Israeli forces fired missiles on Sunday at a central area of Damascus where major security compounds are located, pro-government media said, in a rare attack deep within the capital.
Air raids and other attacks by Israel has increased on Syria in the past few years to curb increased Iranian presence, and what it says is the smuggling of long-range rockets and missiles into Syria.
At least five people were killed in the attack on the upmarket, tightly guarded Kfar Souseh neighbourhood, as well as other areas on the edge of the city, state TV said.
It quoted a military official as saying that shortly after midnight on Sunday Israeli missiles struck several targets in Damascus and its surrundings, including "residential neighbourhoods inhabited by civilians".
He said an initial tally showed one soldier among the five deaths, and 15 civilians wounded.
But a pro-regime Facebook page said two of the dead were members of the military, naming them as Colonel Amjad Ali, and Aksam Isper, a lower ranking soldier.
Israel has struck Damascus dozens of times in the past decade as Iranian reach deepened in Syria, mainly through Hezbollah and other Shiite militias, which are supported by Iran and fighting on behalf of President Bashar Al Assad in the civil war.
Tehran, according to Israel, also oversees the transport of weapons from Iran to its proxies in Syria, through Iraq.
The attack on Kfar Souseh, however, was rare in that it was so near Umayyad Square, the main intersection in the centre of the city. It was also in Kfar Souseh that one of the most senior Hezbollah operatives, Imad Mughniyeh, was assassinated through use of a car bomb in 2008.
Members of the Syrian opposition to the regime said the strike signalled the possibility that a key operative was targeted.
They pointed out that important security compounds, such as the National Security Bureau and intelligence branches are located in Kfar Souseh. The area also has residences for security commanders, some of whom are non-Syrian and linked to Iran, they said.
Although Kfar Souseh is among the most expensive areas of Damascus, many of its security complexes are located next to residential buildings.
A Facebook page for President Bashar Al Assad's loyalists showed a building in Kfar Souseh that was claimed to be the target. It had a white stone facade and appeared damaged.
There was no immediate comment from Israel on the attack, the first first since a 7.8-magnitude earthquake on February 6 hit Turkey and damaged parts of Syria.
Possible targets
The pro-Hezbollah Al Mayadeen Television in Lebanon quoted a representative of Islamic Jihad, one of the most pro-Iranian Palestinian militant groups present in Damascus, as denying rumours that Akram Al Ajouri, one of its commanders, was the target of the Israeli raid.
The last known attack on Damascus, on January 2, temporarily put the city's airport out of service and reportedly killed two Syrian soldiers.
Wael Alwan, director of information at the Syrian research centre Jusoor, said Sunday's strike on Kfar Souseh could be part of Israeli attempts to disrupt the flow of weapons from Iran to Syria, which may have picked up after the earthquake under the guise of aid for victims in regime areas.
He said the attack might have aimed to disrupt the command and control of smuggling efforts.
"The attack this morning was one of the largest Israeli strikes. Targeting Kfar Souseh means they were after someone important," he said from Istanbul.
He said that in relative terms Kfar Souseh is "densely populated" with security elements under civilian guise, whether Syrian intelligence, Hezbollah or members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the main Iranian organisation in charge of relations with Tehran's militia proxies.
Mr Alwan said there was speculation that the Israelis may have been aiming for an Iraqi commander linked to the IRGC.
"If he was, it appears that they missed him," he said.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Dates for the diary
To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:
- September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
- October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
- October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
- November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
- December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
- February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.
LEADERBOARD
%3Cp%3E-19%20T%20Fleetwood%20(Eng)%3B%20-18%20R%20McIlroy%20(NI)%2C%20T%20Lawrence%20(SA)%3B%20-16%20J%20Smith%3B%20-15%20F%20Molinari%20(Ita)%3B%20-14%20Z%20Lombard%20(SA)%2C%20S%20Crocker%20(US)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ESelected%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E-11%20A%20Meronk%20(Pol)%3B%20-10%20E%20Ferguson%20(Sco)%3B%20-8%20R%20Fox%20(NZ)%20-7%20L%20Donald%20(Eng)%3B%20-5%20T%20McKibbin%20(NI)%2C%20N%20Hoejgaard%20(Den)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The%20specs
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
The specs
Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 217hp at 5,750rpm
Torque: 300Nm at 1,900rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh130,000
On sale: now
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
ICC T20 Rankings
1. India - 270 ranking points
2. England - 265 points
3. Pakistan - 261 points
4. South Africa - 253 points
5. Australia - 251 points
6. New Zealand - 250 points
7. West Indies - 240 points
8. Bangladesh - 233 points
9. Sri Lanka - 230 points
10. Afghanistan - 226 points
HOW DO SIM CARD SCAMS WORK?
Sim swap frauds are a form of identity theft.
They involve criminals conning mobile phone operators into issuing them with replacement Sim cards, often by claiming their phone has been lost or stolen
They use the victim's personal details - obtained through criminal methods - to convince such companies of their identity.
The criminal can then access any online service that requires security codes to be sent to a user's mobile phone, such as banking services.
Founders: Abdulmajeed Alsukhan, Turki Bin Zarah and Abdulmohsen Albabtain.
