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Syria war escalates: Russia strikes Idlib, Israel hits Hama and Tartus

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Syria war escalates: Russia strikes Idlib, Israel hits Hama and Tartus

Sergei Lavrov: US want to support Jabhat al-Nusra in Idlib

Despite US President Donald Trump’s warning not to attack Syria’s north-western Idlib province, Russian jets struck at least 23 destinations around the opposition held province on Tuesday while, in an obvious retaliatory action, Israeli missiles targeted, what Tel Aviv described as, Iranian military positions in Hama and Tartus provinces in Syria.

According to London based The Telegraph, the rebels said the Russian strikes had mostly targeted military positions of the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and the Turkistan Islamic Party in the Jisr al-Shughour district, killing at least three civilians.

On Monday US President had warned the Syrian government and its Russian and Iranian allies against “recklessly” attacking Idlib. In his tweet, Trump warned of “a grave humanitarian mistake” in which hundreds of people could be killed.

Read More: US Warns Syria, Russia, Iran Not To Attack Idlib

Syrian government forces have been, for weeks, amassing around Idlib for an assault on the last remaining militant held territory.

Syrian government spokesperson was quoted on Tuesday saying, “The government plan was to give the maximum possible chance for reconciliation but unfortunately there was no progress in this regards. The radicals are in control in Idlib.”

According to AFP report from Beirut, Israeli strikes on Tuesday targeted Iranian military positions.

Syrian official SANA news agency also reported that its air defence systems downed several missiles launched from Israeli warplanes. “The air defence system responded to an Israeli aggression carried out by aircraft… that targeted some of our military positions in the provinces of Tartus and Hama,” it said. One person was reportedly dead and four were wounded in the missile attack.

London based opposition controlled Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) chief Rami Abdel Rahman said that missiles struck Wadi al-Oyoun in the central province of Hama, near a scientific research centre, which was targeted by Israeli forces in July this year and last year.

Read More: Military officials from Russia, Iran, Iraq and Syria meet in Baghdad

Rahman further said that Iranian military positions in coastal region of Banias in Tartus province were also targeted. “There was material damage,” he added.

Syria war escalates: Russia strikes Idlib, Israel hits Hama and Tartus

Meanwhile, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has stressed on Tuesday that only the Syrians can decide the future of their country, noting that the US behaviour towards the situation in Idlib indicates that Washington wants to protect Jabhat al-Nusra terrorist organisation.

While talking to Russian 1 TV, he affirmed that the de-escalation zone in Idlib is the only zone where thousands of terrorists are positioned led by Jabhat-al-Nusra.

Syria war escalates: Russia strikes Idlib, Israel hits Hama and Tartus

In another major development Israel’s Intelligence Minister Yisrael Katz, while addressing a conference in Herzilia on Tuesday said that Tel Aviv has launched hundreds of strikes against various targets inside Syria during last two years.

He said, “Only just now it was published — in the name of military sources, so I can quote it too — that in the last two years Israel has taken military action more than 200 times within Syria itself.”

Katz claimed that most of the targets belonged to Iran, saying, “Understand the significance of this matter in terms of preserving the red line, preventing the things that Iran has done, is doing and is trying to do against Israel from Syria.”

Israel began carrying out military strikes in Syria in 2013.

Syria and Iran have repeatedly rejected Israeli claims that Iran has military bases in Syria. Tehran says that it has been offering military advisory support at the request of the Damascus government.

Iranian Defence Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami was in Damascus last week when he signed an agreement for defence and technical cooperation to ensure the continued presence and Iranian participation during Syria’s reconstruction.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told his Syrian counterpart Walid al-Muallem in a meeting in Damascus on Monday that the his country will continue to support Syria in its fight against terrorist groups.

Syria has been facing foreign-backed militancy, generally referred as civil war by western media, since March 2011. The Syrian government says the Israeli regime and it’s Western and regional allies are aiding the terrorist groups wreaking havoc in the country.

In another development, Haaretz reports that Israel’s Defence Minister Avigdor Liberman, on Monday signalled that Israel could attack suspected military assets in Iraq as it has done with scores of airstrikes in Syria.

Last week, Reuters, citing Iranian, Iraqi and Western sources, had reported that Iran had transferred short range ballistic missiles to Iraq in recent months. However, Tehran and Baghdad have denied of such development.

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US reiterates its call for fair, transparent, legal process for Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, speaks on Congress frozen accounts

The US spokesperson said that they are also aware of the Congress party’s allegations that tax authorities have frozen some of their bank accounts in a manner that will make it challenging to effectively campaign in the upcoming elections.

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A day after India summoned an US diplomat over their remarks on the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the liquor policy case, the US reiterated its call for fair, transparent, timely legal processes on Wednesday.

