عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Arab World

Turkish Troops Deploy in Syrian Town to Halt Inter-Opposition Fighting

Turkish troops are pictured in the area of Kafr Jannah on the outskirts of the Syrian town of Afrin on October 18, 2022 as the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) extremist group advances towards Syrian opposition-held areas in the northern Syria. (AFP)
Turkish troops are pictured in the area of Kafr Jannah on the outskirts of the Syrian town of Afrin on October 18, 2022 as the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) extremist group advances towards Syrian opposition-held areas in the northern Syria. (AFP)
TT
TT

Turkish Troops Deploy in Syrian Town to Halt Inter-Opposition Fighting

Turkish troops are pictured in the area of Kafr Jannah on the outskirts of the Syrian town of Afrin on October 18, 2022 as the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) extremist group advances towards Syrian opposition-held areas in the northern Syria. (AFP)
Turkish troops are pictured in the area of Kafr Jannah on the outskirts of the Syrian town of Afrin on October 18, 2022 as the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) extremist group advances towards Syrian opposition-held areas in the northern Syria. (AFP)

Turkish troops deployed on Tuesday in an area in northwestern Syria to try to halt fighting between rival opposition factions opposed to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, witnesses and opposition forces said.

Turkish tanks and armored vehicles took up positions around Kafr Jana, a rugged area which the main extremist opposition group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) seized on Monday from two rival factions belonging to a coalition of rebel forces backed by Ankara.

Turkish army and security officers worked to bring the warring factions back to the negotiating table to implement a peace deal reached last Saturday that led to a one-day respite from five days of clashes that left scores dead on both sides.

"Türkiye has now intervened to stop the conflict and prevent Hayat Tahrir al-Sham from progressing and to get both sides to the negotiating table to implement the accord," Waiel Olwan, a former opposition official in touch with both sides, told Reuters.

Tensions have been building in the opposition-held northwest under opposition control, mainly over ideological differences between extremist militant and more nationalist-leaning armed factions.

Monday's renewed fighting was triggered by mutual charges that both sides had reneged on the Türkiye-brokered deal that saw extremist fighters withdraw from the city of Afrin, which they seized from mainstream opposition factions. Those factions also agreed to go back to their barracks away from the populated cities.

Türkiye fears HTS's hold over much of the opposition enclave would give Moscow a free hand to renew bombing of a region that is home to more than 3 million displaced Syrians who fled Assad's rule under the pretext of fighting hardline extremists.

Russian fighters have in the last few days escalated strikes in the area in a message by Moscow that it will strike with impunity areas that now fall under the wider influence of the extremist group, three opposition commanders said.

Washington, which has been leading a coalition campaign that has killed in recent years hardline extremists affiliated with al-Qaeda in northern Syria, demanded a return to the status quo.

"We are alarmed by the recent incursion of HTS, a designated terrorist organization, into northern Aleppo. HTS forces should be withdrawn from the area immediately," the US Embassy in Damascus said.

Türkiye’s large military presence, with thousands of troops stationed in a string of bases in northwest Syria, had held back Russian-backed Syrian forces from seizing the opposition-held area.

The opposition factions said the extremist group, which has expanded its influence since fighting broke out in Afrin region, was now positioned several kilometers away from the border city of Azaz, the administrative center of the mainstream Turkish-backed opposition government.

A senior official in the coalition fighting HTS said they had reinforced positions around the city to repel any attempt by the extremists to take it over.

Azaz has seen in the last two days street protests opposed to the entry of the extremists.

Many inhabitants fear a takeover by the extremists who run an efficient civilian administration in the Idlib region, their main stronghold, but rule with an iron fist.

Most Viewed

 
 
Arab World

Reports: Senior Al-Qaeda Ideologue Sami Al-Uraydi Killed in Syria

Sami Al-Uraydi. (Shaam Network)
Sami Al-Uraydi. (Shaam Network)
TT
TT

Reports: Senior Al-Qaeda Ideologue Sami Al-Uraydi Killed in Syria

Sami Al-Uraydi. (Shaam Network)
Sami Al-Uraydi. (Shaam Network)

The issue of extremist groups in Syria has returned to the spotlight following reports that Sami Al-Uraydi, one of the most prominent religious ideologues associated with Al-Qaeda’s network in Syria, was killed in a strike by the US-led international coalition overnight Friday into Saturday.

