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☆ Turkish officials call for calm as social media hysteria fuels anti-Syrian riots in Turkey
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-01 | by ( Scott Mclean | Isil Sariyuce | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Istanbul CNN —Allegations of sexual abuse against a child by a Syrian man in Kayseri, Turkey, have sparked overnight riots that targeted Syrian businesses and cars in the city. Protesters in al-Bab, Aleppo, Syria, attack a Turkish truck during demonstrations against Turkey on July 1, 2024. Bakr Alkasem/AFP/Getty ImagesIn another town, Ghazawiah, also in northwest Syria, protesters were seen pulling the Turkish flag town from a military site. At the “Bab al-Salama” border crossing with Turkey, the Turkish flag was removed, burned and replaced with a Free Syrian Army flag, according to a local resident and images circulating on social media. Turkey hosts more Syrian refugees than any other country, but Turkey has often struggled to integrate Syrian refugees fully into society.

Persons: Ali Yerlikaya, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, ” Erdogan, ”, Bakr, Bab, Salama, Forces ”, Yerlikaya, “, Erdogan, Bashar al, Assad Organizations: Istanbul CNN, Anadolu, CNN, Getty, Free Syrian Army, “ National Coalition for Syrian Revolution, Forces Locations: Istanbul, Syrian, Kayseri, Turkey, Turkish, Anatolian, “, Syria, Atareb, Bab, Aleppo, AFP, Ghazawiah

☆ The US military killed a shepherd it mistook for a terrorist leader in a drone strike, investigation finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Ella Sherman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Washington Post investigation revealed US forces mistakenly killed a civilian in a drone strike. AdvertisementA Washington Post investigation revealed Thursday that US forces killed a shepherd in a drone strike after mistaking him for a top al-Qaeda official. The Washington Post began its investigation in May 2023 following the fatal strike, calling into question the identity of the al-Qaeda operative who US officials said had been slain. Related storiesCentral Command said its investigation revealed that there were "several issues" with the operation but did not explain exactly how it failed to identify its target. A defense official told The Washington Post on the condition of anonymity that the American drone strike was botched due to the decision-making and accuracy, or "confirmation bias and insufficient red teaming" issues among personnel.

Persons: —, Al, Lufti Hasan Masto Organizations: Washington Post, Central Command, Service, Post, Command, Qaeda, US, Hellfire, Department of Defense, New York Times Locations: Syria, United States, Northwest Syria, Al Qaeda, Qaeda, Syrian, Qorqanya, American, Central, Washington, Afghanistan

"While it's Syrians that are calling for it, for the use of chemical weapons in Syria, if states so wish, it could be far beyond Syria," Olabi told Reuters. The Exceptional Chemical Weapons Tribunal proposal was launched on Nov. 30, the day victims of chemical attacks are remembered worldwide. 'SOME KIND OF JUSTICE'The use of chemical weapons is banned under the Geneva Conventions that codified the laws of war. That ban was strengthened by the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention, a non-proliferation treaty joined by 193 states which is overseen by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). The OPCW has the power to investigate claims of chemical weapons use and in some cases identify alleged perpetrators, but it has no prosecutorial powers.

Persons: Safaa Kamel, We'll, Ibrahim Olabi, Olabi, Bashar al, Akande, Mohamad Salim Namour, IIIM, Catherine Marchi, Uhel, Maya Gebeily, Stephanie van den Berg, Anthony Deutsch, Mahmoud Hasano, Angus MacSwan, Bernadette Baum Organizations: HAGUE, Reuters, Diplomats, Convention, Organisation, Chemical Weapons, United Nations, United Nations International Law Commission, ICC, UN, Islamic, TEN, International, Thomson Locations: Eastern Ghouta, Syria, Syrian, Afrin, BEIRUT, The Hague, Jobar, Syria's, Damascus, Ghouta, British, Geneva, France, Balkans, Rwanda, Lebanon, Douma, Russia, Beirut

