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First Post
5 days ago
- Politics
- First Post
Syria: 30 killed in Sunni-Druze clashes in Sweida as sectarian violence spreads
The violence erupted after a wave of kidnappings, including the abduction of a Druze merchant on Friday on the highway linking Damascus to Sweida, witnesses said. read more Syrian anti-regime forces celebrate as they pour into the captured central-west city of Hama on December 6, 2024, in the offensive against then-Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad. (Photo: AFP) More than 30 people were killed and 100 injured in armed clashes in Syria's predominantly Druze city of Sweida, the Syrian interior ministry said early on Monday, in the latest bout of sectarian clashes. The violence erupted after a wave of kidnappings, including the abduction of a Druze merchant on Friday on the highway linking Damascus to Sweida, witnesses said. This is the first time sectarian fighting has erupted inside the city of Sweida itself, the provincial capital of the mostly Druze province. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Last April saw clashes between Sunni fighters and armed Druze residents of Jaramana, southeast of Damascus, which later spread to another district near the provincial capital. 'This cycle of violence has exploded in a terrifyng way and if it doesn't end we are heading toward to a bloodbath,' said Rayan Marouf, a Druze researcher based in Sweida who runs the Suwayda24 website. The clashes involving Bedouin tribal fighters and Druze militias were centered in Maqwas neighborhood east of Sweida, which is inhabited by Bedouin tribes, and was encircled by armed Druze groups and later seized. The Syrian ministry of interior said that its forces will begin direct intervention in Sweida to resolve the conflict, calling on local parties in the Druze city to cooperate with the security forces. Armed Bedouin tribesmen also launched attacks on Druze villages on the western and northern outskirts of the city, residents said. A medical source told Reuters that at least 15 bodies had been taken to the morgue at Sweida's state hospital. Around 50 people were injured, with some transported to Deraa city for medical care. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The violence marked the latest episode of sectarian bloodshed in Syria, where fears among minority groups have surged since Islamist-led rebels toppled President Bashar al-Assad in December, installing their own government and security forces. Those concerns intensified following the killing of hundreds of Alawites in March, in apparent retaliation for an earlier attack carried out by Assad loyalists. It was the deadliest sectarian flare-up in years in Syria, where a 14-year civil war ended last December with Assad fleeing to Russia after his government was overthrown by rebel forces.
Business Recorder
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
US revoking ‘terrorist' designation for Syria's HTS
WASHINGTON: The United States on Monday announced it was revoking its designation as a 'foreign terrorist organization' of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a group once linked to Al-Qaeda that toppled Syria's government in December. 'In consultation with the Attorney General and the Secretary of the Treasury, I hereby revoke the designation of al-Nusrah Front, also known as Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (and other aliases) as a Foreign Terrorist Organization,' said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a memo. An armed coalition led by HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa overthrew then-Syrian president Bashar al-Assad last year, ending half a century of brutal rule by the latter's family. Sharaa took over as interim president, a move that has been cautiously welcomed in Washington, Europe and elsewhere, with historic foe Israel seeking to build ties with the new government. Washington's move will formally take effect on Tuesday, and comes after US President Donald Trump last week formally dismantled his country's sanctions against Syria. Trump had lifted most sanctions against Syria in May, responding to appeals from Saudi Arabia and Turkey to help reintegrate the war-battered country into the global economy. The United States had already removed a bounty on Sharaa's head after he came to power. HTS was earlier known as Al-Nusra Front, and was formerly the branch of Al-Qaeda in Syria, but it broke ties with the jihadist group in 2016 and sought to soften its image. As of 2017, HTS claimed control of swaths of the province of Idlib, in Syria's northwest, and went on to develop a civil administration in the area, amid accusations of brutal abuses against those who dared dissent. In January, after overthrowing Assad's regime, the new authorities announced the dissolution of all armed factions, with some groups including HTS being integrated into bodies such as the country's new police force. On Friday, Syria said it was willing to cooperate with the United States to reimplement a 1974 disengagement agreement with Israel. The United States and European countries have moved steadily to reengage with Syria since Sharaa took over as interim president, with Britain reestablishing diplomatic ties on Saturday after more than a decade.
