Latest news with #SunniMuslimBedouin
Winnipeg Free Press
5 days ago
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
US-led forces kill senior IS leader in Syria
DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — A raid by U.S.-led forces in northwestern Syria on Friday killed a senior leader in the Islamic State militant group, the U.S. military said Friday. The U.S. Central Command said in a statement that it had killed IS leader Dhiya Zawba Muslih al-Hardan and his two adult sons, who were also affiliated with the group, early Friday in a raid in the town of al-Bab, in Syria's Aleppo province. It said the men 'posed a threat to U.S. and Coalition Forces, as well as the new Syrian Government,' adding that three women and three children at the site were not harmed. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a U.K.-based war monitor, said the raid was carried out through an airdrop of forces, the first of its kind to be carried out by the U.S.-led coalition against IS this year, and that ground forces from both the Syrian government's General Security forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces participated. The observatory said the operation was 'preceded by a tight security cordon around the targeted site, a heavy deployment of forces on the ground, and the presence of coalition helicopters in the airspace of the area.' There was no statement from either the government in Damascus or the SDF about the operation. Washington has developed increasingly close ties with the new Syrian government in Damascus since the fall of former President Bashar Assad in a lightning rebel offensive last year, and has been pushing for a merger of forces between the new Syrian army and the Kurdish-led SDF, which controls much of the country's northeast. However, progress between the two sides in agreeing on the details of the merger has been slow and could be further complicated by the recent outbreak of sectarian violence in the southern province of Sweida, in which government forces joined Sunni Muslim Bedouin clans in fighting against armed factions from the Druze religious minority. Some government forces allegedly executed Druze civilians and burned and looted their houses. The violence has increased the wariness of other minority groups — including the Kurds — toward Damascus.
Reuters
6 days ago
- Politics
- Reuters
US has talked with Syria about death of US citizen, State Dept says
WASHINGTON, July 24 (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department has called for an immediate investigation into the recent death of a U.S. citizen in Syria, and there have been direct discussions with the Syrian government about the issue, deputy spokesperson Tommy Pigott said on Thursday. U.S. citizen Hosam Saraya died last week in the predominantly Druze region of Sweida, the State Department previously confirmed, amid ongoing sectarian clashes there. ABC News last week cited videos shared on social media that showed eight men kneeling in civilian clothes before being executed by gunfire by a group of soldiers. One of the victims was apparently Saraya. "What I can say is we have had direct discussions with the Syrian government on this issue, and have called for an immediate investigation into the matter," Pigott told reporters during a press briefing. "Hosam and his family deserve justice, and those responsible for this atrocity must be held accountable." Saraya's death comes at a complex time for the Syrian government, which rose to power after long-time dictator Bashar al-Assad was deposed last year. Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa is struggling to keep together a country beset by sectarian rifts, and he faces suspicion among some Western leaders due to his past membership in violent terrorist organizations. Israeli forces have pressed deep into the country's southwest. The fighting in Sweida has pitted the Druze, who distrust the new government in Damascus, against Sunni Muslim Bedouin. In May, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that he would lift sanctions on Syria in a bid to integrate the new government into the international community. In late June, he officially signed an executive order terminating U.S. sanctions.
Glasgow Times
6 days ago
- Business
- Glasgow Times
Syria and Saudi Arabia sign investment deals worth £4.4 billion
The agreements signed at the Syrian-Saudi Investment Forum cover a wide range of sectors, including property, telecommunications and finance. The planned projects include housing, the reconstruction of war-damaged areas, the development of tourism, medical and entertainment sites, skyscrapers, and three new cement factories. Syrian minister of information Hamza al-Mustafa said the deals are expected to create around 50,000 direct and 150,000 indirect job opportunities. Saudi Arabia has been strongly supportive of the interim government in Syria led by former insurgent commander President Ahmad al-Sharaa since the fall of former president Bashar Assad in a lightning rebel offensive. The country faces major economic and social challenges. The United Nations in 2017 estimated that it would cost at least 250 billion dollars (£185 billion) to rebuild Syria after years of civil war. Some experts now say that number could reach at least 400 billion dollars (£295 billion). The Saudi deals come as a political boost to Syria's interim government at a moment when the country is reeling from a new round of sectarian violence that broke out in the southern province of Sweida earlier this month. Clashes broke out on July 13 between Sunni Muslim Bedouin clans and armed groups of the Druze religious minority, and government security forces who intervened to restore order ended up siding with the Bedouins. Members of the security forces allegedly killed Druze civilians and looted and burned homes. Druze armed groups later launched revenge attacks on Bedouin communities. Israel also intervened, launching strikes on convoys of government forces and on the Syrian Defence Ministry headquarters in Damascus, which Israeli officials said were in defence of the Druze religious minority. Hundreds have been killed, and the UN says more than 130,000 people have been displaced. The fighting has stopped as a ceasefire takes hold, but tensions remain high and the violence has further shaken the trust of religious minorities in the new government.
