Al-Jazeerah: Cross-Cultural Understanding
www.ccun.org www.aljazeerah.info |
News, March 2019 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||
Archives Mission & Name Conflict Terminology Editorials Gaza Holocaust Gulf War Isdood Islam News News Photos Opinion Editorials US Foreign Policy (Dr. El-Najjar's Articles) www.aljazeerah.info
|
Scores of Syrians Killed in Faction Fighting, Regime Attacks, US Air Strikes, Israeli Shelling March 4, 2019 Editor's Note: The following news stories are just examples of the daily horrors of war in Syria. Readers can find more detailed daily news stories at the sources below as well as many other sources in the internet.
The following are news stories from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) website (http://www.syriahr.com/en/): *** 49 persons were killed on March 2, 2019, including 3 members of the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them and 46 other people who were killed in different circumstances in several Syrian areas 2 citizens one of them is a fighter, joined yesterday Saturday the convoy of casualties of the Syrian revolution. SOHR, 03/03/2019 In Aleppo province, a fighter of the factions was killed after being targeted by the regime forces while being stationed in the outskirts of Jam’eyyat Al-Zahraa neighborhood west of Aleppo. And in Hama province, a citizen was killed as a result of shelling by the regime forces on areas in Zayzun village in Sahl Al-Ghab north-west of Hama. Also the SOHR documented the death of 4 fighters of the SDF who were killed in the explosions of landmines in Al-Baghuz farms, the SOHR also documented the death of at least 10 members at least of the organization in the shelling and clashes there, where most of their bodies are still in the battle field. While the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights documented the death of 6 fighters of the rebel and Islamic factions who operate in the northern countryside of Aleppo, they were killed in clashes took place during hours of last night against gunmen within areas of presence of the Kurdish Forces and the gunmen loyal to the regime, in the vicinity of Kaljibrin in the northern countryside of Aleppo. Also a suicide bomber attacked the area of presence of the SDF and the dignitaries in Jadeedat Al-Khabur village in the countryside of Al-Raqqah province, where the reliable sources confirmed to the SOHR that the member opened fire on 3 dignitaries of those who were at the place of the bombing, then he blew himself up which resulted in the killing of 4 persons at least they are: 3 dignitaries as well as a member of the SDF. While 2 unidentified gunmen on a motorcycle assassinated a member of the Syria Democratic forces, after being shot in al-Shuhayl town in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor, while unidentified gunmen assassinated a man from al-Tayyana town in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor, after being shot in Jammeh village in the same countryside, and in the same context, intersected sources confirmed to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights that the body of 4 members of the Self-defense forces of Syria Democratic Forces were found at the water station near al-Busayrah town in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor, and they were killed with a sharp tool, while a local leader of the Self-defense forces accompanied by 3 fighters were killed and others were injured, by gunfire from unknown gunmen in al-Sabha village in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor. And the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also monitored Hayyaat Tahrir al-Sham executing 10 people, the sources said that they were members of the “Islamic State” organization’s cells, where they were executed in front of “Fusion Restaurant” in al-Debit neighborhood at Idlib city. And 3 members from the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them were killed in shelling and clashes against the “Islamic State” organization and the factions. After about 60 hours of violent fighting, anticipation for a truce in Baghuz farms to transport the wounded and the surrender of the remaining ISIS members and getting families and civilians out SOHR, 04/03/2019 Deir Ezzor Province, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights: The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored a decrease in clashes at al-Baghuz farms area, in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor during the last hours, after violent clashes between the Syria Democratic and the International Coalition forces against members of the “Islamic State” Organization, in Baghuz farms area in which the remainder ISIS members are still there, and the Syrian Observatory learned from intersected sources that the coming hours are expected to witness a cessation of hostilities within a truce to move the wounded and fore members of the Organization to surrender, and to get out the remaining families of ISIS members and civilians in the area -if any- towards the Syria Democratic Forces’ controlled areas, while the violent clashes were accompanied by ground and aerial shelling by the International Coalition and the Syria Democratic Forces, amid exchange of targeting in the contact areas between both parties, which caused confirmed casualties, while the Syria Democratic Forces continue the sweep operation of the area, and advance in it slowly afraid of the explosion of mines, bombings, or ambushes that may target them, especially after the Organization’s heavy dependence on tunnels they dug earlier, by using the prisoners and detainees in the drilling operations. