Author: Steven Sahiounie

locals intercepted a convoy of the U.S.-led coalition in the northeastern Syrian governorate of al-Hasakah. According to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), the convoy was intercepted near the towns of Abu Qasayeb and al-Rahayah al-Sawda in northern al-Hasakah. “The locals of the villages of Abu Qasayeb and al-Rahayah al-Sawda in the area of Tell Hamis in al-Qamishli countryside intercepted a convoy of American occupation forces consisting of five armored vehicles, forcing it to retreat,” the state-run agency’s reporter said. Several similar incidents happened during the last few weeks, especially in the countryside of the city of al-Qamishli. In some…

mysterious drone strikes targeted Turkish-backed militants in northwestern Hama, a part of the so-called Greater Idlib region. The strikes destroyed two vehicles of Jaysh al-Nasir and the 1st Coastal Division in the town of al-Enkawi. Activists said the strikes were carried out with precision-guided munitions. Two militants of Jaysh al-Nasir and one from the 1st Coastal Division were killed in the strikes. Six other militants were reportedly injured. Some opposition sources claimed that the strikes were carried out by an Iranian combat drone, while others said the drone was Russian. Both countries are known to operate several types of drones which can…

The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and Russian forces are working to establish a helicopter base in the government-held part of the eastern Raqqa countryside, the Step News Agency reported on April 16. According to the pro-opposition agency, Russian experts have inspected a site south of the town of Madan, where the base will be built. Citing a source in the National Defense Forces (NDF), the Step News Agency claimed that the base will include ammo and supplies depots, logistic and military installations as well as barracks for Syrian service members. “The establishment of a helicopter landing zone in that area aims to…

Hezbollah’s Deputy Secretary-General Sheikh Na’im Qassem said this week that his organization’s forces are fully prepared for war with Israel. In an interview with Al-Manar, Sheikh Qassem said Hezbollah has prepared themselves for any confrontation with Israel, including a total war. Sheikh Qassem also touched on the Israeli military operation that began on April 11, 1996 and resulted in the death of several Lebanese civilians. “On April 11, 1996, the Israeli enemy sought to sow the seeds of division between Hezbollah and the Lebanese nation through committing massacres. Several world states conspired with the Zionists after the so-called Summit of…

The Spokesman for Yemen’s Armed Forces has rejected a two-week ceasefire declared by the Saudi-led coalition, which is engaged in a brutal military campaign against the Arab country, saying the alliance has carried out over 200 airstrikes despite the truce announced last week. Brigadier General Yahya Saree wrote in a post published on his official Twitter page on Thursday that Saudi-led forces have carried out more than 32 offensives and infiltration attempts since April 9, and that the operations were performed in the northern province of al-Jawf, central provinces of Ma’rib and al-Bayda, and the southern coastal province of Ta’izz.…

Iraq’s Foreign Ministry has summoned the Turkish ambassador to Baghdad to protest Ankara’s latest deadly aerial raid on a refugee camp in the Arab country’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan region. The ministry said in a statement on Thursday that Iraqi Foreign Minister Mohamed Ali al-Hakim called in the envoy and handed him a letter of protest over “Turkish violations of Iraqi sovereignty”. The ministry spokesman, Ahmed al-Sahaf, also said that the Turkish airstrike was unacceptable and violated its sovereignty and the security of its citizens. “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemns in the strongest possible terms the attack carried out by the Turkish side, which resulted in loss of life and…

Russian Ambassador to Damascus Aleksandr Yefimov has called for the lifting of sanctions against Syria, stressing that the restrictive measures obstruct the war-ravaged Arab country’s fight against the novel coronavirus pandemic. “Even though the national health care system has been severely affected as a result of the war and unjust Western sanctions, Syria has successfully mobilized all its potentials and resources to fight COVID-19,” Yefimov said in an exclusive interview with the Arabic service of Russia’s Sputnik news agency. He noted that Syrian authorities quickly took preventive medical and administrative measures after the new coronavirus hit the country, and praised the sustained efforts by the Damascus…

The French navy has opened a probe into an outbreak of the new coronavirus abroad its flagship aircraft carrier the Charles de Gaulle, the Defence Ministry has said. “The navy’s chief of staff [Christophe Prazuck] has ordered an investigation into the command to establish how the epidemic was managed within the strike group”, the ministry said in a communique published Wednesday. A third of 1,767 sailors serving with the carrier’s strike group have tested positive for the virus. The ship had been away on a mission since 21 January and had no contact with the outside world after making a brief…

Britain’s leading arms manufacturer is found to have sold above £15 billion ($18.9) worth of arms to Saudi Arabia since the kingdom started a brutal war against Yemen, the Arab world’s most impoverished nation. The Guardian carried a news article on Tuesday, citing data obtained from the BAE (British Aerospace) Systems’ most recent annual report that has also been newly analyzed by Britain’s Campaign Against the Arms Trade (CAAT). The sum includes £2.5 billion in revenues that the company received from Saudi arms sales in 2019. The sales came despite a ruling by Britain’s Court of Appeal in June last…

Iraq’s Prime Minister-designate Mustafa al-Kadhimi has expressed his resolve to bring an end to any illegal presence of foreign boots on the ground in the Arab country, saying Baghdad will soon hold talks with Washington in this regard. Speaking to Baghdad Today news website on Wednesday, Kadhimi said that he was “serious” about ending any manifestation of the illegal presence of foreign forces in Iraq. He also noted that Baghdad would, in the near future, discuss with Washington the nature of its presence on Iraqi soil. Iraq should not be used as a field to settle scores, he stressed, adding…