Turkey Sets Up New Military Base in Northern Raqqa

 Turkish army and Syrian factions attacked Raqqa on Thursday (File photo. SOHR)
Turkish army and Syrian factions attacked Raqqa on Thursday (File photo. SOHR)
TT

Turkey Sets Up New Military Base in Northern Raqqa

 Turkish army and Syrian factions attacked Raqqa on Thursday (File photo. SOHR)
Turkish army and Syrian factions attacked Raqqa on Thursday (File photo. SOHR)

Military sources from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) confirmed Thursday that the Turkish army and Syrian factions had set up a military base in the village of Sayda, north of Ain Issa.

The Kurdish news agency, Hawar, published recorded videos showing the expansion of the military site, hundreds of meters from the M4 international highway.

According to residents, the Turkish forces have reinforced their military positions along the conflict lines in the vicinity of Ain Issa in Raqqa and Tal Tamar, Zarkan and Abu Rassin in their military operational areas, northeast of Syria.

They also said that the Turkish forces equipped those positions with radars and tracking devices, in addition to the presence of hundreds of soldiers, vehicles and heavy weapons.

This comes amid escalation of attacks by Turkish forces and their proxies on Ain Issa town and countryside.

On Thursday, hundreds of residents in Ain Issa gathered in front of the Russian forces base in the vicinity of al-Sawameh area, denouncing the attacks launched by Turkish forces.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported the injury of three civilians in rocket attacks by Turkish forces and their proxy factions in the area.

The residents urged the Russian forces not to remain silent over Turkish violations against them.

SOHR activists also reported rocket attacks by Turkish forces on Thursday afternoon, targeting the SDF-controlled village of Sayda in the northern countryside of Ain Issa in northern Raqqa.

Also, several Turkish rockets pounded the entrances of Ain Issa district, but no casualties have been reported.



White House Urges Hamas to Sign on to New Deal to Ensure Hostage Release

Palestinian boys examine a car targeted in an Israeli army strike that killed several of its occupants in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Friday, Jan. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
Palestinian boys examine a car targeted in an Israeli army strike that killed several of its occupants in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Friday, Jan. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
TT

White House Urges Hamas to Sign on to New Deal to Ensure Hostage Release

Palestinian boys examine a car targeted in an Israeli army strike that killed several of its occupants in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Friday, Jan. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
Palestinian boys examine a car targeted in an Israeli army strike that killed several of its occupants in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Friday, Jan. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

The Biden administration is urging Hamas to sign on to a new ceasefire deal that would ensure the release of hostages, White House National Security spokesperson John Kirby told reporters on Friday.

Kirby said the White House welcomed Israel's decision to send another team to Doha to continue negotiations.

The United States, Egypt and Qatar have been trying to mediate a deal for a ceasefire and hostage release for a year with no success and are making another push this month before Donald Trump's inauguration.
Ceasefire efforts have continually stumbled on a fundamental disagreement over how to end the conflict. Hamas says it will accept an agreement and release the hostages only if Israel commits to ending the war. Israel says it will agree to stop fighting only once Hamas is destroyed.

On Friday, Hamas said it wanted "a complete ceasefire, the withdrawal of occupation forces from the Gaza Strip" and the return of displaced people to their homes in all areas of the enclave.

US President Joe Biden has repeatedly called for a ceasefire agreement. Trump has said that if there is not a deal to release the hostages before his inauguration, "all hell is going to break out.”