☆ Fact Check: Clip of baby rescued from rubble unrelated to Israel-Hamas conflict
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A post on social media using the hashtag said: “#ISRAEL IS KILLING BABIES After indiscriminate Israeli occupation force bombing. They hear the cry of a baby and use their bare hands to shift rubble. On Feb. 11, the Syria Civil Defence, a volunteer humanitarian organization, shared the same video in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, captioned: “Her baby sister sacrificed herself... Incredible moments to save a baby alive who was in the lap of her sister. The video of a baby rescued from underneath rubble stems from the Turkey-Syria earthquake in February, not the Israel-Hamas conflict in October.

Persons: Instagram, Read Organizations: Syria Civil Defence, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Turkey, Syria, Israel, ISRAEL, Palestine, Gaza, Jandiris, Afrin, Aleppo

☆ Fact Check: 2020 clip shared as Hamas firing salvo in Israel in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A clip purportedly showing a discharge of artillery by Hamas on Israel predates the clashes between Israel and Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist group, in October 2023. A post on social media said: “Hamas fires a salvo at Israel.” The accompanying clip, taken in the dark, shows flashing lights that appear to be a discharge of firearms. A similar clip was shared on YouTube on Feb. 28, 2020, described in Russian as showing one night in northern Syria. The shift in the camera angle around the 0:11 timestamp of the YouTube video matches that of the video on social media around the 0:13 timestamp. Footage that matches the clip on social media has circulated since at least 2020 and does not depict the October 2023 conflict between Israel and Hamas.

Persons: ”, Read Organizations: Hamas, YouTube, ” Reuters, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Israel, Palestinian, Syria, Turkish, Aleppo, ”

The military "neutralised" 26 Kurdish militants in northern Syria overnight in retaliation for a rocket attack on a Turkish base, the defence ministry said. Turkey also conducted air strikes and destroyed 30 militant targets elsewhere in northern Syria, including an oil well, a storage facility and shelters, the defence ministry said. Turkey said the attackers came from Syria but the Syrian SDF forces denied this. The Turkish foreign ministry statement said that one of Turkey's drones was lost during operations against Kurdish militants in northeast Syria due to "different technical evaluations" with third parties on the ground. Turkey has mounted several previous incursions into northern Syria against the YPG.

Persons: Ali Yerlikaya, Daren Butler, Huseyin Hayatsever, Jonathan Spicer, Nick Macfie Organizations: Syrian Kurdish, Kurdistan Workers Party, Syrian SDF, European Union, SDF, Islamic State, Pentagon, NATO, Kurdish, Thomson Locations: Turkey, Syria, Ankara, ISTANBUL, Turkish, Kurdish, Syrian, Syria's, Iraq, Agri, TURKISH, U.S, United States, Washington, Hasakah

Trucks carrying aid from the UN World Food Programme (WFP), following a deadly earthquake, are parked at Bab al-Hawa crossing, Syria, February 20, 2023. Syria's mission to the United Nations in New York confirmed the extension. Following the earthquake, the United States and the European Union issued sanctions waivers to pave the way for more aid into Syria. U.S. authorizations facilitating the work of aid groups and the United Nations remain in effect, the spokesperson said. 'READY TO RESUME OPERATIONS'The United Nations had also been using the Bab al-Hawa crossing from Turkey to deliver aid to millions in northwest Syria since 2014 with authorization from the U.N. Security Council.

