Israel landed commandos on the outskirts of Damascus overnight, state media said on Thursday, in one of its biggest military operations so far against Syria's new government.
The attack is believed to have hit a military site once used by Iranian intelligence under the rule of Syria's former president Bashar Al Assad, who was overthrown at the end of last year. A source said Israeli troops went in to retrieve surveillance equipment.
The Israeli operation appeared to be the largest of several strikes on Syria this week, which have been condemned by Arab countries. At least nine Syrian soldiers are believed to have been killed.
A source in Jordan said Israel heavily bombed a Syrian base in the Jabal Mani area, before sending in troops to retrieve surveillance and eavesdropping equipment planted underground, killing at least three Syrian soldiers.
The authorities in Damascus said another six soldiers had been killed in earlier Israeli air strikes on the area in the past 48 hours.
"The explosions were huge, designed to make sure that Jabal Mani would be empty of the Syrians before the Israelis went in," the source said. The area has been a hub for fibreoptic and aerial communications for decades, with Iranian intelligence upgrading the systems during the last decade of Mr Al Assad's rule, they added.
Syrian state media said troops from Syria's army had found the "monitoring and eavesdropping devices" on Tuesday. While attempting to deal with them they were hit by Israeli strikes, followed by an "airborne landing", it said.
Tension has been high between the two countries since an Israeli military intervention prevented a Syrian government takeover of the mostly Druze province of Sweida last month.
On that occasion Israel bombed symbols of government power in Damascus, including the Defence Ministry headquarters. The unrest has since prompted Druze calls for separation, an unlikely prospect without further Israeli intervention.
The Israeli military did not comment on Wednesday's operation. Defence Minister Israel Katz said only that "our forces are operating in all combat zones day and night for the security of Israel," including Gaza and Lebanon.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a Druze leader in Israel on Thursday that his government's aims include "creating a demilitarised zone" and establishing a humanitarian corridor to areas caught up in
Israel has regularly struck Syria since rebels toppled Mr Al Assad but has also opened talks with the new authorities in Damascus on a security deal, in a process mediated by the US.
The Assad regime was overthrown and replaced by Hayat Tahrir Al Sham, a former splinter group from Al Qaeda. HTS sought to accommodate Israel by engaging in peace talks that have not been able to contain differences over the fate of Sweida's Druze. The minority sect is also present in Israel.
Syria's official news agency Sana said Israel landed airborne troops overnight in Jabal Mani, about 12km south of Damascus, after bombing the site in the 48 hours before. It said this led to the "martyrdom of several [troops)], the wounding of others and the destruction of machinery".
"Intensive reconnaissance flights" by Israel were also taking place in the area, the agency said. It quoted a government source as saying Syrian soldiers had found “surveillance and eavesdropping devices” at the site before it was hit by Israeli air strikes on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Syrian army units destroyed some of the systems, Sana added. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the site contained weapons used by Iran-backed Hezbollah, Mr Al Assad's main non-state ally before he was ousted.
Reuters quoted a military source as saying that Syria believes some equipment was left behind, perhaps by Iran-backed militias. The new Syrian army – put together after Mr Al Assad's fall – has in recent months established a token presence in the Kiswah area, south of the Syrian capital.
On Tuesday, Syria's Foreign Ministry said Israel's "aggressive practices constitute a direct threat" to regional security. The UAE on Wednesday condemned Israel for its "dangerous escalation and violations" in Syrian territory, which were also condemned in similar terms by Saudi Arabia.
Israel has repeatedly cited security concerns in its military interventions in Syria, including what it sees as an obligation to protect the Druze minority in the south, who share links with members of the sect living in Israel.
"Israel wants sectarian strife to take hold in Syria but we want peace to prevail in the region,” Syria's Foreign Minister Asaad Al Shibani said during talks in Turkey this month.
The Druze unrest has set back Mr Al Shara's efforts to consolidate control of Syria, with a powerful Kurdish militia also proving difficult to integrate. Israel also occupies much of a UN-patrolled demilitarised zone on the Syrian-held side of an armistice line between the two countries established in 1974.