Syrian state television reported that a drone struck a motorcycle near Mashhad Rouhin in the northern Idlib province, killing an unidentified individual, without providing further details.

Local sources in Idlib said four explosions were heard in quick succession.

Sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that the target was later identified as Al-Uraydi, also known as Abu Mahmoud Al-Shami, a senior figure in the now-defunct Hurras Al-Din group.

According to the sources, the man had been living in hiding in recent months to evade arrest.

The sources said he and other leaders of Al-Qaeda-linked factions remained targets of coalition operations. They noted intensified drone activity over the Idlib countryside in recent days. Coalition aircraft routinely patrol the region, including areas along the Turkish border.

While neither coalition forces nor the Syrian government have officially confirmed the target’s identity, several local media outlets reported that Al-Uraydi was killed.

A Jordanian national, Sami Mahmoud Mohammad Al-Uraydi was born in Amman in 1973 and held a doctorate in Islamic law. He authored numerous works on hadith and Islamic doctrine and became known in Salafi circles as a close associate of Abu Mohammad Al-Maqdisi, one of the movement’s leading ideologues.

After the outbreak of the Syrian uprising against President Bashar Al-Assad in 2011, Al-Uraydi moved to Syria, where he served as chief religious authority of Jabhat Al-Nusra, Al-Qaeda’s Syrian affiliate, from 2014 to 2016. He emerged as one of the group’s most influential religious theorists and spokesmen on ideological and organizational matters.

When Jabhat Al-Nusra severed ties with Al-Qaeda in 2016 and rebranded itself as Jabhat Fatah Al-Sham, Al-Uraydi opposed the move. The resulting disputes led to his detention in 2017 alongside several other senior figures.

After his release, he helped establish Hurras Al-Din in 2018 under the leadership of Farouq Al-Suri, serving as the group’s chief religious official and a member of its Shura Council.

Al-Uraydi continued to criticize the policies of Jabhat Fatah Al-Sham, which later evolved into Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham.

In 2022, the European Union designated Hurras Al-Din a terrorist organization and imposed sanctions on both Al-Suri and Al-Uraydi.

The US State Department designated Al-Uraydi a Specially Designated Global Terrorist in 2023. Washington had previously placed him on its terrorism list in 2019 and offered a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to his identification or location.

Although Hurras Al-Din formally dissolved itself in 2025 under mounting pressure, its leaders remained targets of coalition operations. Al-Uraydi reportedly continued to live in hiding under the protection of allied factions.

The presence of such groups remains one of Syria’s most complex security challenges. Although Damascus has joined the international coalition against terrorism, several organizations, including ISIS and remnants of dissolved extremist factions, continue to oppose the Syrian government.

Arab World

Iraq to Kick off Crackdown on Money Laundering

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi. (INA)
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi. (INA)
TT
TT

Iraq to Kick off Crackdown on Money Laundering

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi. (INA)
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi. (INA)

Iraq’s Integrity Commission announced the launch of a review of government contracts and the pursuit of individuals implicated in corruption cases. The government also agreed to cooperate with an international anti-money laundering body, leading experts to suggest that “a long-delayed confrontation with influential political forces may be drawing near.”

The measures come two days after Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi carried out an administrative reshuffle affecting financial and security agencies, as well as the governor of the Central Bank of Iraq.

In remarks carried by the state news agency on Saturday, Integrity Commission Chairman Mohammed Ali Al-Lami stressed the need to scrutinize government contracts, expedite investigations, and adhere to the highest professional standards in reviewing cases.

The goal was to identify shortcomings and negligence, safeguard state rights, and ultimately refer cases to the judiciary, he said.

Mahmoud Dagher, a former Central Bank of Iraq official, described the current government’s approach as “somewhat bold” in dealing with corruption, which he called one of Iraq’s most complex challenges since 2003 because of the powerful interests involved and their deep entrenchment within state institutions.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Dagher said the measures could “provoke the political class,” predicting “a confrontation that has long been postponed between Al-Zaidi and a number of political actors.”

The Integrity Commission had already begun, in late May, forming specialized teams under the direct supervision of its leadership to conduct comprehensive audits and investigations into several major government contracts. The objective is to verify their compliance with the law and present the findings before the courts.

Money laundering

In a related development, a US administration official said Iraq had begun cooperating on anti-money laundering efforts following a nearly two-year review of the country’s framework for combating money laundering and terrorist financing.

