Al-Jazeerah: Cross-Cultural Understanding

www.ccun.org

www.aljazeerah.info

News, June 2018

 

Al-Jazeerah History

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

 

 

 

Editorial Note: The following news reports are summaries from original sources. They may also include corrections of Arabic names and political terminology. Comments are in parentheses.

Share the link of this article with your facebook friends

 

Scores of Syrians Killed Regime, Russian, US Air Strikes

June 3, 2018 

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. 

 

Syrian regime regime air strikes on Rif Dimashq, on June 1, 2018 Syrian regime regime attacks destroying Al-Ghouta, on Msy 31, 2018

 

The following are news stories from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) website (http://www.syriahr.com/en/):

***

After one month of absence from the area and less than 24 hours after the attack of Hurras al-Dien, warplanes bomb Latakia mountains connected with Sahl al-Ghab and Jesr al-Shughur

SOHR, 03/06/2018

Latakia province, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights: the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored explosions that shook areas in the Latakia mountains in the northern countryside of the city morning of today, the 3rd of month June 2018, caused by raids by warplanes on places in Kabbaneh area in Jabal al-Akrad in the northern countryside of Latakia, but no information about casualties until the moment, this comers after more than 30 days of absence from the area, where warplanes were the warplanes last targeted the area on the 2nd of May 2018.

This aerial targeting comes in the wake of attacks by Hurras al-Dien faction on Saturday, on sites of the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them in Ard al-Wata area in Jabal al-Akrad, where violent clashes took place between both parties, accompanied by exchange of targeting between the regime and the faction of Hurras al-Dien, which defected previously from Hayyaat Tahrir al-Sham which swore allegiance to al-Qaida, which in late April 2018  had carried out with its allied factions attacks against the regime forces in the northern countryside of Hama, also Latakia mountains witnessed during the past days and weeks missile and artillery shelling by the regime forces and the factions, these successive targeting have caused casualties, where the Syrian Observatory documented the death of 6 fighters at least of the factions operating in the Latakia mountains, they were killed in the shelling that took place on the 28th of May 2018, in addition to the fall of casualties in the ranks of the regime forces during factions’ targeting for their positions and the positions of the gunmen loyal to them, also these mountains have witnessed attacks by factions that killed at least 11 members of the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them, including a lieutenant, after a sudden and violent attack by fighters of Hayyaat Tahrir al-Sham and other factions operating in the northern countryside of Latakia, targeting sites of the regime forces in Tal Rashu area in the northern mountains of Latakia, also the attack that took place dawn of the 20th of April 2018, had injured members and officers of the regime forces with varying severity.

Also, the Syrian Observatory published on the 31st of May 2018 that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights obtained information about disagreements between the forces allied with the regime about a new agreement in the northern countryside of Aleppo and west Syria, and in the details confirmed by reliable sources of the Syrian Observatory: disagreements are taking place between Russian Forces and Iranian Forces about Tal Rifaat area and the areas around it in the northern countryside of Aleppo, which were taken from the rebel and Islamic factions in early 2016, the disagreement took place after a Russian offer to hand over Tal Rifaat area and its surroundings to the Turkish forces; in exchange for the withdrawal of the rebel and Islamic factions from the triangle of west Jesr al-Shughur – Sahl al-Ghab – the northeastern countryside of Latakia, where this agreement provoked the Iranian side after its previous refusal in March 2018 the entry of the Turkish forces and opposition factions to Tal Rifaat area, which was accompanied by an Iranian escalation and threat if the Turkish Forces and Syrian opposition factions stormed Tal Rifaat area, after controlling Afrin area by Operation “Olive branch”.

39 people were killed on June 1, 2018, including 6 members of the regime forces and their allied militiamen, and 21 persons were killed in different circumstances in several provinces

It rose to 4 including 1 fighter, the number of those who joined yesterday the convoy of martyrs of the Syrian revolution

SOHR, 02/06/2018

In Rif Dimashq province, a citizen woman and her child were killed as a result of the explosion of a landmine in their house in the area of Sidi Miqdad, in the southern Rif Dimashq, which was planted in the house while fighters were located in the area.