Mr Al Shibani last week met an Israeli delegation in Paris to discuss enhancing security in the region. The discussions focused on de-escalation and non-interference, as well as monitoring the ceasefire in Sweida governorate, among other issues.
MATCH INFO
Tottenham 4 (Alli 51', Kane 50', 77'. Aurier 73')
Olympiakos 2 (El-Arabi 06', Semedo')
The Land between Two Rivers: Writing in an Age of Refugees
Tom Sleigh, Graywolf Press
Evacuations to France hit by controversy
- Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
- Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
- The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
- Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
- It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
- Since the start of the Gaza war, it has also included 45 Gazan beneficiaries
- Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
The specs: 2017 Dodge Viper SRT
Price, base / as tested Dh460,000
Engine 8.4L V10
Transmission Six-speed manual
Power 645hp @ 6,200rpm
Torque 813Nm @ 5,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 16.8L / 100km
ANALYSTS’ TOP PICKS OF SAUDI BANKS IN 2019
Analyst: Aqib Mehboob of Saudi Fransi Capital
Top pick: National Commercial Bank
Reason: It will be at the forefront of project financing for government-led projects
Analyst: Shabbir Malik of EFG-Hermes
Top pick: Al Rajhi Bank
Reason: Defensive balance sheet, well positioned in retail segment and positively geared for rising rates
Analyst: Chiradeep Ghosh of Sico Bank
Top pick: Arab National Bank
Reason: Attractive valuation and good growth potential in terms of both balance sheet and dividends
Essentials
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Delhi from about Dh950 return including taxes.
The hotels
Double rooms at Tijara Fort-Palace cost from 6,670 rupees (Dh377), including breakfast.
Doubles at Fort Bishangarh cost from 29,030 rupees (Dh1,641), including breakfast. Doubles at Narendra Bhawan cost from 15,360 rupees (Dh869). Doubles at Chanoud Garh cost from 19,840 rupees (Dh1,122), full board. Doubles at Fort Begu cost from 10,000 rupees (Dh565), including breakfast.
The tours
Amar Grover travelled with Wild Frontiers. A tailor-made, nine-day itinerary via New Delhi, with one night in Tijara and two nights in each of the remaining properties, including car/driver, costs from £1,445 (Dh6,968) per person.
War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Brief scores:
Liverpool 3
Mane 24', Shaqiri 73', 80'
Manchester United 1
Lingard 33'
Man of the Match: Fabinho (Liverpool)
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Saturday's schedule at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
GP3 race, 12:30pm
Formula 1 final practice, 2pm
Formula 1 qualifying, 5pm
Formula 2 race, 6:40pm
Performance: Sam Smith
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
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Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants
RESULTS
Bantamweight title:
Vinicius de Oliveira (BRA) bt Xavier Alaoui (MAR)
(KO round 2)
Catchweight 68kg:
Sean Soriano (USA) bt Noad Lahat (ISR)
(TKO round 1)
Middleweight:
Denis Tiuliulin (RUS) bt Juscelino Ferreira (BRA)
(TKO round 1)
Lightweight:
Anas Siraj Mounir (MAR) bt Joachim Tollefsen (DEN)
(Unanimous decision)
Catchweight 68kg:
Austin Arnett (USA) bt Daniel Vega (MEX)
(TKO round 3)
Lightweight:
Carrington Banks (USA) bt Marcio Andrade (BRA)
(Unanimous decision)
Catchweight 58kg:
Corinne Laframboise (CAN) bt Malin Hermansson (SWE)
(Submission round 2)
Bantamweight:
Jalal Al Daaja (CAN) bt Juares Dea (CMR)
(Split decision)
Middleweight:
Mohamad Osseili (LEB) bt Ivan Slynko (UKR)
(TKO round 1)
Featherweight:
Tarun Grigoryan (ARM) bt Islam Makhamadjanov (UZB)
(Unanimous decision)
Catchweight 54kg:
Mariagiovanna Vai (ITA) bt Daniella Shutov (ISR)
(Submission round 1)
Middleweight:
Joan Arastey (ESP) bt Omran Chaaban (LEB)
(Unanimous decision)
Welterweight:
Bruno Carvalho (POR) bt Souhil Tahiri (ALG)
(TKO)
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
