War-hit Lebanon suspends in-person classes in Beirut area till end of December

Smoke billows over Beirut’s southern suburbs after an Israeli strike, seen from Baabda, as Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport is pictured in the background, Lebanon November 24, 2024. (Reuters)
Smoke billows over Beirut’s southern suburbs after an Israeli strike, seen from Baabda, as Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport is pictured in the background, Lebanon November 24, 2024. (Reuters)
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Updated 25 November 2024
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War-hit Lebanon suspends in-person classes in Beirut area till end of December

Smoke billows over Beirut’s southern suburbs after an Israeli strike, seen from Baabda.
  • Education minister announced “the suspension of in-person teaching” in schools, technical institutes and private higher education institutions in Beirut
  • Suspension of in-person teaching also applies to parts of neighboring Metn, Baabda and Shouf districts starting Monday

BEIRUT: Lebanon has suspended in-person classes in the Beirut area until the end of December, the education ministry announced Sunday, citing safety concerns after a series of Israeli air strikes this week.
Education Minister Abbas Halabi announced in a statement “the suspension of in-person teaching” in schools, technical institutes and private higher education institutions in Beirut and parts of the neighboring Metn, Baabda and Shouf districts starting Monday “for the safety of students, educational institutions and parents, in light of the current dangerous conditions.”
Earlier on Sunday, Lebanese state media reported two Israeli strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs, about an hour after the Israeli military posted evacuation calls online for parts of the Hezbollah bastion.
“Israeli warplanes launched two violent strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs in the Kafaat area,” the official National News Agency said.
The southern Beirut area has been repeatedly struck since September 23 when Israel intensified its air campaign also targeting Hezbollah bastions in Lebanon’s east and south. It later sent in ground troops to southern Lebanon.


Syrian militants seize fourth city, close in on Homs in threat to Assad’s rule

Syrian militants seize fourth city, close in on Homs in threat to Assad’s rule
Updated 45 min 57 sec ago
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Syrian militants seize fourth city, close in on Homs in threat to Assad’s rule

Syrian militants seize fourth city, close in on Homs in threat to Assad’s rule
  • Assad government ‘fighting for their lives’, analyst says
  • There was no immediate comment from the military or Assad’s government

AMMAN/BEIRUT: Syrian militants said they seized control of the southern city of Daraa on Saturday, the birthplace of a 2011 uprising against President Bashar Assad and the fourth city his forces have lost in a week.
Militant sources said the military agreed to make an orderly withdrawal from Daraa under a deal giving army officials safe passage to the capital Damascus, about 100 km (60 miles) north.
Social media videos showed rebels on motorcycles and others mingling with residents on the streets. People fired shots into the air at the city’s main square in celebration, according to the videos.
There was no immediate comment from the military or Assad’s government, and Reuters could not independently verify the rebels’ claim.
With the fall of Daraa, Assad’s forces have surrendered four important centers to the insurgents in a week.
Daraa, which had a population of more than 100,000 before the civil war began 13 years ago, holds symbolic importance as the cradle of the uprising. It is the capital of a province of about 1 million people, bordering Jordan.
Daraa’s seizure followed the rebels’ claim late on Friday that they had advanced to the edge of the central city of Homs, a key crossroads between the capital and the Mediterranean coast.
Capturing Homs would cut off Damascus from the coastal stronghold of Assad’s minority Alawite sect, and from a naval base and air base of his Russian allies there. “Our forces have liberated the last village on the outskirts of the city of Homs and are now on its walls,” the Syrian faction leading the sweeping assault said on the Telegram messaging app.
A coalition of rebel factions that include the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) made a last call on forces loyal to Assad’s government in Homs to defect.
Ahead of the rebel advance, thousands of people fled Homs toward the coastal regions of Latakia and Tartus, strongholds of the government, residents and witnesses said.
Assad regime under threat
A US-backed alliance led by Syrian Kurdish fighters captured Deir el-Zor, the government’s main foothold in the vast eastern desert, on Friday, three Syrian sources told Reuters. The rebels seized Aleppo and Hama in the northwest and center earlier in the lightning offensive that began on Nov. 27.
In another ominous sign for Assad in the east, the Syrian Kurdish force said Islamic State — a jihadist group that imposed martial law under its harsh rule before its defeat by a US-led coalition in 2017 — had taken control of some areas in eastern Syria.
Aron Lund, a fellow at think-tank Century Foundation, said Assad’s government was “fighting for their lives at this point.”
It was possible the government could hold Homs, “but given the speed at which things have moved so far, I wouldn’t count on it,” he said on Friday.
Syrian state TV reported Russian-Syrian airstrikes targeting rebel headquarters in the countryside of Hama, Idlib and Aleppo killed at least 200 insurgents on Friday, citing the Russian Coordination Center in Syria.
A Syrian army source said Iran-backed Hezbollah forces were positioned to bolster government defenses in and near Homs.
Syrian state media reported dozens of rebels were killed in the Homs countryside on Friday in an operation by Syrian and Russian air forces, artillery, missiles and armored vehicles.
Capturing Homs would solidify a chain of powerful positions under the Islamic insurgents’ control from Aleppo on the Turkish border in the north to Daraa on the Jordanian border to the south.
Gaining Homs would also increase the rebels’ chances of isolating the seat of Assad’s regime in Damascus with the ability to block the route northwest from the capital to the sea.
Rebels re-energised
As the rebels pressed their offensive, Russia and Jordan on Friday urged their nationals to leave Syria.
After years locked behind frozen front lines, rebel forces have burst out of their northwestern Idlib bastion to achieve the swiftest battlefield advance by either side since a street uprising against Assad mushroomed into civil war 13 years ago.
Syria’s conflict killed more than 305,000 people between 2011 and 2021, the United Nations Human Rights Office said in 2022.
Assad regained control of most of Syria after key allies — Russia, Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah — came to his rescue. But all have recently been weakened and diverted by other crises, giving Sunni Muslim militants a window to fight back.
Tehran, which has been focussed on tensions with arch-foe Israel since the Gaza war began last year, began to evacuate its military officials and personnel from Syria on Friday, a sign of Iran’s inability to keep Assad in power, the New York Times reported, citing regional officials and three Iranian officials.
The head of the main rebel faction HTS, Abu Mohammed Al-Golani, vowed in a separate interview with the New York Times published on Friday that the insurgents could end Assad’s rule.
“This operation broke the enemy,” he said of the rebels’ lightning offensive.


