Latest news with #defenceministry
South China Morning Post
3 days ago
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Syria's Druze grieve amid sectarian violence with Bedouin tribes
Hatem Radwan stared at the bloodstained floor and cushions in the Al-Radwan guest house in Syria's Druze city of Sweida, still wondering how he survived the shooting spree more than a week ago that killed his relatives and friends. 'I'm not sleeping. I wish I would have died; it would have been better for me,' the 70-year-old said, stating two of his sons-in-law and his daughter's father-in-law were killed when armed men stormed into the guest house on July 16. Hundreds of people were killed in days of sectarian violence in Syria's Sweida province, where government forces were sent to quell clashes between Druze factions and Bedouin tribes. Syria's defence ministry on July 22 said it would investigate reports of an 'unknown group' in military fatigues committing 'shocking and gross violations' in Sweida and hold the perpetrators accountable. The interior ministry condemned 'the circulating videos showing field executions carried out by unidentified individuals in the city of Sweida,' and also pledged to conduct a probe. Residents, monitoring groups and reporters in the province said the violence intensified after security forces deployed, reporting several cases of execution-style killings.
France 24
4 days ago
- Politics
- France 24
Death toll rises in Thai-Cambodian clashes despite ceasefire call
A long-running border dispute erupted into intense conflict involving jets, artillery, tanks and ground troops on Thursday, prompting the UN Security Council to hold an emergency meeting on the crisis Friday. Cambodia's defence ministry said 13 people were now confirmed killed in the fighting, including eight civilians and five soldiers, with 71 people wounded. In Thailand, the army said five soldiers were killed on Friday, taking the toll there to 20 -- 14 civilians and six military. The death toll across the two countries is now higher than the 28 killed in the last major round of fighting between 2008 and 2011. Both sides reported a clash around 5:00 am (2200 GMT Friday), with Cambodia accusing Thai forces of firing "five heavy artillery shells" into locations in Pursat province, which borders Thailand's Trat province -- on the coast some 250 kilometres (160 miles) southwest of the main frontlines. AFP journalists in the Cambodian town of Samraong, near the ridge of forest-clad hills that marks the border and has seen the bulk of the fighting, heard the thump of artillery early Saturday afternoon. A Thai villager reached by phone as he sheltered in a bunker in Sisaket province, just 10 kilometres from the frontier, also reported hearing artillery. "I just want this to end as soon as possible," Sutian Phiewchan told AFP. The fighting has forced more than 138,000 people to be evacuated from Thailand's border regions, with more than 35,000 driven from their homes in Cambodia. After the closed meeting of the Security Council in New York, Cambodia's UN ambassador Chhea Keo said his country wanted a ceasefire. "Cambodia asked for an immediate ceasefire -- unconditionally -- and we also call for the peaceful solution of the dispute," he told reporters. Border row Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa said Saturday that for any ceasefire or talks to proceed, Cambodia needed to show "genuine sincerity in ending the conflict". "I urge Cambodia to stop violating Thai sovereignty and to return to resolving the issue through bilateral dialogue," Maris told reporters. Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman Nikorndej Balankura said Friday, before the UN meeting was held, that Bangkok was open to talks, possibly aided by Malaysia. Malaysia currently holds the chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations regional bloc, of which Thailand and Cambodia are both members. Both sides have blamed the other for firing first, while Thailand accused Cambodia of targeting civilian infrastructure, including a hospital hit by shells and a petrol station hit by at least one rocket. Cambodia has accused Thai forces of using cluster munitions. Former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra -- still an influential figure in the kingdom -- visited shelters on Saturday to meet evacuees. "The military needs to complete its operations before any dialogue can take place," Thaksin told reporters. The 76-year-old said he had no plans to contact Hun Sen, Cambodia's powerful ex-prime minister who was long a close ally. "His actions reflect a disturbed mindset. He should reflect on his conduct," Thaksin said of Hun Sen. The fighting marks a dramatic escalation in a long-running dispute between the neighbours -- both popular destinations for millions of foreign tourists -- over their shared 800-kilometre (500-mile) border. Dozens of kilometres in several areas are contested and fighting broke out between 2008 and 2011, leaving at least 28 people dead and tens of thousands displaced. A UN court ruling in 2013 settled the matter for more than a decade, but the current crisis erupted in May when a Cambodian soldier was killed in a new clash. The leak triggered a political crisis in Thailand as Paetongtarn -- Thaksin's daughter -- was accused of not standing up for Thailand enough, and of criticising her own army. She was suspended from office by a court order. burs-pdw/mtp © 2025 AFP
South China Morning Post
