Turkey Establishes New Base, Shells Syria’s Ain Issa Countryside

A Turkish soldier is seen in an armored personnel carrier (APC) at a check point near the Turkish-Syrian border in Kilis province, Turkey, January 29, 2018. (Reuters)
A Turkish soldier is seen in an armored personnel carrier (APC) at a check point near the Turkish-Syrian border in Kilis province, Turkey, January 29, 2018. (Reuters)
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Turkey Establishes New Base, Shells Syria’s Ain Issa Countryside

A Turkish soldier is seen in an armored personnel carrier (APC) at a check point near the Turkish-Syrian border in Kilis province, Turkey, January 29, 2018. (Reuters)
A Turkish soldier is seen in an armored personnel carrier (APC) at a check point near the Turkish-Syrian border in Kilis province, Turkey, January 29, 2018. (Reuters)

Turkish forces established a new military base near the Syrian town of Ain Issa in the northern Raqqa countryside, which under the control of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

Turkey also installed a number of outposts on the Aleppo-Latakia international highway (M4) and began setting a military post in al-Ghab Plain, in Hama’s western countryside, which constantly comes under attack by the regime.

It reinforced its forces at the military observation points in the northwestern Idlib province.

Meanwhile, Turkish forces and the so-called Syrian National Army factions shelled on Monday a number of positions in the Ain Issa countryside, targeting the village of Muallaq and the Khalidiyah camp.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported violent clashes between the Turkish-backed factions and SDF in western parts of Ain Issa. The factions are trying to advance in Hoshan and Khalidiyah, amid intense Turkish shelling on the M4 highway.

Elsewhere, pro-Turkish factions clashed with Manbij Military Council forces, which are affiliated with the SDF, in the western countryside of Manbij.

Russian forces had reopened the M4 for civilian and commercial use on Sunday after about a month of closure following Turkish military operations in Ain Issa.

Furthermore, Turkish forces carried out a reconnaissance operation in al-Ghab Plain where they are seeking to establish a military post in Qastoun.

Last month, the Turkish forces evacuated five out of its 12 main observation points in the de-escalation zone in northwestern Syria. They also withdrew from three main checkpoints, after being besieged by the regime forces, in agreement with Russia.

The Turkish forces withdrew from four newly established points in Idlib’s eastern countryside and the Aleppo countryside.

Several new Turkish checkpoints are still blockaded within the areas of the Syrian regime in Saraqib and Aleppo countryside near Kafr Aleppo.

The Turkish forces had established 69 observation points in the de-escalation zone. Ankara is redeploying the troops that were withdrawn from the areas besieged by the regime, while continuing to push reinforcements to the observation points in southern Idlib.

A new military convoy of 25 vehicles entered through the Kafr Lusin border crossing heading towards the Turkish positions in Jabal al-Zawiya.



Tunisian Journalist, a Critic of Saied, Sentenced to 1 Year in Prison

Tunisian journalist Haythem El Mekki
Tunisian journalist Haythem El Mekki
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Tunisian Journalist, a Critic of Saied, Sentenced to 1 Year in Prison

Tunisian journalist Haythem El Mekki
Tunisian journalist Haythem El Mekki

Prominent Tunisian journalist Haythem El Mekki and critic of President Kais Saied said on Wednesday that he was sentenced to one year in prison over posts he made on social media.

El Mekki, known for his political commentary, was a regular host on Mosaique FM's flagship "Midi Show" before he left the station.

Authorities opened an investigation against him in 2024 under Decree 54 -- a law Saied enacted to combat "false news" -- after he decried poor conditions at a public hospital morgue in the coastal city of Sfax.

A lower court had dismissed the case, but an appeals court handed him the 12-month jail term, he said on Facebook.

The National Syndicate of Tunisian Journalists condemned the ruling in a statement, warning of a "worrying trend" and a "climate of intimidation and self-censorship.”

Mekki has been prosecuted three times since 2023, in each case over comments he had made online or in the media.

Although Mekki has recently distanced himself from the media, he remains active on social networks. He is also a member of the editorial board of Rachma, an independent Tunisian media platform.

Freedom of expression was celebrated as a main achievement of the 2011 uprising that toppled president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in Tunisia. But since Saied's July 25, 2021 power grab, several NGOs and the opposition have lamented a decline in rights and freedoms.


