After Soldier’s Death, Turkey Shells Syria’s Tall Rifat

: Internally displaced Syrians carry their belongings as they arrive at a refugee camp near the Bab al-Salam crossing, across from Turkey's Kilis province, on the outskirts of the northern border town of Azaz, Syria February 6, 2016. REUTERS/Osman Orsal
: Internally displaced Syrians carry their belongings as they arrive at a refugee camp near the Bab al-Salam crossing, across from Turkey's Kilis province, on the outskirts of the northern border town of Azaz, Syria February 6, 2016. REUTERS/Osman Orsal
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After Soldier’s Death, Turkey Shells Syria’s Tall Rifat

: Internally displaced Syrians carry their belongings as they arrive at a refugee camp near the Bab al-Salam crossing, across from Turkey's Kilis province, on the outskirts of the northern border town of Azaz, Syria February 6, 2016. REUTERS/Osman Orsal
: Internally displaced Syrians carry their belongings as they arrive at a refugee camp near the Bab al-Salam crossing, across from Turkey's Kilis province, on the outskirts of the northern border town of Azaz, Syria February 6, 2016. REUTERS/Osman Orsal

Retaliating to earlier attacks staged by the Kurdish-majority People's Protection Units (YPG), Turkish forces shelled Syria’s Tall Rifat city which is nestled in the northern Aleppo province.

In a statement released on Monday, the Turkish Defense Ministry said the country’s army forces successfully bombed YPG Kurdish sites in response to an attack that targeted Ankara military assets in Syria and which killed a Turkish soldier.

The ministry went on to confirm that not only one soldier was killed, but six others were injured by the attack. Victims were cleared from the area.

By far, this marks the heaviest toll incurred by a Turkey observation post set up in north Syria.

Back in 2017, Turkey and Russia had agreed to establish observation posts overlooking designated de-escalation zones in Syria’s north, especially in Idlib.

A military statement said it responded to the anti-tank attack by firing at militants in the region.

With the collapse of the declared truce in Hama and Idlib in recent weeks, Turkish observation posts have been the target of military escalation on behalf of the Russian-backed Syria regime and the YPG.
It is worth noting that the Syrian regime scaled up the bombing of Turkey-backed rebels in the Idlib region.

An agreement between Turkey and Russia, signed in September 2018 at the Black Sea resort city of Sochi, was intended to spare opposition forces in Idlib and its environs from regime attacks. But Russia, the Syrian regime’s major power backer, is accusing Ankara of failing to meet its obligations under the agreement as a rebel guarantor, especially with regard to the redeployment of hardline groups from some of the north’s main infrastructure.

Despite the resumed violence on behalf of the Syrian regime, it does not seem as though Russia will be allowing the military offensive to go into full-throttle in Idlib—a total breakout of violence in Syria’s northern areas would leave Turkey's southern borders in dismay.

In the same context, the United Nations warned that up to 2 million Syrians might flee to Turkey if the fighting raged in northwestern Syria.



Barrack Says Hezbollah Involvement in Iran-Israel War Would Be 'Very Bad Decision'

A handout photo released by the Lebanese Presidency press office on June 19, 2025 shows Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun (R) welcoming US negotiator Thomas Barrack at the presidential palace of Baabda east of Beirut. (Photo by Lebanese Presidency / AFP)
A handout photo released by the Lebanese Presidency press office on June 19, 2025 shows Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun (R) welcoming US negotiator Thomas Barrack at the presidential palace of Baabda east of Beirut. (Photo by Lebanese Presidency / AFP)
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Barrack Says Hezbollah Involvement in Iran-Israel War Would Be 'Very Bad Decision'

A handout photo released by the Lebanese Presidency press office on June 19, 2025 shows Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun (R) welcoming US negotiator Thomas Barrack at the presidential palace of Baabda east of Beirut. (Photo by Lebanese Presidency / AFP)
A handout photo released by the Lebanese Presidency press office on June 19, 2025 shows Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun (R) welcoming US negotiator Thomas Barrack at the presidential palace of Baabda east of Beirut. (Photo by Lebanese Presidency / AFP)

The US special envoy for Syria Tom Barrack on Thursday warned Hezbollah against getting involved in the war between its main backer Iran and Israel.

"I can say on behalf of President (Donald) Trump... that would be a very, very, very bad decision," Barrack said, responding to a question on what the US position would be on any involvement by Hezbollah in the war.

Barrack met with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at Baabda Palace and Speaker Nabih Berri in Ain el-Tineh.

Hezbollah on Thursday expressed support for Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei following threats by Israeli leaders that he could be killed.

In a statement, Hezbollah said that “threats to assassinate (Khamenei) are foolish and reckless, and will have disastrous consequences.”

Israel's defense minister said that Khamenei "can no longer be allowed to exist" after an Israeli hospital was hit during an Iranian missile attack.

"Khamenei openly declares that he wants Israel destroyed -- he personally gives the order to fire on hospitals. He considers the destruction of the state of Israel to be a goal," Israel Katz told journalists in Holon near Tel Aviv. "Such a man can no longer be allowed to exist."
 

Killing Khamenei would "end the conflict" between Israel and Iran, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said.