Damascus gripped by anxiety in face of militant offensive

Damascus gripped by anxiety in face of militant offensive
Updated 07 December 2024
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Damascus gripped by anxiety in face of militant offensive

Damascus gripped by anxiety in face of militant offensive
  • Many Syrians have been wracked by uncertainty, fearing a revival of the worst days of Syria’s grinding civil war

DAMASCUS: Like many others in the Syrian capital Damascus, student Shadi chose to stay home so he could keep up with the pace of events since militants launched a shock offensive last week.

“I had no wish to go out and everyone chose to stay in to follow the news surrounded by their loved ones,” said Shadi, who did not wish to give his full name.

As the militants have taken city after city in quick succession, many Syrians have been wracked by uncertainty, fearing a revival of the worst days of Syria’s grinding civil war now in its 14th year.

“We don’t understand anything anymore. In just one week, the twists and turns have been so overwhelming that they are beyond all comprehension,” the young man said.

“The worry is contagious but we have to keep our cool,” he said, never once taking his eyes off the alerts on his mobile phone.

Syrian militants, led by Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS), launched the shock offensive on November 27, sweeping from their stronghold in the northwest to capture swathes of northern and central Syria including the major cities of Aleppo and Hama.

Government forces have launched a counteroffensive seeking to repel the militants but at the cost of relaxing their grip on other parts of the country, notably the east where Kurdish-led forces have taken over.

“Whenever rumors spread, people rush to buy various products, bread, rice, sugar and detergents,” said Amine, 56, who runs a grocery store in the Sheikh Saad neighborhood of the capital.

“Today, I bought twice from my wholesaler to keep up with demand.”

The offensive has already sent food prices skyrocketing by 30 percent in Damascus, according to residents.

The Syrian pound is trading at an all-time low of 19,000 to the dollar, down from 15,000 before the militants launched their offensive on Wednesday of last week.

Security measures — already strict before the offensive — have been beefed up, with extra car searches, particularly on vehicles coming from outside the capital, according to residents.

Concerns have been further driven by the spread of disinformation and rumors.

The Syrian defense ministry has denounced “fabricated” videos, including of explosions at the headquarters of the general staff, calling on citizens not to fall prey to “lies” that “aim to sow chaos and panic among civilians.”

In the usually lively neighborhood of Bab Sharqi, restaurants and cafes are near-deserted in the evening, with some even closing up early due to the absence of customers.

Damascus University has delayed end-of-term exams and the Syrian football federation has postponed matches until further notice.

State news agency SANA reported that at Friday prayers, imams called on the faithful “not to panic... and to stand as one behind the Syrian Arab Army to defend the homeland.”

Georgina, 32, said she had “heard a lot of rumors.”

“I went to Old Damascus and saw a normal situation,” she said, adding that nonetheless “everyone was keeping an eye on the news.”

Meanwhile, some radio stations have switched from variety programming to non-stop news segments.

On state television, programs host analysts and witnesses on the ground, including those denying “rumors” of fresh territorial losses to the advancing militants.