Trump’s Remarks on Soleimani Spark Debate in Iraq

US President Donald Trump welcomes Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi to the White House on Tuesday. (AP)
US President Donald Trump welcomes Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi to the White House on Tuesday. (AP)
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Trump’s Remarks on Soleimani Spark Debate in Iraq

US President Donald Trump welcomes Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi to the White House on Tuesday. (AP)
US President Donald Trump welcomes Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi to the White House on Tuesday. (AP)

Despite US President Donald Trump’s praise for Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi during their White House meeting on Tuesday, remarks about the 2020 killing of Iranian Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani and former Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) deputy chief Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis triggered a broad political debate in Iraq.

Greeting al-Zaidi at the White House, Trump described him as “a warrior” and praised the “tremendous chemistry” between them, predicting that the Iraqi premier would remain in office “for a long period of time.”

Turning to the January 2020 US drone strike near Baghdad International Airport, Trump again defended the operation, saying: “And I killed him in my first administration. Had I not, it might be a different story today... I actually think the leaders of Iran were afraid of Soleimani.”

Without mentioning al-Muhandis by name, Trump added: “By the way, a very bad person went with him. They happened to meet at the airport, and a very bad person from Iraq, a leader there, was killed in the same incident.”

He then turned to al-Zaidi with a smile and asked: “So, I don’t know if I did you a favor or not. I’ve never asked you that question before. Maybe you know the answer better than I do.”

Al-Zaidi replied: “At that time, I wasn’t working in politics. This visit is about the future and what we can do together. We’re not concerned with the old past. We’ve had enough of the suffering it caused.”

Munqith Dagher, head of the Independent Institute of Administration and Civil Society Studies (IIACSS) research group, said al-Zaidi had handled the exchange better than many had expected.

Writing on X, he argued that, whether instinctive or the product of media training, the prime minister’s body language and responses spared both himself and Iraq unnecessary embarrassment during one of Trump’s characteristic attempts to put visiting leaders on the spot.

Dagher added that al-Zaidi’s answer could have been even stronger had he delivered it with greater seriousness.

Writer and researcher Adnan Tomeh offered a different assessment, arguing that politics is measured first and foremost by the careful choice of words. He said al-Zaidi could have given a more diplomatic answer that preserved room for maneuver but instead appeared to sidestep the question.

The strongest criticism came from Iran-aligned factions.

Al-Muhandis’ family issued a sharply worded statement accusing Trump of revealing his fear of the consequences of his “crimes,” particularly in Iraq, while rebuking al-Zaidi for distancing himself from the country’s past.

The family also claimed the Washington visit was intended to dismantle the PMF as an “ideological force,” to further US efforts aimed at controlling Iraq’s oil wealth, and to advance calls for disarming armed groups under the slogan of restricting weapons to the state.

Akram al-Kaabi, secretary-general of the US-designated Harakat al-Nujaba, also condemned Trump’s remarks, describing Soleimani and al-Muhandis as “symbols of the resistance.”


Arab League Secretary-General Reaffirms Support for Sudan’s Unity, National Institutions

Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Fahmy speaks during a press conference at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo, Egypt, Monday, July 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)
Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Fahmy speaks during a press conference at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo, Egypt, Monday, July 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)
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Arab League Secretary-General Reaffirms Support for Sudan’s Unity, National Institutions

Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Fahmy speaks during a press conference at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo, Egypt, Monday, July 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)
Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Fahmy speaks during a press conference at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo, Egypt, Monday, July 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)

Secretary-General of the League of Arab States Nabil Fahmy reaffirmed the organization’s support for Sudan’s unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity during a phone call with Sudanese Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Mohieldin Salem.

He also reiterated the Arab League’s support for preserving Sudan’s national institutions and rejection of any external interference in the country’s internal affairs, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.

During the call, Salem congratulated the Arab League chief on assuming office and wished him success in leading Arab joint action.

Fahmy stressed the importance of securing an immediate ceasefire, ensuring the delivery of humanitarian aid, and protecting civilians to pave the way for a Sudanese-owned political process that would achieve security, stability, and development.

He also affirmed the readiness of the Arab League’s General Secretariat to support efforts aimed at ending the crisis and to coordinate with regional and international parties in a manner that serves Sudan’s interests.