Report: 10,000 Iranian Militants Killed in Syria

The ongoing military operations in Syria have resulted in extensive damage to the infrastructure (AP)
The ongoing military operations in Syria have resulted in extensive damage to the infrastructure (AP)
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Report: 10,000 Iranian Militants Killed in Syria

The ongoing military operations in Syria have resulted in extensive damage to the infrastructure (AP)
The ongoing military operations in Syria have resulted in extensive damage to the infrastructure (AP)

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) documented the death of 499,657 people since the outbreak of the Syrian uprising.

The Observatory also announced that the death toll included 1,712 Lebanese Hezbollah members and 8,628 others from non-Syrian militiamen backed by Iran and Russia.

Last year, the United Nations Human Rights Office announced that it compiled a list of 350,209 identified individuals killed in the conflict in Syria between March 2011 to March 2021.

In March 2011, the Observatory announced that 494,438 people had been killed since the start of the conflict in Syria when protests turned into an armed conflict.

The Observatory said that the civilian deaths are 160,681, including 120,158 men, 15,237 women, and 25,286 children in its new report.

It detailed the deaths as follows: 49,359 civilians died under torture in regime prisons, 52,508 were killed in shelling and gunfire by regime forces, and 26,403 in airstrikes by the regime’s air force.

In addition, 8,683 civilians were killed by Russian bombardments, and 2,504 others were killed in airstrikes, the source of which was not confirmed.

SOHR also reported that factions killed 2,320 civilians, militants killed 900 civilians, while 1,692 civilians died in various attacks. Up to 919 civilians died of poor living conditions, and the International Coalitions killed 2,676 civilians.

The non-civilian deaths amounted to 338,976 and were distributed as follows: 91,267 from the regime forces, 67,242 from militias loyal to the regime, Iran and Russia, 1,712 from the Lebanese Hezbollah, and 8,628 from non-Syrian militiamen backed by Iran and Russia.

The list also included 8,017 dead during the fighting and militant factions, 3,588 dissidents from the regime forces, 10,886 of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), 3,228 Kurdish fighters, and 41,101 ISIS terrorists.

The Observatory added that the figures do not include more than 55,000 citizens killed under torture in the regime’s prisons.

The report also does not account for over 3,200 Kurdistan Workers’ Party fighters who were killed during their fight alongside the SDF.

Furthermore, the Observatory could not verify the status of over 3,200 civilians and fighters abducted in ISIS prisons and more than 4,100 prisoners and missing members of the regime forces and loyal militiamen.

The Observatory said that over 1,800 persons were kidnapped by militant factions, ISIS, and Fateh al-Sham Front (former Jabhat Al-Nusra) on charges of “loyalty to the regime.”

The ongoing military operations, shelling, bombardment, and various explosions have injured more than 2.1 million civilians and displaced about 13,000,000 other civilians, including hundreds of thousands of children and women.

Meanwhile, the US State Department said that Washington does not support efforts to normalize relations with the Assad regime and will not normalize relations until there is irreversible progress towards a political solution.

“We will not normalize relations with Assad until and unless there is irreversible progress towards that political solution. The Syrian people deserve nothing less after more than a decade of war,” said spokesman Ned Price.”



Syria Protests Spread to Kurdish-majority Northeast

A man holds Syrian opposition flags as he celebrates after Syria's army command notified officers that President Bashar al-Assad's 24-year authoritarian rule has ended, in Aleppo, Syria December 8, 2024. REUTERS/Karam al-Masri
A man holds Syrian opposition flags as he celebrates after Syria's army command notified officers that President Bashar al-Assad's 24-year authoritarian rule has ended, in Aleppo, Syria December 8, 2024. REUTERS/Karam al-Masri
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Syria Protests Spread to Kurdish-majority Northeast

A man holds Syrian opposition flags as he celebrates after Syria's army command notified officers that President Bashar al-Assad's 24-year authoritarian rule has ended, in Aleppo, Syria December 8, 2024. REUTERS/Karam al-Masri
A man holds Syrian opposition flags as he celebrates after Syria's army command notified officers that President Bashar al-Assad's 24-year authoritarian rule has ended, in Aleppo, Syria December 8, 2024. REUTERS/Karam al-Masri

Hundreds of people took to the streets in Syria's Kurdish-majority city of Qamishli on Tuesday amid wider protests over fuel price hikes, the largest against the new authorities.

