SG Talk

(07-12-2024, 04:58 PM)Tee tiong huat Wrote: [ -> ]Can Syrian rebels maintain momentum and take Damascus?. Assad’s forces have offered little resistance so far, as attention turns, how their allies react.
Rebel continue advance appears unstoppable. Friday, columns of pickup trucks & motorbikes of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) & allies has reached out skirts of Homs, only 100 miles (160km) from Damascus, extraordinarily rapid advance made rebel groups has stunned not only observers, but also, it appears, regime of Bashar al-Assad stuck in capital. HTS swept first from north - western stronghold into Aleppo 2nd biggest city & follow into Hama, another major city 80 miles further south down the strategic M5 highway.


https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/d...e-damascus

Syria’s Kurds faced with all-out war as Turkey, Sunni allies target Kobani. A day after the fall of the SDF-controlled town of Manbij, Turkish proxies advanced today toward the town of Kobani. Turkey has created new realities on the ground for country’s Kurds, who have since 2012 administered northeast & eastern parts of the country, overall picture is negative as US-backed Syrian Kurdish Democratic Forces loses control of growing swaths of territory east of Afrin, including towns of Tell Rifaat & Manbij lying to West of the Euphrates River, to Turkish-backed Sunni opposition forces.

Turkish proxies, supported by Turkish airstrikes, advanced today toward the town of Kobani
https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/202...get-kobani

Syria updates: New admin recruits for police, vows ‘rule of law’. Syria’s new admin invites citizens to apply to join police force, pledges to institute “rule of law” after years of abuses under overthrown President Bashar al-Assad.

Rights groups sound alarm over worsening conditions in northeast, where fighting between Turkish-backed forces & Kurdish forces has displaced more than 100,000 people.

Israel’s air force continues to pound Syria, striking ports and missile warehouses in Latakia and Tartous, as their ground troops move deeper into the Syrian Golan Heights, effectively expanding their occupation.

What’s our fate, our brothers?': Syrian Druze call to be annexed to Israel. A convention of dignitaries from the Druze village of Hader in the Syrian Golan called to join the Israeli Golan. Viral videos circulating on social media depicted a gathering of dignitaries from the village of Hader, on the Syrian side of the Golan Heights, speaking in favor of joining Israel.

In the videos, a dignitary who spoke in front of a crowd of dozens, said: “In the name of the all the people of Hader, and if anyone objects, please say… if we have to choose, we will choose the lesser evil – to be annexed to the (Israeli) Golan!”

(13-12-2024, 09:17 PM)Tee tiong huat Wrote: [ -> ]What’s our fate, our brothers?': Syrian Druze call to be annexed to Israel. A convention of dignitaries from the Druze village of Hader in the Syrian Golan called to join the Israeli Golan. Viral videos circulating on social media depicted a gathering of dignitaries from village of Hader, on the Syrian side of the Golan Heights, speaking in favor of joining Israel. In videos, a dignitary who spoke in front of a crowd of dozens, said: “In name of the all the people of Hader, & if anyone objects, please say… if we have to choose, we will choose the lesser evil – to be annexed to the (Israeli) Golan!”

The speaker argued that Israel for them is ‘the lesser evil,’ warning that ‘the other evil coming our way,’ meaning the Islamist militias, would “take our wives, our daughters, our homes.” The speaker continued, arguing he speaks on behalf of several villages in the region: “We are with those who preserve our dignity…I don’t mind if anyone is taking pictures or recording – we ask to be annexed to the Golan… The fate of Hader is the fate of the surrounding villages, we want to ask to join our kin in the Golan, to be free from injustice and oppression,” to which those present at the convention replied shouting: “We agree, we agree!” “These villages were in fact an enclave surrounded by rebel groups, most of them Sunni Islamists,” added Dr. Yusri Khaizran, senior lecturer in Dept of Middle Eastern & Islamic Studies at Shalem College, a research fellow at Harry S. Truman Institute for the Advancement of Peace at the Hebrew University.
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-833318

“For years Israel faced a conflict: on one hand, sought to create certain mechanism of understandings with rebel organizations in Golan Heights, on other hand, Israel’s commitment to Druze community in Israel prompted to create a balancing equation, signaling to Islamists, they'll not be allowed to invade Hader enclave & carry out violent mass massacres against Druze.”

