Russia Says It Struck Two Syrian Militant Sites

File photo: A Syrian army soldier stands next to a Syrian flag in Umm al-Mayazen, in the countryside of Daraa, Syria, July 10, 2018. (Reuters)
File photo: A Syrian army soldier stands next to a Syrian flag in Umm al-Mayazen, in the countryside of Daraa, Syria, July 10, 2018. (Reuters)
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Russia Says It Struck Two Syrian Militant Sites

File photo: A Syrian army soldier stands next to a Syrian flag in Umm al-Mayazen, in the countryside of Daraa, Syria, July 10, 2018. (Reuters)
File photo: A Syrian army soldier stands next to a Syrian flag in Umm al-Mayazen, in the countryside of Daraa, Syria, July 10, 2018. (Reuters)

Russia's air force carried out strikes on two militant sites in Syria outside the area of al-Tanf, Russia's RIA state news agency reported on Sunday, referring to the region of a US military base.
Citing Captain Oleg Ignasyuk, the report did not specify the location but said the militants had recently left the al-Tanf area, which borders Jordan, according to Reuters.
"Russian Aerospace Forces have struck two identified sites of militants who left the al-Tanf zone," RIA quoted Ignasyuk, who is also deputy head of the Russian Reconciliation Center for Syria, as telling a briefing.



Syria's New Rulers Name Foreign Minister

Asaad Hassan al-Shibani. (SANA)
Asaad Hassan al-Shibani. (SANA)
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Syria's New Rulers Name Foreign Minister

Asaad Hassan al-Shibani. (SANA)
Asaad Hassan al-Shibani. (SANA)

Syria's new rulers have appointed a foreign minister, the official Syrian news agency (SANA) said on Saturday, as they seek to build international relations two weeks after Bashar al-Assad was ousted.

The ruling General Command named Asaad Hassan al-Shibani as foreign minister, SANA said. A source in the new administration told Reuters that this step “comes in response to the aspirations of the Syrian people to establish international relations that bring peace and stability.”

The opposition Syria TV said Shibani, formerly known as Zeid al-Attar, was in charge of foreign affairs when the Al-Nusra Front transformed into the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group.

Syrian media said that until 2024, he has been residing in Türkiye. Along with HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, he helped form the al-Nusra Front.

Shibani assumed several pseudonyms, including Nassim, Abu Aisha, Abu Ammar al-Shami and Hussam al-Shafei.

Born in 1987, he hails from the Hasakeh countryside. He was studying translation before his family moved to Damascus where he earned a degree in English Literature from Damascus University. He earned a master's degree in political science and foreign relations in Türkiye in 2022.

Syria's de facto ruler Sharaa has actively engaged with foreign delegations since assuming power, including hosting the UN's Syria envoy and senior US diplomats.

Sharaa has signaled a willingness to engage diplomatically with international envoys, saying his primary focus is on reconstruction and achieving economic development. He has said he is not interested in engaging in any new conflicts.

The United States, other Western powers and many Syrians were glad to see groups led by the HTS topple Assad.