A deadly ambush of Syrian army soldiers near a desert supply route this week shed light on violent currents in strategic areas of the country, despite military advances by President Bashar Al Assad's forces.
The number of personnel killed on Wednesday in the Sukhnah area, 70km north-east of the city of Palymra, has varied from six to 21 soldiers, including two officers, according to loyalists who mourned the deaths on Facebook and published purported photos of the dead.
The attack occurred amid low-intensity Russian aerial bombing of suspected ISIS targets in the area, and as the Syrian army stationed more troops in the vicinity, according to an opposition figure, who did not want to be named because he is involved in intelligence gathering.
“There have been no real battles. But increased combing operations by the regime forces have exposed them to more risks of ambush and even running into their own, unmarked minefields,” the source said.
Suknah belongs to a part of the country that was captured by the military and pro-Iranian militias, from both ISIS and anti-Assad rebels at different stages of the civil war, now in its 13th year.
Regime forces were able to advance under massive Russian air cover, after Moscow's intervention in the Syrian civil war in late 2015.
Russia and Iran have since shared control of the area, which stretches north to the Euphrates River Valley, with ISIS fighters harassing their proxy militias from its rugged fringes.
Official Syrian media, which rarely discloses its own side’s military losses, has not reported on the ambush.
Some loyalists said the attack was carried out by ISIS while others referred to the attackers just as gunmen.
Dozens of soldiers, as well as pro-Iranian militia, mainly Shiite auxiliaries from Iraq, are killed in the area every year, without any mention in state media, Syrian opposition sources said.
They had been killed either by ISIS in a war of attrition the group has waged against US and Iranian proxies since a US-led campaign routed the group from most of eastern Syria in 2019. Others have died due to internal fighting, the sources said.
Clashes among the pro-Assad side are seen as occurring as result of competition over turf, protection money, oil smuggling and other aspects of the war economy.
A US air campaign, reliant on a Kurdish militia ground component, was instrumental in the demise of ISIS in Syria, although the group also fought Russian and Iranian-backed groups in the country, as well as anti-Assad rebel formations.
The civil war started in late 2011, after security forces suppressed a pro-democracy revolt, killing thousands of mainly Sunni civilians. The country has since fragmented along sectarian lines into zones controlled by regional and international powers.
The outpost of Sukhna, which sits between the M20 motorway and another road – both leading to the Euphrates, is a major supply line for Russian and Iranian-controlled zones, which contain gasfields and energy pipelines.
However, most of Syria's oilfields are situated in the US-controlled zone near Turkey.
Veteran Syrian political analyst Ayman Abdel Nour said the incident was politically advantageous to the regime because it comes at a time when calls are increasing in the West to reach an arrangement with the Syrian president.
The Assad regime gains in Europe and the US when it appears that its forces are a casualty of ISIS, Mr Abdel Nour said, cautioning that there was no definitive evidence that the extremist group was behind the attack.
MATCH INFO
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Short-term let permits explained
Homeowners and tenants are allowed to list their properties for rental by registering through the Dubai Tourism website to obtain a permit.
Tenants also require a letter of no objection from their landlord before being allowed to list the property.
There is a cost of Dh1,590 before starting the process, with an additional licence fee of Dh300 per bedroom being rented in your home for the duration of the rental, which ranges from three months to a year.
Anyone hoping to list a property for rental must also provide a copy of their title deeds and Ejari, as well as their Emirates ID.
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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UAE
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2 Kuwaiti teams
MATCH INFO
Rugby World Cup (all times UAE)
Third-place play-off: New Zealand v Wales, Friday, 1pm
How being social media savvy can improve your well being
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Elizabeth Watson, a personal trainer from Stay Fit gym in Abu Dhabi suggests that “individuals can use social media as a means of keeping fit, there are a lot of great exercises you can do and train from experts at home just by watching videos on YouTube”.
Norlyn Torrena, a clinical nutritionist from Burjeel Hospital advises her clients to be more technologically active “most of my clients are so engaged with their phones that I advise them to download applications that offer health related services”.
Torrena said that “most people believe that dieting and keeping fit is boring”.
However, by using social media apps keeping fit means that people are “modern and are kept up to date with the latest heath tips and trends”.
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Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
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