Latest news with #AnasKhattab
Nahar Net
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Nahar Net
Syria says seized 3 million captagon pills coming from Lebanon
Syria said Friday that authorities had seized some three million pills of the illicit stimulant captagon after clashes with a drug trafficking network near the Lebanese border. Authorities observed the network "coming from Lebanon into Syrian territory" via illegal border crossings in the Jarajir area in the northern Damascus countryside, said a statement released by the interior ministry. Syrian forces set up a roadside ambush that "led to clashes between the security forces and members of the cell", some of whom abandoned their vehicle and fled, the statement said. "Around three million pills of the drug captagon were seized in addition to 50 kilograms (110 pounds) of hashish," the statement said, adding that authorities would not allow Syrian territory "to be a passage or haven for drug smuggling". Lebanon and Syria share a porous, 330-kilometer (205-mile) border that is notorious for smuggling. Captagon, which is also produced in Lebanon, became Syria's largest export during Syria's civil war which erupted in 2011. It was also a key source of illicit funding for the government of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad. Since his overthrow in December, the new Islamist authorities have sought to crack down on the drug trade and have announced the discovery of millions of captagon pills and said they have thwarted smuggling attempts. Earlier this month, Interior Minister Anas Khattab said authorities had seized all captagon production facilities in Syria.
Fox News
5 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Syrian authorities capture 'criminals' linked to brutal church attack that killed dozens: report
Syrian authorities announced arrests have been made in connection to a deadly suicide bombing that claimed the lives of at least 25 people at a Greek Orthodox church on Sunday. The interior ministry reported the arrest of "a number of criminals involved in the attack," the Orthodox Times reported. According to Interior Minister Anas Khattab, the operation was carried out against "locations linked to cells of the terrorist organization Islamic State," the outlet reported. Explosive devices and a booby-trapped motorcycle were also recovered during a security operation near Damascus "against cells affiliated with the Daesh (IS) terrorist group," according to France24. The announcement came hours after Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa vowed authorities would "work night and day" to capture all those who participated in and "planned this heinous crime and bring them to justice." At least 25 people were killed, and 63 others were injured in the attack that took place at the Mar Elias Church in Dweil'a, located on the outskirts of Damascus. It reportedly began while people were praying. The perpetrator first opened fire on the worshipers, before detonating himself. While no group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, Syrian Interior Ministry spokesman Noureddine Al-Baba suggested ISIS as a likely culprit following a preliminary investigation. "The security of places of worship is a red line," Al-Baba said further, castigating ISIS and what remains of the former government of Ba'athist dictator Bashar al-Assad as actors trying to destabilize Syria. The attack "reminds us of the importance of solidarity, and unity of the government and the people in facing all that threatens our nation's security and stability", Sharaa said of the church bombing. The attack comes amid a time of heightened political unrest in the notoriously volatile Middle East – less than 24 hours after the U.S. launched airstrikes on three of Iran's top nuclear facilities. Israel launched a series of similar attacks, including attacks on the Iranian capital, Tehran, in the weeks prior. Stepheny Price is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. She covers topics including missing persons, homicides, national crime cases, illegal immigration, and more. Story tips and ideas can be sent to
LBCI
5 days ago
- Politics
- LBCI
Syria's interior ministry announces arrests over Damascus church attack
Syria's interior ministry said Monday that authorities had arrested several suspects in connection with a suicide attack on a church the day before, with the minister saying the operation targeted cells affiliated with the Islamic State group. A ministry statement reported the arrest of "a number of criminals involved in the attack" during a security operation near Damascus, while Interior Minister Anas Khattab said the operation targeted "positions of terrorist cells linked to the Daesh group," using the Arabic acronym for IS. AFP
Arab News
5 days ago
- Politics
- Arab News
Syria president vows those involved in church attack will face justice