Syrian authorities on Sunday announced an increase in fuel prices amid global surges due to the Middle East war. The price of diesel saw a 40 percent increase, while petrol prices increased by 26 percent.

An AFP correspondent on Tuesday saw men and women in Qamishli holding placards that read "no to the policy of starvation", "preserve people's strength" and "no to the increase in fuel prices" while others chanted "our fuel is for the people".

North and northeast Syria contain the country's largest oil and gas fields and are now under government control after Damascus earlier this year seized areas previously held by Kurdish forces.

Despite a January agreement to integrate Kurdish forces and areas into the state, tensions have remained, as Kurds demand safeguards for their rights.

"This decision is wrong. It's a decision against farmers, workers, and students -- against all the poor in Syria," Abdul Rahman Khalil, 56, said.

"People will not remain silent about this decision," he added.

Khansa Nehmat, 48, said "the prices of diesel and bread must return to what they were, and they must comply with the people's demands".

Protests have erupted for three consecutive days in different parts of Syria's north, northwest and northeast.

Damascus has sought to justify the move, citing higher prices in global energy markets due to the regional war, as Syria currently relies heavily on imports to meet its fuel needs.

The country's energy infrastructure remains dilapidated as a result of more than a decade of war and neglect.

The ongoing protests are the first of their kind since the new authorities seized power after ousting in December 2024 longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad, under whom demonstrations were strictly prohibited.


Arab Parliament Condemns Terrorist Houthi Militia Attacks on Saudi Arabia

Arab Parliament Condemns Terrorist Houthi Militia Attacks on Saudi Arabia
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Arab Parliament Condemns Terrorist Houthi Militia Attacks on Saudi Arabia

Arab Parliament Condemns Terrorist Houthi Militia Attacks on Saudi Arabia

Arab Parliament Speaker Mohammed Al-Yamahi expressed the Arab Parliament's strong condemnation of the terrorist attacks carried out by the Houthi militia using ballistic missiles and drones against the cities of Khamis Mushait, Abha, and Taif in Saudi Arabia, which resulted in injuries to several civilians and material damage to homes and vehicles.

In a statement, the Arab Parliament speaker stressed that these blatant attacks constitute a flagrant violation of international law, international humanitarian law, the UN Charter, and relevant UN Security Council resolutions, SPA reported.

Al-Yamahi renewed the Arab Parliament's full solidarity with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its support for all measures it takes to protect its sovereignty, security, and stability, as well as its citizens and residents, emphasizing that the Kingdom's security is an integral part of the pan-Arab national security system.

The Arab Parliament called on the UN Security Council to fulfill its responsibilities, take a firm position to stop these repeated attacks, and hold those responsible and their supporters accountable in a manner that preserves the security and stability of the region.


Egypt Condemns Continued Attacks on Saudi Arabia

An Egyptian flag flutters in Cairo, Egypt, January 15, 2023. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany/File Photo
An Egyptian flag flutters in Cairo, Egypt, January 15, 2023. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany/File Photo
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Egypt Condemns Continued Attacks on Saudi Arabia

An Egyptian flag flutters in Cairo, Egypt, January 15, 2023. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany/File Photo
An Egyptian flag flutters in Cairo, Egypt, January 15, 2023. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany/File Photo

Egypt has strongly condemned the recent attacks against the Kingdom, describing them as a clear violation of the principles and provisions of international law and a blatant threat to regional security and stability.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated its rejection of the attacks and warned against their recurrence, stressing that such actions only fuel tensions and further escalate the situation in the region.

Egypt affirmed its full solidarity and unwavering support for Saudi Arabia in confronting any threats directed against it, emphasizing that the national security of the two countries is inseparable.