International
Islamist rebels in Syria strengthen their control of Aleppo after the Army withdraws
The Islamist alliance Levante Liberation Agency and armed factions backed by Turkey strengthened control of almost the entire city of Aleppo, in northern Syria, and the neighboring province of Idlib after four days of offensive against the army of Syrian President Bashar al Asad.
The offensive, launched last Wednesday after days of intense bombing against the bastion of the pro-Turkic factions, Idlib, has so far caused a balance of about 350 deaths on both sides, among which are a quarantine of civilians, according to the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights.
This is the first time that rebels have entered the city of Aleppo since it was taken by the Al Asad Army in 2016, while the escalation of violence and the rapid advance of these factions considered “terrorists” by Damascus and its ally Russia represent the greatest challenge for the Syrian Government since 2020.
Aleppo falls with hardly any resistance
The rebels managed to enter the city of Aleppo yesterday for the first time, where this Saturday they extended their control in the vast majority of neighborhoods and even managed to take the international airport of what is the second largest city in Syria.
So far, only some areas of the northeast of the city under the rule of Kurdish forces – allied of Damascus against the pro-Turkish Islamists – are offering resistance after the withdrawal of the Syrian Army and the pro-Iranian militias that support Al Assad, according to the Observatory.
And it is that Al Asad’s troops recognized today that the insurgents have taken control of “marge” part of Aleppo and have suffered “dozens” of casualties among their ranks.
“The large number of terrorists and the multiple combat fronts led our Armed Forces to carry out a redeployment operation aimed at strengthening the lines of defense to absorb the attack, preserve civilian and soldier lives and prepare for a counterattack,” the Syrian Army said in a statement.
“Concentrated attacks”
However, the regular troops said that they have continued to launch “concentrated attacks” against the insurgents after their “temporary” withdrawal from Aleppo, “waiting for the completion of the arrival of military forces to distribute them on the combat axes, in preparation for a counterattack.”
In the midst of the chaos that has invaded the city, Russian fighter jets carried out several bombings against Aleppo that killed at least 16 civilians and several pro-Turkish fighters, according to the NGO, which pointed out that there is a large displacement of people from the homonymous province due to the escalation of violence.
Dozens of them are trying to reach the border with Lebanon, according to the Observatory, after a ceasefire between Israel and the Shii group Hezbula on Wednesday.
Idlib control and advances in Hama
In parallel, the rebels have strengthened their almost complete control of the neighboring province of Idlib after taking the strategic city of Maarat al Numan, which since 2020 was in the hands of the Syrian Army, and later the city of Jan Shayjun, which borders the administrative demarcation of Hama, in north-central Syria.
That advance and the break-of of Al Asad’s troops have allowed the Islamists to enter several kilometers in the north of Hama, where they are not encountering much opposition from the Army either.
The offensive comes at a time when Turkey is seeking to re-establish relations with Damascus, although the Syrian government claims that Ankara must withdraw its troops from northern Syria and stop supporting opposition groups to move towards the normalization of ties, broken since the beginning of the Syrian civil war 13 years ago.
This operation began on the same day of the entry into force of the truce in Lebanon and after the hard blows inflicted by Israel on the Lebanese Shiite group Hezbula both in that country and in Syria, where the armed movement maintains a wide presence and is one of the main allies of the Government of Damascus.
Al Asad says he is capable of defeating the rebels “with the help of allies”
Syrian President Bashar al Asad said on Saturday that, with the help of “allies and friends,” his Army is capable of defeating the Turkish-backed Islamist rebels, who have managed to control large areas of northwestern Syria in four days of offensive.
“Syria continues to defend its stability and territorial integrity against all terrorists and supporters and is capable, with the help of its allies and friends, of defeating and eliminating them no matter how severe their terrorist attacks are,” Al Asad said in a call with his Emirati counterpart, Mohamed bin Zayed.
International
Italian tourist dies after jet ski collision in Colombian caribbean waters
The Colombian Navy recovered the lifeless body of an Italian national on Tuesday who had gone missing in the waters of Colombia’s Caribbean on Monday afternoon after a suspected maritime incident.
