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Syria: Pro-Iranian Militias Launch Campaign Against 'Tiger Forces'

Syrian regime force (AFP)
Syrian regime force (AFP)
    Damascus, London - Asharq Al-Awsat
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Syria: Pro-Iranian Militias Launch Campaign Against 'Tiger Forces'

Syrian regime force (AFP)
Syrian regime force (AFP)

Pro-Iranian Syrian militias intensified on Monday their campaign against the commander of the elite “Tiger Forces,” Suheil Salman al-Hassan, who is backed by Russia and had attended meetings with President Vladimir Putin at the Hmeimim base in late 2018.

The National Defense Forces, a pro-government militia formed by Iran to fight in Syria during the past years, posted Monday on its Facebook page a report entitled, “Tiger Forces Commander… the godfather of stealing.”

The page quoted the network “Nahno al-Balad” as saying that “one of the Tiger Forces commanders has turned from a person who barely owns the price of one-bedroom house to a millionaire and one of the most prominent warlords.”

The NDF also published another report about Rami al-Tabel, a commander affiliated with the Tiger. It described al-Tabel as a truck driver who became a fuel warhead dealer.

The report explained that Fouad Adnan, the head of Tiger’s office is the brother-in-law of al-Tabel.

Last summer, the Tiger Forces have been renamed Division 25 Special Mission Forces and placed under the command of the army’s central command.

Meanwhile, the Damascus Securities Exchange said Monday that trading in Syriatel shares would be suspended from Tuesday until further notice.

The Syrian Telecommunications Ministry had demanded Syriatel to pay $180 million as part of its measures against Rami Makhlouf, a maternal cousin of the Syrian government President, Bashar Assad.

Since the decision, disagreements between Makhlouf and Syrian authorities have escalated.

Last month, the Ministry of Finance had also announced the seizure of Makhlouf’s assets. The Damascus Securities Exchange froze $15.2 million shares owned by Makhlouf in 12 banks, in addition to a court in Damascus issuing a travel ban against the business tycoon.

The decision affected his shares in Lebanon’s Audi Bank, Byblos Bank and Fransabank, the Jordan-based Arab Bank, and others.

The Syrian regime has also stripped Makhlouf of his privileges, such as security detail, which protected him and his palace.:

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Arab World

Iraq to Probe Drone Attack on Kurdistan PM’s Office

Smoke billows after strikes near Erbil airport on July 24, 2026. (AFP)
Smoke billows after strikes near Erbil airport on July 24, 2026. (AFP)
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Iraq to Probe Drone Attack on Kurdistan PM’s Office

Smoke billows after strikes near Erbil airport on July 24, 2026. (AFP)
Smoke billows after strikes near Erbil airport on July 24, 2026. (AFP)

Iraq said on Monday it would launch an investigation into an overnight drone attack on the Iraqi Kurdistan prime minister's office, as Iran portrayed the incident as a ploy to undermine bilateral relations.

Kurdistan's authorities had earlier blamed the attack -- which also targeted the home of the autonomous region's intelligence chief -- on Tehran, saying the two drones had been launched from Iranian territory.

Since the start of the Middle East war, the Kurdistan region, which hosts US troops and foreign oil firms as well as rebels exiled from Iran, has been targeted with more than 1,000 attacks by Tehran and pro-Iran armed groups inside Iraq.

Drones have repeatedly been intercepted over Kurdistan's capital Erbil, while others have struck the rebels and US interests.

The office of Iraq's Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi said he had "directed the formation of an investigative committee tasked with identifying the sources and launching points of the attack that targeted the office of" Kurdistan's Prime Minister Masrour Barzani.

Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei condemned the attack, "describing it as a highly suspicious development that requires vigilance and careful attention", according to a statement carried by state news agency IRNA.

Iran's foreign ministry said its top diplomat Abbas Araghchi held a phone call with his Iraqi counterpart on Monday.

"Nothing justifies the reckless attack on PM Barzani's office. Kurdish friends should be vigilant against false-flag ploys to sow discord between neighbors," Araghchi said on X.

US President Donald Trump's special envoy to Iraq, Tom Barrack, said "we strongly condemn the attack on our friend and valued Kurdish partner" Barzani, adding that the aggression was "unacceptable and a direct threat to regional stability".

Separately, an explosion at a petroleum products depot in eastern Iraqi Kurdistan injured 18 people, Kurdish media outlet Rudaw reported, without specifying the cause of the blast.

Hirsh Salim, deputy director general of health in Sulaimaniyah governorate, told the outlet that there were no fatalities.

Under pressure from the United States, Iraq has given pro-Iran armed groups in the country until September 30 to disarm, coinciding with the end of the US-led anti-ISIS coalition's mission.

Iraq is home to several powerful Iran-backed armed factions, which have seen their political and financial clout increase over the years.

Many emerged in the wake of the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq and gained further power and prominence during the fight against the ISIS group from 2014 onwards.

They have long called for the withdrawal of American troops deployed within the coalition, and they have frequently hit bases hosting US troops.

While some armed groups announced they will cooperate to hand over weapons to the state, others remain adamant that the issue should not be discussed under US pressure.

- 'Dangerous escalation' -

Kurdish authorities said earlier on Monday that two Iranian drones had targeted Barzani's office and the home of the autonomous region's intelligence chief.

"Following an investigation by the Kurdistan Counter-Terrorism Unit, my personal office and the home of the head of the Security and Intelligence Agency were targeted by Iranian drone attacks earlier today," Barzani said in a post on X.

"This is a dangerous escalation and a direct threat to the security and stability of the Kurdistan region."

The regional Counter-Terrorism Directorate said there were no casualties in the attack.