Based: Riyadh
Offices: UAE, Vietnam and Germany
Founded: September, 2020
Number of employees: 70
Sector: FinTech, online payment solutions
Funding to date: $116m in two funding rounds
Investors: Checkout.com, Impact46, Vision Ventures, Wealth Well, Seedra, Khwarizmi, Hala Ventures, Nama Ventures and family offices
ARSENAL IN 1977
Feb 05 Arsenal 0-0 Sunderland
Feb 12 Manchester City 1-0 Arsenal
Feb 15 Middlesbrough 3-0 Arsenal
Feb 19 Arsenal 2-3 West Ham
Feb 26 Middlesbrough 4-1 Arsenal (FA Cup)
Mar 01 Everton 2-1 Arsenal
Mar 05 Arsenal 1-4 ipswich
March 08 Arsenal 1-2 West Brom
Mar 12 QPR 2-1 Arsenal
Mar 23 Stoke 1-1 Arsenal
Apr 02 Arsenal 3-0 Leicester
All%20The%20Light%20We%20Cannot%20See%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECreator%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESteven%20Knight%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%C2%A0%3C%2Fstrong%3EMark%20Ruffalo%2C%20Hugh%20Laurie%2C%20Aria%20Mia%20Loberti%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E1%2F5%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Fasset%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2019%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Mohammad%20Raafi%20Hossain%2C%20Daniel%20Ahmed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%242.45%20million%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2086%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Pre-series%20B%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Investcorp%2C%20Liberty%20City%20Ventures%2C%20Fatima%20Gobi%20Ventures%2C%20Primal%20Capital%2C%20Wealthwell%20Ventures%2C%20FHS%20Capital%2C%20VN2%20Capital%2C%20local%20family%20offices%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES
Saturday (UAE kick-off times)
Watford v Leicester City (3.30pm)
Brighton v Arsenal (6pm)
West Ham v Wolves (8.30pm)
Bournemouth v Crystal Palace (10.45pm)
Sunday
Newcastle United v Sheffield United (5pm)
Aston Villa v Chelsea (7.15pm)
Everton v Liverpool (10pm)
Monday
Manchester City v Burnley (11pm)
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Trailblazer
Price, base / as tested Dh99,000 / Dh132,000
Engine 3.6L V6
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power 275hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 350Nm @ 3,700rpm
Fuel economy combined 12.2L / 100km
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
The specs: 2018 Nissan Altima
Price, base / as tested: Dh78,000 / Dh97,650
Engine: 2.5-litre in-line four-cylinder
Power: 182hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 244Nm @ 4,000rpm
Transmission: Continuously variable tranmission
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.6L / 100km
THE%20SPECS
%3Cp%3EBattery%3A%2060kW%20lithium-ion%20phosphate%3Cbr%3EPower%3A%20Up%20to%20201bhp%3Cbr%3E0%20to%20100kph%3A%207.3%20seconds%3Cbr%3ERange%3A%20418km%3Cbr%3EPrice%3A%20From%20Dh149%2C900%3Cbr%3EAvailable%3A%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
START-UPS%20IN%20BATCH%204%20OF%20SANABIL%20500'S%20ACCELERATOR%20PROGRAMME
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ESaudi%20Arabia%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EJoy%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Delivers%20car%20services%20with%20affordable%20prices%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EKaraz%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Helps%20diabetics%20with%20gamification%2C%20IoT%20and%20real-time%20data%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMedicarri%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Medical%20marketplace%20that%20connects%20clinics%20with%20suppliers%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMod5r%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20Makes%20automated%20and%20recurring%20investments%20to%20grow%20wealth%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStuck%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Live%2C%20on-demand%20language%20support%20to%20boost%20writing%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EWalzay%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Helps%20in%20recruitment%20while%20reducing%20hiring%20time%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EUAE%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEighty6%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMarketplace%20for%20restaurant%20and%20supplier%20procurements%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFarmUnboxed%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EHelps%20digitise%20international%20food%20supply%20chain%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ENutriCal%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Helps%20F%26amp%3BB%20businesses%20and%20governments%20with%20nutritional%20analysis%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EWellxai%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Provides%20insurance%20that%20enables%20and%20rewards%20user%20habits%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEgypt%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EAmwal%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20A%20Shariah-compliant%20crowd-lending%20platform%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDeben%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Helps%20CFOs%20manage%20cash%20efficiently%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEgab%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Connects%20media%20outlets%20to%20journalists%20in%20hard-to-reach%20areas%20for%20exclusives%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ENeqabty%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Digitises%20financial%20and%20medical%20services%20of%20labour%20unions%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EOman%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMonak%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Provides%20financial%20inclusion%20and%20life%20services%20to%20migrants%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Changing visa rules
For decades the UAE has granted two and three year visas to foreign workers, tied to their current employer. Now that's changing.
Last year, the UAE cabinet also approved providing 10-year visas to foreigners with investments in the UAE of at least Dh10 million, if non-real estate assets account for at least 60 per cent of the total. Investors can bring their spouses and children into the country.
It also approved five-year residency to owners of UAE real estate worth at least 5 million dirhams.
The government also said that leading academics, medical doctors, scientists, engineers and star students would be eligible for similar long-term visas, without the need for financial investments in the country.
The first batch - 20 finalists for the Mohammed bin Rashid Medal for Scientific Distinction.- were awarded in January and more are expected to follow.
