Middle East

Trump says it is time to end Syria’s ‘brutal civil war’

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — United States President Donald Trump told allies it was time to end Syria’s “brutal” civil war Wednesday, as he branded the country’s leader Bashar al-Assad a “butcher” and questioned Russia’s role in a suspected chemical attack. Trump, standing alongside North Atlantic Treaty Organization Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, called on allies to “work together to resolve the disaster” in Syria and thanked them for condemning Assad’s suspected sarin attack in Khan […]

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Syrian, Iranian FMs to meet Lavrov in Moscow this week: Russia

MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — Russia’s foreign minister will host three-way talks with his counterparts from Syria and Iran this week, Moscow said Tuesday, after the US launched strikes against Syrian forces. “A trilateral meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Syrian minister Walid Muallem and Iranian minister Mohammad Javad Zarif is planned for the end of this week,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

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Egypt under emergency rule after church attacks

by Mona Salem Agence France-Presse ALEXANDRIA, Egypt – Hundreds gathered Monday to mourn 45 Egyptians killed in jihadist bombings, after Cairo declared a state of emergency following the attacks on two Coptic churches. The Islamic State group said it was behind the twin bombings that targeted services at churches in the cities of Tanta and Alexandria, and threatened further attacks. Sunday’s first bombing at the Mar Girgis church in Tanta city north of Cairo killed […]

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NATO says Syria to blame for US strikes after attack

BRUSSELS, Belgium (AFP) — Syria is to blame for the United States missile strikes carried out after a deadly suspected chemical attack on a rebel-held town earlier this week, North Atlantic Treaty Organization head Jens Stoltenberg said on Friday. “The Syrian regime bears the full responsibility for this development,” Stoltenberg said in a statement. “Any use of chemical weapons is unacceptable, cannot go unanswered, and those responsible must be held accountable,” he added.

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Russian military says Syrian air defenses to be “strengthened”

MOSCOW, Russia (Eagle News) — Russia’s military on Friday said the Syrian forces’ air defenses will be boosted following the United States’ strike on a regime air base ordered by US President Donald Trump. “To protect Syria’s most sensitive infrastructure, a complex of measures will be implemented in the near future to strengthen and improve the effectiveness of the Syrian armed forces’ air defence system,” said spokesperson Igor Konashenkov.

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US Syria strikes show necessary “resolve” after attack: EU’s Tusk

BRUSSELS, Belgium (AFP) –The United States missile strikes on a Syrian airbase Friday demonstrated “needed resolve” against chemical attacks, European Union President Donald Tusk said. “US strikes show needed resolve against barbaric chemical attacks,” tweeted Tusk, who represents the 28 EU member states, adding the bloc will work with the US to “end brutality” in Syria. Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the European Commission, the EU executive, expressed his support for the US decision. “President Juncker […]

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Monitor says US strike killed 4, nearly destroyed Syria base

BEIRUT, Lebanon (AFP) –A United States strike on a Syrian airbase ordered in retaliation for a suspected chemical weapons attack killed four soldiers on Friday and virtually destroyed its facilities, a monitoring group said. “An air commodore was among the four soldiers killed,” the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. “The airbase was almost completely destroyed — the runway, the fuel tanks and the air defences were all blown to pieces,” the Britain-based monitoring group said. […]

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Tragedy of suspected chemical attack seeps into Syria conference

  by Alex PIGMAN Agence France-Presse BRUSSELS, Belgium – For Diaeddin Al Zamel, the call to save Syria at a EU-UN conference in Brussels was not supposed to be a punch to the gut. The gathering was meant to be an all-too-typical plea for aid from rich donors — but then came the text message from the world’s bloodiest battleground. A source on the ground said the town of Khan Sheikhun in Idlib Province had […]

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Evacuation deal reached for four Syrian towns

by Maya Gebeily with Delil Souleiman at Tabqa Dam Agence France-Presse BEIRUT, Lebanon – Four Syrian towns are to be evacuated under an agreement between pro-government forces and rebels, in the latest of a series of deals to end crippling years-long sieges. The agreement, brokered by rebel supporter Qatar and regime ally Iran, is expected to involve more than 30,000 people, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The deal reached late Tuesday involves Zabadani […]

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Over 300 civilians killed since west Mosul offensive began: UN

by Ben Simon Agence France-Presse GENEVA, Switzerland – Over 300 civilians have been killed since last month in an offensive against the Islamic State group in western Mosul, the UN said Tuesday, adding the toll could exceed 400 if fresh killings are verified. “According to information verified by the UN Human Rights Office and the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq, at least 307 people were killed… between 17 February and 22 March,” the UN rights […]

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Allies vow to destroy IS as attacks overshadow talks

by Dave Clark Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States – The US-led coalition against the Islamic State group vowed to crush the jihadists Wednesday at a meeting overshadowed by an attack in London and civilian deaths in Syria. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson welcomed his counterparts from the mainly Western and Arab 68-nation alliance to Washington with a promise to hunt down IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. But he also warned the coalition is “not in […]

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Strikes pound east Damascus after rebel assault

by Maher al-Mounes with Maya Gebeily in Beirut Agence France-Presse DAMASCUS, Syria – Syrian government forces clashed with rebels and hammered opposition-held areas of east Damascus on Monday, before calm returned to the capital after a surprise assault. In the north of the country, meanwhile, a Kurdish militia said the Russian military is to train Kurdish forces fighting the Islamic State group. Rebels and allied jihadists, led by former Al-Qaeda affiliate Fateh al-Sham Front, early […]

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