Turkish Forces Shell SDF Positions in Northeast Hasakah

Artillery of opposition factions in the Idlib region (SOHR)
Artillery of opposition factions in the Idlib region (SOHR)
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Turkish Forces Shell SDF Positions in Northeast Hasakah

Artillery of opposition factions in the Idlib region (SOHR)
Artillery of opposition factions in the Idlib region (SOHR)

Turkish forces shelled an SDF position in Sarmasakh village in Al-Malkiya countryside north east Hasakah, causing material damages, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said.

Tuesday’s shelling comes in light of the alarming calm that has prevailed for weeks in SDF-held areas in northern and eastern Syria.

On February 27, SOHR said a female shepherd was injured in her foot with a gunshot fired by the Turkish forces and their proxy in the outskirts of Al-Dardarah village in Tel Tamer countryside north-west of the province.

Meanwhile, factions of “Al-Fath Al-Mubin” operation room fired heavy artillery shells on regime positions in Tela Abo Ali northern of Lattakia and the frontline of Joban village eastern of Idlib, leaving no casualties, the Observatory said.

In retaliation, regime forces fired heavy artillery shells on the vicinity of Maarat Alya eastern of Idlib, the vicinity of Al-Nairab town in eastern Idlib countryside, the vicinity of Ma’rat Al-Naasan town in north eastern Idlib countryside and the vicinity of Al-Ruwaiha town southern of Idlib. Also no casualties were reported.

On March 20, factions of “Al-Fath Al-Mubin” operations room fired heavy artillery shells on positions of regime forces on the 46th Regiment frontline in the western countryside of Aleppo in “Putin-Erdogan” area.



Syrian Interior Ministry Arrests ISIS Cell Responsible for Church Attack

People gather at Mar Elias Church in the Dweila neighborhood of Damascus following the suicide bombing on Sunday, June 22, 2025 (EPA) 
People gather at Mar Elias Church in the Dweila neighborhood of Damascus following the suicide bombing on Sunday, June 22, 2025 (EPA) 
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Syrian Interior Ministry Arrests ISIS Cell Responsible for Church Attack

People gather at Mar Elias Church in the Dweila neighborhood of Damascus following the suicide bombing on Sunday, June 22, 2025 (EPA) 
People gather at Mar Elias Church in the Dweila neighborhood of Damascus following the suicide bombing on Sunday, June 22, 2025 (EPA) 

Hours after Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa vowed that those involved in a “heinous” suicide attack on a Damascus church a day earlier would face justice, Syria’s Interior Ministry said authorities had arrested several suspects in connection with the attack.

The shooting and suicide bombing Sunday at the Mar Elias church in the Dweila district of the Syrian capital killed 25 people and injured 63 others, according to the Health Ministry.

“In coordination with the General Intelligence Service, the Ministry carried out security operations against ISIS-linked terrorist cells in the Damascus countryside, arresting a cell leader and five members, and killing two others affiliated with the terrorist attack on Mar Elias Church in Damascus,” the Syrian Interior Ministry said in a statement on Monday.

“During the raid, quantities of weapons and ammunition were seized, in addition to explosive vests and mines. A motorcycle bomb that had been prepared for detonation was also found,” it said.

On Monday, the Syrian President expressed his deepest condolences to the families of the victims of the church bombing.

He said “this heinous crime that targeted innocent people in their worship places reminds us of the importance of solidarity and unity –government and people- in confronting threats to our security and the stability of our country.”

Sharaa added, “Today, we all stand united, rejecting injustice and crime in all its forms. We pledge to the victims that we will work day and night, mobilizing all our specialized security services, to apprehend all those who participated in and planned this heinous crime and bring them to justice to face their just punishment.”

The attack is the first such bombing in Damascus since the fall of Bashar Assad’s regime. It raised fear among the people.

Commenting on the attack, a man in his 70s described the attack as “a huge and horrible strike,” stressing the need for “the authorities to tighten security measures on churches, all places of worship, and busy places.”

On Monday, Asharq Al-Awsat spotted heavy deployment of local security agents in the capital’s neighborhoods and major roads, amid heightened security measures.

Adbdulrahman Alhaj, a researcher in Islamic studies, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Interior Ministry statement that linked the attack to an ISIS suicide attack is a suggestion that the ministry’s spokesman Noureddine Al-Baba had mentioned in his Sunday press briefing.

Alhaj said he supports the ministry’s conclusions as ISIS had recently issued several threats signaling plans to confront the new regime in Damascus particularly, al-Sharaa.