Khaizran holds that convention in Hader, in which Druze dignitaries called to annexed to Israel, stems from what he deemed the ‘falling apart of Syria.’ Even if it remains a state framework, Syria will de-facto be subject to control by Israel & not militias & I assume this comes in this context,” he explained, adding Israel’s expanded military presence in this area & some family relations between Druze on both sides of the Golan Heights may have also worked as a catalysator for this meeting. “The Druze were never an anti-Israeli actor. In Hader they know very well that the one who side to prevented rebels from entering their towns & ‘settling the score’ was Israel, that this was made out of Israel's commitment to Druze community here,” he stressed.
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-833318

Famous Syrian activist Mazen Al-Hamada found dead in Damascus 'slaughterhouse' prison.
LONDON -- After dedicating his life to fighting the regime of Assad, Mazen Al-Hamada did not live to see it fall. A symbol of resilience and courage, the famous Syrian activist was found dead in the "slaughterhouse" prison of Saydnaya in Damascus, as confirmed by the Syrian Emergency Task Force to ABC News.

An unverified photo circulating online shows his disfigured face and suggests he was killed just before the rebels that ousted Assad reached the prison to liberate detainees, according to independent observers. Thursday, hundreds gathered in Damascus for Al-Hamada's funeral, where one of his sisters leading the procession called him "a martyr of revolution and freedom."

Originally from Deir Ezzor, Al-Hamada was first arrested in 2011 when he organized pro-democracy rallies in the context of the Arab Spring and documented the brutal repression from the Syrian govt.
https://abcnews.go.com/International/fam...=116679109

(14-12-2024, 09:44 PM)Tee tiong huat Wrote: [ -> ]Famous Syrian activist Mazen Al-Hamada found dead in Damascus 'slaughterhouse' prison.
LONDON -- After dedicating his life to fighting the regime of Assad, Mazen Al-Hamada did not live to see it fall. A symbol of resilience and courage, the famous Syrian activist was found dead in the "slaughterhouse" prison of Saydnaya in Damascus, as confirmed by the Syrian Emergency Task Force to ABC News.

An unverified photo circulating online shows his disfigured face and suggests he was killed just before the rebels that ousted Assad reached the prison to liberate detainees, according to independent observers. Thursday, hundreds gathered in Damascus for Al-Hamada's funeral, where one of his sisters leading the procession called him "a martyr of revolution and freedom."

Originally from Deir Ezzor, Al-Hamada was first arrested in 2011 when he organized pro-democracy rallies in the context of the Arab Spring and documented the brutal repression from the Syrian govt.
https://abcnews.go.com/International/fam...=116679109

Once abroad, the world got to know the horrors endured by Al-Hamada, along with thousands of detainees, as he described them to huge crowds of students, policymakers and the press. He did not spare details of the numerous ways in which he had been tortured, reliving his trauma over and over again to raise awareness.

With every testimony, Al-Hamada quickly became one of the most prominent advocates for Syrian prisoners held by Assad's regime, at least 157,000 between 2011 and August 2024, including thousands of women and children, according to a report by the Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR).

Al-Hamada returned to Syria four years ago in a shocking move that some people close to him described as the result of his disappointment in the international community. The last time he was active on his WhatsApp was on Feb. 22, 2020, according to the SETF.

Along with thousands of users on social media, Afshar called for justice for Al-Hamada and the other Syrian detainees who are dead or unaccounted for, echoing the words that Al-Hamada himself said in an interview which has been trending on social media since the news of his death.

Israelis and Jordanians said to meet secretly amid worries over rebel surge in Syria. Reports say Amman acting as mediator between Israel and HTS as neighbors seek to work out emerging threats from north; Iranian attempts to smuggle arms via Jordan also discussed

(10-12-2024, 07:33 AM)Tee tiong huat Wrote: [ -> ]Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he ordered Israeli forces to grab the buffer zone, established in a 1974 ceasefire with Syria, shortly after al-Assad was overthrown. Speaking to reporters on Monday, Netanyahu said the occupied Golan Heights would remain with Israel “for eternity”.

