Powerful Syria Figure Covers for Woman Who Mauled 3 Police Officers

A picture of the traffic accident in Damascus circulated on social media, Asharq Al-Awsat
A picture of the traffic accident in Damascus circulated on social media, Asharq Al-Awsat
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Powerful Syria Figure Covers for Woman Who Mauled 3 Police Officers

A picture of the traffic accident in Damascus circulated on social media, Asharq Al-Awsat
A picture of the traffic accident in Damascus circulated on social media, Asharq Al-Awsat

Last Sunday night, an unknown influential figure in Syria personally stepped in to disperse internal security forces that surrounded a crime scene where a woman in a four-wheel drive vehicle ran over three policemen and civilians in Al Mazzeh area in the capital, Damascus.

Authorities failed to report the incident on the official website of internal security forces.

Syrian opposition media, such as “Sawt Al Balad” (Voice of the Nation), reported the horrific crime and published a number of pictures shot from the crime scene.

“A female run over police officers, two civilians, and motorbikes while driving recklessly in Al Mazzeh neighborhood,” Sawt Al Balad reported without giving any further details.

Local sources confirmed that the vehicle was a four-wheel drive and was accompanied by an escort vehicle.

Police officers had stopped the vehicle near Al-Mousawwat Hospital for breaking a number of traffic laws. This sent the woman, who was behind the steering wheel, into a frenzy.

She allegedly directed a number of abusive slurs at the officer on duty and contacted her connections for help.

Riding high on hysteria, the woman proceeded to drive frantically, mauling anything in her way, including three police officers and two civilians.

Security forces, eventually, succeeded in cornering and forcing her to step out of the car.

It was then that a very “powerful” individual arrived at the scene announcing that the perpetrator was “one of his” and that they should let her go immediately.

Afterwards, the woman left with this important figure, local sources reported, stressing that neither the perpetrator nor their rescuer were identified.

Those injured in the run over were transported to the nearby Al-Mousawwat Hospital for treatment.

Syrian opposition sources are claiming that the lady in question is Aline Skaf, wife of Hannibal Muammar Gaddafi. She is a Lebanese national and a political refugee in Damascus.

Both she and her husband sought political asylum in Syria after the Gaddafi regime was toppled in Libya in 2012.



Regional, Int’l Efforts Underway to Launch UN-Sponsored Political Process in Yemen

Chairman of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council Dr. Rashad al-Alimi receives US envoy to Yemen Tim Lenderking and Washington’s ambassador to Yemen Steven Fagin. (Saba)
Chairman of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council Dr. Rashad al-Alimi receives US envoy to Yemen Tim Lenderking and Washington’s ambassador to Yemen Steven Fagin. (Saba)
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Regional, Int’l Efforts Underway to Launch UN-Sponsored Political Process in Yemen

Chairman of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council Dr. Rashad al-Alimi receives US envoy to Yemen Tim Lenderking and Washington’s ambassador to Yemen Steven Fagin. (Saba)
Chairman of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council Dr. Rashad al-Alimi receives US envoy to Yemen Tim Lenderking and Washington’s ambassador to Yemen Steven Fagin. (Saba)

Intense diplomatic efforts have been underway in the Saudi capital Riyadh to launch a comprehensive UN-sponsored political process in Yemen.

Chairman of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council Dr. Rashad al-Alimi received US envoy to Yemen Tim Lenderking and Washington’s ambassador to Yemen Steven Fagin.

Lenderking briefed the Yemeni leadership on the diplomatic efforts underway to ease tensions in Yemen and launch the political process.

In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, Fagin said the Riyadh meeting was “productive”, revealing that it focused on the economy and limiting the escalation by the Iran-backed Houthi militias.

The terrorist Houthis continue to undermine regional security and peace, he stated.

For his part, Alimi underlined the legitimate Yemeni government’s commitment to just peace in line with the national, regional and international references, especially UN Security Council resolution 2216.

The meeting tackled the “urgency of stopping Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, preventing Iranian weapons from reaching the Houthis, and advancing diplomatic efforts to find a durable end to the conflict in Yemen,” said the US State Department’s Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs on the X platform.

Lenderking briefed Alimi on the potential regional and international changes in wake of the results of the US presidential election and the options to push the terrorist Houthis to positively deal with UN efforts to launch the political process, reported Yemen’s Saba news agency.

They also tackled bilateral relations between Yemen and the US and ways to bolster them in all fields, as well as American support for the Yemeni economy.

Alimi underscored the need to intensify international efforts to implement the Security Council resolution on the embargo of sending Iranian arms to the Houthis.

Fagin also held a meeting with Saudi Ambassador to Yemen Mohammed Al-Jaber, who described the talks as “productive”.

The officials reviewed the developments in Yemen and the Red Sea and joint efforts to support the legitimate government and brotherly Yemeni people, Jaber added.

They also tackled means to support the UN envoy’s efforts to maintain calm and reach a comprehensive political solution, he went on to say.