SDF, Damascus Conduct Settlement Operations

SDF commander Mazloum Abdi at a ceremony in northeastern Syria early this month (AFP)
SDF commander Mazloum Abdi at a ceremony in northeastern Syria early this month (AFP)
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SDF, Damascus Conduct Settlement Operations

SDF commander Mazloum Abdi at a ceremony in northeastern Syria early this month (AFP)
SDF commander Mazloum Abdi at a ceremony in northeastern Syria early this month (AFP)

The Military Council of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) held a meeting with the dignitaries and sheikhs of different regions of al-Hasakah Governorate, while regime forces sought to impose “compromises” in Deir Ezzor.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said that the Military Council of SDF organized a meeting with tribes’ dignitaries from al-Hasakah province, in al-Ivan Hall, south of Darbasiyah, to address the demands of the people and to consult with tribes’ dignitaries on the release of 850 detainees arrested by the SDF.

It noted that the detainees were arrested on charges of belonging to ISIS.

Tribes’ dignitaries have also called on improving the living conditions of the people in the region, providing basic services, adequate fuel for agriculture, and supporting the agricultural sector.

SOHR sources reported that Syria Democratic Forces were preparing to release a large number of detainees arrested earlier for “belonging to ISIS”, as it was expected that at least 850 prisoners, mostly from Deir Ezzor and al-Hasakah, would be freed. This development came after mediation by tribes’ dignitaries in the region.

In parallel, SOHR pointed to “settlement and reconciliation” operations that the regime’s security services started in the city of Deir Ezzor and Al-Mayadin, in the presence of high-ranking leaders and intelligence officers.

It added that the head of the Syrian General Intelligence Department, Major General Hossam Louka, and the leaders of some security branches, arrived in the city of Al-Mayadin, which is under the control of pro-Iranian militias, to start the “settlement” operations for those wanted by the security branches and those who have failed the mandatory service.



Blaze at Cairo Telecom Building Kills 4 and Disrupts Internet, Phone

A boy wearing a mask looks on, as firefighters work to extinguish a fire that erupted in a telecommunications building in the Ramses district of downtown Cairo, Egypt July 7, 2025. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
A boy wearing a mask looks on, as firefighters work to extinguish a fire that erupted in a telecommunications building in the Ramses district of downtown Cairo, Egypt July 7, 2025. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
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Blaze at Cairo Telecom Building Kills 4 and Disrupts Internet, Phone

A boy wearing a mask looks on, as firefighters work to extinguish a fire that erupted in a telecommunications building in the Ramses district of downtown Cairo, Egypt July 7, 2025. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
A boy wearing a mask looks on, as firefighters work to extinguish a fire that erupted in a telecommunications building in the Ramses district of downtown Cairo, Egypt July 7, 2025. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh

Four workers were killed and at least 22 others were injured in a fire that broke out on Monday at a key data center in Cairo, Hossam Abdel Ghaffar, the spokesperson at Egypt's Health Ministry, told Reuters on Tuesday.

The blaze at a Telecom Egypt facility, which state TV said was contained on Monday, caused disruptions to communications across the capital.

Egypt's Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Amr Talaat, said in a statement on Tuesday that services will be gradually restored within 24 hours.

In a statement on Tuesday, Telecom Egypt said it mourned the employees that lost their lives and offered support for their families.

The fire halted phone calls, and disrupted internet access, with internet monitoring group Netblocks saying network data showed national connectivity at 62% of ordinary levels.

The health ministry posted alternative numbers for ambulance services across different governorates in case people were unable to reach its main hotline.

Besides phone calls, some digital banking services were also impacted including credit cards, ATM machines and online transactions, a bank source and residents said on Monday. Banks had already been closed for the day.

The injuries were mostly because of smoke inhalation, health ministry spokesperson Ghaffar said on Monday.

The state news agency MENA said on Monday the fire had been prevented from spreading to the entire building and neighboring rooftops.

An initial examination indicated that the fire was likely to have been caused by an electrical short circuit, MENA cited a security source as saying.