged documents to be listed as the father of dozens of others. His civil file eventually ballooned to include 53 names, none of whom had legitimate claims to citizenship. Further digging exposed his brother, who had used marriage records and falsified kinship documents to extend the fake family tree. Together, the brothers built an interlocking network of fraudulent files that spanned generations, marriages and dependents. Using DNA testing, investigators proved there were no biological ties to the Kuwaiti citizens under whose lineage they claimed to belong. The probe, which officials describe as the most sophisticated of its kind, is still widening. Kuwait's Supreme Nationality Investigation Committee is reviewing hundreds of additional cases, and more than 200 Syrians are expected to lose their citizenship in the coming weeks. Kuwait recently revoked the citizenship of more than 1,060 individuals in what is being described as the largest nationality fraud operation in the country's history, following an intensive investigation that uncovered decades-long networks of forged identities and falsified records. The investigation was led by the Supreme Committee for the Investigation of Kuwaiti Nationality, in coordination with the Ministry of Interior's Nationality Investigation Department. The campaign uncovered decades-old fraud networks involving forged identities, false family claims, and dual nationalities.
Daily Tribune
2 days ago
- Daily Tribune
France, Saudi push two-state peace path
TDT | Manama France will formally recognise the State of Palestine in September, French Foreign Affairs Minister JeanNoël Barrot announced during a high-level international conference in New York, marking a decisive shift in European diplomacy that now aligns with Saudi Arabia's regional peace-building efforts. The move was revealed at a UN General Assembly-led plenary session on the peaceful settlement of the Palestine question, where Barrot called on world leaders to join what he described as an 'irreversible momentum' toward a two-state solution. The September announcement is expected to coincide with a summit of heads of state and government during the UN General Assembly. Arab Coordination The French minister praised the coordination with Saudi Arabia, which is working with France to revive the stalled peace roadmap. He said this new collective initiative has already led to historic commitments from both the Palestinian Authority and regional Arab powers. Barrot cited a recent letter from the Palestinian Authority to President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Crown Prince HRH Mohammed bin Salman, where the Palestinian leadership condemned the 7 October attacks for the first time, pledged the disarmament of Hamas, promised to end payments to prisoners convicted of terrorism charges, and announced elections for 2026. 'This recognition, a major decision by France, expresses a refusal, and also contains a call,' Barrot told the assembly, urging countries that have not yet recognised Palestine to act now while the political window remains open. Two-State Revival The announcement comes amid concern that the two-state solution is slipping further out of reach. Barrot warned that the current trajectory, marked by ongoing Israeli military operations in Gaza, the expansion of West Bank settlements, and the political fragmentation of Palestinian territories, has placed the prospect of coexistence in mortal danger. He sharply criticised both Hamas and Israeli extremists, saying the violence and rejectionism on both sides were undermining any viable path to peace. 'The two-state solution is about to give way to perpetual confrontation,' he said, stressing that France's recognition of Palestine is meant to empower non-violent actors, isolate Hamas, and pressure Israel to abandon annexation plans. Next Steps France's top diplomat called on Arab and Muslim countries to renew normalisation efforts with Israel and help construct a regional security architecture. He also urged Israel to lift the humanitarian blockade on Gaza, cease its military operations, and resume dialogue. Barrot framed the move as both a moral imperative and a strategic necessity. 'Today, we have the opportunity to save a peace process. That is our responsibility before history,' he said. France's recognition will make it the first permanent member of the UN Security Council to take such a step since Russia's recognition in 1988, and could provide new diplomatic momentum in the lead-up to the UN General Assembly summit this September. So far, over 140 UN member states have recognised Palestine, but France's move carries unique weight given its position in both the EU and global security institutions. France's message, Barrot concluded, is simple. 'Refusing to give up on peace is the most powerful act of diplomacy in our time.'
Gulf Insider
2 days ago
- Gulf Insider
Iran Deporting Millions Of Afghan Migrants
It would seem that mass deportations in the name of national security is not an issue limited to western countries. Over the past few weeks Iran has drawn the attention of the UN and a number of humanitarian NGOs after initiated a nationwide program to remove all Afghan migrants without proper legal documentation from their borders, relocating them back to Afghanistan. Nearly 1 million migrants have been deported in the past month alone according to estimates by Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni. That's around half of the 2 million Afghans currently residing in the country. Iran's government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani stated at the beginning of the relocation effort: 'We've always striven to be good hosts, but national security is a priority.' The deportations are a response to detrimental intelligence leaks and acts of sabotage within Iran during recent conflict with Israel. Iranian authorities report the capture of a number of Afghan refugees involved in the transportation and piloting of drones, the gathering of sensitive intelligence and the planting of bombs. They assert that migrants are easier for the Israelis to bribe. In a well-publicized case, Iranian authorities in the city of Rey arrested an Afghan university student accusing him of links to the Mossad and alleging he was caught in possession of sensitive material on bomb-making, drone mechanics and surveillance operations. State television aired reports of arrested Afghan citizens 'confessing' to being Israeli agents. In one such report, broadcast on June 26, showed the questioning of several suspects, mostly Afghans, being accused of plotting to bomb a power station in southeast Tehran. It is possible that the mass deportations represent nothing more than an effort to divert blame for Iranian intelligence failures onto a convenient scapegoat. However, migrant groups have historically been easy targets for manipulation and conversion by foreign enemies and Iran's caution is a logical response. Open borders have long been used by intelligence agencies as a means to plant 'sleeper agents' within nations they plan to go to war with. For example, several Iranians have been recently apprehended trying to sneak across the US border, some of them with national security ties. The Taliban government has urged Iran to stop the exodus, calling for a gradual process instead. Taliban officials say the dignity of the migrants must be respected, though, it is likely that the Afghan economy could be crippled by a surge of a million or more refugees in such a short span of time and the Taliban have limited means of humanitarian support. Afghanistan maintains a number of restrictions on foreign aid groups seeking to operate within the country. The UN has also accused the Taliban of 'serious abuses' against returning migrants, including cases of torture, mistreatment and arbitrary arrest and detention targeting women, media workers, civil society members as well as individuals affiliated with the former government that fell in 2021. While education of women is common in Iran, it is strictly prohibited in Afghanistan under the Taliban. Women refugees returning to the country after years or decades in Iran are likely to experience a cultural shock. Iran's deportations have been escalating since 2023, with the government citing not just national security issues, but also economic strain. As with any other country, it is not their responsibility to take on the economic, cultural and strategic risks associated with mass immigration. Also read: Iran Plans To Abandon GPS & Replace With China's BeiDou System
