BEIRUT: Syrian warplanes carried out air strikes on Saturday against Daesh in an area of countryside east of Raqqa and close to where US-backed forces operate, Syrian state TV reported, citing a military source.
The attacks in the town of Maadan and village of Bir Al-Sabkhawi, near the provincial boundary with Deir Al-Zor governorate, “destroyed several bases and vehicles” belonging to the Islamist group, the source said.
The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said it was the first time in several weeks that the Syrian military had launched an attack in that area.
The Syrian army has active front lines with Daesh in Raqqa’s western countryside, where it has recaptured territory from the jihadists.
But air strikes in the east take the fight closer to where the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an alliance dominated by Kurdish fighters, are operating.
The SDF launched a final assault to drive Daesh out of its stronghold of Raqqa city last month, and have spearheaded efforts against the group in Syria’s northeast.
The Syrian army backed by Russian warplanes is separately fighting the jihadists further west, but has also carried out air raids in Raqqa and Deir Al-Zor provinces.
The SDF accused Syrian government forces of bombing their positions in June, one of several incidents that raised tension between the United States on one side and Syria and Russia on the other.
It was not immediately clear how close Saturday’s air strikes came to SDF positions, but they were within kilometers (miles) of SDF-controlled territory.
Syrian military says jets attack Daesh east of Raqqa — state TV
Syrian military says jets attack Daesh east of Raqqa — state TV
Arab coalition warns against military moves undermining de-escalation in Yemen
DUBAI: The Arab coalition supporting Yemen’s internationally recognised government warned on Saturday that any military movements undermining de-escalation efforts would be dealt with immediately to protect civilians, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
The coalition’s spokesperson, Major General Turki Al-Maliki, said the warning follows a request from Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council to take urgent measures to protect civilians in Hadramout Governorate amid what he described as serious humanitarian violations by groups affiliated with the Southern Transitional Council.
The statement said the measures are part of ongoing joint Saudi-Emirati efforts to reduce tensions, facilitate the withdrawal of forces, hand over military camps, and enable local authorities to carry out their duties.
Al-Maliki reaffirmed the coalition’s support for Yemen’s internationally recognized government and called on all parties to exercise restraint and engage in peaceful solutions, the agency reported.
The STC has pushed the internationally recognised government from its headquarters in Aden while claiming broad control across the south this month.
Saudi Arabia has called STC forces to withdraw from areas it seized earlier in December in the eastern provinces of Hadramout and Mahra.
