BEIRUT: Daesh fighters clashed with Syrian insurgents in the northwestern province of Idlib on Friday, a monitoring group and a rebel commander said, accusing pro-government forces of opening a corridor for the extremists to reach the region.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said government forces had allowed Daesh fighters to leave a besieged pocket of territory at the intersection of Aleppo, Idlib and Hama provinces, and then go to southern Idlib.
A military news outlet run by Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which is fighting on the Syrian government side, reported gains for the army and its allies against Daesh in that pocket, but made no mention of the militants being allowed to leave.
A commander in the alliance fighting alongside Syria’s army said the Daesh militants left the enclave. “The pocket is finished. A crossing was opened till they exited, and then it was closed,” the commander said.
The Syrian military could not be reached for comment.
“The regime started the operation against this pocket seven days ago, suddenly they were able to take 80 villages and towns after giving them a corridor,” said Rami Abdulrahman, director of the Observatory, a Britain-based war monitoring group.
Hasan Hajj Ali, commander of the Free Idlib Army rebel group, confirmed the report. Ali said his fighters were taking part in clashes against some 200 Islamic State fighters who had arrived in southern Idlib early on Friday.
“This morning at dawn we were surprised by the joint treachery by the regime and Daesh,” he told Reuters. Clashes were under way in the village of Lweibdeh, he said. “They have six armored vehicles with them.”
A source in the Ahrar Al-Sham faction said Daesh fighters had pushed into south Idlib from government territory.
“The rebel factions are repelling Daesh attempts to advance,” the source said. “The regime’s militias opened a gap helping the besieged Daesh forces pass.”
Idlib is the largest chunk of Syrian territory held by insuirgent factions opposed to President Bashar Assad’s government. Extremist factions including Al-Qaeda’s former affiliate in the Syrian war dominate the province.
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Daesh fighters move to Syria’s Idlib, clash with factions — sources
Daesh fighters move to Syria’s Idlib, clash with factions — sources
New Riyadh Air route to boost Dubai airport’s growth projection
- World’s busiest travel hub adding more routes to Saudi Arabia
- Dubai Airports forecasts 99.5 million passengers in 2026
DUBAI: Dubai International Airport (DXB), the world’s busiest travel hub, is expected to handle close to 100 million passengers this year, its operator said on Wednesday, building on a record performance in 2025.
Dubai Airports forecasts 99.5 million passengers in 2026, it said in a statement, as demand strengthens across several major markets.
DXB handled 95.2 million passengers last year, up 3.1 percent from 2024. India, Saudi Arabia and Britain remained among its largest markets, while China, Egypt and Italy recorded double-digit growth.
“We’ve had some pretty good growing markets … and those, I think, are the markets where there’s going to be considerable potential,” Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths said in an interview, mentioning countries including China and Russia.
“We’re adding more routes to Saudi Arabia,” he said, adding that Riyadh Air, which is owned by the kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund and commenced operations last year, will start operating a route to and from DXB “over the next few months.”
Dubai, home to the world’s tallest tower and palm-shaped islands, is the Middle East’s biggest tourism and trade hub. It is also a key connecting point for flights between Europe and Asia, and last year welcomed 19.6 million international overnight visitors, according to government data.
DXB had its busiest day, month, quarter and year on record in 2025, operating “at the edge of physical capacity,” Dubai Airports said.
Griffiths said investment to roll out advanced hand baggage screening machines was helping to smooth the flow of traffic.
To meet rising demand and a fast-growing population, the emirate has announced a major $35 billion expansion at its second airport, Al Maktoum International, also operated by Dubai Airports.
That airport reported 30 percent growth in flights over the last year and handled 1.4 million passengers.
The expansion is designed to allow it to handle 150 million passengers per year over the next decade, before reaching an annual capacity of 260 million passengers when complete.
Dubai Airports forecasts 99.5 million passengers in 2026, it said in a statement, as demand strengthens across several major markets.
DXB handled 95.2 million passengers last year, up 3.1 percent from 2024. India, Saudi Arabia and Britain remained among its largest markets, while China, Egypt and Italy recorded double-digit growth.
“We’ve had some pretty good growing markets … and those, I think, are the markets where there’s going to be considerable potential,” Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths said in an interview, mentioning countries including China and Russia.
“We’re adding more routes to Saudi Arabia,” he said, adding that Riyadh Air, which is owned by the kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund and commenced operations last year, will start operating a route to and from DXB “over the next few months.”
Dubai, home to the world’s tallest tower and palm-shaped islands, is the Middle East’s biggest tourism and trade hub. It is also a key connecting point for flights between Europe and Asia, and last year welcomed 19.6 million international overnight visitors, according to government data.
DXB had its busiest day, month, quarter and year on record in 2025, operating “at the edge of physical capacity,” Dubai Airports said.
Griffiths said investment to roll out advanced hand baggage screening machines was helping to smooth the flow of traffic.
To meet rising demand and a fast-growing population, the emirate has announced a major $35 billion expansion at its second airport, Al Maktoum International, also operated by Dubai Airports.
That airport reported 30 percent growth in flights over the last year and handled 1.4 million passengers.
The expansion is designed to allow it to handle 150 million passengers per year over the next decade, before reaching an annual capacity of 260 million passengers when complete.
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