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Sisi Tells Armed Forces to be on High Alert

Sisi lays a wreath at the memorial of armed forces martyrs in Nasr city. Asharq Al-Awsat
Sisi lays a wreath at the memorial of armed forces martyrs in Nasr city. Asharq Al-Awsat
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Sisi Tells Armed Forces to be on High Alert

Sisi lays a wreath at the memorial of armed forces martyrs in Nasr city. Asharq Al-Awsat
Sisi lays a wreath at the memorial of armed forces martyrs in Nasr city. Asharq Al-Awsat

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has lauded the armed forces on their efforts to confront terrorism and backing stability and security, urging them to “remain on alert and stick to the highest state of combat readiness given the delicate regional situation.”

Sisi chaired the meeting of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces on Wednesday in the presence of top military brass.

A statement issued by the council said that the conferees discussed the latest internal security developments amid the tense regional situation.

They also discussed the measures taken by the armed forces in securing the border, eliminating terrorism in North Sinai, and consolidating security and stability in the area.

At the onset of the meeting, Sisi gave a terse statement commemorating the 44th anniversary of Egypt’s October 6 victory over Israel, saluting the Egyptian people for their sacrifices.

"The October victory was not just a military triumph to liberate our lands, but also a victory over despair and frustration to restore dignity and peace," Sisi said. 

"Our current war against terrorism requires unity to protect our beloved homeland's fate and grant a bright future for our children," he stated.

"Together, we are determined to be guided by the spirit of the October War to lead us in victory against the current enemies of life and humanity and for the prosperity and development of our nation," Sisi added.

Earlier, Sisi laid a wreath at the memorial of armed forces martyrs in Nasr city (east of Cairo) and at the graveyards of late presidents Muhammad Anwar el-Sadat and Gamal Abdel Nasser.

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Arab World

10 Syria Security Personnel Wounded in Clashes in Sweida

A Syrian army officer puts on his blast suit during a demining operation, by the Syrian Ministry of Defense's military engineering department, to clear land mines in Qarah in the Damascus countryside on August 23, 2026. (AFP)
A Syrian army officer puts on his blast suit during a demining operation, by the Syrian Ministry of Defense's military engineering department, to clear land mines in Qarah in the Damascus countryside on August 23, 2026. (AFP)
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10 Syria Security Personnel Wounded in Clashes in Sweida

A Syrian army officer puts on his blast suit during a demining operation, by the Syrian Ministry of Defense's military engineering department, to clear land mines in Qarah in the Damascus countryside on August 23, 2026. (AFP)
A Syrian army officer puts on his blast suit during a demining operation, by the Syrian Ministry of Defense's military engineering department, to clear land mines in Qarah in the Damascus countryside on August 23, 2026. (AFP)

Clashes with local armed groups in Syria's Druze-majority province of Sweida left 10 government security personnel wounded, state media reported Tuesday.

The unrest, which took place on Monday, came after two civilians were killed in similar clashes west of Sweida city, according to two local security sources.

Syrian state television, citing the Internal Security Command in Sweida province, said the number of wounded personnel had risen to 10 after "outlaw groups" targeted points in the Tal Hadid area and the Walgha axis.

State media had previously reported that four were wounded "while confronting attacks by outlaw groups in the western countryside of Sweida".

Sweida city and other parts of the southern province are under the control of local armed groups and constitute the last areas outside the power of Syria's new authorities, who are seeking to extend their rule across the entire country after toppling longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in 2024.

Among those groups is the so-called National Guard, which is affiliated with Druze Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri.

In a statement on Monday night, the group accused government forces of "firing a number of mortar shells and indiscriminately firing 23mm machine guns... with the aim of harming civilians", adding that a child was wounded as a result.

The group said it was "responding to the sources of fire with appropriate means".

Government forces and Druze armed groups had been exchanging fire since Saturday night, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Sunday.

A Druze security source told AFP on condition of anonymity that a shell launched Sunday from a government-controlled area "targeted the outskirts of the city of Sweida, striking a tractor and killing two people on board, the driver and a woman who was with him".

Tensions have been high in Sweida since clashes between Druze and government-aligned forces last year led to some of the worst communal violence since the fall of Assad.

