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ERC facilitates joyous Eid celebration for Syrian Refugees

Al Harmoudi detailed the team’s participation in Eid Al Fitr prayers alongside the refugees…reports Asian Lite News

The Emirates Red Crescent (ERC) team at Emirati-Jordanian camp for Syrian refugees in Mrajeeb Al Fhood has successfully facilitated a joyous Eid Al Fitr celebration for Syrian refugees residing there.

Underscoring the ERC’s unwavering commitment to child welfare, the Deputy Director of the relief team, Yousof Al Harmoudi, emphasised their mission to provide a comprehensive well-being experience for camp residents, particularly children, mirroring that of those outside the camps.

“The ERC team at Mrajeeb Al Fhood is dedicated to fulfilling all essential needs of the refugees,” said Al Harmoudi. “This encompasses providing food, clothing, medical supplies, shelter, and additional crucial support. Recognising the significance of entertainment in fostering child development, we prioritise addressing the emotional well-being of all refugees, especially the younger population.”

Al Harmoudi further detailed the team’s participation in Eid Al Fitr prayers alongside the refugees, followed by customary celebratory greetings and the distribution of Eid gifts, specifically designated for children and orphans.

To further enrich the festive atmosphere, the camp administration partnered with a local company to organise a series of engaging events. These events included cultural competitions, artistic performances showcasing the rich tapestry of Emirati, Jordanian, and Syrian folklore, face painting, henna artistry, and appearances by popular cartoon characters.

The Eid festivities, held across various locations within the camp, witnessed a significant turnout from residents, fostering a spirit of unity and celebration.

It is noteworthy that the ERC remains a critical source of support, ensuring the overall well-being of over 6,000 Syrian refugees residing in the camp.

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UNSC fails to condemn strike on Iran in Syria

The U.S. says it has not confirmed the status of the building struck in Damascus, but that it would be concerned if it was a diplomatic facility…reports Asian Lite News

The United States, Britain and France on Wednesday opposed a Russian-drafted U.N. Security Council statement that would have condemned an attack on Iran’s embassy compound in Syria, which Tehran has blamed on Washington’s ally Israel.

Press statements by the 15-member council have to be agreed by consensus. Diplomats said the U.S., backed by France and Britain, told council colleagues that many of the facts of what happened on Monday in Damascus remained unclear and there was no consensus among council members during a meeting on Tuesday.

“This serves as a clear illustration of the double standards employed by the Western ‘troika’ and their actual, rather than declarative, approach to legality and order in the international context,” Russia’s deputy U.N. Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy said in a post on X.

The U.N. Security Council has issued statements in the past condemning attacks on diplomatic premises. The European Union on Wednesday condemned the strike – saying the inviolability of diplomatic and consular premises and personnel must be respected – and called on countries to show restraint.

The U.S. says it has not confirmed the status of the building struck in Damascus, but that it would be concerned if it was a diplomatic facility.

Israel has not claimed responsibility for the attack, which destroyed a consular building adjacent to the main embassy complex, killing seven members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.

Iran has accused Israel of violating the founding U.N. Charter, international law, and also cited several conventions.

The 1961 Vienna Convention governing diplomatic relations and 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations define premises as buildings, parts of buildings and land – regardless of ownership – used for the purposes of the diplomatic or consular mission, including the head of the diplomatic mission.

Those conventions state that the diplomatic or consular premises “shall be inviolable.” But they also say the premises should “not be used in any manner incompatible” with the diplomatic and consular functions.

Iran also cited the 1973 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes Against Internationally Protected Persons, including Diplomatic Agents – suggesting those killed were covered by these rules.

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Israel bombs Iran embassy in Syria

A top Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) General, identified as Brigadier General Mohammed Reza Zahedi, was killed in the airstrike allegedly by Israel in Damascus…reports Asian Lite News

An Israeli missile strike hit the consulate building in the compound of the Iranian embassy in the Syrian capital, Damascus, leveling the building to the ground and leaving an unknown number of casualties, according to a media report.

Reporters on Monday saw thick plumes of smoke rising from the building located on the Mazzeh Highway to the west of Damascus after the attack, which triggered a big boom sound as the Syrian air defences attempted to intercept the missiles.

The demolished structure is the consular section of the Iranian embassy, with an Iranian flag resting amid the wreckage, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Syrian Defence Ministry said in a statement that the attack occurred at about 5:00 p.m. local time, when Israel launched an aerial aggression from the direction of the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, targeting the building of the Iranian Consulate in Damascus.

