SYRIA UPDATE

Damascus Government And Local Leaders Reach Initial Agreement On Al-Rukban Camp

Under the agreement, the local leaders of the al-Rukban camp will hand over a list of people who want to join the reconciliation process to the Damascus government. Another part of the refugees will likely be evacuated to the Euphrates Shield area in the northern Aleppo countryside.

Syria a victim of wars fought in the name of oil – Austrian Foreign Minister

Oil is the real reason behind all conflicts in the Middle East while Syria is just the latest victim of this struggle, Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl told the UN General Assembly in a speech she started in Arabic. All the wars the region witnessed over the recent decades are just a continuation of this fight for the control over the fossil fuels that still “dominate the energy mix” in the world, the foreign minister said, adding that Syria, which has been engulfed in a bloody seven-years conflict, is “a victim of instability created by all these wars.”

Russia’s S-300 Systems ‘Enough’ to Respond to Israel’s Threat – Syrian FM

“It is a system which is defensive in its nature rather than offensive, and it is intended for the defense of the Syrian airspace. If we analyze the importance of the Syrian airspace’s protection, we will see that it reflects security and stability, but not a war. I would like to note that it is a very timely step and we are very grateful to Russia for its efforts,” the minister said in an interview. “In any case, S-300 is enough to respond to these threats,” the minister told the RT broadcaster, answering a question about Israeli threats in connection to Iran’s presence on the Syrian territory.

112 Russian Servicemembers Died Since Start Of Operation In Syria: Official

He added that most of the casualties was caused by the incidents with An-26 and Il-20 planes. According to Bondarev, the Russian military lost 8 planes, 7 helicopters and “maybe” 1-2 BTR and armoured vehicles.

Syrian Foreign Minister Accuses U.S. Of Sabotaging Talks With Kurds

The Syrian people are against secession and the Kurds talk about their rights, some of which are possible … The Americans entered Syria without legitimacy and their presence strengthens the Kurds’ tendency to secede … Washington ruined the talks between Damascus and the SDC and provided military support for it,” Muallem said during an interview with the Russian RT TV network. Washington is attracting ISIS remnants and retraining its militants at the al-Tanaf base to send them to fight Syrian government forces,” Muallem said.

Syria-Bahrain Relations Seem To Be Improving As Conflict In Syria Enters Its Final Phase

Syria’s Foreign Minister Walid Muallem was filmed having a public warm chat with his Bahraini counterpart Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa on the sidelines of the 73rd UN General Assembly session. The Saudi-owned al-Arabiya, which released the footage of the meeting, quoted an Arab source as saying that the meeting is a part of the Arabian efforts to solve the crisis in Syria.

Local observers believe that Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the UAE are interested in restoring their relations with Syria in order to counter the growing influence of Turkey and Iran in the war torn country. Furthermore, these three countries view the Muslim Brotherhood party as a terrorist threat, just like the Damascus government.

SDF Security Forces Neutralize Terrorist Cell In Raqqa City (Photos)

“The targets [terrorist elements] were located in the street of Basil near the neighborhood of Diriyah inside two houses used by the terrorist cell as a hideout to prepare its missions and command its elements. Later, the special forces raided the hideout and clashed with the cell, as a result two elements were killed and five others were arrested,” the SDF’s security forces said in their official statement.

A group of three ISIS members was arrested while trying to escape with large sums of money