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published in the last hours that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights learned that 6 ISIS members of foreign nationalities have surrendered and handed themselves over to the SDF in Al-Baghuz farms, while the SDF are still continuing the sweeping operations in these farms, amid slow advancement by them due to fears by the SDF of using the net of tunnels in the area of Al-Baghuz farms by the organization, whether in the movements that the remaining ISIS fighters and commanders carry out, or through detonating the landmines planted heavily in the vicinity of the area where the organization holed up, in which its members hide during the daylight and carry out their attacks at night exploiting the darkness, while the SDF are continuing to sweep the farms and the areas into which they advanced, also the clashes and the explosions of landmines resulted in the fall of more human losses in the ranks of both parties. It rose to 7, the number of casualties in the ranks of the SDF who were killed in the explosions of landmines in Al-Baghuz farms, the SOHR also documented the death of 18 members at least of the organization in the shelling and clashes there, where most of their bodies are still in the battle field, including 3 suicidal bombers who blew themselves up using explosive belts and booby-trapped vehicles, and the continued clashes come in the wake of cautious calm monitored by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, prevailing Al-Baghuz farms today morning, Sunday, after clashes with varying frequency of violence between escalated and sporadic, witnessed in the area in the past 36 hours, as a part of the Last Chance Battle launched by the Syria Democratic Forces and the International Coalition at the expense of the members of the “Islamic State” organization remaining in Al-Baghuz farms, and the SOHR monitored more advancement by the SDF in the past hours which enabled them to clamp down even more on the members of organization still remaining there, at the same time, the SDF are continuing to sweep the farms and the areas into which they advanced through dismantling IEDs and landmine and searching for hiding ISIS members, and the reliable sources suggested to the Syrian Observatory that the SDF and the Coalition will finish the operation in 48 to 96 hours The SOHR published yesterday, Saturday, that it monitored the continued military operations in the eastern sector of Deir Ezzor countryside, where the Syrian Observatory monitored ongoing shelling and bombardment by the International Coalition, its warplanes and the Syria Democratic Forces, on Al-Baghuz Farms, along with violent clashes between the remaining members of the “Islamic State” organization on one hand, against members of the SDF and forces of the International Coalition on the other, amid exchange of heavy targeting on the clash areas, and the Syrian Observatory learned that the SDF are seeking to achieve further advancement through sweeping the area, also the warplanes are targeting the movements of what remained of the organization, amid information about more human losses, and the SOHR published hours ago, that it monitored that the process of last chance which was launched by the Syria Democratic Forces with the International Coalition and foreign military forces, enters the second 24 hours, where violent clashes are taking place between the remaining members and leaders of the “Islamic State” Organization of different nationalities; against the Syria Democratic Forces and the International Coalition, in the contact areas between both parties in Baghuz farms, and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored in a video the escalation of clashes, amid intense exchange of targeting, accompanied by detonating a member of the Organization for himself by a booby-trapped vehicle, in an attempt to target positions of the SDF forces, where the Organization escalates the clashes by the hours of the night, amid the flight of International Coalition warplanes in the sky of the area targeting the clash areas. While reliable sources confirmed to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights that since dawn on Saturday, the 2nd of March 2019, Baghuz farms witnessed little resistance; as it ended on the first lines, while the sweeping and advancement operations are underway by the Syria Democratic Forces, and it is not known whether in the coming hours the process of controlling the farm area will be announced, if the existence of the organization is over, and the Syrian Observatory published hours ago that the last chance battle which was launched by the Syria Democratic Forces and the International Coalition continue in Baghuz farms in the eastern sector of Deir Ezzor countryside, at the expense of the remainder members of the “Islamic State” Organization there, where the clashes continue at a violent pace between SDF and the Organization in the area, in conjunction with the continued aerial targeting by the International Coalition warplanes on al-Baghuz farms, amid the continuation of rocket shelling by the Syria Democratic Forces and targeting with heavy machine guns, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also learned that ISIS has intensively planted mines in the area, which is hindering the advancement of SDF in the area. The Syrian Observatory documented the death of 4 fighters of the Syria Democratic Forces who were killed in mine explosions in Baghuz farms, and the Syrian Observatory documented the death of at least 10 members of the Organization during the shelling and clashes there, and their bodies are still in the battlefield, and the Syrian Observatory published this morning that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights learned that the International Coalition warplanes had targeted on the evening of Friday, the 