Explosions heard in Damascus as Syria's president says it will stay out of Iran conflict unless it faces aggression
Explosions were heard in the Syrian capital Damascus as Israeli air d...
At least nine people were killed and several others injured on Tuesday during fighting in Aleppo, northern Syria, state media reported. The government and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are trading blame for the violence.
The clashes are the latest to break out in Aleppo as officials scramble to advance a deal to address Syria's deepest remaining fracture by merging the U.S.-backed SDF with the central government.
The SDF is reluctant to give up autonomy it won during 14 years of war, which left it with control of Islamic State prisons and oil resources in a country that remains fragile just over a year after the ouster of ex-President Bashar al-Assad.
Analysts warn that failing to integrate the SDF into Syria’s army could spark further violence and potentially draw in Türkiye, which has threatened military action against Kurdish fighters it considers “terrorists.”
State news agency SANA reported that three of the dead were civilians, while the fourth was a soldier. The Syrian Ministry of Defence accused the SDF of attacking army positions and residential areas in Aleppo, while the SDF denied responsibility, claiming the casualties were caused by indiscriminate artillery and missile fire from factions aligned with the Damascus government.
Local official Nuri Sheikho told that clashes resumed in the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighbourhoods after a brief pause, with communication ongoing with the Damascus government to halt the violence. He said residents were fearful of widespread killings and accused the government of using rockets, artillery shells, and tanks.
Aleppo governor Azzam al-Gharib told state-owned Ekhbariya TV that schools, universities, and government offices would suspend all activities on Wednesday due to the situation.
The agreement to integrate Kurdish forces was meant to be implemented by the end of 2025, but progress has been limited, with each side accusing the other of stalling or acting in bad faith.
Syrian government forces and the SDF had agreed to de-escalate tensions following clashes in late December.
U.S. President Donald Trump has said that the U.S is in talks with the new Iranian regime. He said this in a post on his Truth Social account but warned that the U.S. will "Obliterate" Iran's electric and oil facilities if no deal is reached, especially regarding the Strait of Hormuz closure.
The Iran-U.S.-Israel conflict is intensifying, with fresh strikes near Tehran, European calls for restraint, and Iran threatening to target U.S. firms in the region, raising fears of a broader escalation across the Middle East.
The war in Iran has rapidly upended regional security, triggering spillover across the Middle East and raising fears of wider economic disruption that could threaten globalisation.
The Israeli military said on Monday that Iran launched multiple waves of missiles at Israel, and an attack had also been launched from Yemen for the second time since the U.S.-Israeli war began on Tehran. It said two drones from Yemen were intercepted early 30 March but gave no further details.
Japan’s growing interest in Caspian crude reflects a pragmatic response to uncertainty in global energy markets and its continued reliance on the Middle East for more than 90% of its oil imports.
The UK will pay France £16.2 million to continue beach patrols for two months, as both sides race to agree a new deal to curb small boat crossings across the Channel amid rising migrant numbers and political pressure.
A Russian military An-26 aircraft has crashed in Crimea, killing all 29 people on board, Russia’s Defence Ministry has confirmed.
A U.S. judge has blocked President Donald Trump from moving ahead with plans to build a $400 million ballroom on the site of the demolished East Wing of the White House, pausing one of the most high-profile efforts to reshape the presidential complex.
A Russia-flagged tanker carrying about 700,000 barrels of crude has arrived in Cuba’s Matanzas Bay, marking the first major oil delivery to the island since the Trump administration cut off its fuel supplies.
China and Kenya have agreed to revive a long-delayed railway project, signalling renewed momentum in infrastructure cooperation and a shift towards more sustainable financing models across Africa.
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