Syria’s air defence intercepted some of the missiles, it noted, adding the attack resulted in fatalities and injuries. Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad, who arrived at the scene following the missile strike, condemned the attack.

He said the Israeli attack would not affect the Syrian-Iranian relations.

The Syrian Defence Ministry said efforts were underway to retrieve the bodies of the victims, provide medical assistance to the wounded, and remove the rubble.

Ambulances rushed to the scene while military vehicles swiftly cordoned off the embassy’s perimeter.

Top Iranian General killed

A top Iranian General was killed in the airstrike allegedly by Israel in Damascus. The officer identified as Brigadier General Mohammed Reza Zahedi is a top general of the Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

The Arab media reported late Monday night said that he was killed along with a Lieutenant and five other officers.

Iran Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian in a statement said that Tehran holds Israel responsible for the consequences of the attack.

Sources in Israel Defence Ministry told IANS that Zahedi is the topmost ranking Iranian officer killed since the October 7 war between Israel and Hamas began last year.

Zahedi, according to sources, is ranked above Sayyed Reza Mousavi killed in December, 2023.

According to sources, Zahedi was the highest ranking officer in communication with Hezbollah and his death is a major body blow to Iran and its Quds Forces widely believed to be the main force behind terror outfit Hezbollah.

He had commanded the Iran Air Force and was, according to Israeli agencies, responsible for smuggling arms into Lebanon for the Hezbollah.

The Arabic and Hebrew media said that the airstrike was on a building adjacent to the Iranian consulate in Syria. This building was serving as the regional headquarters of the IRGC.

Iranian embassy in Syria in a statement on Monday night said, “The barbaric Israeli aggression is a flagrant violation of international laws, diplomatic norms and the requirements of the Vienna Convention.”

Iran vows retaliation

Iranian Ambassador to Syria, Hossein Akbari, has promised that Iran will respond to Israel’s attack on the Iranian embassy with equal force.

Following the Israeli missile strike on the consulate building of the Iranian embassy, Akbari told reporters earlier on Monday that five of his colleagues lost their lives in the attack, while two Iranian embassy guards were injured.

Israel “has clearly violated international laws. When will international organisations, which are meant to enforce these laws, take action?” he said.

The Iranian ambassador issued a warning that Iran will not let Israel’s actions go unanswered and will retaliate with equal force, Xinhua news agency reported.

Israel “will face consequences for their actions, and we will respond with the same intensity,” Akbari added.

The Syrian Defence Ministry said the missile attack occurred at about 5:00 p.m. local time when Israel launched an aerial aggression from the direction of the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, targeting the building of the Iranian embassy.

The incident marks a significant escalation in hostilities between Israel and Iran.

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Syrian President Raises Alarm Over US Actions in Middle East

During the meeting, Assad highlighted the need for offering maximum support to the Palestinian people, commending their resilience during the recent Israeli attacks on Gaza…reports Asian Lite News

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has expressed concerns that Washington’s attacks in different parts of the Middle East threaten to expand the conflict in the region, the media reported.

In a meeting with visiting Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in Syrian capital Damascus, Assad criticised the US for its approach to the ongoing Israeli military campaign in the Gaza Strip, Xinhua news agency reported.

He expressed concerns about Washington’s ongoing provision of “lethal weapons” to Israel and its military operations in various parts of the Middle East, saying they pose a risk of escalating the conflict.

During the meeting, Assad highlighted the need for offering maximum support to the Palestinian people, commending their resilience during the recent Israeli attacks on Gaza.

Assad also discussed with Amir-Abdollahian the Israeli attacks on Syrian territories and the overall regional developments, according to the state news agency SANA.

They stressed the importance for international institutions, particularly the UN Security Council, to take immediate action to halt the looming Israeli assault in Rafah, the southernmost Gazan city, currently sheltering more than half of the displaced Palestinians in the enclave.

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Security Council discusses US strikes in Syria

The UN has repeatedly warned of the danger that the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas on Israel and the war that has followed in Gaza could spark an escalation into a wider regional conflict….reports Asian Lite News

The UN on Monday repeated its call for all those involved in conflicts in the region to “step back from the brink and to consider the unbearable human and economic cost of a potential regional conflict.”