1st of March, by a raid loaded with white phosphorus against the Baghuz farms area located on the east bank, where the remainder members of the “Islamic State” organization are located, but no information yet about casualties, and at the same time, the sweeping operations continue by the Syria Democratic Forces through targeting by heavy machine guns and rocket shells for in Baghuz farms, but until the moment the number of the remaining members in Baghuz farms are still unknow, where the information is conflicted, and the Syrian Observatory received information about anticipation for the end of the battle of last chance launched by SDF and the International Coalition in the next few hours, thus, ending the presence of the remaining members of the Organization. The Syrian Observatory published on Friday evening monitored the sound of heavy gunfire within Al-Baghuz farms in the eastern sector of Deir Ezzor countryside today evening, Friday the 1st of March 2019, in conjunction with the continuation of the Last Chance Battle by the Syria Democratic Forces at the expense of the members of the “Islamic State” organization remaining in the area, in the case that they have not evaporated yet, where the SDF are continuing the shelling on positions of the organization, along with renewed targeting by heavy machineguns, amid advancement by the SDF in the area, and the continuation of this battle comes after the evacuation of a new batch of citizens from Al-Baghuz, where the SOHR published hours ago, that it monitored the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored the exit of a new batch of civilians from Baghuz farms near the east bank of Euphrates River in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor. The Syrian Observatory learned that a batch of about 300 people of civilians who remained in the area and families of the “Islamic State” Organization and members, including 20 members of various nationalities, and they have reached the Syria Democratic Forces’ controlled areas, in conjunction with the start of the SDF for the battle of the last chance in Baghuz area, through artillery and missile shelling and targeting by heavy machine guns for areas of presence of the Organization, in an attempt to pressure the Organization and prove its seriousness in preparation for a military action if the Organization did not surrender completely, and the reliable sources confirmed to the Syrian Observatory that the battle seeks to form a pressure on the Organization and force it to accept surrender, otherwise, the death will be the fate of the members who refuse to get out of Baghuz farms, and the reliable sources confirmed to the Syrian Observatory that the International Coalition warplanes are flying in the area and monitoring the movements of the members, coinciding with the skirmishes in the area and targeting the Organization. And as more of the remaining people are leaving the area, it rose to 52980, the number of evacuees documented by the SOHR since the 1st of December 2018, of different nationalities like Syrian, Iraqi, Russian, Somali, Filipino, and other Asian and western nationalities since the beginning of December 2018, among them there are more than 50980 people have gotten out the Organization’s enclave since the decision of the US President Trump to withdraw from Syria on the 19th of December 2018, including about 5412 members of the “Islamic State” Organization, and the majority of them are of Iraqi nationality, who have been arrested among the displaced people, after the residents were able to identify them and inform the security forces about their infiltration, while another part of them handed themselves over after they managed to get out of the last enclave of the Organization, also the Syrian Observatory learned that during the past days and weeks about 300 ISIS members managed to infiltrate through the Euphrates River to the largest and last remaining enclave of the Organization in the Syrian Desert within the areas that are controlled by the regime forces, Russians, and the Iranians in north of Palmyra. Earlier, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored the entry of tens of trucks into the area of Baghuz farms, to transport the people who are getting out of the civilians, ISIS members, and their families the Syria Democratic Forces’ controlled areas, where the Syrian Observatory monitored the entry of about 30 trucks to transport a new batch of people who got out of the Organization’s pocket towards SDF-controlled areas in the eastern countryside of Euphrates River and then transporting them to al-Hool camps, and the Syrian Observatory published hours ago that the Syria Democratic forces who are around Baghuz farms in the eastern sector of Deir Ezzor countryside, are still waiting for more remaining people to get out of these farms, of civilians, ISIS members, and their families, where the trucks continue to wait in order to enter the areas that separate the farms from the Syria Democratic Forces’ controlled areas and position in the eastern sector of Deir Ezzor countryside, near the east bank of Euphrates River, and the Syrian Observatory learned that the International Coalition warplanes continue to fly over the area to target any movement of ISIS members and leaders, who had previously refused and still refuse to surrendering to the Coalition and the Syria Democratic Forces, and prefer to fight until the end, while this anticipation comes after the statement made by the US President Donald Trump about restoring the entire territory from the “Islamic State” Organization in Syria, where the Coalition and SDF are waiting for civilians, ISIS members, and their families to get out of the area, to start a military operation against those who refuse to surrender