And in Daraa province, a fighter of a rebel faction was killed by a sniper of the regime forces on the contact lines between the factions’ controlled areas and the position of the regime forces in Daraa countryside.

And in Idlib province, a person was shot dead by Turkish border guard forces while he was trying to cross into Turkish territory from Darkush border area in the western countryside of Idlib.

And the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored the assassination of 3 members of the “reconciliation committee” of the regime forces, after being shot by unidentified gunmen on the road between the towns of Al-Masyfara and the eastern Al-Gharya.

While at least 12 persons including a woman and 3 of her sons including a citizen woman as well as 5 others (4 children and a citizen woman) of the same family, were killed as a result of bombardment by the International Coalition’s warplanes on Haddaj village in the southern sector of Al-Hasaka countryside, which is still under the “Islamic State” organization’s control.

Also Hayyaat Tahrir al-Sham executed 2 persons by shooting them this morning in Al-Dana town in the northern countryside of Idlib, on charge of “planting IEDs and that they are cells belong to the “Islamic State” organization.

While a man was killed as a result of raids by warplanes believed to be affiliated to the International Coalition, on areas in al-Susah town, where the raids targeted a house, a fuel station and an internet café in the town which is controlled by the “Islamic State” organization.

While 6 members of the organization were killed as a result of raids by warplanes believed to be affiliated to the International Coalition, on areas in al-Susah town, where the raids targeted a house, a fuel station and an internet café in the town which is controlled by the “Islamic State” organization.

And the “Islamic State” organization executed two members of the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them, of who were captured during clashes between both parties in al-Mayadin Desert in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor, where the execution was carried out using the fire of heavy machineguns.

Also two bodies of members of the Syria Democratic forces were found dead due to a shot at close range, where the bodies were found on the road to Abu Khashab village in the northwestern countryside of Deir Ezzor.

And 4 members of the regime forces and their allied militiamen were killed in shelling and clashes against ISIS and the factions.

And at least 3 fighters of ISIS of non-Syrian nationalities were killed in clashes and bombardment of warplanes and helicopters and shelling on their areas of presence.

18 were killed on May 30, including 4 members of the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them and 5 other people

It rose to 8 including 3 fighters, the number of who joined yesterday the convoy of casualties of the Syrian revolution

SOHR, 31/05/2018

In al-Quneitra province 3 fighter were killed by an IED explosion in a car at a checkpoint of the factions in al-Briqa area in the countryside of Quneitra.

In Homs province 2 citizens from Palmyra city were killed under torture in Syrian security detentions.

In Aleppo province a young man died affected by injury he had during violent clashes that took place between factions in the city; against a group of the Islamic Movement of Ahrar al-Sham.

In Hama province, a media activist was killed after targeting by regime forces for a car of a local organization, on the road between the villages of al-Qahira and al-Ankawi in Sahl al-Ghab at the northwestern countryside of Hama.

In Deir Ezzor province a young man from al-Bokamal city died under torture in the Syrian security detentions.

One member of the “Islamic State” organization was killed by a drone targeting for a car of the organization in the east bank of Euphrates River in the countryside of Deir Ezzor.

and 4 members of the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them were killed in bombing and clashes against the “Islamic State” organization and the factions.

At least 5 fighters of the “Islamic State” organization and the factions of non-Syrian nationalities were killed in clashes and shelling by warplanes and helicopters and shelling on their areas of presence.

After long months of escalated murder, Russian warplanes record the lowest monthly death toll of civilian casualties killed by them and raise their raids’ death toll to about 7740

About 13000 civilian casualties in 43 months of intense raids by regime's warplanes out of about 25550 civilian casualties since the beginning of the Syrian revolution