It warned that the Middle East remains “highly volatile,” and called for the development and implementation of a clear political road map designed to resolve the conflicts that rage there.

During a meeting of the Security Council to discuss the latest escalations in the region, including the US strikes on targets in Yemen, Syria and Iraq, the under-secretary-general for political and peacebuilding affairs, Rosemarie DiCarlo, once again called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza and for the unconditional release of all Israeli hostages held by Hamas.

The UN has repeatedly warned of the danger that the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas on Israel and the war that has followed in Gaza could spark an escalation into a wider regional conflict.

Since the Hamas attacks there have been near-daily incidents in several countries, including about 165 attacks on US targets in Syria and Iraq, prompting Washington to launch retaliatory strikes in both countries.

On Jan. 28, a drone attack killed three American personnel and injured 40 at a US military outpost in northeastern Jordan. These were the first combat fatalities among US forces related to the current regional crisis.

Washington attributed that attack to the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, and President Joe Biden vowed the US would “hold all those responsible to account at a time and in a manner of our choosing.”

A few days later, US Central Command carried out 85 retaliatory airstrikes in western Iraq and eastern Syria, targeting sites used by Iran’s Quds Force, a branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. Washington said the attacks targeted command-and-control operations, intelligence centers and weapons facilities, and stressed it was not seeking a wider conflict in the Middle East or elsewhere.

Iran, Iraq and Syria condemned the attacks, which they said caused the deaths of 16 people in Iraq, including civilians, and 23 people affiliated with militias in Syria. Iraqi authorities summoned the US charge d’affaires in Baghdad and disputed a US claim that Washington had provided them with advance warning of the strikes.

Though the Iraqi government has reiterated that it remains committed to protecting US and other coalition forces in Iraq, DiCarlo said some armed factions linked to the “Islamic Resistance in Iraq have pledged to continue their attacks against US and coalition forces in the region.”

She told the Security Council that the wave of violence since early October has encompassed a large swath of the Middle East. She highlighted in particular the daily exchanges of fire across the blue line that separates Israel and Lebanon between the Israeli army and the Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah.

She also expressed concern about ongoing drone and missile attacks by the Houthis in Yemen and the threat they pose to international shipping in the Red Sea. She said they risk “exacerbating the conflict and further impacting international trade, as companies divert ships away from critical maritime routes.”

The US and UK have been launching strikes on Houthi positions in Yemen since Jan. 11. In the past three days alone, they hit more than 36 targets at 13 locations, including what were described as command-and-control sites.

Russia’s permanent representative to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, accused Washington of deliberately stoking the conflict in an attempt to expand it to some of the biggest countries in the region, as he called on the international community to condemn the “senseless acts of Washington and its allies in the Middle East.”

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US carries out multiple airstrikes against Iran-backed militias

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These were only the first of retaliatory strikes and more will follow, the US has said.

 In a sharp escalation in hostilities in West Asia, the US carried out multiple airstrikes against Iran-backed militias in Iraq and Syria in retaliation to a drone attack that killed three American soldiers in Jordan.

No targets were struck in Iran as many had called for.

These were only the first of retaliatory strikes and more will follow, the US has said.

The attacks followed the arrival of the bodies of the three American personnel killed in a drone strike by an Iran-backed group. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden joined the families at a military base in Delaware, his home state, for the dignified transfer as the solemn occasion is called. Although the strikes followed shortly after, news reports suggested they were not linked.

“This afternoon, at my direction, US military forces struck targets at facilities in Iraq and Syria that the IRGC and affiliated militia use to attack US forces,” Biden said in a statement, referring to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.

He added: “Our response began today. It will continue at times and places of our choosing.”

The US President, who has been under mounting pressure internally to hit Iran, did not explain why the Friday airstrikes did not include targets in Iran, the US is unlikely to take that route because it does not want a war with Iran.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austen said in a separate statement: “This is the start of our response. The President has directed additional actions to hold the IRGC and affiliated militias accountable for their attacks on US and Coalition Forces. These will unfold at times and places of our choosing.”

The Central Command of the US military, which carried out the retaliatory attacks, said in a statement that 85 targets were hit and they included the IRGC’s Quds Force, which conducts unconventional warfare that includes running militias to serve its interests abroad. The US used long-range B-1 bombers aircraft that can carry a sizable volume and quantity of munition.

