Tag Archives: civil war

The US State Department has approved a potential agreement covering up to $500 million in military support services for Saudi Arabia, and has sent the agreement to Congress for review, the Pentagon said on Thursday. It was the first major defense agreement for Saudi Arabia sent to Congress since President …

Bahrain has strongly condemned the failed Houthi drone attack which targeted Abha International airport south of Saudi Arabia. The bomb-laden drone launched by the Iran-backed group was intercepted and destroyed by Arab Coalition forces.“The launch of a drone by the Iranian-backed terrorist Houthi militia towards Abha International Airport in the …

The new UN special envoy for Yemen arrived in Riyadh on Wednesday as part of his first visit since taking office on Sep. 5. He will hold talks with senior Yemeni and Saudi officials and diplomats during his stay in the Kingdom. Hans Grundberg will meet Yemeni President Abed Rabbo …

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi renewed his call for the removal of foreign forces and mercenaries from Libya, stressing the need to ensure the unity of Libyan national institutions. El-Sisi discussed with Khalifa Haftar, commander of the Libyan National Army, and Aqila Saleh, speaker of the House of Representatives, ways …

Foreign forces being deployed in Syria without a decision by the United Nations are a hindrance to its consolidation, Russian President Vladimir Putin told Bashar al-Assad, the president of the Middle Eastern nation on Monday. The Kremlin said the comments came during a meeting of the two men in the …

As international donors gather in Geneva on Monday to discuss humanitarian relief for Afghanistan under Taliban rule, neighbours China and Pakistan have already reached out with aid and discussions of future assistance. The economy in the war-torn country is in crisis and a humanitarian crisis is looming, experts say. Yet …

The Paris appeals court on Thursday backed a guilty verdict against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s uncle for misappropriating public funds in Syria, laundering the spoils and building a vast property portfolio in France with ill-gotten gains. The court confirmed last year’s four-year prison sentence against 84-year-old Rifaat al-Assad, which he may …

Lafarge lost a bid to dismiss a charge of complicity in crimes against humanity in Syria’s conflict on Tuesday when France’s highest court said the matter should be re-examined, overturning an earlier ruling. Lafarge, now part of Switzerland-listed Holcim whose shares slid on the news to trade down 3.6%, is …

Taliban and opposition forces battled on Saturday to control the Panjshir Valley north of Kabul, the last Afghan province holding out against the militant group, as the top U.S. general warned of a “civil war” if the Islamists failed to consolidate power. Both sides claimed to have the upper hand …

Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan received a phone call on Thursday from US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to express concern over a Houthi attack on Abha airport. Eight people were wounded when Iran-backed Houthi militants targeted the airport in Asir province, with two exploding drones on …

A US congressional delegation led by Sen. Chris Murphy met with Michel Aoun on Wednesday and had some harsh words for Lebanon’s president before departing the shattered country under the impression a new government would be formed by the end of the week. “Hezbollah is a terrorist organization, it is …

A Russian-brokered ceasefire came into force on Wednesday in Daraa province, the cradle of Syria’s uprising where regime forces have been battling holdout rebels, a war monitor and state media said. The southern province of Daraa, held for years by opposition forces, was returned to government control in 2018 under …

Syrian regime forces shelled opposition-held parts of a volatile southern city on Monday killing at least one person, while insurgents killed four soldiers after Russia-brokered talks to end the presence of opposition fighters in the area collapsed. Syria’s pro-regime media reported that Bashar Assad’s forces retaliated against fire by opposition …

 The United States and allies urged people to move away from Kabul airport on Thursday due to the threat of a terror attack by Islamic State militants as Western troops hurry to evacuate as many people as possible before an Aug. 31 deadline. Pressure to complete the evacuations of thousands …

Russian forces moved into an opposition enclave in the Syrian city of Deraa on Tuesday to try to avert an army assault on a stronghold that has defied state authority since it was retaken three years ago, witnesses, residents, and army sources said. Their entry brought a halt to shelling …

A fighter jet with the U.S.-led coalition shot down a drone in eastern Syria on Saturday after the unmanned aircraft was deemed a threat, the U.S. military said. “Coalition aircraft successfully engaged and defeated a UAS through air to air engagement in the vicinity of Mission Support Site Green Village,” …

A firefight broke out between Afghan security forces and unknown assailants at the North Gate of Kabul airport on Monday, the German Bundeswehr said on Twitter. One Afghan security force member was killed and three others were injured in the battle, which also involved U.S. and German forces, the Bundeswehr …

US President Joe Biden said Friday he could not guarantee the outcome of emergency evacuations from Kabul, calling it one of the most difficult airlift operations ever, but added he would mobilize “every resource” to repatriate Americans. “This is one of the largest, most difficult airlifts in history,” Biden said …

When Rawdah Mohamed lived in an asylum camp after arriving in Norway as a refugee, she was teased at school for wearing a hijab. Now, the 29-year-old model confidently uses her Somali heritage as inspiration for her role as a fashion editor at the recently launched Vogue Scandinavia. Not only …

President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that Turkey still aims to maintain security at Kabul airport, after Taliban fighters took control of Afghanistan’s capital. NATO member Turkey, which has hundreds of troops in Afghanistan, had been discussing with the United States a proposal to keep those forces in the country …

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said on Monday the United States’ “military failure” in Afghanistan offered an opportunity to establish lasting peace in the country. Taliban insurgents took control of the Afghan capital nL1N2PL01V Kabul on Sunday following a rout of the U.S.-backed Afghan army as foreign forces withdrew from Afghanistan. …

Taliban insurgents captured the key eastern Afghanistan city of Jalalabad without a fight on Sunday, leaving the territory controlled by the crumbling government to little more than the capital Kabul. The United States started evacuating its diplomats and was sending more troops to help secure Kabul airport and the embassy …