of members of the organization and its leaders in Baghuz farms, if they did not vanish. Less than 3 weeks after the last shelling…the Israeli forces target a position west of Hodr town in Al-Quneitra countryside SOHR, 04/03/2019 Al-Quneitra Province – The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights: The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored explosion that pounded Hodr town in the northern sector of Al-Quneitra countryside today evening, Sunday the 3rd of March 2019, caused by the fall of at least one rocket shell on an area at the western outskirts of Hodr town, without information so far about human losses, and the SOHR published on the 11th of February 2019, that it monitored rocket shelling by the Israeli forces on Al-Quneitra countryside today evening, Monday the 11th of February 2019, and in the details obtained by the Syrian Observatory; the Israeli forces targeted today evening, by several missiles, areas where pro-regime militiamen of Hezbollah and Iran are present in the areas of Jubata al-Khashab and the devastated Al-Quneitra, where they targeted a destroyed hospital in the devastated Al-Quneitra by 3 missiles, as well as their targeting by other missiles to the outskirts of Jubata al-Khashab, and the SOHR documented the injury of 4 members at least of the militiamen loyal to the regime forces as a result of the strikes, and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published on the 24th of January 2019, that it monitored tension at the border between the occupied and freed Syrian Golan. The Syrian Observatory learned from intersected sources that the tension came after members of the Israeli Forces went deep inside the liberated Syrian Golan in Jebbata al-Khashab in the mid-sector countryside of al-Quneitra, allegedly searching for one of the wanted men, where exchange of fire took place between the Israeli forces and gunmen believed to be loyal to the regime in the Al-Quneitra countryside, and confirmed information about the death of a person and the injury of others in the area, and the Syrian Observatory documented on the 21st of January 2019 that it rose to at least 21, the number of people killed by the Israeli strikes which took place at dawn on Sunday the 21st of the January 2019, they are 6 members of the regime forces and the Syrian gunmen loyal to it, and 15 non-Syrian nationality members including at least 12 of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, who were killed in the strikes that caused the greatest material losses in warehouses and military sites for the Iranians and their allies on the Syrian territory, and the Syrian Observatory learned that the reasons for the increase in number of casualties and the great destruction; was the result of three squadrons of Israeli warplanes taking shifts in bombarding these sites. The Syrian Observatory published on the 21st of January 2019 that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored an Israeli bombardment after midnight of yesterday, which is the most intense and violent attack against the regime forces and their allies in terms of casualties since May 2018, and in the details monitored by the Syrian Observatory: the Israeli forces carried out tens of land and air strikes by their warplanes and ground-to-ground missiles, where the bombardment lasted less than 60 minutes and targeted areas extending from the southwest of Rif Dimashq to al-Thula airbase in the western countryside of al-Suwaidaa, during which the sites, points, and warehouses belong to the Iranian Forces and the Lebanese Hezbollah were destroyed in Jamraya, the vicinity of Damascus International Airport, al-Kiswah area, the vicinity of al-Thula airbase and other areas, in addition to targeting the Air Defense centers belong to the regime forces, and the Syrian Observatory documented the killing of 11 people including 2 Syrian nationals, while the identity and nationality of the others who were killed during the Israeli bombardment had not been known yet, and the death toll is expected to rise because some of the wounded are in critical situation, in addition to information about other casualties, also regime’s air defenses managed to drop several Israeli missiles. And with that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights documented 10 rounds of Israeli aerial and rocket shelling targeted the vicinity of Damascus International Airport, Al-Kiswah area and its vicinity and the south-western sector of Rif Dimashq province, the first of which was carried out on the 10th of May 2018, followed by strikes on the 26th of June 2018, the 2nd of September 2018, the 15th of September 2018, the 29th of November 2018, the 9th and 25th of December 2018, and the 11th of January 2019, and the 20th and 21st of January 2019, and most of the strikes resulted in destroying weapons and ammunition warehouses affiliated to the regime’s allies. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published on the 10th of may 2018 that it rose to 27 at least, they are: 6 members of the regime forces including 3 officers, 11 of the Iranian members, and 10 others most of them are of non-Syrian nationalities, the number of people who were killed in the Israeli targeting of sites of the regime forces and their allies in the above mentioned areas, also the targeting caused significant material damage in many of the targeted sites, the Syrian Observatory published back then that violent explosions rocked the several areas in the Syrian territory just before dawn of today, Thursday, the 10th of May 2018, caused by Israeli missile strikes which targeted scattered sites near the capital, Damascus, Rif Dimashq, central Syria and Quneitra, where the strikes targeted sites believed to belong to the Lebanese Hezbollah southwest