"Two Hadid-110 type explosive-laden drones were launched from across the Iranian border toward the private office of the Kurdistan region prime minister and the residence of the Parastin Agency director," it said.

Tehran accuses the exiled Kurdish opposition groups of serving Western and Israeli interests, and continued to launch strikes against them even during a regional ceasefire announced in April, which eventually broke down.

The groups have mostly evacuated their bases and camps in Kurdistan since the war began.

Arab World

Houthis Fire 5 Ballistic Missiles at Bab el-Mandeb

Damage in the aftermath of Houthi strikes on the Red Sea port city of Mokha, Yemen, August 10, 2026 in this screengrab taken from a handout video. (Reuters/Handout)
Damage in the aftermath of Houthi strikes on the Red Sea port city of Mokha, Yemen, August 10, 2026 in this screengrab taken from a handout video. (Reuters/Handout)
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Houthis Fire 5 Ballistic Missiles at Bab el-Mandeb

Damage in the aftermath of Houthi strikes on the Red Sea port city of Mokha, Yemen, August 10, 2026 in this screengrab taken from a handout video. (Reuters/Handout)
Damage in the aftermath of Houthi strikes on the Red Sea port city of Mokha, Yemen, August 10, 2026 in this screengrab taken from a handout video. (Reuters/Handout)

The Iran-backed Houthi group fired on Monday five ballistic missiles at the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in the Red Sea, days after their attacks on Yemen’s Mokha all but left it destroyed, taking it out of service.

Legitimate government media said that the Houthis fired two ballistic missiles near the al-Hamza camp in the Ibb provinces and three east of Taiz city.

The Houthis also continued their attacks on Mokha city, in the Taiz province, using rockets and drones.

The government forces continued to counter the Houthi attacks on several fronts.

In Mokha, dozens of sailors staged a protest against the Houthi attacks, calling on the international community to intervene urgently to stop them.

They urged the need to provide effective protection to marine waterways and to workers in the marine sector.

Mokha Port head Abdul Malik Al-Sharabi said the Houthi attacks in recent days left four security forces and three port staff dead.

The militants fired over 25 missiles at the facility, leaving extensive damage throughout, including vessels, the pier, and vital infrastructure, he revealed.

Sailors stage a protest against Houthi attacks on Bab el-Mandeb and the Red Sea. (AP)

He warned of the humanitarian and economic repercussions of the halt in navigation at the port, saying that some 1,300 workers have lost their sources of income.

Meanwhile, in Taiz, government forces repelled Houthi advances north of the city.

A statement from the armed forces, said the troops clashed with the Houthis, leaving casualties in their ranks.

Houth artillery strikes on northwestern Taiz left material damage, said military sources. No casualties were reported. The national resistance retaliated to the attacks.

The Yemeni Network for Victims Associations documented the killing and injury of 18 civilians in Houthi ballistic missile and drone attacks on Taiz, Marib, Hodeidah and Dhale between August 4 and 15.

During a press conference, the association said the attacks targeted homes, displacement camps and civilian infrastructure.

It called on the United Nations, its Security Council and the international community to take measures to protect civilians and hold the perpetrators accountable.

It also called for an independent international probe into the violations related to the use of ballistic missiles and drones.

Arab World

Palestinian-American Returns to West Bank to Defend His Home Under Siege by Israeli Settlers

Palestinian-American Louis Ridi, who seeks access to his home in the Israeli-occupied West Bank that has been encircled by militant settlers for more than a week, embraces his mother at her home, in Qusra village, Israeli-occupied West Bank, August 17, 2026. (Reuters)
Palestinian-American Louis Ridi, who seeks access to his home in the Israeli-occupied West Bank that has been encircled by militant settlers for more than a week, embraces his mother at her home, in Qusra village, Israeli-occupied West Bank, August 17, 2026. (Reuters)
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Palestinian-American Returns to West Bank to Defend His Home Under Siege by Israeli Settlers

Palestinian-American Louis Ridi, who seeks access to his home in the Israeli-occupied West Bank that has been encircled by militant settlers for more than a week, embraces his mother at her home, in Qusra village, Israeli-occupied West Bank, August 17, 2026. (Reuters)
Palestinian-American Louis Ridi, who seeks access to his home in the Israeli-occupied West Bank that has been encircled by militant settlers for more than a week, embraces his mother at her home, in Qusra village, Israeli-occupied West Bank, August 17, 2026. (Reuters)

The Palestinian-American whose home in the occupied West Bank has been besieged by Israeli settlers for over a week arrived in the region Monday and said he planned to join other family members in defending the property.

The standoff, in the village of Qusra, has seen groups of settlers surround several Palestinian houses and prevent residents from leaving.

The United States has condemned the siege and the Israeli military has deployed troops it says are there to maintain order.

The siege of Palestinian homes by Israeli settlers comes as violence in the West Bank has soared in recent months. The settlers, emboldened by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing government, have ramped up attacks on Palestinian towns and villages, harassing residents and setting homes, mosques and fields ablaze.

As Loui Ridi, an Ohio-based owner of one of the houses, landed in Israel, settlers were still roaming near Qusra, according to video footage taken by his brother.

Qusai Abu Rida and his teenage son have stayed inside the home to protect it from the settlers.

“I’m terrified for my brother and his son and their safety," Ridi told reporters at Israel's main international airport. “And now I'm going to have to fear for my own safety.”

He said he would try to reach Qusra, which is about 10 miles (16 kilometers) southeast of Nablus, but was unsure if he would be able to enter. The Israeli army declared the part of Qusra where Ridi's home is located a closed military zone last week.

According to Palestinian health officials, Israeli soldiers and settlers have killed 87 Palestinians so far this year. Palestinians have killed three Israelis, including two who were killed in the West Bank village of Tell last month.