Civilians

Russia says killed commanders of ex-Qaeda affiliate in Syria

Moscow - Muslimchronicle

Russia’s defense ministry on Wednesday said it had killed five field commanders and 32 fighters from a group formerly affiliated with Al-Qaeda in strikes on Syria’s Idlib province. A British-based monitor said Monday that Russian strikes had killed 37 civilians including children in Idlib in northwestern Syria — the highest civilian toll since the region was designated in May asRead more

Syrian civilians fleeing IS in Raqa turn to smugglers

Syria - Muslimchronicle

Civilians fleeing the Daesh group's Syrian bastion of Raqa are paying smugglers to lead them out of the city safely, only to find themselves caught up in harrowing attacks. Tens of thousands of civilians have fled Raqa and the surrounding province since the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) began an offensive to capture the jihadist stronghold last year. But theRead more

Civilians trapped in Mosul could face worst catastrophe in Iraq conflict, U.N. warns

Mousl - Arab Today

The fighting in the Islamic State-held Old City of Mosul, where hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilians are trapped, could turn into the worst humanitarian "catastrophe" in the war against the militants, the United Nations warned on Tuesday. "If there is a siege and hundreds of thousands of people don't have water and don't have food, they will be atRead more

Residents, fighters begin evacuations from four besieged Syria

Damascus - Arab Today

Civilians and fighters began evacuating four towns besieged by rebels and government forces Friday, an AFP correspondent and a local source said. An AFP correspondent in rebel-held Rashidin, west of Aleppo city, said at least 80 buses arrived in the region from government-held Fuaa and Kafraya in Idlib province . A rebel source in Idlib told AFP “the implementation ofRead more

UN: At least 16 killed in fighting in S.Sudan's second city

Juba - Arab Today

At least 16 civilians were killed when fighting erupted Monday between government troops and rebels in South Sudan's second-largest city Wau, the United Nations peacekeeping mission (UNMISS) said in a statement. "The mission mounted two patrols into Wau on Monday and said it had observed the bodies of 16 civilians in a hospital. There were ten people who had beenRead more

Strikes destroy centuries-old Ghouta mosque

Damascus - Arab Today

Airstrikes destroyed one of Damascus East Ghouta's oldest mosques, leaving dozens injured and two children dead. The 900-year-old big mosque in the Ghouta city was targeted by six rockets, causing massive damage to its building, Sky News quoted residents as saying early Saturday. Meanwhile, army forces pounded anew Duma city following air raids that claimed the lives of many civilians.Read more

Landmine Kills 20 Civilians in Somalia

Mogadishu - Arab Today

At least 20 civilians were killed Thursday when the minibus in which they were travelling hit a landmine in southern Somalia, a security official said. The blast tore the minibus in two. Only the driver survived, security official said. The incident happened near the village of Golweyn, in the Lower Shebelle region. Earlier in the day, Somali President Mohamed AbdullahiRead more

Gas attack report a 'false accusation': Syria security source

Damascus - Arab Today

Allegations that Syria's government killed dozens of civilians on Tuesday in a chemical attack on a northwestern rebel-held town are "false", a senior security source told AFP. "This is a false accusation," the source said, adding that opposition forces were attempting to "achieve in the media what they could not achieve on the ground". Source: AFPRead more

100 Civilians Killed a Month in Yemen War - UN

Geneva - Arab Today

An average of 100 civilians a month are dying in Yemen's war which enters its third year on Sunday, the United Nations human rights office said on Friday. In a statement marking the second anniversary on Sunday, it said it had confirmed 4,773 civilians killed and 8,272 injured in the conflict pitting Houthi militia and Ousted Ali Abdullah Saleh forcesRead more

Nine Afghan Civilians Killed in Air Strike

Kabul - Arab Today

At least eight Afghan civilians, including four children, have been killed in an attack their relatives have blamed on an air strike. But officials in the Bala Buluk district of western Farah province claim the deaths were caused by a roadside bomb. Afghan defence ministry spokesman General Dawlat Waziri said an investigation is under way. "We are aware of theRead more