DAMASCUS: Syrian leader Ahmed Al-Sharaa vowed Monday that those involved in a 'heinous' suicide attack on a Damascus church would face justice, as he called for unity in the diverse, multi-faith shooting and suicide bombing Sunday at the church in the working-class Dwelaa district of the Syrian capital killed 25 people and wounded 63, the health ministry authorities who took power after ousting longtime ruler Bashar Assad in December said the attacker was affiliated with the Daesh group, which has not yet claimed the attack.'We promise... that we will work night and day, mobilizing all our specialized security agencies, to capture all those who participated in and planned this heinous crime and bring them to justice,' interim President Sharaa said in a attack follows incidents of sectarian violence in recent months, with security one of the greatest challenges for the new attack 'reminds us of the importance of solidarity, and unity of the government and the people in facing all that threatens our nation's security and stability,' Sharaa Minister Anas Khattab and intelligence services chief Hussein Al-Salameh held an emergency meeting to discuss the investigations, the ministry said in a attack was the first suicide bombing in a church in Syria since the country's civil war erupted in 2011, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights was also the first attack of its kind in the Syrian capital since Assad's ouster.A prayer service at the church is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. (1500 GMT).Since the new authorities took power, the international community has repeatedly urged them to protect minorities and ensure their participation in Syria's transition, particularly after the recent ministry spokesman Noureddine Al-Baba said Sunday that 'the security of places of worship is a red line, and all efforts will be made to ensure people's freedom to perform their religious rites.'Daesh 'aims to sow sectarian division and incite all components of Syrian society to take up arms, seeking to show that the Syrian state is unable to protect its communities and citizens,' he told a press top cleric of Syria's Sunni Muslim majority, Grand Mufti Osama Al-Rifai, condemned acts of violence and terrorism in a statement Monday.'We express our complete rejection of targeting places of worship and terrorizing believers,' he condemnation of the attack continued to roll in on Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkiye would not allow extremists to drag Syria back into chaos and instability, vowing that Turkiye would 'continue to support the Syrian government's fight against terrorism.'Turkiye, which is close to the new authorities, has repeatedly offered its operational and military support to fight Daesh and other militant President Emmanuel Macron also denounced the 'horrible' attack, while the EU said it 'stands in solidarity' with Syria in combating ethnic and religious violence.'It is a grave reminder of the need to intensify efforts against the terrorist threat and to ensure the enduring defeat of Daesh and other terrorist organizations,' spokesperson Anouar El Anouni Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed anger after the attack on the Greek Orthodox Church, calling on the new authorities 'to take concrete measures to protect all ethnic and religious minorities.'Syria's Christian community has shrunk from around one million before the war to fewer than 300,000 due to waves of displacement and seized large swathes of Syrian and Iraqi territory in the early years of the civil war, declaring a cross-border 'caliphate' in militants were territorially defeated in Syria 2019 but have maintained a presence, particularly in the country's vast desert.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
22 dead, dozens injured after suicide bombing of Syrian church
June 23 (UPI) -- More than 22 people were killed and another nearly 60 were injured when an Islamic State suicide bomber attacked a church in the Syrian capital of Damascus, officials said. The attack occurred Sunday at the St. Elias Church in the Al-Douweila neighborhood of the capital city. The Syrian ministry of interior said in a statement on X that the suicide bomber entered the church, opened fire and then detonated their explosive vest. Security forces reportedly rushed to the scene and cordoned off the entire area permitting specialized teams to begin their investigation, it said. "These terrorist acts will not deter the Syrian state's efforts to achieve civil peace, nor will they deter Syrians from their choice to unite in the face of all those who seek to undermine their stability and security," Interior Minister Anas Khattab said in a statement on X The casualty toll was initially reported by the ministry of health as nine dead and 13 injured, but the count has steadily climbed in the hours following the attack to 22 killed and 59 injured. Photos published to the health ministry's social media accounts show officials, including Assistant Minister of Health Hussein Al-Khatib, meeting with injured victims of the attack. The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch posted graphic photos of the aftermath of the attack, showing blood-strewn floors and what appear to be the remains of bodies. "The arrow of lawlessness was unleashed and struck our souls in the night," it said in a statement. "We pray for the repose of the souls of the martyrs, for the healing of the wounded and for the comfort of the faithful of the Church." United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Geir O. Pedersen condemned the attack in a statement, expressing his outrage at "this heinous crime." U.S. Ambassador to Syria Tom Barrack also offered his condolences. "These terrible acts of cowardice have no place in the new tapestry of integrated tolerance and inclusion that Syrians are weaving," he said on X. "We continue to support the Syrian government as it fights against those who are seeking to create instability and fear in their country and the broader region."