US tells citizens leave Syria ‘now while commercial options remain available’

US tells citizens leave Syria ‘now while commercial options remain available’
Updated 07 December 2024
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US tells citizens leave Syria ‘now while commercial options remain available’

US tells citizens leave Syria ‘now while commercial options remain available’

WASHINGTON: US citizens in Syria should immediately leave the country “while commercial options remain available,” the State Department said Friday, as militant forces continue their offensive against President Bashar Assad’s troops.
“The security situation continues to be volatile and unpredictable with active clashes between armed groups throughout the country. The Department urges US citizens to depart Syria now while commercial options remain available,” the department said in a security alert posted on social media.

 


Syria army says ‘redeploying’ in southern Daraa, Sweida provinces

Syria army says ‘redeploying’ in southern Daraa, Sweida provinces
The escalation in fighting in Syria has displaced around 280,000 people in just over a week, and that number could swell to 1.5
Updated 13 min 35 sec ago
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Syria army says ‘redeploying’ in southern Daraa, Sweida provinces

Syria army says ‘redeploying’ in southern Daraa, Sweida provinces
  • ‘Our forces operating in Daraa and Sweida are redeploying and repositioning, and establishing a... security cordon’

DAMASCUS: Syria’s army said it was redeploying in two southern provinces on Saturday, after a war monitor reported government forces had lost control of most of Daraa province, the cradle of the country’s 2011 uprising.

“Our forces operating in Daraa and Sweida are redeploying and repositioning, and establishing a... security cordon in that direction after terrorist elements attacked remote army checkpoints,” the General Command of the Army and Armed Forces said in a statement carried by state media.

On Friday evening, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said local factions had taken control of more than 90 percent of Daraa, including the eponymous city.

In neighboring Sweida, the Britain-based monitor and local media said the governor, the police and prison chiefs, and the local ruling Baath Party leader had left their offices as local fighters took control of several checkpoints.

The army’s statement said it was “beginning to regain control in Homs and Hama provinces in the face of terrorist organizations,” as militants who launched a stunning offensive last week, taking key cities Aleppo and Hama, battled troops near Homs.

Sweida is the heartland of Syria’s Druze minority and has witnessed anti-government demonstrations for more than a year.

Daraa province, meanwhile, was the cradle of the 2011 uprising against Syrian President Bashar Assad’s rule, but it returned to government control in 2018 under a ceasefire deal brokered by Assad ally Russia.

Former militants there who accepted the 2018 deal were able to keep their light weapons.

Daraa province has been plagued by unrest in recent years, with frequent attacks, armed clashes and assassinations, some claimed by the Daesh group.


UK to join US-Bahrain Middle East security agreement

Bahrain's Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani speaking at the Manama Dialogue Forum where the UK is expected to sig
Bahrain's Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani speaking at the Manama Dialogue Forum where the UK is expected to sig
Updated 07 December 2024
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UK to join US-Bahrain Middle East security agreement

Bahrain's Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani speaking at the Manama Dialogue Forum where the UK is expected to sig
  • Bahrain's foreign minister says agreement brings together countries wanting to deliver "stability and prosperity"
  • Pact will by signed on Saturday during Manama Dialogue conference

LONDON: The UK is set to join a security pact between Bahrain and the US designed to build “long-term stability in the Middle East.”

The UK government said it would sign a deal to join the US-Bahrain Comprehensive Security Integration and Prosperity Agreement on Saturday in Manama.

The original agreement between the US and Bahrain, which have long-standing security ties, was signed in September last year.

At the time the State Department said it would “enhance cooperation across a wide range of areas, from defense and security to emerging technology, trade, and investment.”

Bahrain’s foreign minister confirmed on Friday that the UK had been invited to be a partner in the agreement, Reuters reported.

“The comprehensive security integration and prosperity agreement is designed not as a bilateral arrangement, but as the beginning of a multilateral framework that aims to bring together countries with an equal interest in delivering stability and prosperity,” Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani told the Manama Dialogue security conference in Bahrain.

Hamish Falconer, the UK’s minister for Middle East and North Africa, will travel to Bahrain on Saturday to sign the agreement with officials from Bahrain and the US.

He said the pact was a “joint commitment to be at the forefront of global efforts to promote the rule of law and contribute to regional stability and prosperity.”

Falconer added: “The Middle East is subject to instability and the risks of escalation and miscalculation are high. It is more important than ever for the UK to join efforts to build long-term regional security in the region, alongside key partners Bahrain and (the) US.”

Both the UK and the US have major naval bases in Bahrain, home to America’s Fifth Fleet. Bahrain has supported American and British efforts to protect commercial shipping in the Red Sea, which has been targeted by attacks from Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen for more than a year.

By entering the agreement the UK will bolster its strong security and economic cooperation with Bahrain, the British government said.

The first UK Bahrain Strategic Investment Partnership agreed in 2023 has provided over £1 billion of investment in the UK, the announcement added

The security agreement comes as UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer seeks to deepen relations with Arab Gulf states.

The emir of Qatar this week took part in a two-day state visit to Britain, during which the two countries signed an agreement for Qatar to invest £1 billion in British climate technologies.