Persons: Mahmoud Hassano, Salam, Eri Kaneko, Emma Forster, U.N, Farhan Haq, Cross, Suhair Zakkout, Bashar al, Assad, Michelle Nichols, Jonathan Oatis 私 Organizations: UN, Food Programme, REUTERS, UNITED NATIONS, United Nations, Government, European Union, EU, U.S . Treasury, . Security, International Committee Locations: Bab, Syria, WASHINGTON, BEIRUT, U.S, Turkey, Damascus, Al Ra'ee, New York, United States, Norwegian, overcompliance, Moscow, Washington

☆ UN raises concerns over Syria aid route from Turkey, cites 'unacceptable issues'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The United Nations has not used the Bab al-Hawa crossing since the Security Council authorization expired on Monday. "The United Nations and its implementing partners must continue to engage with relevant state and non-state parties as operationally necessary." "The United Nations will need to engage to clarify any additional modalities for the delivery of humanitarian aid in north-west Syria," OCHA wrote. "Any such modalities must not infringe on the impartiality (based on needs alone), neutrality, and independence of the United Nations' humanitarian operations," it said. "We had pre-positioned a lot of material in the area (northwest Syria) before the deadline.

Persons: Bab, OCHA, Cross, Bashar al, U.N, Stephane Dujarric, Assad, Michelle Nichols, Josie Kao, Diane Craft Organizations: UNITED NATIONS, United, Security, Security Council, Reuters, Humanitarian Affairs, United Nations, Syria Government, International Committee, ICRC, Syrian Government, Thomson Locations: United Nations, Syria, Turkey, United, Syrian, Damascus, Russia, Moscow, Washington

☆ Syria aid: Russia slammed as 'inhumane' after blocking UN cross-border aid operation
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Mohammed Tawfeeq | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The United States, France and the United Kingdom have condemned Russia’s move to block the proposed extension of a United Nations’ cross-border operation that delivers aid to millions of people in Syria from Turkey. The decision means that UN agencies and humanitarian partners are not authorized to continue using the Bab al-Hawa crossing on the Syria-Turkey border to provide humanitarian aid to people in the rebel-held area in northwest Syria. Russia had submitted a draft which provided for a six-month extension but it was voted down by France, the UK and the US. More than 4 million people rely on aidRussia and Syria have argued the humanitarian operation violates Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, saying food and other aid should be delivered from inside the country. The Syrian regime praised Russia’s decision, saying it vetoed “a Western UNSC draft resolution violating Syria’s sovereignty under the pretext of delivering cross-border aid,” Syrian state-run SANA news said on Tuesday.

Persons: Russia’s, Matthew Miller, “, ”, ” Miller, Vassily Nebenzia, SANA, Bassam Sabbagh, ” SANA, Bashar al, Assad Organizations: CNN, United Nations, UN, State, United Nations Security, Western UNSC, “ Security Locations: United States, France, United Kingdom, Syria, Turkey, Russia, China, Western, Syrian, Syria’s

☆ Russian veto signals end of Turkey-based UN aid operation in Syria
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia suggested that the council mandate for the aid operation could not be salvaged. Security Council votes on the issue have long been contentious - in both 2022 and 2020 the mandate expired, only to be renewed a day later. The Security Council initially authorized aid deliveries in 2014 into opposition-held areas of Syria from Iraq, Jordan and two points in Turkey. 'UTTER CRUELTY'Russia and Syria have argued that the aid operation violates Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity. China abstained on the vote for the nine-month compromise renewal of the aid operation authorization drafted by Switzerland and Brazil, while the remaining 13 Security Council members voted in favor.

Persons: Vassily Nebenzia, Nebenzia, we're, Linda Thomas, Greenfield, U.N, Antonio Guterres, Guterres, Stephane Dujarric, Bashar al, Assad, Bassam Sabbagh, Sabbagh, Thomas, Michelle Nichols, Rami Ayyub, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: UNITED NATIONS, Nations, . Security, Russia U.N, Security, United, United Nations, Reuters, Ten Security, U.S, Thomson Locations: Russia, Turkey, Syria, United States, Damascus, Moscow, Iraq, Jordan, China, United Nations, Switzerland, Brazil, Britain, France, Washington