31/05/2018

Russia didn’t had enough of devouring the present and of the Syrians and their future, having obliterated their past beneath the rubble caused by their missile and air strikes, but it continued to devour the flesh of the Syrian people, to saturate its greed and silence the hunger of the blood sucker of the Syrian people and its killers, to achieve its personal interests in this country, taking over the reins of most of what in it, where the Russian hand –which had the biggest role in the displacement of the Syrian people and changed their population map– did not succeeded in appearing as a hand of peace, but rather as a lethal one that does what it desires, sometimes its raises the pace of murder and other time reduces it, but the victims are always the Syrian people, causing thousands of casualties and wounded in 32 months of its participation in the direct military operations on the Syrian territory, since the start of its strikes on the 30th of September 2015, until the 30th of May 2018, in which the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights was able to document the death of 17426 civilians and fighters of the rebel and Islamic Factions, Hayyaat Tahrir al-Sham (al-Nusra Front formerly) and the “Islamic state” organization, who were killed by thousands of airstrikes which targeted several provinces of Syria.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights documented the death of 19 civilians including 7 children and 4 women, they were killed in Russian raids since the 30th of April 2018 until the 30th of May 2018.

The casualties of 32 months of the Russian bombardment were:

– 1858 children under the age of eighteen, 1144 citizen women over the age of eighteen and 4731 males and young men.

– 4935 members of the “Islamic state” organization.

– 4758 fighters of the rebel and Islamic factions, Fath al-Sham Front, the Islamic Turkestan Party, and fighters of Arab and foreign nationalities.

It is worth mentioning that Russia recently used the “Thermite” substance in their airstrikes, which is composed of aluminum powder and iron oxide, and causes burns because it continues to ignite for about 180 seconds, and it is inside the bombs used by Russian warplanes in recent weeks of bombing the Syrian territory, it is a cluster incendiary bombs, its type is “RBK-500 ZAB 2.5 SM” which weighs about 500 kg (about 1100 pounds) dropped by the military aircrafts, and carry small sized bombs anti-individuals and anti-vehicles of the type ((AO 2.5 RTM)), between 50 -110 small sized bombs stuffed with “Thermite”, which outpour out of it when they explode, the range of this anti-individuals and anti-vehicles bombs is between 20-30 meters.

On the other hand, the regime’s warplanes and Helicopters have finished their 6th months of the 4th consecutive year of escalating their shelling on the Syrian territory from east to west and from north to south, targeting the Syrian cities, towns, villages and farms, by tens of thousands of explosive barrels and raids, which cause great destruction in the infrastructure and the public facilities and material damage to the property of the citizens, leaving human losses in every time, in which the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has documented since the 20th October 2014 until the 30th of May 2018, more than 131259 raids at least, carried out by the warplanes and helicopter of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, where the helicopters bombed the Syrian Territory by more than 67159 barrel bombs, while the warplanes carried out 66100 raids at least.

This violent bombardment during the 43 months, has killed thousands and injured tens of thousands, in tens of massacres witnessed in the Syrian cities and areas, where the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has documented since the 20th of October 2014 until the 30th of May 2018, the death of 12962 civilian citizens, they are 2963 children under the age of eighteen, 1965 citizen women over the age of eighteen and 8034 men, all were killed the bombardment by warplanes and helicopters, in addition to the killing, they have also injured more than 76 thousands other civilians, during 43 months, thousands of them have amputated limbs and permanent disabilities.

The raids, airstrikes and bombing also resulted in to the death of at least 7427 fighters from the rebel and Islamic factions, Fath al-Sham Front, the “Islamic state”, the Islamic Turkestan Party and several other factions. The raids, airstrikes and bombing also injured thousands of others.

While the death toll of civilians who were killed in airstrikes by warplanes and helicopters of the regime of Bashar al-Assad since the beginning of the revolution in March 2011 until the 30th of May 2018; have reached 25490 civilian casualties, they were: 16159 men, 5708 children under the age of eighteen and 3623 citizen women over the age of eighteen.

We in the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, although the Russian side is continuing to declare allegations and lies which assert that its warplanes and rocket strikes did never kill citizens, still see that the Russian Federation – the permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), is still continuing to kill Syrian citizens, amid the continuation of the International Community’s silence and ignorance about these massacres and crimes committed against the Syrian people, by Russia, which it carries out under the pretext of fighting “terrorism”, while the International Community did nothing except media condemnations through it and through its United Nations special envoy to Syria about the ongoing crimes committed against the Syrian people, and we, through publishing the documented statistics of human losses, which the civilian Syrians are their main victims due to the military operations in Syria, seeking to send a message to the international community, carried through the cries and pain of the Syrian people, perhaps these shocking statistics, cries and pain may move the conscience of this community to act for the immediate sopping of the ongoing murders against the Syrian citizens, and we renew our strong condemnation against killing citizens in Syrian, and call on the UNSC and the UN to work harder to stop the daily killing against the Syrian citizens who seek to reach a state of liberty, democracy, justice and equality, and to bring the criminals to the specialized international courts, so they get their punishment.

