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Dozens Killed, Injured in Attack Targeting Iran's Allies in Syria

An Israeli attack in Syria (Syrian Observatory for Human Rights)
An Israeli attack in Syria (Syrian Observatory for Human Rights)
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Dozens Killed, Injured in Attack Targeting Iran's Allies in Syria

An Israeli attack in Syria (Syrian Observatory for Human Rights)
An Israeli attack in Syria (Syrian Observatory for Human Rights)

A military training site of an armed faction active in Syria came under attack by an "unknown source," killing nine members and wounding dozens of different nationalities, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).

The incident unfolded a few hours after a group calling itself the "Islamic Resistance in Iraq" claimed responsibility for an attack on the Harir base in Erbil, situated in Iraq's Kurdistan region.

The Harir base hosts US forces as part of the mission of the International Coalition to Combat ISIS.

The Observatory said raids, which targeted the Syrian-Iraqi border area in al-Bukamal, targeted training sites, noting that several sites were comprehensively targeted at the same time.

SOHR suggested that Israel may be behind the recent attack on al-Bukamal on the Iraqi-Syrian border.

The US forces did not claim responsibility for the operation, as in previous similar operations.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah announced the death of four of its members, as some news reports claimed they were killed along with others following a US raid on the Syrian-Iraqi border.

Various news websites reported that the four Hezbollah members were killed on the Syrian-Iraqi border as a result of air strikes presumably conducted by unidentified aircraft, suspected to be of US origin.

Two members of an Iraqi faction told the Associated Press that three air strikes on eastern Syria, near a strategic border crossing with Iraq, resulted in the deaths of six Iran-backed fighters.

Furthermore, field sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that several Iraqi fighters may have been injured during the attack at a joint operational base for Iraqi and Lebanese groups.

Iraqi armed groups are active in that region, including the Hezbollah Brigades and the Harakat al-Nujaba, which have been carrying out attacks against several US bases in Iraq and Syria for months.

- Al-Harir once again

AP reported that the raids came hours after the Islamic Resistance in Iraq announced an attack on the al-Harir military facility in Erbil in northern Iraq.

The US did not comment on the attack, although it announced that similar raids were planned against sites of Iranian-backed groups after an escalation in attacks over the past two months.

Iraqi factions claimed responsibility for targeting the US "Kharab al-Jir" base in northeastern Syria.

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq said they bombed the base with a missile salvo in retaliation for Israeli military activities in the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7.

The group announced last Thursday that it had bombed "two Israeli targets inside Iraqi and Syrian territory in two separate operations."

Since the escalation of militia attacks in Iraq, US forces resorted to quick response by targeting sites related to planning or implementing the attacks to deter these groups.

Sources believe the US administration no longer links this issue with the Iraqi government due to the political complications that the Prime Minister faces with the ruling coalition that includes a range of political forces linked to Iran.

According to information obtained by Asharq Al-Awsat from US diplomats and Iraqi officials last month, the US forces will move to "direct and rapid response" to the factions' attacks after neglecting the "political considerations" it had placed on the government of Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani aiming to "maintain stability."

- Israeli attack

The Syrian Ministry of Defense announced on Saturday that Israel targeted several points in south Aleppo.

The statement stated that Israel carried out "an aerial aggression from the direction of the Mediterranean towards the west of Latakia, targeting several points south of the city of Aleppo."

It quoted a military source as saying the Israeli attack resulted in some material losses, but the Observatory reported that the bombing of the Aleppo International Airport area killed one person and injured seven others.

SOHR said the Israeli missiles targeted farms between the villages of al-Dhahabia and Sheikh Saeed in the al-Nairab Military Airport area, which contains warehouses and headquarters for Iranian militias.

A missile also fell in the area of Aleppo International Airport and al-Nairab Military Airport without causing damage to the airport. Six explosions sounded in the area.

Two members of a group affiliated with the "Front for the Liberation of the Golan," working with the Lebanese Hezbollah, were killed in an Israeli ground bombardment on Friday, targeting the Qurs al-Nafal Hill Company in the Quneitra countryside.

