China Sends ‘Night Tigers’ to Syria

Syrian residents are seen reacting after shelling in Douma, in the eastern Damascus suburb of Ghouta, Syria November 17, 2017. (Reuters)
Syrian residents are seen reacting after shelling in Douma, in the eastern Damascus suburb of Ghouta, Syria November 17, 2017. (Reuters)
TT

China Sends ‘Night Tigers’ to Syria

Syrian residents are seen reacting after shelling in Douma, in the eastern Damascus suburb of Ghouta, Syria November 17, 2017. (Reuters)
Syrian residents are seen reacting after shelling in Douma, in the eastern Damascus suburb of Ghouta, Syria November 17, 2017. (Reuters)

Chinese Special Forces will soon head to Syria to participate in countering terrorism of the Islamic East Turkestan Movement in the Damascus countryside, said the Hmeimim Russian Military Base, west Syria.

The base posted on its Facebook page that the Chinese Ministry of Defense intends to send two units, known as the “Tigers of Siberia” and the “Night Tigers” from the Special Operations Forces, to aid Syrian regime troops against the Islamic East Turkestan Movement that was sighted aiding terrorist groups in Syria.

There are an estimated 2,500 Islamic East Turkestan Movement militants operating in Syria.

Meanwhile, shelling and bombardment became less frequent on Eastern Ghouta near Damascus on Tuesday afternoon. This allowed humanitarian aid to enter besieged cities and towns as the United Nations announced the Syrian regime had accepted a ceasefire in the area.

UN special envoy Staffan de Mistura said the regime had agreed to a Russian proposal for a ceasefire in Eastern Ghouta.

He told reporters that the regime had accepted a truce proposal put forward by Moscow ahead of the latest round of peace talks in Geneva, which began on Tuesday. He stated however that the deal was not yet implemented, adding: “We have to see if it happens."

"Now we need to see whether this takes place but it's not coincidental that this has actually been proposed and agreed upon just at the beginning of this session," he remarked.

Earlier, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that relief teams with food and health supplies had entered Eastern Ghouta through al-Wafideen crossing.

The humanitarian aid comes after shelling on Hamuriyyah on Tuesday that killed 18 people and injured at least one.

The Observatory reported that several explosions were heard in Eastern Ghouta resulting from six airstrikes that targeted Hamurriyah that is held by the al-Rahman Corps.

The observatory documented that three citizens died, including two children, and at least 15 were injured, some of whom are still in serious conditions.

In light of recent events, Doctors without Borders (MSF) called on Tuesday for urgent medical supplies and respect for International Humanitarian Law on protecting medical facilities.

"Hundreds of people have been wounded in intense bombing and shelling in the besieged East Ghouta enclave near Damascus, Syria, in the last two weeks, creating a disaster for patients in need of medical treatment," stated the organization in its report.

The report added that from November 14 to 26, five MSF-supported field hospitals in East Ghouta treated 576 wounded patients and recorded 69 deaths.

MSF warned that 25 percent of the wounded and the dead are women or children under 15 years old.



Hemedti Issues Strict Orders to his Forces to Protect Sudanese People

 People collect clean water provided by a charity organization to people in Gedaref in eastern Sudan on August 30, 2024. (AFP)
People collect clean water provided by a charity organization to people in Gedaref in eastern Sudan on August 30, 2024. (AFP)
TT

Hemedti Issues Strict Orders to his Forces to Protect Sudanese People

 People collect clean water provided by a charity organization to people in Gedaref in eastern Sudan on August 30, 2024. (AFP)
People collect clean water provided by a charity organization to people in Gedaref in eastern Sudan on August 30, 2024. (AFP)

Commander of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) Mohammed Hamdan Daglo, also known as Hemedti, issued on Saturday strict orders to his forces to protect civilians and ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid in line with the commitments his delegation made at the recent peace talks in Geneva.

In a post on the X platform, he said he issued an “extraordinary administrative order to all the forces” to protect civilians and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid.

He called on all commanders to abide by the orders in line with international humanitarian law. Any violators will be held accountable.

The RSF has been accused of widespread violations against civilians in areas under their control. They have also been accused of committing massacres in Gezira state in central Sudan. The RSF have denied the accusations.

Hemedti announced in August the formation of a “civilian protection force” that immediately assumed its duties in the Khartoum and Gezira states.

According to head of the RSF delegation to the Geneva talks, Omar Hamdan, the force is formed of 27 combat vehicles, backed by forces that have experience in cracking down on insubordination.

Hemedti stressed last week his commitment to all the outcomes of the Geneva talks, starting with ensuring the delivery of aid to those in need.

The RSF and army agreed to open two safe routes for the deliveries and to protect civilians to ease their suffering after nearly a year and a half of war.

The mediators in Geneva received commitments from the RSF that it would order the fighters against committing any violations against civilians in areas under their control.

Meanwhile, aid deliveries continued through the Adre border crossing with Chad. They are headed to people in Darfur in western Sudan.

Fifty-nine aid trucks carrying aid supplies crossed from Chad to Darfur, said the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs on Saturday.

“The supplies are estimated to reach nearly 195,000 people in acute need in different parts of the country,” it added.

“About 128 aid trucks carrying supplies for an estimated 355,000 people are being prepared to cross into Sudan in the coming days and weeks to ensure a steady flow of supplies. Despite the surge of supplies through Adre, humanitarian partners have warned that ongoing rains and floods have damaged three major bridges in the region, limiting movements within Darfur,” it revealed.

“While progress has been made on the Adre border crossing, funding resources are depleting, and humanitarian funding is urgently required to sustain the supplies chain,” it urged.