Israel Attacks Syria's Central Region and Baniyas City

A handout picture released by the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) on May 29, 2024 shows damage caused inside an apartment in the coastal city of Baniyas, following what Syria's defense ministry said was an Israeli air strike. (Photo by SANA / AFP)
A handout picture released by the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) on May 29, 2024 shows damage caused inside an apartment in the coastal city of Baniyas, following what Syria's defense ministry said was an Israeli air strike. (Photo by SANA / AFP)
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Israel Attacks Syria's Central Region and Baniyas City

A handout picture released by the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) on May 29, 2024 shows damage caused inside an apartment in the coastal city of Baniyas, following what Syria's defense ministry said was an Israeli air strike. (Photo by SANA / AFP)
A handout picture released by the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) on May 29, 2024 shows damage caused inside an apartment in the coastal city of Baniyas, following what Syria's defense ministry said was an Israeli air strike. (Photo by SANA / AFP)

Israel launched air attacks on Syria's central region as well as the coastal city of Baniyas, killing a child and injuring ten civilians, Syrian state media said on Wednesday citing a military source.
"At approximately 19:30 pm, the Israeli enemy launched an air aggression from the direction of Lebanese territory, targeting a site in the central region and a residential building in Baniyas ... leading to the death of a girl, the injury of ten civilians," the source was quoted as saying.
Syrian state media reported earlier on Wednesday that the country's air defenses had intercepted "hostile targets" over Homs, without giving further details.
There was no immediate word on the incidents from Israel, which typically does not comment on specific reports of strikes in Syria, said Reuters.
For years Israel has been carrying out attacks against what it has described as Iran-linked targets in Syria, where Tehran's influence has grown since it began supporting President Bashar al-Assad in the civil war that started in 2011.
Reported Israeli strikes on Syria have intensified sharply since the start of the war in Gaza last October.
In April, Iran retaliated by firing missiles at Israel after a presumed Israeli strike that destroyed a building in Iran's embassy compound in Damascus and killed several Iranian officers including a top general.



France Declines to Comment on Algeria’s Anger over Recognition of Morocco’s Claim over Sahara

French President Emmanuel Macron and Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune. (AFP file)
French President Emmanuel Macron and Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune. (AFP file)
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France Declines to Comment on Algeria’s Anger over Recognition of Morocco’s Claim over Sahara

French President Emmanuel Macron and Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune. (AFP file)
French President Emmanuel Macron and Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune. (AFP file)

Paris declined to comment on Algeria’s “strong condemnation” of the French government’s decision to recognize Morocco’s claim over the Sahara.

The office of the French Foreign Ministry refused to respond to an AFP request for a comment on the Algeria’s stance.

It did say that further comments could impact the trip Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune is set to make to France in late September or early October.

The visit has been postponed on numerous occasions over disagreements between the two countries.

France had explicitly expressed its constant and clear support for the autonomy rule proposal over the Sahara during Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne’s visit to Morocco in February, reported AFP.

The position has helped improve ties between Rabat and Paris.

On Thursday, the Algerian Foreign Ministry expressed “great regret and strong denunciation" about the French government's decision to recognize an autonomy plan for the Western Sahara region "within Moroccan sovereignty”.

Algeria was informed of the decision by France in recent days, an Algerian foreign ministry statement added.

The ministry also said Algeria would draw all the consequences from the decision and hold the French government alone completely responsible.