Syrian Civil Defense

Syrian regime forces kill 19 civilians in Damascus

Damascus - Noura Khowam

At least 19 civilians were killed on Saturday in shelling by forces allied to the Syrian regime against the Damascus suburb of eastern Ghouta. Syrian activists and a first responder group say shelling and rocket fire targeted the suburb a day after medical evacuations were completed to save the lives of 29 others. The victims were six children and 13Read more

10 children killed in Russian raids on Syria's Idlib

Damascus - Arab Today

At least 10 children were killed and others injured in Russian raids on Maaret Harma in Idlib's countryside, Sky News reported quoting sources close to the Syrian opposition. The all-news network quoted the Syrian civil defense center, which operates in the areas controlled by the armed opposition, as saying that the Russian warplanes carried out raids using vacuum bombs onRead more

Netflix 'thrilled' with Oscar win for Syria documentary

Barcelona - AFP

Netflix is "thrilled" that the documentary "The White Helmets" which it distributes about rescue workers in war-torn Syria picked up an Oscar, the head of the US video streaming service said Monday. "One of the great things about entertainment is just being able to connect people to stories," Reed Hastings said at the Mobile World Congress, the phone industry's largestRead more

Syrian Filmmaker Denied Entry to US to Attend Oscars

New York - Arab Today

Khaled Khatib, a 24-year-old Syrian filmmaker who participated in the Oscar-nominated documentary “The White Helmets,” was denied entry to the US to attend Sunday’s Academy Awards, according to Al Jazeera. Khatib was scheduled to depart for the US from and airport in Istanbul on Saturday. At the last minute, however, US officials alleged discovering “derogatory information” regarding Khatib and revokedRead more

‘White Helmets’ makers get visas for Oscar

Los Angeles - Arab Today

Two Syrian rescue workers said on Friday they plan to travel to next week’s Oscar ceremony, where their documentary “White Helmets” is nominated for an award, after weeks of uncertainty caused by US President Donald Trump’s travel ban. Raed Saleh, the leader of the White Helmets, and cinematographer Khaled Khatib have both obtained visas to travel to the United StatesRead more

’White Helmets’ makers say travel ban hurts Syrian subjects

Los Angeles - Arab Today

The filmmakers of Oscar-nominated “The White Helmets” about Syria’s rescue workers said the documentary’s subjects are directly affected by US President Donald Trump’s travel ban and their absence at the Oscars is a “lost opportunity.” “The White Helmets,” nominated in the Oscars short subject documentary category, gives a glimpse of the daily lives of the Syrian Civil Defense, also knownRead more

NGOs: Russia likely behind 304 attacks ‘that may constitute war crimes’

New York - Arab Today

Four Syrian organizations say Russia bears “a high likelihood” of responsibility for 304 attacks in Aleppo that violate international humanitarian law and may constitute war crimes. In a letter to the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria, the groups said the attacks resulted in 1,207 civilian deaths, including 380 children. “Evidence clearly indicates that Russia has committed orRead more

2 women’s hospitals knocked out by Assad bombs

Beirut - Arab Today

Airstrikes and rockets in northern Syria knocked out two medical centers dedicated to women on Friday and killed at least 12, including two people in one of the health facilities, according to opposition activists, a charity group and a hospital manager. Warplanes and artillery shelling also continued to pound the besieged rebel-held neighborhoods of the northern city of Aleppo asRead more