of Homs city, and other sites of Hezbollah and fighters loyal to the regime forces in the triangle of Daraa – Quneitra – west of Rif Dimashq, also the strikes targeted a military area of the regime forces in al-Dumayr Airbase area at the Eastern Qalamoun. The missiles fell near the headquarters where the Iranians are located, also the strikes targeted Muadamiyat al-Sham town west of Damascus, where fighters of Hezbollah, Iran and the 4th Division of the Syrian regime are located, but no information until the moment as to whether the missiles that fell on Muadamiyat al-Sham has targeted military positions or not, also a missile landed in the vicinity of Jaramana south of the capital, and the shelling targeted regime’s Air Defense sites, while the fall of Israeli missiles was renewed after midnight of yesterday on Al-Quneitra province, where the missiles targeted sites of the regime forces and their allies near Hodr town north of Quneitra and near Khan Arnabah town, and in the same context, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights in conjunction with the these intensive targeting operation has monitored explosions in the sky of the areas; caused by regime’s anti-aircraft interception for the Israeli missiles and managed to shoot down some of them, and the Israeli missile strikes caused significant material losses in several targeted locations, amid confirmed information about casualties, and the Israeli shelling came just before the dawn of Sunday after the fall of missiles after midnight, launched from al-Quneitra area and southwest Rif Dimashq adjacent to the occupied territories of Golan, following the Israeli shelling which took place last night and targeted locations near al-Ba’ath city in the central countryside of Quneitra. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published on the 11th of January 2019 that the explosions which hit the capital Damascus and its vicinity today, Friday, were caused by Israeli strikes which targeted the vicinity of Damascus International Airport as well as other areas in the south-western Rif Dimashq, where they targeted the vicinity of Damascus International Airport with 2 missiles at least, while the major targeting was carried out against Al-Kiswah area and other areas in the south-western Rif Dimashq, where positions and warehouses of the Iranians and Hezbollah are located, and the strikes resulted In destroying warehouses and weapons of them (the Iranians and Hezbollah) in the vicinity of Damascus International Airport, the vicinity of Al-Kiswah area as well as other places in the south-western Rif Dimashq, while the air defenses fired several anti-aircraft missiles in an attempt to repel this Israeli missile attack. The Syrian Observatory published on the 17th of September 2018, that it documented the death of 2 military personnel (who have not been identified until the moment) were killed during the intensive missile attack that believed to be Israeli strikes, which targeted yesterday night a warehouses within the Technical Industries Foundation located in the eastern suburbs of Latakia city, where the bodies were found after putting out the fires caused by the targeting, and the targeting also injured more than 10 soldiers: seven of them are Syrians and the other 3 were not known, which may raise the death toll, and the Syrian Observatory published at that time, that intersected sources told the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights that the missiles which dropped the Russian warplane off the Syrian coast, were launched by regime’s air defenses in the 23rd Brigade in the countryside of Baniyas, where reliable sources confirmed that the missiles were launched from the area and targeted the Russian warplane over the sea in the area between Jableh and Baniyas, where it appeared on the radar that a hostile target existed at the time of the Israeli missile strikes, which targeted warehouses of the Technical Institution in the eastern suburbs of Latakia city, where this institution which follows the Ministry of Industry is located in the industrial area and includes plants and factories in a civilian area, not a military one, and the Syrian Observatory published on the 17th of September 2018, that the Israeli missiles which launched on the countryside of Baniyas in Tartous Province; were trying to target air defense batteries that were firing missiles to intercept the Israeli bombardment. *** The following are news stories from the US Department of Defense website (http://www.defense.gov/News) . and US Centcom Press releases (http://www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/PRESS-RELEASES/): *** CJTF-OIR Strike Summary Feb. 10 - 23, 2019 Release No: 19-012 Feb. 28, 2019 CJTF-OIR Strike Summary Jan. 27 - Feb. 9, 2019 Release No: 19-010 Feb. 13, 2019
*** Share the link of this article with your facebook friendsFair Use Notice This site contains copyrighted material the
use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright
owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance
understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic,
democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this
constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for
in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C.
Section 107, the material on this site is
distributed without profit to those
who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information
for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml.
If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of
your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the
copyright owner.
|
|
Opinions expressed in various sections are the sole responsibility of their authors and they may not represent Al-Jazeerah & ccun.org. |