North Wales Chronicle
6 days ago
- Business
- North Wales Chronicle
Syria and Saudi Arabia sign investment deals worth £4.4 billion
The agreements signed at the Syrian-Saudi Investment Forum cover a wide range of sectors, including property, telecommunications and finance. The planned projects include housing, the reconstruction of war-damaged areas, the development of tourism, medical and entertainment sites, skyscrapers, and three new cement factories. Syrian minister of information Hamza al-Mustafa said the deals are expected to create around 50,000 direct and 150,000 indirect job opportunities. Saudi Arabia has been strongly supportive of the interim government in Syria led by former insurgent commander President Ahmad al-Sharaa since the fall of former president Bashar Assad in a lightning rebel offensive. The country faces major economic and social challenges. The United Nations in 2017 estimated that it would cost at least 250 billion dollars (£185 billion) to rebuild Syria after years of civil war. Some experts now say that number could reach at least 400 billion dollars (£295 billion). The Saudi deals come as a political boost to Syria's interim government at a moment when the country is reeling from a new round of sectarian violence that broke out in the southern province of Sweida earlier this month. Clashes broke out on July 13 between Sunni Muslim Bedouin clans and armed groups of the Druze religious minority, and government security forces who intervened to restore order ended up siding with the Bedouins. Members of the security forces allegedly killed Druze civilians and looted and burned homes. Druze armed groups later launched revenge attacks on Bedouin communities. Israel also intervened, launching strikes on convoys of government forces and on the Syrian Defence Ministry headquarters in Damascus, which Israeli officials said were in defence of the Druze religious minority. Hundreds have been killed, and the UN says more than 130,000 people have been displaced. The fighting has stopped as a ceasefire takes hold, but tensions remain high and the violence has further shaken the trust of religious minorities in the new government.
Rhyl Journal
6 days ago
- Business
- Rhyl Journal
Syria and Saudi Arabia sign investment deals worth £4.4 billion
The agreements signed at the Syrian-Saudi Investment Forum cover a wide range of sectors, including property, telecommunications and finance. The planned projects include housing, the reconstruction of war-damaged areas, the development of tourism, medical and entertainment sites, skyscrapers, and three new cement factories. Syrian minister of information Hamza al-Mustafa said the deals are expected to create around 50,000 direct and 150,000 indirect job opportunities. Saudi Arabia has been strongly supportive of the interim government in Syria led by former insurgent commander President Ahmad al-Sharaa since the fall of former president Bashar Assad in a lightning rebel offensive. The country faces major economic and social challenges. The United Nations in 2017 estimated that it would cost at least 250 billion dollars (£185 billion) to rebuild Syria after years of civil war. Some experts now say that number could reach at least 400 billion dollars (£295 billion). The Saudi deals come as a political boost to Syria's interim government at a moment when the country is reeling from a new round of sectarian violence that broke out in the southern province of Sweida earlier this month. Clashes broke out on July 13 between Sunni Muslim Bedouin clans and armed groups of the Druze religious minority, and government security forces who intervened to restore order ended up siding with the Bedouins. Members of the security forces allegedly killed Druze civilians and looted and burned homes. Druze armed groups later launched revenge attacks on Bedouin communities. Israel also intervened, launching strikes on convoys of government forces and on the Syrian Defence Ministry headquarters in Damascus, which Israeli officials said were in defence of the Druze religious minority. Hundreds have been killed, and the UN says more than 130,000 people have been displaced. The fighting has stopped as a ceasefire takes hold, but tensions remain high and the violence has further shaken the trust of religious minorities in the new government.
