Syria: Economic Crisis Exhausts Damascus, Regime Blames 'Autonomous Administration'

Syrian schoolchildren walk as US troops patrol near Turkish border in Hassakeh, Syria Nov. 4, 2018. REUTERS/Rodi Said/File Photo
Syrian schoolchildren walk as US troops patrol near Turkish border in Hassakeh, Syria Nov. 4, 2018. REUTERS/Rodi Said/File Photo
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Syria: Economic Crisis Exhausts Damascus, Regime Blames 'Autonomous Administration'

Syrian schoolchildren walk as US troops patrol near Turkish border in Hassakeh, Syria Nov. 4, 2018. REUTERS/Rodi Said/File Photo
Syrian schoolchildren walk as US troops patrol near Turkish border in Hassakeh, Syria Nov. 4, 2018. REUTERS/Rodi Said/File Photo

Markets in Damascus registered a decrease in the exchange rate of the Syrian pound against the US dollar, a few hours after the explosion of one of the branch gas lines in Al-Sukhnah in the desert of Homs, on the administrative borders of Deir Ezzor governorate.

The USD exchange rate in Damascus hit SYP 3040 on Saturday, while in Aleppo it reached SYP 3030, amid the exacerbation of the fuel and bread crises in the regime-controlled areas.

In parallel, the Syrian Jazira region saw the eruption of chaos. A video broadcast by Kurdish activists in the city of Hassakeh showed the police chasing a number of civilian demonstrators, who were protesting against a security siege imposed on the neighborhoods of the city center, which is controlled by the Syrian regime.

On the other hand, the imam and preacher of the Great Mosque in Hassakeh, Ahmed Ismail, called on the “international community and humanitarian organizations” to convey the voice of the people to the world, and to shed light on the “harsh siege” imposed by the Syrian Democratic Forces on the people of the cities of Hassakeh and Qamishli.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that the Syrian regime forces and their security apparatus continue to impose a blockade on areas controlled by the Kurdish forces within the towns and villages of the northern countryside of Aleppo, “where the Fourth Division checkpoints prevent the entry of flour, fuel, and medicine.”

The neighborhoods of Hassakeh are witnessing an unprecedented military mobilization on both sides, with military skirmishes recorded despite Moscow’s efforts to reduce the escalation.



Israel Military Says Struck Hezbollah Infrastructure in South Lebanon

A picture taken from northern Israel along the border with southern Lebanon shows smoke billowing above south Lebanon during Israeli bombardment on October 4, 2024. (Photo by Jalaa MAREY / AFP)
A picture taken from northern Israel along the border with southern Lebanon shows smoke billowing above south Lebanon during Israeli bombardment on October 4, 2024. (Photo by Jalaa MAREY / AFP)
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Israel Military Says Struck Hezbollah Infrastructure in South Lebanon

A picture taken from northern Israel along the border with southern Lebanon shows smoke billowing above south Lebanon during Israeli bombardment on October 4, 2024. (Photo by Jalaa MAREY / AFP)
A picture taken from northern Israel along the border with southern Lebanon shows smoke billowing above south Lebanon during Israeli bombardment on October 4, 2024. (Photo by Jalaa MAREY / AFP)

The Israeli military said Thursday it struck Hezbollah infrastructure sites in south Lebanon overnight, without specifying how.

"Overnight, the - army - struck Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure sites in southern Lebanon," the military said.

"The - army - will operate against any attempts by Hezbollah to rebuild or establish a military presence under the guise of civilian cover."

Despite a November 27 ceasefire that sought to halt more than a year of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, Israel has continued to carry out near-daily strikes in Lebanon.

Hezbollah, significantly weakened by the war, insists it is adhering to the ceasefire, even as Israeli attacks persist.

Rocket fire from Lebanon into Israel has also been reported since the truce was struck, although no group has claimed responsibility for the launches.

On Wednesday, the Lebanese army said it had arrested several people suspected of firing rockets at Israel from Lebanon.

A security official told AFP that three of those detained were members of Hezbollah's Palestinian ally Hamas.