CNN —Russian fighter jets harassed an American drone operating over Syria for the second time in two days, according to the US Air Force, a sign of increasing friction between the two countries in Middle East airspace. On Thursday, a US MQ-9 Reaper drone was conducting a mission against ISIS targets in northwest Syria when Russian fighter jets approached, Air Force Lt. Gen. Alex Grynkewich said in a statement about the incident. Video of the encounter released by Air Force Central Command shows two Russian fighters flying near the US drone. In the Wednesday encounter, the Russian jets dropped parachute flares in front of the US drones, forcing the drones to take evasive maneuvers. In March, a Russian SU-27 fighter jet collided with a US MQ-9 Reaper drone in international airspace over the Black Sea.

Persons: Alex Grynkewich, Michael Andrews, ” Grynkewich, Bashar al, Assad, ”, Brig, Pat Ryder Organizations: CNN, US Air Force, ISIS, Air Force, Air Force Central Command, Coalition, Russian, French Rafale, French Armed Forces, Pentagon Locations: Russian, Syria, Middle East, Iraq, Russia

☆ US set to launch formal investigation into disputed Syria drone strike after reports it killed a civilian, defense officials sa
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Oren Liebermann | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —The US military is set to launch a formal investigation into a drone strike in Syria in early May, six weeks after the operation and following reports it killed a civilian rather than a senior al-Qaeda leader as first claimed, three defense officials familiar with the matter told CNN. A spokesman for CENTCOM, Michael Lawhorn, said the investigation process is continuing but that there were no updates at this time. It took US Central Command two weeks to begin a review of the incident, known as a civilian casualty credibility assessment report. The policy was developed in 2022 after a botched US drone strike in Kabul that killed 10 civilians in the final days of the withdrawal from Afghanistan. In that case, CENTCOM opened a formal 15-6 investigation into the strike within a week of the operation.

Persons: Erik Kurilla, CENTCOM, Kurilla, Hassan, Michael Lawhorn, Matthew McFarlane, ”, Annie Shiel, Shiel, Lloyd Austin, “, Brig, Pat Ryder Organizations: CNN, Command, Central Command, Pentagon, US Central Command, Washington Post, Force, ISIS, Center for Civilians, Defense Department, Defense Locations: Syria, Hassan Mesto, Kabul, Afghanistan

☆ The US military thought it killed a senior Al Qaeda leader in a drone strike, but some officials are now saying they may have made a mistake: report
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

US Central Command said in a press release that the target was a "senior Al Qaeda leader." Two US military officials told The Washington Post that the strike did not kill the intended target. The US Central Command released a brief statement on May 3, claiming it had conducted a "unilateral strike in Northwest Syria targeting a senior Al Qaeda leader." The experts added that it's unlikely that a senior Al Qaeda figure would be operating in the area of the strike. Central Command spokesperson Michael Lawhorn told the Post that officials are aware of reports of civilian casualty.

CNN —A drone strike carried out by the US military this month in northwest Syria killed a 56-year-old father of ten out grazing his sheep, his relatives have told CNN, hours after US Central Command said a civilian may have been killed in the operation. The strike, carried out on May 3 in northwest Syria, targeted a senior al-Qaeda leader, Central Command said in a tweet announcing the operation that day. In the two weeks that have passed since the operation, Central Command has not released any more information about the intended target. The Washington Post first reported that the US military is investigating whether a civilian was killed in the strike. Killed alongside his sheepRelatives of a man who was killed in a lone strike on the same day in the same area have since come forward with their version of events, saying he was a family man with no links to militancy.

☆ US Central Command investigating after strike ‘may have resulted’ in a civilian killed in Syria
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Oren Liebermann | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —The US military is investigating a strike in Syria earlier this month that “may have resulted” in a civilian being killed, according to a statement from US Central Command. The strike, carried out on May 3 in northwest Syria, targeted a senior al-Qaeda leader, Central Command said in a tweet announcing the operation that day. In the two weeks that have passed since the operation, Central Command has not released any more information about the intended target. CENTCOM “has been made aware of allegations that the strike may have resulted in a civilian casualty” and is investigating to see where the strike “may have unintentionally resulted in harm to civilians,” Central Command spokesperson Michael Lawhorn said in a statement. The Washington Post first reported that the US military is investigating whether a civilian was killed in the strike.