He also thanked US President-elect Donald Trump for recognising Israel’s claimed sovereignty over the territory during his first term. International law strictly prohibits the acquisition of land by force. Netanyahu said the fall of al-Assad was “a direct result of the strong blows we have delivered to Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran”, according to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz.

Foreign powers jockey for control in Syria, risking new conflict. In the days since the collapse of the Assad regime, multiple countries have bombed targets in Syria, as the power vacuum unleashes a battle for the heart of the Middle East.
December 15, 2024. The collapse of the Assad regime in Syria has set off a scramble for control of the heart of the Middle East, a competition that could defer indefinitely the peace and stability Syrians crave and potentially spill into a wider region already roiled by war.

In Syria’s first week without Bashar al-Assad, the longtime despot who has since fled to Moscow, three foreign powers bombed targets in the country in pursuit of their strategic goals: the United States against Islamic State remnants in the east, Turkey against Kurdish forces in the northeast and Israel against Syrian military assets in multiple locations.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/202...ia-isarel/

(16-12-2024, 12:40 PM)Tee tiong huat Wrote: [ -> ]Foreign powers jockey for control in Syria, risking new conflict. In the days since the collapse of the Assad regime, multiple countries have bombed targets in Syria, as the power vacuum unleashes a battle for the heart of the Middle East.
December 15, 2024. The collapse of the Assad regime in Syria has set off a scramble for control of the heart of the Middle East, a competition that could defer indefinitely the peace and stability Syrians crave and potentially spill into a wider region already roiled by war.

In Syria’s first week without Bashar al-Assad, the longtime despot who has since fled to Moscow, three foreign powers bombed targets in the country in pursuit of their strategic goals: the United States against Islamic State remnants in the east, Turkey against Kurdish forces in the northeast and Israel against Syrian military assets in multiple locations.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/202...ia-isarel/

At least five. Israel,  U.S., Russia, Turkey and Iran. .

(16-12-2024, 12:46 PM)Tee tiong huat Wrote: [ -> ]At least five. Israel,  U.S., Russia, Turkey and Iran. .

https://youtube.com/shorts/YDVnwSdlswE?s...9OyzOKm-5p

Netanyahu says Israeli troops will occupy a buffer zone inside Syria for foreseeable future. Israel seized a swath of southern Syria along border with Israeli-annexed Golan Heights days after Assad was ousted by rebels last week. PM Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday Israeli forces will stay in a buffer zone on the Syrian border, seized after the ouster of Syria’s President Bashar Assad, until another arrangement is in place “that ensures Israel’s security.”
https://indianexpress.com/article/news-t...e-9730977/

US wrongly Israel: Netanyahu step up campaign 
deadly Hezbollah rocket impact heavy cost worth paying. US intelligence assessments before Israel escalated against Hezbollah terror group on Sept  a move risked sparking an all-out war w/hundreds — if not thousands — of Israelis would be killed, 3 US officials & 1 Israeli official told Times of Israel.
One assessments crafted by Israel’s own intelligence community.

US acknowledging both countries’ assessments proved wildly inaccurate within days. 


IDF methodically took out much of Hezbollah’s missile & drone capabilities, dismantled military infrastructure in southern Lebanon, picked off almost every member of its senior leadership, killed or wounded thousands of operatives — many of them in audacious mass detonations of the terror group’s communication devices. Hezbollah did manage to expand range of its rocket & drone launches, disrupting life for tens of thousands of citizens in Israel with such threat. Fifty-seven Israeli soldiers & 21 civilians were killed during the roughly two-month escalation that ensued.

Israeli attacks in Yemen a ‘dangerous development’ after Houthi rebels fired a missile at 
Israel escalation as a dangerous development an extension of the aggression against Palestinian people, Syria & Arab region, as Israel struck ports & energy infrastructure in Yemen after intercepting a missile attack by the Houthis. Al Masirah TV, the main news outlet run by Houthis said 9 people were killed in Israeli attacks on western province of Hodeidah, including 7 people in port of as-Salif & 2 people at the Ras Isa oil facility.