***

The following are news stories from the US Department of Defense website (http://www.defense.gov/News) :

***

Operation Roundup Hits ISIS Remnants in Iraq, Syria

SOUTHWEST ASIA --

Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve and its partners increased offensive activity against Islamic State of Iraq and Syria targets in designated parts of Iraq and Syria throughout May.

Since the May 1 start of Operation Roundup, Syrian Democratic Forces resumed major offensive operations in the middle Euphrates River valley. Since then, the SDF has continued to gain ground through offensive operations, coupled with precision coalition strike support.

During May, the coalition has conducted 225 strikes with 280 engagements. This demonstrates a 304 percent increase over the 74 strikes conducted in March, and a 123 percent increase over the 183 strikes recorded in April.

Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve and its partner forces continue to exert pressure on ISIS senior leaders and associates to degrade, disrupt and dismantle ISIS structures and remove them throughout Iraq and Syria. ISIS morale is sinking on the front lines as privileged ISIS leaders increasingly abandon their own fighters on the battlefield, taking resources with them as they flee, task force officials said.

Over the coming weeks, Operation Roundup will continue to build momentum against ISIS remnants remaining in the Iraq-Syria border region and the middle Euphrates River valley.

Coalition military forces conducted 41 strikes May 25-31, consisting of 49 engagements in Iraq and Syria:

May 31 Strikes

On May 31 in Syria, coalition military forces conducted six strikes consisting of seven engagements against ISIS targets. Near Abu Kamal, four strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit, destroying three ISIS vehicles, an ISIS command-and-control center and an ISIS fighting position. Near Shadaddi, two strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed two ISIS command-and-control centers.

On May 31 near Basheer in Iraq, coalition military forces conducted a strike consisting of one engagement against an ISIS tactical unit.

May 30 Strikes

On May 30 in Syria, coalition military forces conducted six strikes consisting of six engagements against ISIS targets. Near Abu Kamal, three strikes destroyed an ISIS fighting position. Near Shafah, a strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed two ISIS vehicles. Near Hajin, two strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed two ISIS fighting positions.

There were no reported strikes in Iraq on May 30.

May 29 Strikes

On May 29 near Abu Kamal in Syria, coalition military forces conducted a strike engaging an ISIS tactical unit, destroying an ISIS vehicle.

There were no reported strikes in Iraq on May 29.

May 28 Strikes

There were no reported strikes in Syria on May 28.

On May 28 near Qayyarah in Iraq, coalition military forces conducted a strike consisting of two engagements against ISIS targets.

May 27 Strikes

On May 27 in Syria, coalition military forces conducted five strikes consisting of five engagements against ISIS targets. Near Abu Kamal, four strikes destroyed three ISIS fighting positions. Near Shadaddi, a strike engaged an ISIS unit and destroyed an ISIS vehicle-borne improvised explosive device.

On May 27 near Baghdad, coalition military forces conducted a strike consisting of one engagement against ISIS targets, destroying an ISIS-held building.

May 26 Strikes

On May 26 in Syria, coalition military forces conducted 11 strikes consisting of 12 engagements against ISIS targets. Near Abu Kamal, 11 strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit, destroying two ISIS logistics hubs and two ISIS vehicles.

There were no reported strikes in Iraq on May 26.

May 25 Strikes

On May 25 in Syria, coalition military forces conducted eight strikes consisting of 11 engagements against ISIS targets. Near Abu Kamal, seven strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed three ISIS fighting positions. Near Shadaddi, a strike destroyed six ISIS fighting systems and three ISIS logistics hubs.

On May 25 near Kirkuk in Iraq, coalition military forces conducted a strike consisting of three engagements against ISIS targets, destroying two ISIS-held buildings.

***

Share the link of this article with your facebook friends


Fair 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.

editor@aljazeerah.info & editor@ccun.org