☆ From joy to dismay, Syrians split over Assad's Arab League return
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DAMASCUS/ATMEH, Syria, May 19 (Reuters) - As some Syrians welcomed President Bashar al-Assad's return to the Arab League on Friday, others expressed dismay that Arab states had welcomed back a leader they blame for death and destruction during 12 years of brutal civil war. he said, speaking at a camp for displaced Syrians in the northwestern town of Atmeh near the Turkish border. In Damascus, university student Wael Hmeideh said he hoped Syria's return to the Arab League would be good for the country. "We hope the return of Syria to the Arab league, or the return of Arabs to Syria, plays a role to solve the crisis and conflict in the country, and end the Syrian war," he said. "Let him release our prisoners and return us to our homes before they think of returning (Assad to the Arab League) and reconcile with him," he said.

ANKARA/BAGHDAD, May 2 (Reuters) - ISIS leader Abu Hussein al-Qurashi's six-month rule ended when he detonated a suicide vest during a Turkish special forces raid in northwest Syria on Saturday after refusing to surrender, a senior Turkish security official said. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday Qurashi "was neutralized" as part of the intelligence forces' operation. Images of the site provided by the security official showed a red-roofed building with most of the walls on its ground floor blown out. An Iraqi intelligence official said: "The only safe haven for the senior Daesh (ISIS) leaders is in Syria, and specifically in areas bordering Turkey." A Turkish security official declined to comment on any Iraqi intelligence involvement in the operation.

JANDARIS, Syria, March 22 (Reuters) - Hussein Mankawi has little hope he will ever rebuild his home and food distribution businesses in the north-west Syrian city of Jandaris after they were reduced to rubble by last month's deadly earthquake, wiping out his life's work. There is nothing but tents," he said, standing by the mangled ruins of his home in the rebel-held region. The Feb. 6 earthquakes were the worst modern-day natural disasters to strike Syria and Turkey, killing more than 56,000 people across the two countries. The U.N. says more than 100,000 people have been displaced in the region since the first quake struck on Feb. 6. "We were looking for a better life," he said as he waited to be let through the border with his family.

☆ Syrian woman rescued quake victims, won over those who told her to stay home
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Khalil Ashawi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Salam Mahmoud, a volunteer at the Syria Civil Defence (White Helmets), looks at her mobile phone as she rides in a vehicle, in Idlib province, Syria March 5, 2023. REUTERS/Khalil AshawiIDLIB PROVINCE, Syria, March 8 (Reuters) - Syrian civil defence volunteer Salam Mahmoud had only one thought when she saw the collapsed buildings after the devastating earthquake that struck Syria and Turkey. Mahmoud is one of around 300 women in the Syria Civil Defence, also called the White Helmets, a rescue service of more than 3,000 people which operates in insurgent-held northwestern Syria. "All night I was thinking: could there still be children calling for us, could there still be women screaming out." Mahmoud has volunteered with the Civil Defence for five years.

☆ How the Turkey earthquake caused thousands of aftershocks
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +11 min

10,000 tremors How Turkey has been rattled by aftershocks since the Feb. 6 earthquakeThousands of earthquakes struck southern Turkey in the weeks after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake on Feb. 6, killing more than 50,000 people in Turkey and northwest Syria. Chart shows about ten thousand earthquakes that have been recorded in southern Turkey since a 7.8 magnitude earthquake occurred on February 6. The Turkey quake also triggered a magnitude 7.5 earthquake that caused a separate rupture in the Earth’s surface, which in turn caused thousands of aftershocks. Domino effect Seismologists define aftershocks as temblors triggered by a large earthquake, close in time and location. Chart shows aftershocks that occurred in 24 hours after the 6.4 magnitude earthquake in southern Turkey within 30 kilometers around the city of Antakya.

