عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Arab World

Türkiye Eliminates PKK Official Behind 2020 Car bombing in Afrin

Türkiye Eliminates PKK Official Behind 2020 Car bombing in Afrin
TT
TT

Türkiye Eliminates PKK Official Behind 2020 Car bombing in Afrin

Türkiye Eliminates PKK Official Behind 2020 Car bombing in Afrin

Turkish intelligence has eliminated senior official from the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), the biggest component of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Manbij, in an operation northern Syria.

It said the member was responsible for the 2020 car-bombing in Afrin, which killed 40 and injured dozens.

Heysem Cuma, codenamed Heysem Abu Dahham, was operating in Manbij, the Anadolu Agency said quoting sources.

Cuma also transferred arms to attack Türkiye's zones in northern Syria, primarily the Euphrates Shield Operation Zone, said the sources on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

The figure was eliminated by the Turkish intelligence on July 9 in an operation in the city center of Manbij.

Also, Cuma was responsible for several bomb attacks in Jarablus in 2019 as well as the 2020 car-bombing in which left 40 civilians dead, including 11 children, and 47 people injured.

After the car bombing, the governor's office in Türkiye's Hatay province, bordering Afrin, said it arrested a person suspected to be behind the fuel truck.

Meanwhile, pro-Turkish factions brought in massive military reinforcement to Afrin, amid a state of high security alert in the city and countryside.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said “Al-Hamzah” and “Suleiman Shah” divisions, in addition to “Ahrar Al-Sham Islamic Movement” brought in huge military columns of heavy weapons, tanks, rocket launchers and 4×4 vehicles with submachine guns, amid a state of high alert in Hayat Tahrir al-Sham-held area.

In Aleppo, SOHR sources said Turkish forces brought in a new military convoy of military and logistic vehicles, armored vehicles and personnel carriers escorted with members.

The convoy crossed through Kafar Lousin border crossing with the Turkish side and headed towards the Turkish posts in the western countryside of Aleppo, within the “Putin-Erdogan” area.

The Turkish military reinforcements came after SDF escalated their attacks on Turkish military positions in Syria.

The shelling coincided with Russian aircrafts flying over the region. No causalities were reported.

Most Viewed

 
 
Arab World

Lebanese Army Says It’s Moving Troops into the Country’s South as Part of Ceasefire Plan

A Lebanese army vehicle drives past destruction in Lebanon's southern village of Bint Jbeil on November 27, 2024, after a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took effect. (AFP)
A Lebanese army vehicle drives past destruction in Lebanon's southern village of Bint Jbeil on November 27, 2024, after a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took effect. (AFP)
TT
TT

Lebanese Army Says It’s Moving Troops into the Country’s South as Part of Ceasefire Plan

A Lebanese army vehicle drives past destruction in Lebanon's southern village of Bint Jbeil on November 27, 2024, after a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took effect. (AFP)
A Lebanese army vehicle drives past destruction in Lebanon's southern village of Bint Jbeil on November 27, 2024, after a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took effect. (AFP)

The Lebanese army said on Wednesday it was moving additional troops into the country's south on Wednesday to extend state authority in coordination with the UN peacekeeping mission there.

“The concerned military units are moving from several areas to the South Litani Sector, where they will be stationed in the locations designated for them,” the Lebanese military said in its first statement since the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire went into effect.

Under the ceasefire deal, Israeli troops would pull out of Lebanon and Hezbollah is required to move its forces north of the Litani River, which in some places is about 30 kilometers (20 miles) north of the border.

The ceasefire agreement gives Israel and Hezbollah fighters 60 days to withdraw from areas of southern Lebanon near the border. Thousands of Lebanese troops and UN peacekeepers will patrol the area, and an international committee will monitor compliance.

The Lebanese army has largely stood on the sidelines during the latest war between Israel and Hezbollah, although dozens of its soldiers have been killed amid the fighting.

Meanwhile, international aid groups welcomed the ceasefire and urge donors to provide funding to help rebuild parts of Lebanon and assist the displaced.

The aid groups are concerned about the aftershocks of the war on Lebanon’s already struggling economy. With more than 1.2 million people displaced, they warned that the damage would leave many struggling and without homes.

More than 100,000 homes have been either partially or fully destroyed across southern Lebanon, Bekaa and Beirut, the International Rescue Committee said.

Mercy Corps said that half of Lebanon’s population now lives below the poverty line. It called on donors to fulfill pledges to support immediate humanitarian efforts and the long-term recovery.

“There will undoubtedly be a great deal of grief and trauma. Many will have no homes to return to, no schools for their children, and livelihoods destroyed,” Norwegian Refugee Council Secretary-General Jan Egeland said.