Arab Coalition Destroys Drone Communication System in Sanaa

Coalition spokesman Brigadier General Turki al-Malki. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Coalition spokesman Brigadier General Turki al-Malki. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Arab Coalition Destroys Drone Communication System in Sanaa

Coalition spokesman Brigadier General Turki al-Malki. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Coalition spokesman Brigadier General Turki al-Malki. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Saudi-led Arab coalition said on Tuesday it has carried out air strikes against training camps and strongholds of the Iran-backed Houthi militias in Yemen's Sanaa.

The raids destroyed a drone communication system in the Jabal al-Nabi Shuaib region.

On the ground, intermittent fighting was reported between the Giants Brigades and the Houthis on the Harib front in the Marib province.

The Giants Brigades have surrounded the militias in some areas of Harib.

The Houthis have been using people as human shields to hinder the advance of the Brigades.

In the al-Bayda province, clashes have been reported on the Numan front. Supply routes from Bayda leading to Harib in southern Marib have been cut.

The Arab coalition carried out a series of raids on reinforcements and Houthi positions in al-Malajim, Sawadiya and the Nateh districts in Bayda. These areas have been used by the militias as supply centers and platforms to launch rockets.

The coalition had earlier announced that it would be launching raids on Houthi targets in Sanaa in retaliation to the militias' firing of eight armed drones at Saudi Arabia on Monday.



Syrian Police Impose Curfew in Homs after Unrest

Syrian children play on a damaged tank in Homs, on December 20, 2024. (AFP)
Syrian children play on a damaged tank in Homs, on December 20, 2024. (AFP)
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Syrian Police Impose Curfew in Homs after Unrest

Syrian children play on a damaged tank in Homs, on December 20, 2024. (AFP)
Syrian children play on a damaged tank in Homs, on December 20, 2024. (AFP)

Syrian police have imposed an overnight curfew in the city of Homs, state media reported, after unrest there linked to demonstrations that residents said were led by members of the minority Alawite and Shiite communities.

Reuters could not immediately confirm the demands of the demonstrators nor the degree of disturbance that took place.

Some residents said the demonstrations were linked to pressure and violence in recent days aimed at members of the Alawite minority, a sect long seen as loyal to former President Bashar al-Assad, who was toppled by opposition fighters on Dec. 8.

Spokespeople for Syria’s new ruling administration led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group, a former al-Qaeda affiliate, did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the curfew.

State media said the curfew was being imposed for one night, from 6pm (1500 GMT) local time until 8am on Thursday morning.

The country's new leaders have repeatedly vowed to protect minority religious groups.

Small demonstrations also took place in other areas on or near Syria’s coast, where most of the country’s Alawite minority live, including in the city of Tartous.

The demonstrations took place around the time an undated video was circulated on social networks showing a fire inside an Alawite shrine in the city of Aleppo, with armed men walking around inside and posing near human bodies.

The interior ministry said on its official Telegram account that the video dated back to the opposition offensive on Aleppo in late November and the violence was carried out by unknown groups, adding that whoever was circulating the video now appeared to be seeking to incite sectarian strife.

The ministry also said that some members of the former regime had attacked interior ministry forces in Syria’s coastal area on Wednesday, leaving a number of dead and wounded.