International
Islamist rebels in Syria strengthen their control of Aleppo after the Army withdraws
The Islamist alliance Levante Liberation Agency and armed factions backed by Turkey strengthened control of almost the entire city of Aleppo, in northern Syria, and the neighboring province of Idlib after four days of offensive against the army of Syrian President Bashar al Asad.
The offensive, launched last Wednesday after days of intense bombing against the bastion of the pro-Turkic factions, Idlib, has so far caused a balance of about 350 deaths on both sides, among which are a quarantine of civilians, according to the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights.
This is the first time that rebels have entered the city of Aleppo since it was taken by the Al Asad Army in 2016, while the escalation of violence and the rapid advance of these factions considered “terrorists” by Damascus and its ally Russia represent the greatest challenge for the Syrian Government since 2020.
Aleppo falls with hardly any resistance
The rebels managed to enter the city of Aleppo yesterday for the first time, where this Saturday they extended their control in the vast majority of neighborhoods and even managed to take the international airport of what is the second largest city in Syria.
So far, only some areas of the northeast of the city under the rule of Kurdish forces – allied of Damascus against the pro-Turkish Islamists – are offering resistance after the withdrawal of the Syrian Army and the pro-Iranian militias that support Al Assad, according to the Observatory.
And it is that Al Asad’s troops recognized today that the insurgents have taken control of “marge” part of Aleppo and have suffered “dozens” of casualties among their ranks.
“The large number of terrorists and the multiple combat fronts led our Armed Forces to carry out a redeployment operation aimed at strengthening the lines of defense to absorb the attack, preserve civilian and soldier lives and prepare for a counterattack,” the Syrian Army said in a statement.
“Concentrated attacks”
However, the regular troops said that they have continued to launch “concentrated attacks” against the insurgents after their “temporary” withdrawal from Aleppo, “waiting for the completion of the arrival of military forces to distribute them on the combat axes, in preparation for a counterattack.”
In the midst of the chaos that has invaded the city, Russian fighter jets carried out several bombings against Aleppo that killed at least 16 civilians and several pro-Turkish fighters, according to the NGO, which pointed out that there is a large displacement of people from the homonymous province due to the escalation of violence.
Dozens of them are trying to reach the border with Lebanon, according to the Observatory, after a ceasefire between Israel and the Shii group Hezbula on Wednesday.
Idlib control and advances in Hama
In parallel, the rebels have strengthened their almost complete control of the neighboring province of Idlib after taking the strategic city of Maarat al Numan, which since 2020 was in the hands of the Syrian Army, and later the city of Jan Shayjun, which borders the administrative demarcation of Hama, in north-central Syria.
That advance and the break-of of Al Asad’s troops have allowed the Islamists to enter several kilometers in the north of Hama, where they are not encountering much opposition from the Army either.
The offensive comes at a time when Turkey is seeking to re-establish relations with Damascus, although the Syrian government claims that Ankara must withdraw its troops from northern Syria and stop supporting opposition groups to move towards the normalization of ties, broken since the beginning of the Syrian civil war 13 years ago.
This operation began on the same day of the entry into force of the truce in Lebanon and after the hard blows inflicted by Israel on the Lebanese Shiite group Hezbula both in that country and in Syria, where the armed movement maintains a wide presence and is one of the main allies of the Government of Damascus.
Al Asad says he is capable of defeating the rebels “with the help of allies”
Syrian President Bashar al Asad said on Saturday that, with the help of “allies and friends,” his Army is capable of defeating the Turkish-backed Islamist rebels, who have managed to control large areas of northwestern Syria in four days of offensive.
“Syria continues to defend its stability and territorial integrity against all terrorists and supporters and is capable, with the help of its allies and friends, of defeating and eliminating them no matter how severe their terrorist attacks are,” Al Asad said in a call with his Emirati counterpart, Mohamed bin Zayed.
International
Brésil : 11 morts et 45 blessés dans un violent accident entre un bus et un camion
Onze personnes ont perdu la vie et quarante-cinq autres ont été blessées lors d’une collision frontale entre un camion de marchandises et un autobus dans le centre-ouest du Brésil, ont annoncé les autorités ce samedi.
L’accident s’est produit vendredi à 21h40, heure locale, sur la route BR-163, près de la localité de Lucas do Rio Verde, dans l’État du Mato Grosso.
Selon la Police routière fédérale (PRF), un autobus reliant la capitale de l’État, Cuiabá, à Sinop est entré en collision frontale avec un camion transportant des graines de coton.
« L’accident a fait 11 morts », a indiqué la PRF dans un communiqué, précisant qu’une enquête est en cours pour déterminer les causes du drame.
Les blessés ont été transportés vers des hôpitaux de la région : 11 sont dans un état grave, 26 présentent des blessures modérées et 8 sont légèrement touchés, selon la police routière.
Le conducteur du camion a subi des blessures modérées.
La société de transport Rio Novo, propriétaire de l’autobus, a confirmé l’accident.
« Notre priorité est de prendre soin des victimes et de leurs familles », a déclaré l’entreprise dans un message publié sur les réseaux sociaux.
Les accidents mortels sont fréquents sur les routes brésiliennes, un pays aux dimensions continentales.
Dimanche dernier, huit personnes avaient trouvé la mort dans une collision impliquant deux voitures et une moto dans l’État de Minas Gerais (sud-est).
En mai, une collision frontale entre une minifourgonnette et un camion avait fait neuf morts et dix blessés, également dans le Minas Gerais.
International
U.S. doubles bounty on Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro to $50 million
In February, the United States designated eight Latin American criminal organizations as “global terrorist” groups, including Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel, Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua, and the MS-13 gang. In July, it added the Cartel of the Suns to the list — a group Washington claims is led by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Last Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration doubled the reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest, raising it from $25 million to $50 million, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on social media platform X.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio explained that labeling the Cartel of the Suns as a terrorist organization allows for a strategic shift in dealing with the Venezuelan regime, as it is now also considered a direct threat to U.S. national security, according to El Espectador.
In an interview with The World Over on EWTN, Rubio said the designation enables the U.S. to “use intelligence agencies, the Department of Defense, or any other element of American power to go after them.” He stressed this is no longer just a law enforcement matter, but a national security operation.
When asked at the White House whether he believes it is worth sending the military to combat Latin American drug cartels, Trump responded:
“Latin America has many cartels, a lot of drug trafficking, so, you know, we want to protect our country. We have to protect it.”
International
Three injured in early-morning New York City shooting
A shooting in New York City early Saturday morning left three people injured, a police spokesperson told AFP.
The incident occurred at around 1:20 a.m. local time (05:20 GMT) following a dispute. An 18-year-old woman sustained a scratch to the neck, while a 19-year-old man and a 65-year-old man were injured in the lower limbs.
The victims were taken to Bellevue Hospital, where they were reported to be in stable condition.
The alleged shooter was taken into custody at the scene, and a firearm was recovered. As of now, the suspect has not been formally charged.
Videos circulating on social media show scenes of panic among the crowd, though AFP has not been able to verify their authenticity. The incident comes just weeks after another shooting in a Manhattan skyscraper that left four people injured before the gunman took his own life.
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