The Central Command said that the facilities that were struck included command and control operations centres, intelligence centres, rockets, missiles, unmanned aerial vehicle storage, and logistics and munition supply chain facilities of militia groups and their IRGC sponsors.

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Iran Targets Alleged ‘Terrorist Havens’ in Syria and Iraqi Kurdistan

Four people were killed as a result of the missile strike conducted by IRGC on Iraqi Kurdistan’s capital of Erbil, according to the Kurdistan Region Security Council….reports Asian Lite News

Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) on Tuesday announced that it launched barrages of ballistic missiles against the bases of “terrorists” and Israel’s intelligence service Mossad in Syria and Iraq’s Kurdistan Region, respectively, in response to recent anti-Tehran “terror” attacks.

The IRGC announced the attacks in three statements published on Sepah News, describing the operations, which it said were carried out at midnight, as responses to recent “terrorist attacks” in the southeastern Iranian provinces of Kerman and Sistan and Baluchestan as well as Israel’s assassinations of Iranian and resistance commanders, reports Xinhua news agency.

Four people were killed as a result of the missile strike conducted by IRGC on Iraqi Kurdistan’s capital of Erbil, according to the Kurdistan Region Security Council.

At 11.30 p.m. on Monday, the IRGC fired ballistic missiles on “several populated civilian areas” in Erbil, the Council said in a statement early Tuesday.

“Erbil, as a stable region, has never been a source of threat to any party,” the statement said, describing the missile attack as “a clear violation of the sovereignty of the (Kurdish) region and Iraq”.

The statement also called on the federal government and the international community not to remain silent about such attacks.

The latest developments come more than two week after two “suicide terrorists” detonated two bombs near the tomb of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani in Kerman on January 3, which resulted in over 90 deaths and 280 injuries.

The Islamic State terrorist group claimed responsibility for the bombings.

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UK agrees to repatriate 6 from Syrian detention camps

Al-Hol refugee camp in Syria (Credit: twitter.com/UNOCHA)

A Syrian news agency said the woman and children, British nationals from several families, were delivered to UK officials on Saturday…reports Asian Lite News

Authorities in the UK have authorized the repatriation of a woman and five children from detention camps in Syria, The Guardian newspaper reported on Tuesday.

It is only the second time since the ground war against Daesh ended four years ago that Britain has allowed an adult believed to have connections with the group to return.

A Syrian news agency said the woman and children, British nationals from several families, were delivered to UK officials on Saturday.

Robel Baho, a representative of the foreign relations department of the Kurdish administration in northeastern Syria, urged the international community to take steps to repatriate more of the foreign citizens who have been held in camps for up to five years.

More than 160 children and 50 women have been returned to France, while Germany has accepted the return of almost 100 women and children. The efforts of the UK have been much slower in comparison. Since 2019, the country has permitted the return of at least 10 British children, mainly orphans or unaccompanied minors, but only one adult, a woman who was repatriated in October 2022.

A human rights group and a former minister criticized UK authorities for their reluctance, in comparison with other Western countries, to repatriate citizens who lived under Daesh control.

Maya Foa, the head of Reprieve, an organization that assists British citizens detained in the camps in northeastern Syria, expressed relief that some people have been granted permission to return home, but frustration with the overall situation.

“British families are still being held in desert prison camps because of UK government inaction,” she told The Guardian.

“British children are growing up in dangerous tent cities patrolled by men with guns” Foa said, as she accused UK authorities of operating a “cruel, counterproductive, politically motivated policy.”

It is estimated that between 20 and 25 British women or families remain in the detention camps, along with others originally from the UK whose citizenship was revoked but are contesting that decision in British courts. The most prominent such case is that of Shamima Begum, who traveled from the UK to Syria in 2015, at the age of 15, to live under Daesh rule. Her case is under review by the Court of Appeal.

British officials say that repatriation is considered on a case-by-case basis but the details of how such decisions are made are often not disclosed, The Guardian said.

Conservative MP David Davis, a former Cabinet minister, criticized the UK for failing to accept the responsibility for dealing with its citizens to the same extent as allies such as Australia, Canada, France and Germany. He said that when appropriate, citizens who return could be prosecuted in UK courts for terror-related offenses.

Begum has said she would be willing to stand trial if she is allowed to return to the UK and authorities want to charge her for being a member of Daesh.

