Author: Steven Sahiounie

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator Apache helicopters of the US occupation forces flew low Sunday morning, according to residents of the Adla village, in the Shaddadi countryside, south of Hasaka, as they dropped ‘thermal balloons’, an incendiary weapon, causing the wheat fields to explode into flames while the hot dry winds fanned the raging fire. After delivering their fiery pay-load, the helicopters flew close to homes in an aggressive manner, which caused residents and especially small children to fear for their lives.  The military maneuver was delivering a clear message: don’t sell your wheat to the Syrian government. Head…

On Sunday, the Turkish Ministry of Defense announced the ‘neutralization’ of two elements of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) during an attack on the Iraqi-Kurdistan region. The ministry said, in a tweet on Twitter, that it “was able, through surveillance mechanisms, to locate terrorists in the Afashin Basyan region, northern Iraq,” stressing that “the Turkish army continued its operations against the PKK terrorist organization with determination.” Ankara classifies the PKK, or Kurdistan Workers’ Party, as a terrorist organization, and is working to target its elements inside and outside Turkey. However, the Iraqi government has repeatedly condemned Turkey for carrying out…

At least eleven Turkish-backed Syrian militants, including a minor, were recently killed while fighting for the Government of National Accord (GNA) in Libya, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported on May 17. According to the monitoring group, the militants were killed in clashes with the Libyan National Army (LNA) around the capital, Tripoli, and near the city of Misrata. The killed militants were fighting in the ranks of the al-Mu’tasim Brigade, the al-Sultan Murad Brigade, the Northern Hawks Brigade, the al-Hamza Division and the Suleyman Shah Brigade. The SOHR also dismissed recent reports claiming that Russia is sending…

the U.S.-led coalition and the SDF carrying out a new counter-terrorism operation in the southeastern Deir Ezzor countryside. According to local sources, the operation targeted two commanders of ISIS in the town of al-Busayra. Coalition forces landed with helicopters, while a convoy of SDF forces closed the town and surrounded the terrorists’ houses. Coalition forces engaged in heavy clashes with the commanders who turned out to be hiding in the same houses. One of the commanders was killed in the clashes, while other was killed when coalition forces blew up the house. Later, coalition forces raided a second house. No…

At least 14 UAE-backed southern separatists and Saudi-led militants have been killed as clashes between the two sides entered a sixth day in the southern Yemeni province of Abyan. Separatist forces of the so-called Southern Transitional Council (STC) are resisting an offensive by Saudi-sponsored militants loyal to Yemen’s former president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, launched on the outskirts of Zinjibar, some 60 km from the main southern city of Aden. ​​​​​​A military official of Yemen’s former government told AFP news agency that 14 militants, including 10 pro-Hadi mercenaries, were killed on Saturday as fighting between the two sides entered a sixth day. A separatist military source confirmed the death…

Iraq’s Armed Forces have launched a new military operation against the Daesh terrorist group covering the provinces of Anbar, Nineveh and Salahuddin to the Syrian border. Iraq’s Security Media Cell announced the beginning of the counter-terrorism campaign, dubbed Operation Al Jazeera Lions, on Sunday. “Under the supervision of the Joint Operations Command ‘Operation Al Jazeera Lions’ was launched this morning to monitor Al Jazeera desert north of Anbar governorate, south of Nineveh governorate, and west of Salahuddin governorate, reaching the international borders with the Syria,” it said in a statement carried by Shafaaq news agency. The campaign, it added, will be conducted on 11…

An American aircraft has reportedly dropped thermal balloons over agricultural lands in Syria’s northeastern province of Hasakah, setting fire to wheat crops in the area. Syria’s official news agency SANA, citing local sources who requested anonymity, reported on Sunday that the targeted area was part of agricultural lands in the countryside of al-Shaddadi town. The report added that the fire gutted 200 dunums (0.2 square kilometers) of wheat fields The sources highlighted that US planes also flew at low altitude very close to the people’s homes in the agricultural fields, causing panic and fear among local residents. Since late October 2019, the US…

Libya’s UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) says its forces have managed to shut down another air defense system and shoot down a drone belonging rebels loyal to renegade General Khalifa Haftar southwest of capital Tripoli. In a statement on Sunday, the GNA’s military spokesman Colonel Mohammed Qanunu announced the news, saying the airstrikes against Haftar’s rebels were carried out at their positions in the Watiya airbase. The official, whose statement was carried by Turkey’s state Anadolu news agency, explained that the GNA forces destroyed a Pantsir type air defense system and a Wing Loong II type combat drone, both supplied by the…

The kingdom earlier expressed interest in making medium to long-term investments in companies, capitalising on the economic effect that the coronavirus pandemic has had on stock markets. Saudi Arabia’s state-owned Public Investment Fund has been actively investing in blue-chip companies around the world at least since March, the Financial Times reported, citing a US regulatory filing. Among these companies are the IT giant Facebook, Bank of America, Citigroup, entertainment giant the Walt Disney Company, international hospitality company Marriot, pharmaceutical corporation Pfizer, aviation company Boeing and coffeehouse chain Starbucks. The PIF also reportedly invested in lesser-known brands such as cruise operator Carnival and…

The US has justified sanctions on the Chinese firm by claiming that Huawei’s 5G equipment, sold around the globe, could be used by Beijing to spy on people. Both the Chinese government and the tech giant strongly deny Washington’s claims. The White House strategy to cripple Huawei’s position on the global market has apparently borne unexpected fruit, putting another Chinese phone maker, Xiaomi in the top spot on smartphone markets, Forbes contributor Zak Doffman pointed out in an op-ed, citing the company’s financial reports for 2019. Sanctions, first introduced against Huawei in 2019, banned the company from using Google’s app store…