Middle Orient

A US-backed Kurdish force in northeast Syria handed over 100 alleged Islamic State (IS) group fighters to Baghdad this week, a senior Iraqi security source told AFP on Sunday.

Syria’s army said on Monday the country’s air defenses intercepted an “Israeli aggression” over the capital, Damascus, in the latest stepped-up bombing of Iranian targets inside the country.

Turkish troops suffered heavy losses during their ongoing operation seeking to invade the area of Gare in Southern Kurdistan, according to a statement published by HPG on the latest situation on the ground. The press office of the People’s Defense Forces (HPG) has released a statement on the Turkish military …

The Turkish military operation in Gare continues in all its ferocity. Within 24 hours, the region has been bombed at least 18 times. The guerrillas are resisting and using their own air defense units.

The Turkish cross-border operation in the guerrilla area of Gare, which started on Wednesday night, has been ceased on Sunday. The Turkish army has retreated after suffering major blows during the course of the operation.

The country’s air defenses intercepted “Israeli aggression” over Damascus, Syria’s State media (SANA) said on Monday. SANA quoted a source saying Israeli military planes flew over the Golan Heights to hit targets on the edge of the capital, without mentioning casualties but adding air defenses downed most of the missiles.

The Syrian forces responded to the Israeli attacks in the skies over the capital, Damascus, for several hours early Monday, the Syrian official news agency SANA reported.

No sooner had an agreement been reached between the Syrian regime and US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces to lift the mutual sieges imposed in northeast Syria that accusations were traded about violations of the Russian-sponsored deal.

Repeated attacks on Turkish posts and soldiers in Idlib are obstructing Turkish efforts to reopen the M4 international highway and cement the cease-fire, raising questions about the parties behind the attacks. The Turkish Defense Ministry recently announced the killing of a sergeant in an attack waged by unknown men Jan. …

The Israeli Military Analyst, Alon Ben David, considered that Hezbollah elite troops are deployed in the Lebanese border towns with the occupied Palestinian territories to invade Galilee and occupy a number of settlements for a number of days upon the command of the Resistance leadership, adding that period of calm …