Terrorism Watch

Less than two weeks after the Syrian National Army (SNA) began its latest offensive against then-President  Bashar al-Assad , the rebel forces now find themselves as Syria’s new leaders. Led by the former Harakat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) member Abu Mohammad al-Julani, the rebels’ efforts are currently focused on transitioning into the provisional Syrian Salvation Government (SSG). Following the collapse of Assad's regime, Syria has embarked on a political transformation, signaling an opportunity to rebuild the nation after over a decade of civil war.  For more stories from The Media Line go to  themedialine.org As the fighting forces transition to establish a new government for Syria, global leaders have expressed measured optimism while underscoring the challenges ahead. Echoing similar sentiments, governments from the US, France, the UK, Germany, and even Saudi Arabia welcomed the fall of Assad’s regime as a pivotal moment for Syria but also warned of the risks of such a tr...

About 1.1 million people have been displaced since Syrian rebels launched the offensive that ousted former president  Bashar al-Assad , the UN’s humanitarian agency has said, as fighting between different factions continues. “As of 12 December, 1.1 million people have been newly displaced across the country since the start of the escalation of hostilities on 27 November. The majority are women and children,” the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a statement. Among those displaced are more than 100,000 people who have fled into Kurdish-administered areas in northern  Syria  amid escalating factional fighting and fears of retaliatory attacks. Tensions appear to be concentrated primarily on the town of Manbij, north-east of Aleppo, and the mixed Arab and Kurdish town of Deir Ezzour in eastern Syria. After the collapse of Assadist forces last week, Kurdish and Arab units fighting under the banner of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (S...

The  jihadi rebels  who toppled Syrian President Bashar Assad say they want to build a unified, inclusive country. But after nearly 14 years of civil war, putting that ideal into practice will not be easy. For Syria’s Kurdish minority, America’s closest ally in the country, the struggle for a new order is entering a potentially even more challenging phase. Over the course of  Syria’s civil war , Kurdish fighters have fended off an array of armed factions, partnered with the U.S. to rout the Islamic State group and carved out a largely autonomous region in the country’s oil-rich east. But the gains of the non-Arab Kurds are now at risk. The ascendance of the Sunni Arab rebels who overthrew Assad — with vital help from  Turkey, a longtime foe of the Kurds  — will make it hard for the Kurds to find a place in the new Syria and could prolong the conflict.   Source:  Syria’s Kurdish minority losing ground after Bashar Assad's overthrow | AP News

  Areport by the EU's law enforcement agency Europol exposes how the   PKK   terrorist group profits from drug trafficking and human smuggling in Europe. Europol's 2024 EU Terrorism Situation and Trends Report released on Thursday highlighted that ethno-nationalist and separatist terrorist groups, including the PKK, remain active in the European Union. The report mentioned that PKK members and cells in EU countries continue their fundraising, recruitment, training and propaganda activities throughout the year. "Most of the funds raised for the PKK are believed to originate from apparently legitimate activities (donations, events, membership fees, sales of goods and media products etc.), as well as from criminal activities such as extortion, fraud, racketeering, money laundering or drug trafficking,” the report stated. The report noted that the terrorist group collects millions of euros annually under the guise of "campaigns" across Europe, with the funds being us...

  Crowds are rallying in Syrian cities on "Victory Friday" after the rebel leader called for mass celebrations to mark the end of the Assad regime. Watch live footage from central Damascus below. Syrians are celebrating Assad's downfall after Friday prayers, nearly a week after the collapse of his brutal regime 'For the first time I can taste clean air': Syrians celebrate Assad's fall   View post In pictures: Crowds take to streets on 'Victory Friday'   View post Fears chemical weapons could be smuggled out of Syria   View post Explained: What chemical weapons are regulators hunting in Syria?   View post Drugs 'found hidden in fruit' at Assad lab   View post Updates from  Dominic Waghorn in Damascus, Stuart Ramsay in Homs, Alex Rossi in northeast Syria and Alistair Bunkall in Jerusalem Syria's caretaker PM speaks as celebrations continue in Damascus Syria's caretaker prime minister Mohammed al Bashir has been addressing those a...

Minister of state for external affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh on Thursday informed Parliament that eighty-six Indian nationals were attacked or killed in various countries in 2023. In his written response to a query, the minister shared country-wise data, with figures showing 29 cases in 2021, 57 in 2022, and 86 in 2023 Of the 86 Indian nationals attacked or murdered in 2023, 12 were in the United States, and 10 each were in Canada, the United Kindom and Saudi Arabia, according to the shared data. “The safety and security of Indians abroad is one of the foremost priorities for the government of India. Our missions and posts remain vigilant and closely monitor any untoward incident. Such incidents are immediately taken up with the concerned authorities of the host country to ensure that the cases are properly investigated and the perpetrators are punished,” said Kirti Vardhan Singh. These issues are also raised during meetings with the government officials of the countries concerned, “incl...

Myanmar civil war:  In a significant development in the Myanmar civil war, which has been raging since 2021, the military junta has suffered a major defeat at the hands of rebel fighters of the Arakan Army (AA), who have seized control of the BGP5 barracks, an important and strategic army base located near the Rohingya-dominated Bangladesh border in Rakhine State According to reports, the BGP5 base was the last stronghold of the Myanmar army in Rakhine state, and with its fall, the junta regime has lost control of the country’s entire border with Bangladesh, which is now controlled by rebel forces, marking the first major defeat for the junta since 2021 coup This new twist in the Myanmar civil war sees the Arakan Army now in control of the entire Rakhine State, barring the capital, Sittwe, which remains in the army’s grip. The AA has been fighting the Myanmar army since the civil war broke out in 2021 and capturing the BGP5 base is their biggest victory till date, as it increases r...