Responding to questions on India summoning Gloria Berbena, the US Acting Deputy Chief of Mission in New Delhi, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said that they will continue to follow these actions closely, including the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Notably, the meeting at the foreign ministry’s South Block office lasted nearly 40 minutes yesterday with India objecting strongly to the US remarks on the arrest of Arvind Kejriwal.

Matthew Miller also responded to a question on the Congress party’s frozen bank accounts. The US spokesperson said that they are also aware of the Congress party’s allegations that tax authorities have frozen some of their bank accounts in a manner that will make it challenging to effectively campaign in the upcoming elections. He added that the US encourages fair, transparent and timely legal processes for each of the issues.

Arvind Kejriwal was arrested last week by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection to the Delhi liquor policy scam. Earlier, AAP leaders Manish Sisodia, Satyendar Jain and Sanjay Singh were arrested in the same case.

The External Affairs Ministry had earlier stated that states are expected to be respectful of the sovereignty and internal affairs of others, and this responsibility is even more so in case of fellow democracies, adding that it could otherwise end up setting unhealthy precedents.

The Ministry further emphasized that India’s legal processes are based on an independent judiciary which is committed to objective and timely outcomes. It mentioned that casting aspersions on India’s legal procedure is unwarranted.

The United State’s remarks followed days after Germany’s Foreign Office stressed that Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal is entitled to a fair and impartial trial. The Indian government labelled their remark as blatant interference in internal matters.

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5 Chinese nationals killed in suicide bomb attack in Pakistan

This is the third major attack on Chinese interests in Pakistan within a week.

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Nearly five Chinese nationals were killed in an explosion during an attack on their convoy by a suicide bomber in northwest Pakistan on Tuesday. Reportedly, the suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a convoy of Chinese engineers travelling from Islamabad to their camp in Dasu, situated in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Regional police chief Mohammad Ali Gandapur said that five Chinese nationals and their Pakistani driver were killed in the attack. As yet, none has claimed responsibility for the attack. Bisham Station House Officer (SHO) Bakht Zahir asserted that the incident was a suicide blast and the authorities concerned were collecting the evidence.

The Station House Officer further added that security arrangements were tightened at the spot and the bodies were being shifted to a hospital. He added that they will investigate from where and how the vehicle of a suicide bomber came and how it happened. Notably, this is the third major attack on Chinese interests in Pakistan within a week.

Previously, two attacks hit an airbase and a strategic port in the southwest province of Balochistan where China is investing billions in infrastructure projects. Several Chinese engineers and Pakistani construction workers have for multiple years been working on hydroelectric projects as part of Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative in the western province of Khyber-Paktunkhwa.

Notably, Dasu is home to a significant dam project, has been a target of previous attacks. Earlier in 2021, the attack in Dasu resulted in the deaths of nine Chinese nationals, along with two Pakistani children. The incident occured when a bus carrying Chinese engineers and workers to the Dasu Hydropower Project site was targeted.

There was confusion surrounding the nature of the attack initially, with some reports suggesting it was a bus accident. Nonetheless, subsequent investigations revealed that it was indeed a terrorist attack. The bus was hit by a blast, leading it to plunge into a ravine.

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US bridge collapses after being hit by ship

The rescuers were searching for at least 7 people in the water. Some reports said upto 20 construction workers were there on the Baltimore Bridge at the time of the incident. A video of the incident which was widely shared on social media showed the moment the 3 km long bridge collapsed.

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Major portions of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, US collapsed on early Tuesday morning after it was hit by a large container ship. The incident occurred at nearly 1.30 am (US local time). The Baltimore City Fire department said the collapse is a mass casualty incident.

According to reports many vehicles fell into the river below. The rescuers were searching for at least 7 people in the water. Some reports said upto 20 construction workers were there on the Baltimore Bridge at the time of the incident. A video of the incident which was widely shared on social media showed the moment the 3 km long bridge collapsed.

It seems the vessel had hit one of the supports of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing the roadway to break apart in many places and plunge into the water. The ship caught fire and appeared to sink. Grace Ocean Pte Ltd, the registered owner of the ship, and the manager, Synergy Marine Group, said it is a Singapore flagged ship Dali which collided with a pillar of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland.

He said the exact cause of the incident is yet to be determined; the Dali has now mobilized its qualified individual Incident response service. It added that all crew members, including the 2 pilots who were aboard, have been accounted for and there are no reports of injuries.

The local traffic police said all lanes on both directions of the bridge have been closed and the traffic is being de-toured. Maryland Governor Wes Moore also declared a state of emergency after the collapse of the bridge. The bridge was opened in 1977, spans the Patapsco River, a vital artery that along with the Port of Baltimore is a hub for shipping on the East Coast. It is named after the writer of the Star Spangled Banner.  

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