It came in response to the firing of two missiles toward the occupied Syrian Golan from inside Syrian territory.

The Observatory indicated that the Front launched two missiles from Syrian territory towards the occupied Golan, coinciding with a significant alert by regime forces and militias adjacent to the occupied Golan in the countryside of Daraa and Quneitra.

Israel responded by bombing sites in Syria, targeting Qars al-Nafal hill and the vicinity of Hadar in the Quneitra countryside.

"Following the report regarding sirens sounding in northern Israel, a short while ago two launches that were identified crossing from Syria fell in an open area," the army said, according to Agence France Presse.

The Israeli army confirmed to AFP that the projectiles were rockets but did not say exactly where they fell.

Israel occupied parts of the Golan in the June 1967 war and announced its annexation to its territory in 1981, in a move unrecognized by the UN.

On Thursday, Israeli bombing targeted areas in Damascus and southern Syria, according to the Syrian Ministry of Defense and official media.

Israel rarely comments on individual strikes targeting Syria, but it has repeatedly said it will not allow archenemy Iran, which backs President Bashar al-Assad's government, to expand its presence there.

Israel launched hundreds of airstrikes on its northern neighbor since Syria's civil war began in 2011, primarily targeting Iran-backed forces, including Hezbollah fighters as well as Syrian army positions.

Israel intensified its attacks since the start of the war between it and Hamas in Oct. 7 in light of escalating tensions in the Middle East.

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Arab World

Illegal Gold Mining Puts Egypt Investment at Risk

Egypt’s petroleum minister tours the Sukari gold mine. (Petroleum Ministry)
Egypt’s petroleum minister tours the Sukari gold mine. (Petroleum Ministry)
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Illegal Gold Mining Puts Egypt Investment at Risk

Egypt’s petroleum minister tours the Sukari gold mine. (Petroleum Ministry)
Egypt’s petroleum minister tours the Sukari gold mine. (Petroleum Ministry)

Illegal gold mining in Egypt threatens “investment opportunities and the ability to benefit from the country’s reserves,” as “clashes among illegal prospectors” continue to recur.

Businessman Naguib Sawiris said Egypt’s mineral wealth was being continuously wasted because of random and illegal mining by outlaws, adding that most mining companies suffer from illegal practices that can include threats with weapons.

Commenting on a report on global gold and silver reserves on his X account, Sawiris said such practices, carried out by people, some of whom are not Egyptian, deprive Egypt of becoming one of the countries with the largest gold reserves.

Sawiris is among the businessmen who have long been enthusiastic about investing in gold. In late April, he spoke of injecting about $400 million into the gold mining company in which he is a shareholder, and has bet on gold prices even during periods of price turbulence.

Rahab al-Ghoul, a member of parliament’s Energy and Environment Committee, told Asharq Al-Awsat that illegal mining for gold and minerals threatens investment opportunities, adding that there have been significant efforts recently to confront it. She said that in some desert and mountainous areas, there is cooperation between state agencies and citizens to confront those prospecting for gold.

She added that the state can exercise its sovereignty over any area where foreign companies want to explore, and that the Petroleum Ministry is already holding exploration tenders and cooperating with companies with experience in the field. She stressed the government’s keenness to encourage investment and resolve any obstacles facing investors.

Early last month, the Interior Ministry announced the arrest of a man accused of killing eight others after a fight among a number of people illegally prospecting for gold in the Red Sea governorate in southeastern Egypt.

The incident came one day after one person was killed in similar clashes in the mountainous al-Baramiya area in Aswan governorate in southern Egypt.

There are no official statistics on illegal mining operations, which usually involve selling minerals at prices below their real value.

Economist Karim al-Omda spoke of the difficulties facing investors in gold and silver exploration, including illegal mining operations, or the lack of agreement on attractive shares and incentives for foreign companies, which at times demand high percentages of exploration revenues.

