Latest news with #SyrianObservatoryforHumanRights
LeMonde
2 days ago
- Politics
- LeMonde
Four Syrian weddings, a symbol of reconciliation
The floor was strewn with hairpins, and the smell of hair overheated by hairdryers filled the room. Shelves were stacked with faux-diamond crowns. An esthetician danced a few steps to a pop song playing in the background. In early June in this basement beauty salon in an apartment building in Latakia, a city on Syria's northwest coast and former stronghold of the Assad family, four women were preparing to celebrate their respective marriages in a joint ceremony bringing together different religious communities. At the doorway, a man peeked in. In a rush, two of the soon-to-be brides covered their hair and faces in protest. They were Sunni. The other two were Alawite, a branch of Shia Islam with distinct customs and beliefs. "We've been engaged for a year and a half, ever since Achraf's car broke down in front of my house," said Roula Salman, a 27-year-old physics student from Latakia, with a smile. "By marrying this way, we wanted to show that Syria was still united." It was an unprecedented and symbolic choice against a background of tension. On Sunday, June 22, a suicide bombing targeted the Greek Orthodox Mar Elias church in Damascus, killing at least 25 and injuring around 60 Christians gathered there. Precarious calm In March, a wave of massacres mainly targeting the Alawite community – the religious minority to which the Assad clan belongs and which makes up about 10% of Syria's population – left at least 1,700 civilian victims, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Hundreds of videos showing killings and looting flooded social media, implicating extremist armed factions, some of which are affiliated with the new regime led by the interim president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, a Sunni and former jihadist leader.
Shafaq News
2 days ago
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Israeli forces stage new incursion near Damascus
Shafaq News – Damascus An Israeli ground unit reportedly entered Syrian territory near the town of Beit Jinn in western Damascus countryside on Friday, marking the second such incursion in the area this month, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported. Second operation in Rif Dimashq | Israeli forces advance into outskirts of Beit Jinn town #SOHR — المرصد السوري لحقوق الإنسان (@syriahr) June 27, 2025 The Israeli force moved from its positions on Mount Hermon (Jabal al-Sheikh) and advanced into Syrian land adjacent to Beit Jinn, located near the border with the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. No clashes or direct engagement were reported during the incursion. SOHR noted a complete lack of official comment from the Syrian government or military, deepening uncertainty over the motives behind the operation. The June 12 operation, also in Beit Jinn, reportedly resulted in the killing of one civilian and the arrest of seven others by Israeli forces.
MTV Lebanon
2 days ago
- Politics
- MTV Lebanon
27 Jun 2025 13:42 PM Israeli forces enter Quneitra in new Incursion
Israeli forces continue to expand their incursion into Syria's Quneitra province, sparking concern and anticipation among residents of areas bordering the occupied Golan. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that an Israeli force, consisting of two armored personnel carriers and a number of soldiers, advanced on the outskirts of the village of Beerajam in the central countryside of Quneitra, specifically near the forest observation tower. Two excavation vehicles were also brought in. According to the Observatory, this latest incursion is part of a series of Israeli military movements on Syrian territory, with 32 such incursions documented since the beginning of this month, representing an ongoing violation of Syrian sovereignty.
Qatar Tribune
5 days ago
- Politics
- Qatar Tribune
Group claims responsibility for Syrian church bombing
DamascuscTypeface:> A little-known group, Saraya Ansar al-Sunna (Brigade of Sunni Supporters), claimed responsibility on Tuesday for the deadly suicide bombing that struck a church in the south of Damascus, killing at least 25 worshippers and injuring 63. In a statement released on its social media platforms, the group claimed the assault was retaliation for what it described as 'provocations by Christians in Damascus.' It threatened further attacks, including suicide operations. Previously, the group had issued sectarian threats targeting Christians, Alawites, Druze and Shiite Muslims. It has claimed responsibility for a February attack on the village of Arzeh in Hama province and has threatened individuals linked to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. (DPA)
The Sun
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Sun
Pope ‘deeply saddened' by Damascus church attack
VATICAN CITY: Pope Leo said on Tuesday he was deeply saddened by a suicide attack on a Greek Orthodox church in Syria at the weekend. A little-known Sunni Muslim extremist group has claimed responsibility the attack on Sunday, which killed 25 and wounded more than 60 others. The authorities had initially blamed the Islamic State group for the shooting and suicide bombing at the Saint Elias church in the Syrian capital. 'His Holiness Pope Leo XIV was deeply saddened to learn of the loss of life and destruction caused by the attack on the Greek Orthodox church of Mar Elias in Damascus,' said Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin. 'He expresses heartfelt solidarity with all those affected by this tragedy,' said the Italian cardinal, who is the second-highest official in the Catholic Church after the pope. The 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, a monitor based in London. Syria's Christian minority is estimated to have shrunk from one million in 2011 to around 300,000 today.