Hamas’s armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, called on the Houthis to launch more attacks on Israel.
We commend missile attack carried out by our loyal brothers, the Ansar Allah in Yemen, targeting the heart of the Zionist entity,” the group said in a separate statement. “We praise their steadfast support for Gaza and call on them to escalate their attacks until the occupation submits and ends its genocidal war.”
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/...-un-access

Yemen rebels say Israeli strikes kill 9, after missile attack. 

SANAA: Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels said Israeli air strikes on Thursday (Dec 19) killed nine people, after the group fired a missile toward Israel, badly damaging a school.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened further retaliation.

The Houthis, who control most of Yemen's population centres, have repeatedly launched missiles at Israel since the Gaza war broke out more than a year ago.

Israel has previously hit back against targets in Yemen, but Thursday's were the first against the rebel-held capital Sanaa.

"The Israeli enemy targeted ports in Hodeida and power stations in Sanaa, and the Israeli aggression resulted in the martyrdom of nine civilian martyrs," rebel leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi said in a lengthy speech broadcast by the rebels' Al-Masira TV.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/ye...ck-4817671

Aviv hit by projectile fired from Yemen, say Israeli officials. A projectile fired from Yemen hit Tel Aviv overnight into Saturday, authorities said, in instance of it failed interception over city. The projectile landed in Tel Aviv’s southern Jaffa area, Israel’s attempts to intercept a missile from Yemen failed shortly after sirens sounded in central Israel.

It said a fallen projectile was identified in the area. At least 16 people sustained minor injuries from glass fragments that broke in nearby buildings, Israel’s Magen David Adom (MDA) emergency service said. Israel’s 2nd-largest city, Tel Aviv is country’s commercial & diplomatic ctr. Direct hits from projectiles fired at the coastal city are rare, due to its extensive air defenses.

Since Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza started in October last year, the country has come under fire from missiles and rockets from Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen, both Iran-backed militant groups, as well as from Iran itself. Almost all of the projectiles have been intercepted by Israel’s air defenses.
https://edition.cnn.com/2024/12/20/middl...index.html

Hamas has given signs of life for a few hostages, Israeli official says, as talks go on. Gantz accuses Netanyahu of sabotaging deal, PM says ex-war cabinet minister ‘cannot preach’; thousands of religious Zionists gather in Jerusalem to call for hostage deal
https://www.timesofisrael.com/hamas-has-...lks-go-on/

Updates: Netanyahu reports progress on captive deal but offers no timeline. PM Benjamin Netanyahu tells has been made on deal to reach a ceasefire & free captives in Gaza, but Hamas’s armed wing says safety of some captives depends on Israeli army activity in areas of Gaza witnessing “aggression”.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/...ent-attack

(21-12-2024, 02:25 PM)Tee tiong huat Wrote: [ -> ]Aviv hit by projectile fired from Yemen, say Israeli officials. A projectile fired from Yemen hit Tel Aviv overnight into Saturday, authorities said, in instance of it failed interception over city. The projectile landed in Tel Aviv’s southern Jaffa area, Israel’s attempts to intercept a missile from Yemen failed shortly after sirens sounded in central Israel.

It said a fallen projectile was identified in the area. At least 16 people sustained minor injuries from glass fragments that broke in nearby buildings, Israel’s Magen David Adom (MDA) emergency service said. Israel’s 2nd-largest city, Tel Aviv is country’s commercial & diplomatic ctr. Direct hits from projectiles fired at the coastal city are rare, due to its extensive air defenses.

Since Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza started in October last year, the country has come under fire from missiles and rockets from Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen, both Iran-backed militant groups, as well as from Iran itself. Almost all of the projectiles have been intercepted by Israel’s air defenses.
https://edition.cnn.com/2024/12/20/middl...index.html

Yemen's rockets that struck Israel on Saturday have cast a shadow over Tel Aviv and its security establishments, Israeli newspaper Maariv stated on Monday, relaying the occupation's military and security apparatus' growing concerns regarding Yemeni threats.


