Contents tagged with Syria
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Lavrov: Russia does not set time limits for its military presence in Syria
Russia does not set artificial time limits on its military presence in Syria but it gradually reduces the length of presence there, depending on how the situation develops "on the ground,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview with British Channel 4.
When asked if Russia troops could be expected to withdraw from Syria by the end of the year, Lavrov gave a negative reply.
"No. And I do not think that this is a topic on which we can conduct a sensible dialogue. We do not …
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French company Lafarge charged with cooperating with terrorists in Syria
Lafarge, a large French construction materials company, has been charged with cooperating with terrorists in Syria and complicity in crimes against humanity, reported France 24.
The investigation took two years. It revolved around the Syrian branch of the company, to which the head office, from 2011-2015, allocated 13 million euros to maintain the plant in northern Syria. Part of this money, according to the investigation, was given to extremist groups, including terrorists from the Islamic …
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Georgia closes its airspace to Syria
Georgia closed its airspace to two Syrian airlines because of Syria’s recognition of the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, as stated by the CEO of Sakaeronavigatsia (Georgian air traffic controller) Gocha Mezvrishvili, Interfax reports.
He noted that the Georgian government, in connection with the decision of the Syrian leadership to recognize the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia , had already made the political decision to sever diplomatic relations with Syria. “ …
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Putin reports withdrawal of 1000 Russian soldiers from Syria
Russian President Vladimir Putin said that over the last few days 1,140 Russian soldiers have been withdrawn from the Middle Eastern country, RIA Novosti reports.
“They are all people who have experience and have been tested in combat,” the Russian president said during a meeting with military university graduates in the Kremlin. He gave the order to withdraw when he visited the Khmeimim air base. “This withdrawal is underway now,” he noted.
14 helicopters and 13 planes have also returned to …
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UN: Escalation southern Syria will be like battles for Aleppo and Ghouta combined
The United Nations warned that a full-scale battle in the southwest of Syria could affect the population and area similar to those affected by the battles for Eastern Ghouta and Aleppo combined.
UN special envoy for the Syria crisis Staffan de Mistura told the UN Security Council that such a battle could exacerbate tensions with Israel and jeopardize the small progress being seen in international political negotiations, which are focused on efforts to establish a constitutional committee. …
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Russian Ministry of Defense: Two military helicopters returned to Russia from Syria
Two Ka-52 helicopters returned to Russia after carrying out military tasks in Syria, RIA Novosti reported, citing the Ministry of Defense. The helicopters and their crews were transported by an An-124 Ruslan military transport aircraft from the Khmeimim aerodrome.
As indicated by the military department, after returning to Russia, the pilots and helicopters will be sent to permanent deployment bases.
Russian newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta previously reported that over the past week, 11 planes …
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Washington: Russia must do its part to uphold the ceasefire in Syrian southwest de-escalation zone
Washington believes that the Syrian authorities are fighting in the southwestern portion of the country, in violation of a de-escalation regime that has been in place there since summer 2017. The US is hoping that Moscow will help reduce resultant tensions, stated US Deputy Representative to the United Nations Jonathan Cohen during an open debate at the UN Security Council on the topic of the "Maintenance of International Peace and Security: [A] Comprehensive Review of the Situation in the …
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Media: US will not intervene in advance of Assad troops in southern Syria
The United States informed Syrian rebel groups that they should not expect military support to resist the Russia-backed government, whose troops are advancing in southern Syria.
A letter sent by Washington to the leaders of Syrian rebel groups said that the U.S. government would like to make it clear that “you should not base your decisions on the assumption or expectation of U.S. military intervention”, Reuters reports.
Earlier, the United States warned Syrian President Bashar Assad and his …
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Kremlin: 11 Russian aircraft and helicopters returned from Syria
11 Russian military planes and helicopters returned from Syria last week, arriving at their permanent bases in Russia, the Russian Defense Ministry reported as quoted by to RIA Novosti.
“Eleven aircraft have returned to their permanent bases in the Russian Federation from Syria over the past week,” the Ministry informed.
According to the Defense Ministry, the Russian warplanes flew to their base while the army aviation helicopters were carried by military-transport aircraft. Additionally, the …
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High-ranking Iranian officer killed in Syria
The news outlet Sepah News reported on Saturday that a senior officer of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), the elite part of the armed forces of Iran, has been killed in Syria.
"Second Brigadier General Shahrokh Daeipour, one of the commanders and veterans of the Iran-Iraq War, died in [the] Syrian [town of] Al-Bukemal during an advisory mission," the portal said, without specifying in what circumstances and when the Iranian officer was killed.
Al-Bukemal was considered less …