☆ Two people died of cholera in northwest Syria post-quake -civil defence
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] A view shows damaged buildings in the aftermath of an earthquake, in rebel-held town of Harem, Syria February 13, 2023. The opposition-run civil defence, known as the White Helmets, said that the total number of cholera deaths recorded in the northwest since the outbreak began last year had risen to 22, with another 568 non-fatal cases reported. "The destruction of infrastructure, water and sewage lines after the earthquake increases the possibility of an outbreak of the disease," the White Helmets said in a tweet. First linked in September 2022 to contaminated water near the Euphrates river, the outbreak spread across various areas of control in the nation fractured by more than a decade of war. Reporting by Maya Gebeily and Suleiman Al-Khalidi; Editing by Alex Richardson and Toby ChopraOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Twenty-two people died in cholera outbreak post-quake in northwest Syria -civil defence
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

[1/2] A view shows damaged buildings in the aftermath of an earthquake, in rebel-held town of Harem, Syria February 13, 2023. REUTERS/Mahmoud HassanoAMMAN, Feb 28 (Reuters) - The Syrian opposition-run civil defence said on Tuesday 22 people had died from an outbreak of cholera in the northwestern region in the aftermath of the devastating quake that hit Turkey and Syria. The Western-backed main rescuer in the border region that has been hardest hit within Syria, which cited medical bodies, said there were also another 568 cases of infection as a result of the widespread damage to water systems and infrastructure. Reporting by Suleiman Al-Khalidi; Editing by Alex RichardsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ U.N. food-agency chief tells of 'apocalyptic' scenes in Turkey
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ROME, Feb 25 (Reuters) - The head of the United Nation's World Food Programme (WFP) said on Saturday he was confronted with "apocalyptic" scenes as he visited earthquake-stricken areas in southern Turkey. Strong earthquakes, which began on Feb. 6, have struck both Turkey and neighbouring Syria, killing more than 50,000 people according to the latest figures released on Friday. "There is only one way to describe what I saw today: apocalyptic," WFP Executive Director David Beasley said after visiting the city of Antakya in Turkey's Hatay province. The WFP said Beasley visited a U.N. logistics hub where trucks are loaded with food and other emergency supplies before crossing over into northwest Syria. He stressed the urgency of scaling up food deliveries to Syria "through all routes - without any restrictions", and called for "all parties to facilitate access".

The senior source familiar with Syrian government thinking said that the UAE role in persuading Assad should not be underestimated. A Syrian source close to the Gulf said the UAE had used its "soft power" on Assad and a Turkish official also said the UAE had played a part in persuading him. Moscow has tussled with Western states repeatedly at the Security Council over cross-border aid into Syria, arguing it violates Syria's sovereignty. Other Arab states, including U.S. allies, have also moved to normalise ties with Assad. The UAE official said there was an "urgent need to strengthen the Arab role in Syria".

☆ Quake deals new blow to Syrian medics after years of war
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Khalil Ashawi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

AL-DANA, Syria, Feb 21 (Reuters) - As a nurse working near the frontlines of the Syrian war, Ibrahim Zeidan endured many desperate moments including when shelling destroyed a hospital, leaving him trapped by rubble. But he says an earthquake which hit the region on Feb. 6 has proved the most difficult challenge yet for medics in the rebel-held region, overwhelming health facilities already battered by more than a decade of conflict. The night of the disaster, Zeidan oversaw the evacuation of infants from the hospital where he was working in the town of al-Dana. CCTV footage from the hospital showed masonry falling and equipment shaking as the quake struck. Zeidan previously worked at a hospital that operated out of a cave in the Kafr Zeita region of the rebel-held northwest.

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