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World Offers Support, Condolences to Lebanon After Deadly Explosions

Two huge explosion rocked the Lebanese capital Beirut, killing scores and wounding thousands of people, shaking buildings and sending huge plumes of smoke billowing into the sky
Two huge explosion rocked the Lebanese capital Beirut, killing scores and wounding thousands of people, shaking buildings and sending huge plumes of smoke billowing into the sky
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World Offers Support, Condolences to Lebanon After Deadly Explosions

Two huge explosion rocked the Lebanese capital Beirut, killing scores and wounding thousands of people, shaking buildings and sending huge plumes of smoke billowing into the sky
Two huge explosion rocked the Lebanese capital Beirut, killing scores and wounding thousands of people, shaking buildings and sending huge plumes of smoke billowing into the sky

Close allies and traditional adversaries of Lebanon paid tribute on Tuesday to the victims of massive and deadly twin blasts in Beirut, as condolences and offers of help poured in.

Lebanon's Prime Minister Hassan Diab called on "friendly countries" to support the country already reeling from its worst economic crisis in decades as well as the coronavirus pandemic.

Gulf nations were among the first to react, with Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry confirming on Tuesday that it is following with great concern the consequences of Beirut's port explosion.

In a statement, the ministry also affirmed the kingdom's full support and solidarity with the Lebanese people.

The United Arab Emirates' Vice President and ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, also expressed condolences to the "beloved people in Lebanon."

Kuwait said it would also send emergency medical aid.

Egypt expressed "deep concern" at the destruction, and Arab League chief Ahmed Aboulgheit offered condolences, stressing "the importance of finding the truth about the explosions".

Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said Amman was ready to provide any help Lebanon needed,

Outside the region, President Vladimir Putin said that "Russia shares the grief of the Lebanese people," according to a Kremlin statement, AFP reported.

"I ask you to convey words of sympathy and support to the families and friends of the victims, as well as wishes for a speedy recovery to all affected."

Washington said it too would help.

"We extend our deepest condolences to all those affected, and stand ready to offer all possible assistance," a State Department spokesperson said.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said the country was "ready to provide assistance according to the needs expressed by the Lebanese authorities".

Cyprus, too, said it stood ready to offer medical aid to neighboring Lebanon after the massive blast.

"Cyprus is ready to accept injured persons for treatment and send medical teams if required," Cypriot Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides told state broadcaster CyBC.

Tuesday's explosion was heard throughout Cyprus, which lies about 100 miles (160 kms) away.

For its part, Iran also said it was "fully prepared to render assistance in any way necessary".

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan spoke with Lebanese counterpart Michel Aoun about the massive explosion and said Turkey was ready to provide humanitarian aid as needed, the presidency said.

Meanwhile, Lebanon's Supreme Defense Council declared Beirut a disaster-stricken city after the massive explosion rocked the capital and recommended the cabinet declare a state of emergency when it meets on Wednesday, according to a statement published sent to Reuters and carried by local media.

The explosion which took place in a port warehouse district killed more than 50 people and injured over 2,500.

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The Arrest of Aws Salloum: What We Know About the ‘Azrael of Sednaya’

Photo of Salloum circulated on X
Photo of Salloum circulated on X
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The Arrest of Aws Salloum: What We Know About the ‘Azrael of Sednaya’

Photo of Salloum circulated on X
Photo of Salloum circulated on X

The name Aws Salloum, nicknamed the “Azrael of Sednaya,” has dominated social media over the past few hours. Syrian activists widely shared images of him in detention, alongside a resurfaced video of Syrian activist Mazen Hamada, who suffered torture in Syrian prisons and spoke of a jailer referred to as “Azrael.”

The “Radaa al-Adwan” (Deterrence Against Aggression) operations room announced the capture of the “Azrael of Sednaya,” accused of torturing and killing numerous prisoners. According to the announcement, Salloum was arrested during Thursday’s raids in Homs targeting remnants of the Assad regime.

Who Is Aws Salloum?

Syrian activists circulated videos showing a man arrested in Homs, identified as Aws Salloum. Salloum hails from the village of Al-Qabo in rural Homs, an area known for its loyalty to deposed Syrian president Bashar al-Assad during the Syrian revolution.

He joined the security forces of the Assad regime, where he gained notoriety for his brutality, as evidenced by survivor testimonies. He earned the nickname “Azrael of Sednaya” due to his heinous methods of torture and execution in Sednaya Prison, infamously referred to as the “human slaughterhouse.”

According to survivor accounts reported by the media, Salloum was responsible for the execution of over 500 detainees in gruesome ways, including crushing prisoners’ heads with concrete blocks. Former prisoners described Salloum as one of the most brutal jailers, employing extreme violence to maintain control and instill terror among inmates.

Activists also shared an old video of Syrian dissident Mazen Hamada recounting his experience with a jailer nicknamed “Azrael.”

In the video, Hamada said: “There was a man who called himself Azrael. He would come to us in the hospital at midnight, drunk. He would ask, ‘Who wants medicine?’ A young man from Daraya warned us, ‘Don’t raise your hands.’ When I asked why, he replied, ‘Do you want to die? If you raise your hand, you’ll be killed.’”

Hamada continued: “A man from Ghouta said, ‘I do.’ Azrael of Sednaya responded, ‘The Divine Court sentences you to death,’ and proceeded to beat him with a metal rod tipped with nails until he decapitated him.”

Mazen Hamada himself was later killed under torture in Syrian prisons. His body was discovered at a military hospital after al-Assad’s fall.

After the ousting of the Assad regime on December 8, opposition armed factions opened all prisons across the country, releasing detainees. This revealed the extent of the horrors committed in these facilities, with Sednaya Prison standing out as one of the most notorious sites of abuse. However, the fate of thousands of disappeared and detained individuals remains unknown, while mass graves continue to be unearthed across the country, bearing testimony to years of war crimes and atrocities.