6 days ago
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Can Asean mediate Thailand-Cambodia tensions? Growing violence tests peace mandate
As deadly clashes erupt along Thailand and Cambodia 's disputed border, questions are resurfacing over whether the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) can live up to its mandate to preserve peace among its members. Analysts say the escalating violence is also exposing the bloc's limited tools for intervention. While some urge urgent mediation and a return to dialogue, others argue Asean has been sidelined from the outset – raising concerns that nationalist politics and diplomatic inertia could allow the conflict to spiral further. At least 12 people have been killed in recent fighting , with Thai and Cambodian troops exchanging gunfire, rocket fire and shelling across multiple points of the 820km frontier. Most of the casualties were civilians from Thailand's three border provinces, according to Bangkok's defence ministry. The two countries traded blame for the attacks that erupted early on Thursday near the disputed Ta Moan Thom Temple, where troops exchanged gunfire, shelling and rocket fire, hours after Thailand accused Cambodia of leaving landmines that injured Thai soldiers, which Phnom Penh denied. 04:06 Tensions along Thailand-Cambodia border boil over as soldiers open fire Tensions along Thailand-Cambodia border boil over as soldiers open fire Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim , whose country currently chairs Asean, urged both sides to 'stand down' and resume talks, calling the situation 'concerning' given the historic ties and regional responsibilities of both nations.
The Independent
22-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
South Korea suspends drone chief accused of sending drones to North Korea illegally ahead of martial law
South Korea 's defence ministry suspended the country's head of drone operations command over concerns that military drones were sent to North Korea illegally last year in preparations for former president Yoon Suk Yeol 's imposition of martial law. Major general Kim Yong-dae, who was serving as the commander of the unit, was relieved from his duties on Monday with suspension pending, the defence ministry said. Gen Kim was taken into custody on Friday without an arrest warrant regarding accusations that Mr Yoon ordered a covert drone operation into the North last year to inflame tension between the neighbours and justify his martial law decree.. Mr Yoon has denied the accusations. Gen Kim's charges include forging of official documents. Mr Yoon's brief, ill-fated imposition of martial law on 3 December led to his indictment on charges that he directed a rebellion, which is punishable by life imprisonment or death. Prompted by concerns he might destroy evidence, Mr Yoon's arrest could mark the start of a prolonged period in custody as investigators pursue additional charges. Investigators claim the former president issued direct orders to the drone commander in October last year, instructing him to dispatch drones to North Korea without alerting the defence ministry or the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The move was likely aimed at provoking military escalation from North Korea to allegedly justify the martial law imposition. However, the warrant request by a special counsel team led by Cho Eun-suk was rejected by the Seoul Central District Court on Monday noting that a detention would excessively restrict his defence rights. Prosecutors and police in South Korea are permitted to make an "emergency arrest" if they have a strong belief someone is guilty of a serious crime and may flee or destroy evidence. The South Korean commander has denied the allegations and said the incident was part of a 'clandestine military operation' to respond to North Korea's act of sending trash balloons, and not intended to provoke the neighbour. In October last year, North Korea said the South had sent drones to scatter anti-North Korea leaflets over its capital city Pyongyang. North Korean state media also published photos of the remains of a crashed South Korean military drone. South Korea at the time declined to disclose whether it had sent the drones.
Reuters
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Major Ukrainian drone attacks sow chaos at Moscow's airports
MOSCOW, July 21 (Reuters) - Major Ukrainian drone attacks on Russia sowed chaos at major airports serving Moscow on Monday, with thousands of passengers waiting in lines or sleeping on the floor after flights were cancelled or delayed, Russian media reported. Videos published by Russian media showed people sleeping on the floor of Sheremetyevo, Russia's busiest airport by passenger numbers, amid long queues. Russia's defence ministry said it had downed 117 drones overnight, including 30 over the Moscow region, after downing 172 drones, including 30 over the Moscow region, the previous day. Russia's civil aviation authority, Rosaviatsiya, briefly imposed restrictions on flights overnight at Moscow's main airports - Sheremetyevo, Vnukovo, Domodedovo and Zhukovskiy. Several thousand people were stranded in the far east of Russia due to the cancellation of flights in European Russia, while extra trains were put on to bring passengers back to Moscow from the northern Russian city of St Petersburg, Russian media said. Moscow and its surrounding region has a population of at least 21.5 million.