Afghan government forces battled Taliban fighters in and around several cities on Thursday, officials said, as the militants pressed on with their offensive that U.S. intelligence believes could see them take over the capital, Kabul, within 90 days. The speed of the Taliban advance – they have captured eight provincial …

President Michel Aoun on Tuesday condemned criticism of Lebanon’s Christian Maronite patriarch after he expressed opposition to the Iran-backed Shi’ite group Hezbollah, warning that insults must be avoided to safeguard national unity. Following a cross-border salvo between Israel and Hezbollah, Patriarch Bechara Boutros Al-Rai was sharply critical of Hezbollah on …

The Iran-backed Houthi militia on Sunday snubbed the new UN special envoy for Yemen only two days after he began work. The appointment of veteran Swedish diplomat Hans Grundberg on Friday had been widely welcomed by the international community, including Saudi Arabia, amid renewed hopes of an end to the …

The UN has called for a ceasefire in the flashpoint Syrian province of Daraa where it said recent fighting forced 18,000 to flee. Fighting between government forces and armed opposition groups in the southern province last month killed at least 28 people. The clashes have died down over the past …

An explosion hit a military bus in Damascus early on Wednesday, and a number of people were reportedly wounded, state news agency SANA reported. The explosion happened in the bus while it was near the entrance of a heavily fortified Republican Guards housing compound in the west of the Syrian …

Twenty-one members of a Yemen-based team of Saudi and foreign mine clearance experts have lost their lives over three years operating in what has become known as the world’s largest minefield. The tragic death toll was revealed in figures showing the scale of the project being carried out in the …

The US Treasury Department on Wednesday announced a new list of sanctions targeting individuals and organizations linked to human rights abuses and the killing of civilians during the civil war in Syria. They include Syrian nationals, parts of the country’s military intelligence services, and two armed rebel groups. US government …

The US and other Western coalition members should increase their ground forces in Iraqi Kurdistan in order to head off the threat of a resurgent terror campaign in the region, one of the main fighters against Daesh and Iran-backed militias told Arab News. General Sirwan Barzani, who commands a key …

Pro-government commentators in Saudi Arabia are publicly criticising the United Arab Emirates’ role in Yemen, a rare move that reflects political and economic tensions between the two Gulf allies that also led to an open standoff over oil policy.FILE PHOTO: General view in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, June 21 2020. REUTERS/Ahmed …

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said on Saturday the main impediment to investment in the country was money stuck in ailing Lebanese banks. In a speech after being sworn in as president for a fourth term, Assad said estimates suggested the frozen funds were worth between $40 billion and $60 billion. …

South Korea will airlift all troops from a ship on anti-piracy patrol in the Middle East, the Ministry of Defense said on Sunday, while a replacement team will steer the vessel back home after dozens of soldiers on board tested positive for the coronavirus. South Korea, once cited as a …

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defense said an explosion has struck an unused ammunition dump in an area southeast of the Kingdom’s capital, Riyadh. Ministry spokesman Brigadier General Turki Al-Malki said the site is used to destroy unusused and damaged munitions, adding that no injuries were reported. An investigation is underway. …

Soldiers from Afghanistan’s special forces paused for a short prayer late on Sunday night on a deserted stretch of highway in the southern province of Kandahar. They do so each time they prepare to face Taliban militants in battle. The highly trained troops had been called in to flush out …

The price of bread in Syria doubled on Sunday and the cost of diesel fuel nearly tripled as the Assad regime confronted a cash crisis caused by 10 years of civil war and Western sanctions. Damascus has repeatedly raised fuel prices in recent years to tackle the financial crunch, and …

Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman held talks with senior US military officials in Washington on Tuesday. Prince Khalid met with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who confirmed Washington’s commitment to its defense relations with the Kingdom. Prince Khalid said he discussed “longstanding and historic partnership between …

Russia’s U.N. envoy Vassily Nebenzia on Wednesday described as a “non-starter” a bid to reopen a second border crossing into Syria from Iraq for aid deliveries and he is only discussing a possible extension of U.N. approval for a crossing from Turkey. The United Nations has appealed to the U.N. …

The United States told the UN Security Council on Tuesday that it targeted Iran-backed militia in Syria and Iraq with airstrikes to deter the militants and Tehran from conducting or supporting further attacks on US personnel or facilities. Under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, the 15-member Security Council …

The US has carried out air strikes against Iran-backed militia groups in the Iraq-Syria border region. Sunday’s strikes hit “operational and weapons storage facilities”, in response to drone attacks on US forces, the Pentagon said in a statement. President Joe Biden would “act to protect US personnel”, it added. The Pentagon …

The Internet is home to some extremely malevolent behavior. A range of bad actors is intent on stealing people’s money, information and identities, and on crippling essential services. Of the countless entities and individuals targeted, some of the more prominent are Saudi Aramco, Bangladesh Bank, Colonial Pipeline, the Democratic Party …

 A draft UN Security Council resolution circulated Friday would authorize the delivery of humanitarian aid to Syria across the borders of Turkey and Iraq, but Syria’s close ally Russia holds the key to its adoption. Russia has come under intense pressure from the UN, US and others who warn of …

Saudi Arabia will judge Iranian President-elect Ebrahim Raisi’s government by “the reality on the ground,” the Kingdom’s foreign minister said on Tuesday. “From our perspective, foreign policy in Iran is in any case run by the supreme leader (Ayatollah Ali Khamenei) and therefore we base our interactions and our approach …

Yemenis from all walks of life have hailed the UN blacklisting of Iran-backed Houthis for killing children in the war-torn country and renewed calls for tougher measures against the rebels, including designation as a terrorist organization. Yemeni politicians, human rights activists and journalists who have long advocated shaming and naming …