Syria's defence ministry and Kurdish-led SDF trade blame over attack in northern Syria
Syria's defence ministry and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces traded blame over an attack in the northern city of Manbij on Saturday, casting a shadow over a landmark integration deal they signed in March.
The defence ministry accused the SDF of carrying out a rocket barrage on one of the army's outposts in the city's countryside, injuring four troops and three civilians, according to the state news agency SANA. It described the attack as irresponsible and without justification.
The U.S.-backed SDF said in a statement they were responding to "an unprovoked artillery assault targeting civilian-populated areas with more than ten shells" from factions operating within Syrian government ranks. The statement made no mention of any casualties.
In March, the SDF signed a deal with the Damascus Islamist-led government to join Syria's state institutions.
The deal aims to stitch back together a country fractured by 14 years of war, paving the way for Kurdish-led forces that hold a quarter of Syria to merge with Damascus, along with regional Kurdish governing bodies.
However, the deal did not specify how the SDF will be merged with Syria's armed forces. The SDF has previously said its forces must join as a bloc, while Damascus wants them to join as individuals.
A Turkish defence ministry source said last month the SDF must prove it is adhering to the agreement with the Syrian government. Ankara deems the SDF an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party.
Top stories
Swipe. Select. Stay informed.
Singapore $3b money laundering case: MinLaw names 6 law firms taken to task over involvement in property deals
Singapore Police reopen access to all areas in Marina Bay after crowd congestion eases at NDP Preview area
Singapore Opening of Woodlands Health has eased load on KTPH, sets standard for future hospitals: Ong Ye Kung
Asia KTM plans new passenger rail service in Johor Bahru to manage higher footfall expected from RTS
Singapore HSA investigating teen allegedly vaping on MRT train
Asia 4 workers dead after falling into manhole in Japan
Singapore New vehicular bridge connecting Punggol Central and Seletar Link to open on Aug 3
Singapore New S'pore jobs portal launched for North West District residents looking for work near home
"While we reaffirm our commitment to respecting the current de-escalation arrangements, we call on the relevant authorities in the Syrian government to take responsibility and bring the undisciplined factions under their control," the SDF said in its statement. REUTERS
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
a few seconds ago
- Straits Times
Hezbollah chief says missiles will fall on Israel if it resumes war on Lebanon
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Lebanon's Hezbollah Chief Naim Qassem gives a televised speech from an unknown location, July 30, 2025 in this screen grab from video. Al Manar TV/REUTERS TV/via REUTERS/File Photo BEIRUT - Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem threatened Israel directly for the first time in months in a televised speech on Tuesday, saying missiles would fall on it if it resumed a broad war on Lebanon. His comments came as Lebanon's cabinet met to discuss the fate of Hezbollah's arsenal, after Washington pressured Lebanese officials to commit to disarming the Iran-backed group and amid fears that Israel could intensify strikes if they fail to do so. Qassem said that, should Israel engage in a "large-scale aggression" against Lebanon, Hezbollah, Lebanon's army and Lebanon's people would defend themselves. "This defence will lead to missiles falling inside the Israeli entity, and all the security they have built over eight months will collapse within an hour," he said. A U.S.-brokered ceasefire in November brought an end to months of fighting between Hezbollah and Israel. The war killed much of Hezbollah's leadership - including Qassem's predecessor Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah - and destroyed much of its arsenal. Qassem said the war had killed 5,000 Hezbollah fighters and wounded 13,000, the first official toll the group has given. But he said the organisation remained in good order, with fighters ready to make "the harshest sacrifices" if needed. Minutes after he spoke, dozens of men on motorcycles carrying Hezbollah's yellow flags emerged from its strongholds in Beirut's southern suburbs for the second day in a row. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore More train rides taken in first half-year, but overall public transport use stays below 2019 levels Singapore BlueSG needs time to develop software, refresh fleet, say ex-insiders after winding-down news Asia Cambodia-Thailand border clash a setback for Asean: Vivian Balakrishnan Singapore 'She had a whole life ahead of her': Boyfriend mourns Yishun fatal crash victim Singapore Doctor hounded ex-girlfriend, threatened to share her intimate photos, abducted her off street Asia Trump's transactional foreign policy fuels 'US scepticism' in Taiwan Business Women on corporate boards give firms a competitive advantage, says Australian Governor-General Singapore CEO of sports car distributor accused of offences including multiple counts of false trading REJECTS 'EXTERNAL DICTATES' Washington and Beirut have been in talks since June on a U.S. roadmap to fully disarm Hezbollah in exchange for a halt to Israeli strikes, the withdrawal of Israeli troops still occupying five points in south Lebanon and funds to rebuild areas destroyed by Israeli bombardment during the war. But with little progress on disarmament, Washington's patience began wearing thin and it pressured Lebanon's ministers to swiftly make a public pledge so that talks could continue. Qassem pushed back against the conditions, saying Israel must implement the ceasefire in full by halting its military activities in Lebanon before any other discussion. "Solve the problem of the (Israeli) aggression, and then we will discuss the issue of the weapons," he said. Addressing Lebanese officials, he said: "I hope you don't waste time on the storms stirred up by external dictates." REUTERS
Straits Times
a few seconds ago
- Straits Times
Netanyahu meets security officials as Israel considers full Gaza takeover
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Israeli army battle tanks positioned near the border with the Gaza Strip in southern Israel on Aug 5, 2025. TEL AVIV/CAIRO - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met senior security officials to finalise a new strategy for the 22-month war in Gaza, his office said on Aug 5, with media reporting he favoured a complete military takeover of the Strip. Despite intense international pressure for a ceasefire to ease hunger and appalling conditions in the besieged Palestinian enclave, efforts to mediate a truce between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas have collapsed. Eight more people died of starvation or malnutrition in the past 24 hours, Gaza's health ministry said, while another 79 died in the latest Israeli firing. The prime minister's office said in statement that Mr Netanyahu had held a 'limited security discussion' lasting about three hours during which military Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir 'presented the options for continuing the campaign in Gaza'. An Israeli official had earlier told Reuters that Defence Minister Israel Katz and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, a confidant of Netanyahu, would also attend the meeting to decide on a strategy to take to cabinet this week. Israel's Channel 12, citing an official from Mr Netanyahu's office, had said the prime minister was leaning towards taking control of the entire territory . That would reverse a 2005 decision to withdraw from Gaza, while retaining control over its borders, a move right-wing parties blame for Hamas gaining power there. It was unclear, however, whether Mr Netanyahu was foreseeing a prolonged occupation or a short-term operation aimed at dismantling Hamas and freeing Israeli hostages. The prime minister's office declined to comment on the Channel 12 report. 'It is still necessary to complete the defeat of the enemy in Gaza, release our hostages and ensure that Gaza never again constitutes a threat to Israel,' mr Netanyahu told new recruits at a military base. 'We are not giving up on any of these missions.' On Aug 2, Hamas released a video of Evyatar David, one of 50 hostages still held in Gaza, appearing emaciated in what seemed to be an underground tunnel. The images shocked Israelis and sparked international condemnation. Throughout the war, there has been sustained international pressure on Hamas to release the remaining hostages, of whom Israeli officials estimate 20 are still alive. Most hostages have been released during ceasefires following diplomatic negotiations. Israel broke the last ceasefire. Pressure tactic? A Palestinian official said the suggestion of a full takeover of Gaza may be a tactic to pressure Hamas into concessions, while the Palestinian Foreign Ministry urged foreign nations to take heed of the reports. 