According to military & security establishment has acknowledged that the Yemeni conundrum is highly complicated, saying "Yemen is not an ordinary enemy." It is challenging to defeat Yemen, Maariv further added, Al Mayadeen reported. According to Yemen, it's a challenge to "Israel" has to faced before.

Yemenis have declared their open support to Iran & for Palestine’s struggle against the Israeli occupation since the regime launched a devastating war on Gaza on October 7 after the territory’s Palestinian Resistance movements carried out a surprise retaliatory attack, dubbed Op Al-Aqsa Storm, against occupying entity.

Yemeni Armed Forces have said that they won’t stop their attacks until unrelenting Israeli ground & aerial offensives in Gaza, which have killed at least 27,948 people and wounded another 67,459 individuals, come to an end.

US & Britain in December announced a military coalition to target Yemen in support of Israel. 

"These days, the Houthi terrorist organization is firing missiles at Israel, I want to convey a clear message to them at beginning of my remarks: We have defeated Hamas, we defeated Hezbollah, we have blinded Iran's defense systems and damaged the production systems, we have toppled the Assad regime in Syria, we have dealt a severe blow to the axis of evil, we'll also deal a severe blow to Houthi terrorist organization in Yemen, remains last to stand," Katz said.
https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/israel-a...an-7317885
Israel will "damage their strategic infrastructure, and we'll behead their leaders – just as we did to Haniyeh, Sinwar and Nasrallah in Tehran, Gaza & Lebanon – we will do it in Hodeidah and Sana'a," Katz said during an evening honoring defense ministry personnel
https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/israel-a...an-7317885

Message to them at beginning of my remarks: We have defeated Hamas, we defeated Hezbollah, we have blinded Iran's defense systems & damaged the production systems, we have toppled the Assad regime in Syria, 

we have dealt a severe blow to axis of evil, we'll deal a severe blow to Houthi terrorist organization in Yemen, remains last to stand," Katz said.

Israel will "damage their strategic infrastructure, and we'll behead their leaders – just as we did to Haniyeh, Sinwar and Nasrallah in Tehran, Gaza & Lebanon – we will do it in Hodeidah and Sana'a," Katz said during an evening honoring defense ministry personnel.

Hamas accuses Israel of rejecting hostage deal, introducing new terms

Hamas, in an official statement, accuses Israel of rejecting the hostage deal and introducing new terms, according to Arab media reports on Wednesday. The statement also stated: "Negotiation efforts continue in earnest. The movement has shown responsibility and flexibility, but Israel has imposed new conditions, which have led to the postponement of reaching the agreement that was available." 

December 24, Yemen's Houthi rebels claimed to have fired a ballistic missile at central Israel, targeting a military site in Tel Aviv. Israeli military intercepted projectile b4 crossed Israeli territory
attack follows a previous missile launch from Houthis night be4. Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz vowed retaliation, promising to target Houthi leadership & infrastructure. Israel also urged UN to condemn Iran's support for Houthis & designate them as a terrorist group.
https://youtu.be/VyD4J_6R4Q8?si=FG77WKu43hFM5a-h

(13-02-2024, 08:21 PM)Tee tiong huat Wrote: [ -> ]IDF, ops @Al-Amal carried out in coordination with hospital staff scanned premises “accurate & selective way,” without opening fire & not to disrupt hospital’s functioning, no staff or patients were harmed in op, IDF troops nabbed some 20 terror operatives who were holed up@Al-Amal Hospital southern Gaza’s Khan Younis. 20 terror operatives members were hiding in hospital were brought to Israel for further questioning was carried out coordination with hospital staff, troops scanned premises in an “accurate selective way,” without op on any staff or patients were harmed. After raid, IDF facilitated delivery more than 20 oxygen tanks & other medical equipment to hospital.

