Author: Steven Sahiounie

A total of 342 fighters from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have been “neutralized” since the start of Ankara’s military operation in northern Syria, Turkey’ Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said on Friday, while Kurds announced that they have managed to kill 262 Ankara-backed rebels and Turkish soldiers. Akar’s comments came after his meeting with top military officials in Turkey’s capital Ankara, where he said “every kind of measures have been taken” in operation areas. Akar stated that the military operation continues “successfully as planned”. The SDF in a statement released on Friday claimed that Kurdish fighters have killed 262…

Syria must be freed from foreign military presence, this refers to all countries, says Russian President Vladimir Putin. Russia is openly discussing the issue of the inadmissibility of illegitimate foreign presence in Syria with partners from Turkey and the US, the Russian president said in an interview with Arab media on the eve of his visit to Saudi Arabia. The president stressed that all those in Syria illegitimately should leave the country, adding that it covers all countries. “And as I will tell you now, I openly said to my colleagues: the territory of Syria must be freed from the…

The Turkish military struck some U.S. Special Forces personnel in northern Syria this week while they were attacking the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Newsweek reported on Friday. Citing an Iraqi-Kurdish intelligence official and a senior Pentagon official, the Turkish military mistakenly hit some U.S. Special Forces personnel that were embedded with the SDF troops in the border city of Kobani (var. ‘Ayn Al-‘Arab). The attack consisted of artillery fire and was reportedly carried out at Mashtenour Hill in Kobani. According to Newsweek, the senior Pentagon official said that the Turkish Armed Forces should be conscious of the U.S. positions in the…

The machine closely resembles mid-20th century US military experiments and will most likely give UFO hunters nightmares. A particularly strange-looking aircraft that is bound to attract the attention of UFO hunters and conspiracy theorists was spotted at the China Helicopter Exposition in Tianjin, according to The Drive report. Named “Super Great White Shark,” the device, which can best be described as a “flying saucer,” is circular and appears to have a cockpit in the center, with a huge rotary blade surrounding the pilots. The prototype does not have cockpit glass, but the plastic body clearly indicates where it would be. ​According to a…

Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that the Turkish military incursion into northeastern Syria could lead to the revival of the Daesh terrorist group in the region. Putin issued the warning in a televised address during a visit to Turkmenistan on Friday, saying that members of the Takfiri outfit held in northeast Syria could escape from jail as a result of the Turkish offensive. “I’m not sure whether the Turkish army will be able to take this under control — and how soon,” Putin was quoted as saying by the Russia’s Interfax news agency. “This is a real threat to us.” Turkish…

The United States has announced to deploy a large number of additional forces and equipment to Saudi Arabia, including air defenses and fighter aircraft, a move that officials say will help the kingdom protect itself against the kind of attacks that last month destroyed its oil facilities. Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said in a statement on Friday US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper authorized the deployment of additional forces, including two fighter squadrons, two Patriot batteries, and a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense System (THAAD), Reuters reported. “Secretary Esper informed Saudi Crown Prince and Minister of Defense Muhammad bin Salman this morning of…

The United States and China managed to reach a partial agreement which might serve as groundwork for a “broader deal” between the two countries. Beijing and Washington have finally reached an agreement that would lead to a truce in the trade war between the two countries, Bloomberg reports. The agreement, made on 11 October, is also expected to lay the groundwork for a “broader deal” which Chinese President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Donald Trump might sign later this year, the media outlet adds citing people familiar with the matter. As per the new deal, China would “agree to some…

The price of crude oil rose sharply on Friday morning after Iranian officials said that two rockets had struck an Iranian tanker traveling through the Red Sea. International benchmark Brent rose over two percent to $60.34 per barrel by 7:30am GMT. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) gained almost two percent to $54.60 per barrel. “Spare capacity remains fragile and with supply chain vulnerability a worrying concern at virtually every Middle East oil field, traders continue to hedge supply risk premium,” Stephen Innes, Asia Pacific market strategist at AxiTrader, told Reuters. The oil tanker Sinopa, owned by the National Iranian Oil Company…

Sarah Abed, political analyst “Operation Peace Spring” Turkey’s third cross border military operation in northern Syria, in as many years, was initiated east of the Euphrates River, on Wednesday. Turkish armed forces began heavy air and artillery strikes targeting about 180-200 Kurdish positions. Turkey’s Defense Ministry claims to have killed 174 YPG/PKK terrorists. However, this operation is much larger than expected at 300km wide and 50 kilometers deep according to some sources, and many major cities have been targeted, resulting in numerous innocent Syrian civilians’ deaths in residential areas. Last Sunday night, The White House issued a statement, which some…

The second Turkish military officer has been killed in the country’s ongoing offensive in Syria’s north, Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar said on Friday. “Our brother-in-arms Haji Bebek died on October 11 during Operation Peace Spring in clashes with terrorists of the PKK-YPG, Kurdistan Workers’ Party – People’s Protection Units,” Akar said in a statement. According to the Defence Ministry, the number of neutralised Syrian militia fighters has reached 342. Earlier in the day, Akar announced the first Turkish military loss in the operation. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced the launch of the offensive, dubbed Operation Peace Spring, in northeastern Syria…