Special to WorldTribune.com NICOSIA — Syria was said to have undergone its first chemical weapons attack. The regime of President Bashar Assad and Sunni rebels both said that a CW attack took place on March 19 near the northern Syrian city of Aleppo. The regime and the rebels blamed each other for the strike. “Everyone […]
Special to WorldTribune.com WASHINGTON — The U.S. intelligence community has determined that Syria’s military was declining. [See also: Syria’s future: Israel favors fragmentation while Saudis want reliable counter to Iran] The intelligence community assessed that the regime of President Bashar Assad was losing military and security assets amid the Sunni revolt. The community also determined […]
Special to WorldTribune.com WASHINGTON — The use of Scud ballistic missiles by the Syrian military has caused a large number of civilian casualties, a human rights group said. Human Rights Watch asserted that Scud attacks by the regime of President Bashar Assad have killed scores of people in mid-February. The New York-based group said more […]
Special to WorldTribune.com NICOSIA — Sunni rebels continue to struggle against the Syrian Air Force. Opposition sources said Sunni rebels, despite gains in eastern and northern Syria, remain vulnerable to air strikes by the regime of President Bashar Assad. They said the rebels have failed to deter Syrian military fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft from daily […]
Special to WorldTribune.com NICOSIA — The Syrian military has begun firing newly-acquired Iranian missiles toward Sunni rebel targets. Western intelligence sources said the Syrian military has been firing advanced Iranian surface-to-surface missiles toward rebel strongholds in central and northern Syria. The sources said the short-range missiles were far more accurate than Syria’s huge arsenal of […]
NICOSIA — After 20 months of fighting, Syrian rebels are examining the prospect of forming a professional force that could topple the regime of President Bashar Assad. Rebel commanders have been meeting in northern Syria to draft plans for so-called special operations forces that could overcome the last regime bastions around and in Aleppo. They said […]
Special to WorldTribune.com By Brian M. Downing, FreePressers.com Recent fighting in Damascus and Aleppo has differed markedly from that of only a couple of months ago when the regular army swiftly defeated rebel enclaves in Homs, Idlib, and Deraa. Fighting in Damascus has persisted for several weeks now and while it trails off at times, […]
Special to WorldTribune.com NICOSIA — The Syrian opposition says the regime of President Bashar Assad was using advanced munitions against Sunni rebel strongholds. Opposition sources said the Syrian Army was dropping so-called fuel-air bombs on rebel-held areas in northern Syria. The sources said the bomb, also known as thermobaric, was designed to produce a large […]
Special to WorldTribune.com LONDON — A commander of a leading Palestinian militia has been killed in Syria. Nidal Al Ashi was said to have been killed in fighting for the Sunni revolt in Syria in July. Al Ashi, also known as Abu Hureira Al Maqdisi, was identified as a senior operative of the Al Qaida-aligned […]
Special to WorldTribune.com NICOSIA — Sunni rebels have assumed control over parts of Syria’s border with Turkey. Opposition sources said Sunni rebels have captured Syrian facilities along the 900-kilometer border with Turkey. They said at least two border crossings were in the hands of Sunni fighters linked to the Turkish-based Free Syrian Army. “This has […]