Arab World

Lebanon Urges Greece to Help Implement Truce with Israel

Greek President Konstantinos Tasoulas (R) talks next to Lebanese President Joseph Aoun (L) during their meeting at the Presidential Palace in Athens, Greece, 31 August 2026. (EPA)
Greek President Konstantinos Tasoulas (R) talks next to Lebanese President Joseph Aoun (L) during their meeting at the Presidential Palace in Athens, Greece, 31 August 2026. (EPA)
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Lebanon Urges Greece to Help Implement Truce with Israel

Greek President Konstantinos Tasoulas (R) talks next to Lebanese President Joseph Aoun (L) during their meeting at the Presidential Palace in Athens, Greece, 31 August 2026. (EPA)
Greek President Konstantinos Tasoulas (R) talks next to Lebanese President Joseph Aoun (L) during their meeting at the Presidential Palace in Athens, Greece, 31 August 2026. (EPA)

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun asked Greece on Monday for support to help implement a ceasefire agreement with Israel and end Israeli attacks on his country, hours after Greece and Israel announced a multibillion arms deal.

The June 26 accord, brokered by the United States, says both sides must cease hostilities and allow the Lebanese army to restore control over the entire country.

Beirut wants Israel to withdraw from all territory it has occupied in southern Lebanon. Israel first wants Lebanese group Hezbollah evacuated from the sector.

"Lebanon and the Lebanese people are tired of wars, and from the start of the negotiations with Israel the aim was to put an end to the state of hostility," Aoun told a press conference in Athens alongside Greek President Konstantinos Tassoulas.

"The framework agreement ... cannot be implemented unilaterally. It needs to be implemented on both sides," he insisted.

"We request Greece's assistance as much as possible to help Lebanon."

Lebanon was dragged into the US-Israeli war against Iran in March, when Israel launched a massive bombardment of its neighbor and invaded, while Hezbollah fired missiles at Israeli territory.

Since then, Aoun said, Israeli strikes have killed 4,300 Lebanese, wounded 12,000 and destroyed 60-70 villages.

"Solving the problem by military force will not succeed," he said, insisting on the total withdrawal of Israeli forces from his country.

After a later meeting, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Greece supported "the sovereignty, independence and unity of Lebanon" and would support "all efforts aimed at de-escalation and mutual comprehension".

On Monday, Greece and Israel announced Athens was buying a $3.5-billion aerial defense system from Israel.

Arab World

Iraq Sentences Kidnapper of US Journalist to 15 Years in Prison

American freelancer Shelly Kittleson. (Facebook)
American freelancer Shelly Kittleson. (Facebook)
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Iraq Sentences Kidnapper of US Journalist to 15 Years in Prison

American freelancer Shelly Kittleson. (Facebook)
American freelancer Shelly Kittleson. (Facebook)

Iraq's judiciary has sentenced a man to 15 years in prison for the kidnapping of an American journalist who was abducted earlier this year by a powerful Iran-backed group, a judicial source said Monday.

At the height of the Middle East war, on March 31, Kataeb Hezbollah kidnapped journalist Shelly Kittleson in Baghdad, holding her for several days before setting her free just hours before the United States and Iran agreed to a ceasefire.

Iraqi authorities arrested one member of the group at the time.

According to a document shared by local media, a criminal court on Sunday sentenced Amir Rahim Jabbar to 15 years in prison under an "anti-terrorism law... for the crime of kidnapping" Kittleson.

A judicial source verified to AFP the document's authenticity, and a Kataeb Hezbollah source confirmed the ruling against one of its members.

Kittleson, who shared a copy of the ruling on X, said she was "grateful to the Iraqi judiciary".

Kataeb Hezbollah is among several pro-Iran armed groups that intervened in support of Tehran during the Middle East war, claiming attacks on US facilities in Iraq and across the region.

Under mounting US pressure to curb Tehran's influence, the new Iraqi government of Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi says it is committed to ensuring that pro-Iran armed groups, which Washington designates as terrorist organisations, hand over their weapons to the state.

The issue has fuelled tensions in Iraq, with several groups, including Kataeb Hezbollah, refusing to disarm.

Earlier this month, Kataeb Hezbollah accused Zaidi of engaging in "provocative and irresponsible actions".

Baghdad was once notorious for kidnappings and attempted abductions, but they have decreased as the security situation in Iraq improved in recent years.