‘Southern Revolutionary Movement’ Describes Aden Developments as a Struggle for Power

 General view of Aden, Yemen August 12, 2019. (Reuters)
General view of Aden, Yemen August 12, 2019. (Reuters)
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‘Southern Revolutionary Movement’ Describes Aden Developments as a Struggle for Power

 General view of Aden, Yemen August 12, 2019. (Reuters)
General view of Aden, Yemen August 12, 2019. (Reuters)

The Supreme Council of the Southern Revolutionary Movement has stressed that the council is closely following the crisis in southern Aden through communicating with all parties to reach calmness.

Head of the council Fouad Rashed called for calm, not to spur the southern struggle and achieve everyone's joint goal which is to face the Iranian supported-Houthi insurgency to reach negotiations.

Rashed warned in statements to Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper that favoring a southern bloc no matter how much arms and popularity it owned would spark a struggle in different forms.

Preferring a southern bloc would push other southern components to find a military arm, said Rashed, adding that Saudi Arabia is the most entitled to accommodate all of the southerners and it is capable of this because it's a huge country and it leads the coalition to find one southern platform.

The head of the supreme council noted that there is continuous communication with the Southern Transitional Council (STC) for the sake of reaching calmness, following recent events in Aden and several southern provinces.

At the same time, he criticized mandating the STC during the demonstration of millions in 2017. Rashed stated that the supreme council called for several demonstrations and never snatched a mandate.

Since 2007, the supreme council had been defending the southern case through peaceful struggle and not relying on arms or forming a military arm, said Rashed. In 2015, the council participated in confronting Houthis and many leaders fell as martyrs or were wounded, he added.

Yet after the victory and liberating Aden, the supreme council handed out the weapons and resumed its work. Rashed expressed rejection to any southern struggle and described the latest developments in Aden as a struggle for power.



Militants Killed and Wounded in Eastern Syria, Media and War Monitor Say

The Observatory said the strikes targeted headquarters and warehouses in the city of Deir Ezzor and surrounding towns. (AFP via Getty Images file)
The Observatory said the strikes targeted headquarters and warehouses in the city of Deir Ezzor and surrounding towns. (AFP via Getty Images file)
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Militants Killed and Wounded in Eastern Syria, Media and War Monitor Say

The Observatory said the strikes targeted headquarters and warehouses in the city of Deir Ezzor and surrounding towns. (AFP via Getty Images file)
The Observatory said the strikes targeted headquarters and warehouses in the city of Deir Ezzor and surrounding towns. (AFP via Getty Images file)

A number of militants were killed and wounded in eastern Syria early Sunday near a strategic border crossing with Iraq in apparent airstrikes, pro-government media and an opposition war monitor reported.

Pan-Arab television network Al-Mayadeen cited unnamed sources saying that at least eight Syrians were killed in the strike by the Bou Kamal crossing in Israeli airstrikes.

It was unclear how they confirmed Israeli jets were behind the strikes.

Meanwhile, Britain-based opposition war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said five airstrikes killed at least 15 militants, among them leaders, and wounded at least 20 others. The Observatory said the strikes targeted headquarters and warehouses in the city of Deir Ezzor and surrounding towns.

Pro-government radio station Sham FM said that prior to the blasts heard in Deir Ezzor, explosions were heard at a US military base in northeastern Syria following rocket and drone attacks.

None of the reports could be independently verified.

The US military’s Central Command, which has launched airstrikes on Iranian military personnel and Tehran-backed militant groups in Syria’s eastern Deir Ezzor province, didn’t immediately return a request for comment.

The Israeli military doesn’t usually acknowledge its strike on Syria. However, when it does so, it says it targets Iran-backed militants.