Express Tribune
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
US revoking 'terrorist' designation for Syria's HTS
The United States on Monday announced it was revoking its "foreign terrorist organization" designation of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a group once linked to Al-Qaeda that toppled Syria's government in December. "In line with President (Donald) Trump's May 13 promise to deliver sanctions relief to Syria, I am announcing my intent to revoke the Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) designation of al-Nusrah Front, also known as Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)," said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a statement. An armed coalition led by HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa overthrew then-Syrian president Bashar al-Assad last year, ending half a century of brutal rule by the latter's family. Sharaa took over as interim president, a move that has been cautiously welcomed in Washington, Europe and elsewhere, with historic foe Israel seeking to build ties with the new government. Washington's move will formally take effect on Tuesday, and comes after US President Trump last week formally dismantled his country's sanctions against Syria. "Tomorrow's action follows the announced dissolution of HTS and the Syrian government's commitment to combat terrorism in all its forms," said Rubio. HTS was earlier known as Al-Nusra Front, and was formerly the branch of Al-Qaeda in Syria, but it broke ties with the jihadist group in 2016 and sought to soften its image. AFP
eNCA
07-07-2025
- Politics
- eNCA
US revoking 'terrorist' designation for Syria's HTS
The United States on Monday announced it was revoking its "foreign terrorist organization" designation of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a group once linked to Al-Qaeda that toppled Syria's government in December. "In line with President (Donald) Trump's May 13 promise to deliver sanctions relief to Syria, I am announcing my intent to revoke the Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) designation of al-Nusrah Front, also known as Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)," said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a statement. An armed coalition led by HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa overthrew then-Syrian president Bashar al-Assad last year, ending half a century of brutal rule by the latter's family. Sharaa took over as interim president, a move that has been cautiously welcomed in Washington, Europe and elsewhere, with historic foe Israel seeking to build ties with the new government. Washington's move will formally take effect on Tuesday, and comes after US President Trump last week formally dismantled his country's sanctions against Syria. "Tomorrow's action follows the announced dissolution of HTS and the Syrian government's commitment to combat terrorism in all its forms," said Rubio. HTS was earlier known as Al-Nusra Front, and was formerly the branch of Al-Qaeda in Syria, but it broke ties with the jihadist group in 2016 and sought to soften its image. As of 2017, HTS claimed control of swaths of the province of Idlib, in Syria's northwest, and went on to develop a civil administration in the area, amid accusations of brutal abuses against those who dared dissent. In January, after overthrowing Assad's regime, the new authorities announced the dissolution of all armed factions, with some groups including HTS being integrated into bodies such as the country's new police force. Trump had lifted most sanctions against Syria in May, responding to appeals from Saudi Arabia and Turkey to help reintegrate the war-battered country into the global economy. The United States had already removed a bounty on Sharaa's head after he came to power. - International reengagement - On Friday, Syria said it was willing to cooperate with the United States to reimplement a 1974 disengagement agreement with Israel. The United States and European countries have moved steadily to reengage with Syria since Sharaa took over as interim president, with Britain reestablishing diplomatic ties on Saturday after more than a decade. Britain has also lifted sanctions on Syria's interior and defense ministries, as well as on various media groups, intelligence agencies and some sectors of the economy. The Assad regime was toppled after more than 13 years of civil war by a rebel offensive led by Sharaa. The rebellion was sparked in 2011 by protests against the Assads' brutal rule that were part of the Arab Spring movement. The growing international backing comes as Syria's new leaders attempt to rebuild the country and reboot its moribund economy, both ravaged by the conflict and crippling sanctions. From wanted jihadist to statesman embraced by world leaders, interim president Sharaa has undergone a stunning transformation in just six months. He now leads a government through a five-year transitional period under a temporary constitution that experts and rights groups say concentrates power in his hands.
The Hindu
07-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
U.S. revoking 'terrorist' designation for Syria's HTS
The United States on Monday (July 7, 2025) announced it was revoking its designation as a 'foreign terrorist organisation' of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a group once linked to Al-Qaeda that toppled Syria's government in December. 'In consultation with the Attorney General and the Secretary of the Treasury, I hereby revoke the designation of al-Nusrah Front, also known as Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (and other aliases) as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation,' said U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a memo. An armed coalition led by HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa overthrew then-Syrian president Bashar al-Assad last year, ending half a century of brutal rule by the latter's family. Mr. Sharaa took over as interim president, a move that has been cautiously welcomed in Washington, Europe and elsewhere, with historic foe Israel seeking to build ties with the new government. Washington's move will formally take effect on Tuesday (July 8, 2025) and comes after U.S. President Donald Trump last week formally dismantled his country's sanctions against Syria. Mr. Trump lifted most sanctions against Syria in May, responding to appeals from Saudi Arabia and Turkey to help reintegrate the war-battered country into the global economy. The United States had already removed a bounty on Mr. Sharaa's head after he came to power. HTS was earlier known as Al-Nusra Front and was formerly the branch of Al-Qaeda in Syria, but it broke ties with the jihadist group in 2016 and sought to soften its image. As of 2017, HTS claimed control of swaths of the province of Idlib, in Syria's northwest, and went on to develop a civil administration in the area, amid accusations of brutal abuses against those who dared dissent. In January, after overthrowing Mr. Assad's regime, the new authorities announced the dissolution of all armed factions, with some groups including HTS being integrated into bodies such as the country's new police force. International reengagement On Friday (July 4, 2025), Syria said it was willing to cooperate with the United States to reimplement a 1974 disengagement agreement with Israel. The United States and European countries have moved steadily to reengage with Syria since Mr. Sharaa took over as interim president, with Britain reestablishing diplomatic ties on Saturday (July 5, 2025) after more than a decade. Britain has also lifted sanctions on Syria's interior and defence ministries, as well as on various media groups, intelligence agencies and some sectors of the economy. The Assad regime was toppled after more than 13 years of civil war by a rebel offensive led by Mr. Sharaa. The rebellion was sparked in 2011 by protests against the Assads' brutal rule that was part of the Arab Spring movement. The growing international backing comes as Syria's new leaders attempt to rebuild the country and reboot its moribund economy, both ravaged by the conflict and crippling sanctions. From wanted jihadist to statesman embraced by world leaders, interim president Mr. Sharaa has undergone a stunning transformation in just six months. He now leads a government through a five-year transitional period under a temporary constitution that experts and rights groups say concentrates power in his hands.