Nicholas Cudini, 26, was riding a jet ski near Cholón Island, located in Cartagena, when he collided with another artisanal vessel operating in the area. The collision reportedly caused him to fall off the jet ski, according to information gathered by the Colombian Navy.
“Apparently, the person accompanying the foreigner noticed that his companion did not resurface, so he called for help from other nearby boaters, who alerted authorities to the emergency,” stated the Navy in a press release.
According to Frigate Captain Juan Felipe Portilla, commander of the Cartagena Coast Guard Station, Cudini was driving the jet ski when the incident occurred.
The search for Cudini lasted 22 hours, even continuing overnight, with specialized divers and sailors from the Caribbean Naval Force combing the area where he was last seen.
The body was recovered and later transported to a dock in Cartagena for an autopsy, conducted by judicial police.
International
Liga de Quito expresses concern over former player’s alleged kidnapping in Esmeraldas
Ecuador’s police reported on Tuesday that they are investigating the involuntary disappearance of player Pedro Pablo Perlaza.
Meanwhile, the popular club Liga de Quito, where he played four years ago, expressed concern about what it referred to as the news of the athlete’s kidnapping.
On its X account (formerly known as Twitter), the police stated that “due to the alleged involuntary disappearance” of Perlaza and Juan M. in the city of Esmeraldas, and following the formal complaint filed by their families, authorities immediately began “investigative and operational work around the incident.”
The Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the Police is handling the investigation, according to the statement.
Last weekend, 33-year-old Perlaza had finished the Ecuadorian first-division season with the Delfín club and traveled to the city of Esmeraldas, located 182 kilometers northwest of the capital. His whereabouts have been unknown since Sunday. He had been part of Delfín’s 2019 Ecuadorian Championship-winning team.
Liga de Quito, in a statement on X, expressed its “deep concern and solidarity over the news of the kidnapping of our former player” and extended its solidarity to the athlete’s family and friends. Perlaza played for Liga de Quito in 2020 and the team is set to play the first of two championship matches this weekend.
Esmeraldas province, whose capital bears the same name, is considered one of the regions where criminal groups have extended their control, engaging in activities such as extortion and kidnapping. Other provinces facing similar situations include Guayas and Manabí.
Since 2021, Ecuador has been experiencing a spiral of criminal violence driven by local groups linked to drug cartels from Colombia and Mexico, seeking to control trafficking routes and territories. One of the signs of conflict between local gangs is the frequent massacres in the country’s prisons.
International
Over 1,500 migrants face blockade by mexican authorities in Chiapas
A caravan of over 1,500 migrants that set out this week from Mexico’s southern border is facing a blockade by Mexican authorities, who are preventing them from leaving the state of Chiapas, which borders Central America.
Amid pressures from U.S. President-elect Donald Trump for Mexico to control the flow of migration, the group departed at 5:00 a.m. (11:00 GMT) from the municipality of Huixtla, moving slowly, with some migrants on bicycles and tricycles, flanked by the National Guard and municipal police.
The undocumented migrants, mostly from Venezuela, told EFE that officials from the National Institute of Migration (INM) have been monitoring their movements since their arrival in Huixtla, following them along the road. On Tuesday, the authorities attempted to detain a family, but the migrants prevented it.
The migrants are calling for understanding from Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, who last week assured Trump in a phone call that caravans “no longer reach” the U.S. border. Meanwhile, Trump has promised to impose a 25% tariff on Mexican products if the country fails to stop the “invasion” of migrants and drugs.
“President Sheinbaum should support us in reaching Mexico City, where there are more job opportunities, so we can wait for our ‘CBP One’ appointment (to apply for asylum in the U.S.) peacefully, because other states are more dangerous,” explained Venezuelan Genaro Cárdenas.
Cárdenas, who is traveling by bicycle with a group of fellow Venezuelans, remains hopeful of reaching their destination despite the obstacles and the pressure from immigration officials to convince them to return to the southern border.
“We fear that we will be disbanded and sent back to Tapachula, but we will continue forward,” Cárdenas warned.
Italian tourist dies after jet ski collision in Colombian caribbean waters
Liga de Quito expresses concern over former player’s alleged kidnapping in Esmeraldas
Over 1,500 migrants face blockade by mexican authorities in Chiapas
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Ecuador prison riot leaves at least 43 dead
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