The official said Iraq had agreed to work cooperatively with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to address the most significant strategic deficiencies in its anti-money laundering and counterterrorism financing regime.

In a statement, the official stressed that Iraq was demonstrating political will to comply with FATF standards and encouraged Baghdad to maintain its positive momentum and accelerate implementation of the FATF action plan.

Dagher said Iraq remains on the FATF’s grey list for money laundering concerns but has submitted a reform and corrective action program that was accepted by the international body and is currently being implemented.

He added that, by agreeing for the first time to cooperate with an international organization specializing in anti-money laundering oversight, “the Iraqi government has entered a hornet’s nest.”

Dagher explained Iraq was on the FATF grey list before 2018 but was later removed after intensive efforts by its Central Bank.

The country was moved to the “white list,” meaning financial institutions no longer needed to subject transactions involving Iraq to heightened scrutiny, unlike countries that remain on the grey list and face additional review requirements.

The developments come amid media reports that Al-Zaidi’s ongoing reshuffle could affect more than 100 officials across ministries, government departments, and public agencies, regardless of their political or partisan affiliations.

The changes introduced in key security and economic positions have raised questions about the message the prime minister is seeking to send and whether they are a response to external considerations linked to his visit to the United States next month.

Arab World

Tributes Paid to Lebanon Conservationist Killed in Israeli Strike

Mona Khalil in 2004 with a newborn marine turtle near her home in Lebanon. Photograph: Joseph Barrak/AFP/Getty Images
Mona Khalil in 2004 with a newborn marine turtle near her home in Lebanon. Photograph: Joseph Barrak/AFP/Getty Images
TT
TT

Tributes Paid to Lebanon Conservationist Killed in Israeli Strike

Mona Khalil in 2004 with a newborn marine turtle near her home in Lebanon. Photograph: Joseph Barrak/AFP/Getty Images
Mona Khalil in 2004 with a newborn marine turtle near her home in Lebanon. Photograph: Joseph Barrak/AFP/Getty Images

Activists and campaign groups on Saturday paid tribute to Lebanese environmentalist Mona Khalil who died from injuries sustained in an Israeli strike in the country's south, where she dedicated her life to turtle conservation for decades.

A medical source had previously told AFP that Khalil, aged in her late seventies, was badly wounded in an Israeli strike on June 4 that hit her home in the village of Mansouri, around 10 kilometres (six miles) south of the coastal city of Tyre. She died on Friday.

Julien Jreissati, program director at Greenpeace Middle East and North Africa, said Khalil had "dedicated decades of her life to protecting the sea turtles and coastline of Mansouri".

"Her loss is not only a loss for her family and community, but for the environmental movement in Lebanon and the region," he told AFP.

A wide stretch of south Lebanon's coastline near Tyre, which includes some of the country's best-preserved beaches, is a nesting site for turtles, including endangered loggerhead and green sea turtles.

After returning to her native Lebanon from the Netherlands more than two decades ago, Khalil set up the Orange House Project in Mansouri, a conservation project combined with ecotourism, where visitors could see turtle hatchings and take part in conservation activities.

"For decades, Mona stood at the forefront of conservation efforts along the southern coast," said the Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon (SPNL), mourning "one of Lebanon's most dedicated environmental defenders and a tireless champion of sea turtle conservation".

Her efforts contributed "significantly to the protection of one of Lebanon's most important sea turtle nesting sites in Hima Qoleileh-Mansouri, a seven-kilometre stretch of sandy and rocky shoreline that hosts more than 58 endangered sea turtle nests annually", it said.

Khalil inspired communities and "helped build a culture of environmental stewardship rooted in local ownership and collective responsibility", it added in a statement on Friday.

Local environmental group Green Southerners on X mourned "a pioneering environmental defender" who for decades "dedicated her life to protecting endangered sea turtles and their nesting habitats".

"Through the Orange House, she inspired generations of Lebanese to value and protect their natural heritage and coastal ecosystems," it added.

Lebanon's state-run National News Agency (NNA) had been reporting heavy strikes in the Tyre district, including raids on Mansouri, earlier this month when Khalil was wounded.

The village is also located near an area where Israeli troops are operating inside south Lebanon.

Khalil was among the few local residents still holding out there despite the Israel-Hezbollah war and sweeping Israeli military evacuation orders for the country's south.