Al-Omda told Asharq Al-Awsat that there is a clear absence of a government investment vision for this sector, unlike the clear vision, for example, in the gas and oil sector. He said random mining wastes existing wealth by depleting it.

Egyptian Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Karim Badawi said during a meeting with leaders of three global mining companies last Wednesday that reforms had been implemented to develop the role of the Mineral Resources Authority so that it becomes an independent economic entity capable of supporting investors with data and technical services, in addition to activating the one-stop-shop mechanism to facilitate dealings with government bodies.

He said at the time that the modern airborne survey project represented an important step toward providing more accurate geological data on promising areas, helping investors make better investment decisions and increasing the likelihood of new discoveries, especially since Egypt has significant mining potential that has not yet been fully exploited.

The government is seeking to launch a major international gold exploration tender covering more than 210 areas in the Eastern Desert, aiming to attract $1 billion in investments by 2030 to increase production.

This comes as part of a plan to raise the mining sector’s contribution to gross domestic product from less than 1% to about 6% by 2030, according to local media reports.

Late last year, the government approved several incentives in the mining sector, including lowering licensing fees and granting tax and customs exemptions on exploration equipment, supplies, and related services, according to repeated statements by the Petroleum Ministry.

Al-Ghoul said these decisions reflect the state's current investment priority in mineral exploration, including gold, adding that some obstacles are being overcome gradually to achieve the maximum benefit.

Arab World

Iraq’s PMF Declares ‘Complete Split’ from Parties, Factions

PMF chief Faleh al-Fayyadh. (INA)
PMF chief Faleh al-Fayyadh. (INA)
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Iraq’s PMF Declares ‘Complete Split’ from Parties, Factions

PMF chief Faleh al-Fayyadh. (INA)
PMF chief Faleh al-Fayyadh. (INA)

The head of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces announced the start of implementation of a government order by Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, who is also commander-in-chief of the armed forces, to form a committee tasked with reorganizing the relationship with armed factions.

The move is officially being presented as part of a broader effort to place all weapons under state control.

PMF chief Faleh al-Fayyadh said in a television interview that the new committee had begun work on mechanisms for the “complete disengagement” of the PMF from any political, factional, or partisan frameworks.

The aim was to turn the PMF into an institution governed by a unified system and linked to the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, he added.

Fayyadh said the effort was based on the 2016 law governing the PMF and on successive government orders. But he said the war against ISIS had prevented full implementation over the past years.

In a related development, Sabah al-Numan, spokesman for the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, confirmed that a government order had been issued to form a “sovereign” committee that would set binding mechanisms to end the possession of weapons outside state control.

He warned against what he described as the continued “politicization of the military institution,” saying national security required control over weapons.

Fayyadh rejects calls to dissolve PMF

At the same time, Fayyadh rejected local and diplomatic calls to dissolve the PMF after the end of “major battles”, describing such demands as “unrealistic.”

He said the need for security forces, including the PMF, was “permanent” as long as security threats continued.

Fayyadh said those who believed the PMF’s role had ended had a “superficial view,” referring to criticism he sees as driven by political opposition to his forces.

In a more sensitive file, Fayyadh revealed special arrangements involving brigades affiliated with Saraya al-Salam, which is linked to the Sadrist movement, in Samarra.

He said the brigades would be integrated into the PMF structure under new professional arrangements.

The Saraya al-Salam had handed over their security responsibilities to the Iraqi army in Samarra city on Thursday.

Fayyadh said these formations would be “received as individuals and restructured or redeployed in the field as needed.”

He said the objective was to end the idea of “areas belonging to certain factions” in favor of unified military administration.

In a notable statement, he added that some sites would be placed under temporary transitional arrangements supervised by the Iraqi army before being finally redistributed within the PMF.

The developments come as the head of the Security Media Cell, Lieutenant General Saad Maan, announced the start of steps to implement the decision to place weapons under state control.

He said a number of factions, including Asaib Ahl al-Haq and Kataib al-Imam Ali, had begun legal procedures to hand over heavy and medium weapons ahead of integration into official institutions.