Israel Givati Infantry Brigade, Navy’s Shayetet 13 commando unit & other special forces operated in the area of hospital over past week, following intelligence information of Hamas’s used of the premises. “This op proves cynical modus operandi of Hamas terror organization, using hospitals & civilian population to hide terrorists,” IDF says.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_e...an-younis/

According to Palestine news site, the resistance apparatus in a statement informed that Zionist enemy monitored movement of Palestinian citizens through these devices targeted them through this. Resistance security received info from a citizen about unusual shape building block in one of hospitals in Gaza City, which had previously been attacked by troops regime army, statement said giving the details of the operation to discover these Israeli espionage devices

After initial investigations, it was determined that the stone of the building was deformed and a spy device had been embedded, a Palestinian resistance security source said. He continued, "The device was equipped with hidden and camouflaged photography and video recording system and was connected to other spy devices in the vicinity of the hospital."

The Palestinian Resistance Security has urged people to follow appropriate procedures if they encounter any suspicious objects, and to refrain from moving the object or talking next to it.

(25-12-2024, 09:53 PM)Tee tiong huat Wrote: [ -> ]December 24, Yemen's Houthi rebels claimed to have fired a ballistic missile at central Israel, targeting a military site in Tel Aviv. Israeli military intercepted projectile b4 crossed Israeli territory
attack follows a previous missile launch from Houthis night be4. Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz vowed retaliation, promising to target Houthi leadership & infrastructure. Israel also urged UN to condemn Iran's support for Houthis & designate them as a terrorist group.
https://youtu.be/VyD4J_6R4Q8?si=FG77WKu43hFM5a-h

This Houthi spokesman sure regret liao lah!

IDF will remain for foreseeable future in Gaza.

The army does not know when it will leave the corridor, which according to some officials is intended to serve as a bargaining chip in a hostage deal with Hamas. As the months have passed, and the prospect of an agreement with the terror group to release the remaining 100 hostages it holds grows and then recedes, the military has been steadily expanding its presence in the corridor.

The corridor — which is now known internally by the military as the Be’eri Corridor, after the Israeli border community that was attacked on October 7, rather than after the former Netzarim settlement in the Gaza Strip — is currently controlled by the 99th Division’s Harel Reserve Armored Brigade and the 551st Reserve Paratroopers Brigade.

The Harel Brigade is responsible for the southern portion of the corridor and the entire road, while the 551st Brigade is tasked with the northern section. This week, The Times of Israel was given exclusive access to the corridor during an escorted visit by the military.

At the start of Israel’s ground offensive against Hamas in late October 2023, the corridor was just the tracks left behind by IDF tanks and armored personnel carriers, as the military’s 36th Division pushed into Gaza from the east and reached the coast, south of Gaza City.

Russia’s Putin apologises to Azerbaijan over ‘tragic’ plane crash

The apology was the closest Moscow had come to accepting blame for the disaster, though only noting that a criminal case had been opened...

(24-12-2024, 11:29 PM)Tee tiong huat Wrote: [ -> ]Message to them at beginning of my remarks:
Have defeated Hamas, defeated Hezbollah, we have blinded Iran's defense systems & damaged their production systems, we have toppled the Assad regime in Syria, has dealt a severe blow to axis of evil, we'll deal a severe blow to Houthi terrorist organization in Yemen, remains last to stand," Katz said.

Israel will "damage strategic infrastructure, we'll behead their leaders – just as we did to Haniyeh, Sinwar and Nasrallah in Tehran, Gaza & Lebanon – we'll do it in Hodeidah & Sana'a," Katz said during an honoring defense ministry personnel.

Israel raids Syria/Iranian missile facility in covert op targeting sites run by Syrian & Iranian forces to prevent weapons production for Hezbollah. Israel conducted a commando raid on an underground Iranian missile production facility near city of Maysaf in Syria early Sept, Jerusalem Post learned in later Sept was only allowed to confirm now after KAN News was permitted to publicize IDF official said.
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-835319

Message To Zelensky; 'If You Don't Leave...' | Full DetailD. ec 30, 2024, 02:14PM IST

In a tense development ahead of Donald Trump's presidency, Russia has once again warned Ukraine and NATO, with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reiterating Russia's firm stance on Ukraine’s NATO ambitions. Lavrov stated that Ukraine must abandon its NATO aspirations if it wants the conflict to end, emphasizing Russia will not make concessions on this matter.