TENSIONS MOUNT IN WAR-TORN SYRIA

A new series of attacks and security incidents has led to more tensions in Syria, where the war has been raging for more than 12 years. On June 12, a patrol of the Russian Military Police was hit by a roadside bomb as it was passing on a road between the villages of Harbel and Um Haush in a part of the northern Aleppo countryside that is controlled by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The attack destroyed a Tiger armored vehicle, allegedly killing a Russian service member and wounding several others. Some Syrian news sources blamed the attack on Turkish-backed militants, while others speculated that ISIS was responsible. However, the Russian Ministry of Defense is yet to clarify what exactly happened or make any official accusations. The attack came just a few weeks after a leaked United States intelligence document revealed a plot by the Ukrainian secret service to launch attacks against Russian forces in Syria in cooperation with the SDF. The group, which is the main proxy of the U.S. in Syria, has since denied involvement in any such plot. The next day, June 13, another serious incident was reported. The United States announced that 22 of its service members were wounded as a result of a helicopter crash in Syria’s northeastern region. In a brief statement, the U.S. Central Command said that ten of the wounded were receiving treatment at “higher care facilities”. The command added that the helicopter crash was being investigated although no enemy fire was reported. The Lebanese Al-Mayadeen TV revealed later that the U.S. military helicopter crashed at a base near the town of al-Shaddadi in the southern al-Hasakah countryside late on June 11. Early on June 14, a new Israeli attack targeted Syria. A series of airstrikes hit positions in the southwestern outskirts of the capital, Damascus, according to the official Syrian Arab News Agency. Syrian air defenses intercepted some of the incoming Israeli munitions. However, a military source said that a soldier was seriously wounded as a result of the airstrikes, which also caused material losses. This was Israel’s first confirmed attack against Syria this month. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a London-based pro-opposition monitoring group, said in a report that the targets were ammunition depots of Iranian-backed forces. These claims are yet to be verified, however. The recent developments highlight the unstable situation in Syria. The war in the country is far from being over. The illegitimate military presence and operations by foreign powers, namely Turkey, the U.S. and Israel, will continue to destabilize the country and hinder the settlement process for a long time.