Russia Calls on Iran to Evacuate Military Positions in Central, Western Syria

A photo of the Israeli strike on Iranian arms depots in Masyaf on Thursday. (Pro-regime media)
A photo of the Israeli strike on Iranian arms depots in Masyaf on Thursday. (Pro-regime media)
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Russia Calls on Iran to Evacuate Military Positions in Central, Western Syria

A photo of the Israeli strike on Iranian arms depots in Masyaf on Thursday. (Pro-regime media)
A photo of the Israeli strike on Iranian arms depots in Masyaf on Thursday. (Pro-regime media)

Russia has demanded Iranian militias withdraw from military positions west of Syria’s Hama province as well as from positions in central and western Syria, Syrian regime sources revealed.

The order stems from desire to avoid the militias being targeted by Israeli raids, which have stepped up in recent days.

Regime loyalists have accused Russia of being a weak ally over its inability to break its silence on repeated Israeli violations of Syrian sovereignty.

Russia’s demand was made during a meeting that included three Russian officers and their Iranian counterparts at the Hama Military Airport in central Syria on Wednesday.

“Russian officers informed the Iranian side of the need to evacuate Iranian military headquarters near the site of Regiment 49, which belongs to the Syrian regime forces,” a source told Asharq Al-Awsat.

The Regiment 49 site is one of the most important military sites in western Hama because it houses long-range S-200 missiles and other Russian-made military equipment.

“The Russian officers also demanded that the Iranians evacuate a second Iranian military site in the Hamidiya area, south of Tartus governorate on the Syrian coast,” the source added.

The order to evacuate the military locations came so that Iranian militias could avoid Israeli air strikes, confirmed the source.

Moreover, the Russians are seeking to maintain stability in western Syria, and to deprive Israelis of excuses or pretexts to continue the bombing this important part of the country.

Recent Israeli air raids had targeted the Military Scientific Research Center and other camps near the city of Masyaf, 40 kilometers west of the center of Hama governorate.

Iranian militias were using the targeted sites to manufacture and develop weapons, including short-range missiles.



Spain Deploys 7,500 Troops to Flood Zone Where Anger Rises at Slow Help

 A woman cleans thick mud, in the aftermath of floods caused by heavy rains, in Sedavi, near Valencia, Spain, November 3, 2024. (Reuters)
A woman cleans thick mud, in the aftermath of floods caused by heavy rains, in Sedavi, near Valencia, Spain, November 3, 2024. (Reuters)
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Spain Deploys 7,500 Troops to Flood Zone Where Anger Rises at Slow Help

 A woman cleans thick mud, in the aftermath of floods caused by heavy rains, in Sedavi, near Valencia, Spain, November 3, 2024. (Reuters)
A woman cleans thick mud, in the aftermath of floods caused by heavy rains, in Sedavi, near Valencia, Spain, November 3, 2024. (Reuters)

Spain is deploying 7,500 troops to its eastern region hit by devastating floods, the government said on Monday in the face of rising discontent over the response to the catastrophe that has killed at least 217 people.

The army sent about 5,000 soldiers over the weekend to help distribute food and water, clean up streets and protect shops and properties from looters. A further 2,500 would join them, Defense Minister Margarita Robles told state-owned radio RNE.

A warship carrying 104 marine infantry soldiers as well as trucks with food and water was approaching Valencia port even as a strong hailstorm pummeled Barcelona some 300 km (186 miles) to the north.

Rescue teams on Monday were searching for bodies in underground garages including a 5,000-car park at Bonaire shopping mall near Valencia airport as well as river mouths where currents may have deposited bodies.

Fatalities from Spain's worst flash floods in modern history edged higher to 217 on Sunday - almost all of them in the Valencia region and more than 60 in the suburb of Paiporta.

Local residents' anger was focused on late alerts from authorities about the dangers of flooding and a perceived delayed response by emergency services.

On Sunday, some residents in Paiporta slung mud at Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and King Felipe and his wife Queen Letizia, chanting: "murderers, murderers!"

Transport Minister Oscar Puente said on Sunday the death toll had stabilized because all victims on the surface had been identified.

The torrential rains on Tuesday and Wednesday caused rivers to swell, engulfing streets and the ground floors of buildings, and sweeping away cars and pieces of masonry in tides of mud.

It was the worst flood-related disaster in Europe in five decades

Even though rainfalls have continued during the rest of the week, there has been no more major flooding in the area. The weather agency issued a warning on Monday morning for Barcelona as hailstorm and heavy rains hit Spain's second largest city.

Some of Sunday's protesters wore clothing with the symbols of far-right organizations that often stage protests against the leftist government. Robles said extremist groups were taking advantage of the situation for political gains.