'The ministry urges countries and the international community to treat these leaks with utmost seriousness and to intervene urgently to prevent their implementation, whether these leaks are meant to exert pressure, test international reactions, or are genuine and serious,' it said. Israel's coalition government, the most right-wing and religiously conservative in its history, includes far-right politicians who advocate the annexation of both Gaza and the West Bank and encourage Palestinians to leave their homeland. Nearly two years of fighting in Gaza has strained the military, which has a small standing army and has had to repeatedly mobilise reservists. It has throughout the war pushed back against the idea of Israel fully occupying Gaza. In a sign of differences between some members of Israel's ruling coalition and the military, far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir on X challenged military head Zamir to state he would comply with government directives even if a decision was made to take all of Gaza. The statement from Mr Netanyahu's office said the Israeli Defence Forces were 'prepared to implement any decision that will be made by the Political-Security Cabinet'. Hunger The war was triggered when Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on Oct 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and capturing 251 hostages. Israel's military response has devastated the tiny, crowded enclave, killing more than 61,000 people - mostly civilians - according to Palestinian health authorities. Israel's campaign has forced nearly all of Gaza's more than 2 million people from their homes and caused what a global hunger monitor called last week an unfolding famine. Some 188 Palestinians, including 94 children, have died from hunger since the war began, according to Gaza authorities. An Israeli security official, in a briefing to reporters, acknowledged there may be hunger in some parts of Gaza but rejected reports of famine or starvation. On Aug 5, Israeli tanks pushed into central Gaza but it was not clear if the move was part of a larger ground offensive. Palestinians living in the last quarter of territory where Israel has not yet taken military control - via ground incursions or orders for civilians to leave - said any new push would be catastrophic. 'If the tanks pushed through, where would we go, into the sea? This will be like a death sentence to the entire population,' said Mr Abu Jehad, a Gaza wood merchant. REUTERS
Straits Times
30 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Lithuania asks NATO for more air defences after drones land on its territory
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox VILNIUS - Lithuania's foreign ministry has written to the NATO military alliance asking it to strengthen its air defences, it said on Tuesday, after two military drones have crossed into its territory from Belarus in less than a month. "This must not be only Lithuania's responsibility, because we are defending the eastern NATO flank," Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys told reporters. NATO and European Union member Lithuania borders Russia and Moscow's ally, Belarus. The letter from Lithuania's foreign and defence ministers to NATO General Secretary Mark Rutte said the alliance must show it is ready to defend "every centimetre of its territory". In the most recent incident, a drone crossed into Lithuania on July 28, which Lithuania suspects was directed by Russia at Ukraine, but that it was disoriented by Ukraine's defences, Defence Minister Dovile Sakaliene said on Tuesday. The drone was found crashed in a military training area about 100 kilometres (62.14 miles) from the border with Belarus and contained 2 kg (4 lb) of explosives, the chief of staff of the Lithuanian army, Dainius Paskevicius, told reporters. Sakaliene had earlier identified the object as a Gerbera drone, a wooden copy of an Iranian-designed Shahed kamikaze drone, which Russian military is known to use. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore More train rides taken in first half-year, but overall public transport use stays below 2019 levels Singapore BlueSG needs time to develop software, refresh fleet, say ex-insiders after winding-down news Asia Cambodia-Thailand border clash a setback for Asean: Vivian Balakrishnan Singapore 'She had a whole life ahead of her': Boyfriend mourns Yishun fatal crash victim Singapore Doctor hounded ex-girlfriend, threatened to share her intimate photos, abducted her off street Asia Trump's transactional foreign policy fuels 'US scepticism' in Taiwan Business Women on corporate boards give firms a competitive advantage, says Australian Governor-General Singapore CEO of sports car distributor accused of offences including multiple counts of false trading Another Gerbera drone entered Lithuania from Belarus on July 10, causing alarm before authorities determined it was not dangerous. Then-prime minister Gintautas Paluckas and Speaker of Parliament Saulius Skvernelis were briefly taken to bomb shelters in response to the drone entering Lithuanian airspace, according to their spokespersons. NATO was not immediately available for comment. REUTERS