Other factions, including Kataib Hezbollah, the Nujaba movement, and Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada, continue to reject handing over their weapons.

They said disarmament depends on achieving the “goals for which they were formed,” particularly those linked to the presence of foreign forces in Iraq.

The security spokesman for Kataib Hezbollah, Abu Mujahid al-Assaf, said some current initiatives “do not represent the factions of the Islamic Resistance.” The Nujaba said in a statement that weapons were a “red line.”

‘Unified standards’

Fayyadh said the current stage represented a “starting point” for applying unified standards to all formations.

He warned against any political or partisan links within the military structure and said implementation would include all brigades without exception.

Local press reports said leaders of the Coordination Framework have received signals that Washington will not accept symbolic disarmament.

The reports said Washington is instead pushing for the “dissolution of the PMF” and firmly rejects its integration into other security institutions.

Separately, Numan denied on Friday reports of changes in senior leadership positions in the military and security institutions.

He said current commanders were continuing to perform their duties and national responsibilities normally.

Arab World

Sources to Asharq Al-Awsat: Palestinian Factions Link Gaza Talks Progress to Halt in Assassinations

A Palestinian woman stands at the site of an Israeli strike after residents were warned to evacuate their home in al-Zawaida, central Gaza Strip. (AFP)
A Palestinian woman stands at the site of an Israeli strike after residents were warned to evacuate their home in al-Zawaida, central Gaza Strip. (AFP)
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Sources to Asharq Al-Awsat: Palestinian Factions Link Gaza Talks Progress to Halt in Assassinations

A Palestinian woman stands at the site of an Israeli strike after residents were warned to evacuate their home in al-Zawaida, central Gaza Strip. (AFP)
A Palestinian woman stands at the site of an Israeli strike after residents were warned to evacuate their home in al-Zawaida, central Gaza Strip. (AFP)

Israel is stepping up assassinations of Hamas and Islamic Jihad members even as attention turns to Cairo on Saturday for the first meetings on proposals aimed at breaking the deadlock over the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire.

Asharq Al-Awsat learned from two Hamas sources and a third source from a Palestinian faction that the groups will meet among themselves on Saturday, before the Hamas delegation meets the mediators, to discuss the demands they see as essential to any progress in the talks.

The three sources said the factions will clearly demand an end to the assassinations, which have escalated since Israel killed Ezzeddine al-Haddad, commander of the Qassam Brigades, Hamas’s armed wing, on May 15.

His killing was followed by a series of assassinations targeting prominent figures. Similar operations had preceded it, targeting operatives who took part in a series of attacks, including the Oct. 7, 2023, attack.

“The assassinations and daily violations, in all their details, must stop to show goodwill by Israel and achieve real progress that reflects a positive Israeli acceptance of the mediators’ efforts,” the source said.

The two Hamas sources said halting the assassinations and violations would be a clear condition, and a demand backed unanimously by the factions, to ensure the negotiations succeed.

They said the Palestinian side would show significant flexibility in the current round of talks in a way that serves Palestinian demands.

Those demands will also include requiring Israel to implement its commitments under the first phase, including completing the withdrawal, expanding the operation of crossings, allowing aid into the enclave, and enabling the Gaza administrative committee to assume its duties in Gaza.

A factional source expected the current round to be difficult, citing Israel’s threats to escalate assassinations and carry out larger operations inside Gaza in the coming period if no agreement is reached.

The source said the factions would show flexibility, but not at the expense of their legitimate demands.

All the sources acknowledged that the assassinations had affected internal consultations and decision-making and had also had an operational impact inside the enclave.

The Gaza Health Ministry said 119 Palestinians were killed in May, the highest monthly toll recorded since the start of the year. Women, children, and the elderly made up 30% of the victims. The dead included 19 children, or 16%, and 10 women, or 8.5%.

According to Asharq Al-Awsat’s monitoring, Israel has assassinated more than 17 operatives since targeting Haddad, most of them from Hamas.

On Thursday and Friday, Israel assassinated four commanders and activists from the General Security apparatus and attempted to assassinate two others.