Forces allied to Syria's new government on Wednesday battled with militias in the south and near the Mediterranean coast.
Sources said the fighting in the coastal city of Latakia and in the town of Sanamin in Deraa province has left at least 20 people dead since Monday, including civilians.
The clashes indicate resistance among some segments of Syrian society to the new government, led by Hayat Tahrir Al Sham, a group formerly linked with Al Qaeda. Violence has persisted in areas inhabited by members of Druze and Kurdish minorities, as well as the coast, home to ousted president Bashar Al Assad's Alawite minority.
The Interior Ministry said that a "cell" of former members of Assad loyalist militias killed two members of the security forces this week. The attackers were traced to the city's Daatour neighbourhood, and a security sweep of the area was launched. The district is regarded as a depot of the "shabbiha", auxiliaries who fought alongside Mr Al Assad's regular forces during the civil war.
"A special security force gathered information and was able to [identify] a member of the cell and overran its hiding place," an Interior Ministry statement said. It added that an unspecified number of "criminal elements" were neutralised.
A security source in Latakia said HTS force killed seven shabbiha members in Daatour. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor based in Britain, said four civilians were killed in the area.
An Alawite sheikh in Latakia told The National that heavily armed men entered Daatour in armoured vehicles and shouted sectarian slogans. They proceeded to carry out mass arrests of men, claiming that the residents were "remnants of the regime".
He said he had heard that the killing of two security troops was the reason for the raid, but: "There is no evidence that the one who attacked the security forces is from the neighbourhood. If there are outlaws, they have nothing to do with the innocent residents."
In southern Syria, HTS launched an offensive against a group led by Mohammad Al Humaid, a warlord in Sanamin who resisted the government's call to disarm.
Mr Al Humaid had carved out a degree of independence under the Assad regime, and is accused of having harboured ISIS members. His loyalists, based in western Sanamin, have clashed repeatedly with HTS in the past two months.
A local police official said the town had been under curfew since Monday after three of the warlord's fighters were killed. The group retaliated by attacking a government roadblock, after which the HTS-led forces launched an operation in the western sector where 100 of Mr Al Humaid's men were believed to be.
A security official in Deraa said 150 members of an HTS elite force, called the Red Bands, had arrived from Damascus to join the offensive, in which mid-range weapons and armoured vehicles were being used. Three members of the HTS-led security forces and eight of Mr Al Humaid's men have been killed, he said.
"The operation will not conclude before Al Humaid hands himself in," the commander said. He added that five civilians have been wounded, although there have been evening truces to allow non-combatants to leave the battle zone.
Another official said the fighting "took place in between civilian homes".
HTS forces were sent to southern areas near the border with Jordan in December, shortly after rebel forces led by HTS toppled Mr Al Assad, and appointed new local security chiefs who sought to co-opt the different local militias without the use of violence. Only Mr Al Humaid's militia refused.
HTS leader Ahmad Al Shara, now interim President, has launched the process of political transition but is considered unwilling to divest much power from Damascus. He has pledged that former Assad regime elements will face justice for crimes committed during the 2011-24 civil war, and that the new government will extend its control over the whole country.
But lawlessness has persisted, with revenge killings bringing more fears about the future, and militias of different ideologies remain entrenched in parts of the country.
HTS has launched several incursions into the coastal Alawite Mountains in pursuit of what it calls regime elements. But it has met resistance and on several occasions HTS members were killed in ambushes.
The Alawite sheikh said the Daatour raid was part of the persecution of Alawites, who dominated the political system and were disproportionately represented in the army and administration under Mr Al Assad.
He said Alawites were being dismissed from government jobs on the pretext of excess staffing, and entire Alawite families displaced from some mixed areas.
"All this deepens the gap between the people and the government, and confirms the lack of trust in the current government," he said.
He urged the international community to place greater pressure on Syria's new leaders "to achieve human justice among citizens, and to protect the people's security, instead of killing".
The bio
Favourite vegetable: Broccoli
Favourite food: Seafood
Favourite thing to cook: Duck l'orange
Favourite book: Give and Take by Adam Grant, one of his professors at University of Pennsylvania
Favourite place to travel: Home in Kuwait.
Favourite place in the UAE: Al Qudra lakes
More from Neighbourhood Watch
Essentials
The flights
Emirates flies direct from Dubai to Seattle from Dh6,755 return in economy and Dh24,775 in business class.
The cruise
UnCruise Adventures offers a variety of small-ship cruises in Alaska and around the world. A 14-day Alaska’s Inside Passage and San Juans Cruise from Seattle to Juneau or reverse costs from $4,695 (Dh17,246), including accommodation, food and most activities. Trips in 2019 start in April and run until September.
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
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
INDIA%20SQUAD
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Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi
Director: Kangana Ranaut, Krish Jagarlamudi
Producer: Zee Studios, Kamal Jain
Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Ankita Lokhande, Danny Denzongpa, Atul Kulkarni
Rating: 2.5/5
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company profile
Company name: Dharma
Date started: 2018
Founders: Charaf El Mansouri, Nisma Benani, Leah Howe
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: TravelTech
Funding stage: Pre-series A
Investors: Convivialite Ventures, BY Partners, Shorooq Partners, L& Ventures, Flat6Labs
UAE tour of the Netherlands
UAE squad: Rohan Mustafa (captain), Shaiman Anwar, Ghulam Shabber, Mohammed Qasim, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Chirag Suri, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Mohammed Naveed, Amjad Javed, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed
Fixtures and results:
Monday, UAE won by three wickets
Wednesday, 2nd 50-over match
Thursday, 3rd 50-over match
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
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Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
More coverage from the Future Forum
if you go
The flights
Fly to Rome with Etihad (www.etihad.ae) or Emirates (www.emirates.com) from Dh2,480 return including taxes. The flight takes six hours. Fly from Rome to Trapani with Ryanair (www.ryanair.com) from Dh420 return including taxes. The flight takes one hour 10 minutes.
The hotels
The author recommends the following hotels for this itinerary. In Trapani, Ai Lumi (www.ailumi.it); in Marsala, Viacolvento (www.viacolventomarsala.it); and in Marsala Del Vallo, the Meliaresort Dimore Storiche (www.meliaresort.it).
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
Sanju
Produced: Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Rajkumar Hirani
Director: Rajkumar Hirani
Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Vicky Kaushal, Paresh Rawal, Anushka Sharma, Manish’s Koirala, Dia Mirza, Sonam Kapoor, Jim Sarbh, Boman Irani
Rating: 3.5 stars
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
The specs
Engine: 5.2-litre V10
Power: 640hp at 8,000rpm
Torque: 565Nm at 6,500rpm
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto
Price: From Dh1 million
On sale: Q3 or Q4 2022