ALSO READ-Iran Expresses Priority for Syria’s Peace

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Iran Expresses Priority for Syria’s Peace

Arnous gave the assurance that the Syrian government and people would not change their positions and would always continue their resistance…reports Asian Lite News

Iranian Vice President Mohammad Mokhber has said his country is determined to expand economic cooperation with Syria as the latter has a special place in the eyes of his government.

Describing the bilateral relations as “strategic, close and cordial”, Mokhber said Syria had a special place in the eyes of the Iranian government and people and that they attached priority to the Syrian people’s peace, independence, success and welfare.

He made the remarks in a meeting with visiting Syrian Prime Minister Hussein Arnous in Tehran, Xinhua news agency reported.

Mokhber said “Today, the resistance of the Syrian government and people has disappointed the enemies, a part of whom have left the country,” expressing hope that they would fully withdraw from Syria and the region.

The Syrian premier, for his part, described bilateral relations as “deep-rooted, historical and strategic,” saying the Syrian government and people would not forget Iran’s support for and honorable stances toward their country.

He stressed that Syria and Iran were constantly under the intensified pressures of the West, including the US, as they were seeking to maintain their independence.

Arnous gave the assurance that the Syrian government and people would not change their positions and would always continue their resistance.

He highlighted Iran’s important role in his country’s reconstruction, noting that Damascus would seek to make Iran its main partner and the top priority in Syria’s reconstruction.

During the meeting, both sides condemned the Israeli “crimes” and attacks against Gaza, slamming the international community and organisations for their failure to react fittingly.

Arnous arrived in Tehran on Friday to meet with high-ranking Iranian officials and follow up on the implementation of the bilateral agreements and joint projects.

ALSO READ-UN Envoy Urges Urgent De-escalation in Syria

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UN Envoy Urges Urgent De-escalation in Syria

These strikes have coincided with reports of rocket and missile launches from southern Syria over the occupied Syrian Golan toward Israel, she added…reports Asian Lite News

UN Deputy Special Envoy for Syria, Najat Rochdi, has called for urgent de-escalation in Syria and warned of the spillover of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

“We remain deeply concerned about the prospect of a potentially wider escalation in Syria. The effects of the tragic developments in the occupied Palestinian territory and Israel continue to be felt inside Syria,” she told the Security Council on Tuesday.

On November 25, Israeli airstrikes once again hit Damascus airport, once again temporarily halting the UN Humanitarian Air Service which operates from this airport and services Syria’s humanitarian programs, she noted as quoted by Xinhua news agency report.

“Targeting civilian infrastructure is prohibited under international law.”

The attack on Damascus airport came after several other airstrikes attributed to Israel on other locations across Syria as well as reports of Israeli artillery fire into southern Syria, she said.

These strikes have coincided with reports of rocket and missile launches from southern Syria over the occupied Syrian Golan toward Israel, she added.

Near-daily reports of attacks on US forces in northeast Syria continue, mostly claimed by the so-called Islamic Resistance in Iraq, though none have been reported in the last few days. The US, which claims that groups behind these attacks are backed by Iran, have carried out two more rounds of what they say are retaliatory strikes on facilities in Syria which it claims are used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and groups that it backs. Iran denies that these groups are affiliated with it, said Rochdi.

Meanwhile, the Syrian conflict continues in all its other dimensions, involving Syrian government forces, rebels, terrorist groups and Türkiye, she added.

“Violence continues in Syria, including spillover from Gaza and Israel. To continue such violence is to play with fire. Just one miscalculation … could ignite a dozen different powder kegs that lie within Syrian borders,” she warned.

“We need sustained de-escalation operationalised through robust channels between all stakeholders. We need the killing, injuring and displacement of civilians, and the destruction of infrastructure not just to decrease, but to end,” she noted.

Such a de-escalation of violent conflict would be a vital start, but it is not enough. The only way to tackle this unsustainable status quo is through a credible and comprehensive approach to a political solution that puts all of the issues of concern to stakeholders on the table, allowing Syrians to realise their legitimate aspirations and chart a path to restoring Syria’s sovereignty, unity, independence and territorial integrity, said Rochdi.

Attention on Syria has ebbed somewhat given the terrible crisis in the region, but the situation in Syria is too dangerous to be left unattended, she warned.

“If we do not give the Syrian parties and people a horizon of hope and a political path to resolving their conflict, I fear that the situation will boil over again and again, spilling across a region that is already in a moment of historical crisis,” Rochdi added.

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