Two IRGC Members Killed in Eastern Syria

Syrian troops and pro-government gunmen standing next to a sign in Arabic which reads “Deir Ezzor welcomes you” in the eastern city of Deir Ezzor, Syria. (SANA via AP)
Syrian troops and pro-government gunmen standing next to a sign in Arabic which reads “Deir Ezzor welcomes you” in the eastern city of Deir Ezzor, Syria. (SANA via AP)
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Two IRGC Members Killed in Eastern Syria

Syrian troops and pro-government gunmen standing next to a sign in Arabic which reads “Deir Ezzor welcomes you” in the eastern city of Deir Ezzor, Syria. (SANA via AP)
Syrian troops and pro-government gunmen standing next to a sign in Arabic which reads “Deir Ezzor welcomes you” in the eastern city of Deir Ezzor, Syria. (SANA via AP)

An unidentified drone attacked on Sunday an Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) vehicle while it was leaving a pre-fabricated building on the outskirts of al-Mayadeen city, in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor, sources told the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).

The attack resulted in the destruction of the vehicle and the death of two IRGC members who were on board.

On Friday, the SOHR documented human and material losses due to new Israeli strikes on Syrian territory.

Israeli missiles flying over Lebanese territory destroyed Iranian militias-affiliated warehouses and manufacturing centers for short and medium-range missiles in the scientific research area (the Defense Factories), which is part of al-Zawiya in Masyaf countryside.

Centers and sites were targeted in al-Talay camp in Sheikh Ghadban area in Masyaf countryside as well.

The strikes left six non-Syrian people dead. It is not yet known whether they were IRGC members or pro-Iranian militiamen.

The death toll is expected to rise as some of the injured are in serious condition, amid reports of further casualties.

Masyaf area hosts a center for developing medium-range missiles in al-Zawi village and al-Talay camp.



Berri to Asharq Al-Awsat: Lebanon's Presidential Elections to Be Held on Time, No Prior Deal over Govt

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. (National News Agency)
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. (National News Agency)
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Berri to Asharq Al-Awsat: Lebanon's Presidential Elections to Be Held on Time, No Prior Deal over Govt

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. (National News Agency)
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. (National News Agency)

Lebanon’s parliament Speaker Nabih Berri stressed on Friday that efforts are ongoing to hold the presidential elections on time on January 9.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, he said he had no intention to delay the elections and he had not received any request to that end from any of the political powers.

Lebanon has been without a head of state since October 2022 when the term of President Michel Aoun ended without the election of a successor. Bickering between the political blocs over a suitable candidate has thwarted the polls.

Efforts are underway to ensure that the elections are a success, declared Berri.

He denied claims that he was seeking understandings over the shape of the new government, including its prime minister, lineup and agenda, ahead of the elections.

The presidential elections come first, he stated.

There are constitutional guidelines that dictate what happens after the elections, he added, referring to the binding parliamentary consultations the new president will hold to name a new prime minister.

The prime minister, in turn, will hold non-binding consultations with lawmakers over the government lineup.

Berri declined to comment on his ally, former MP Walid Jumblatt’s endorsement of army commander Joseph Aoun as president, saying: “Everything will become clear during the elections.”

The speaker had previously said that Aoun’s election requires a constitutional amendment that demands the resignation of first-rank civil servants, including the army commander, at least two years before their election as president.

Aoun, who is not related to Michel Aoun, is projected to win 86 votes in the elections.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah MP Hussein al-Hajj Hassan dismissed the figure, saying no candidate has the needed number of votes to be elected president.

He added that Hezbollah is holding contacts over the elections but it does not have time to reveal what they have yielded.

The results will be revealed during the elections in January, he told the Sputnik news agency.