EU expresses concern about violence escalation in Syria

Several killed in army bus explosion in Damascus. Photo Credit: SANA news agency

On Thursday, European Union (EU) expressed its concern about the escalation of the violence Syria witnessed two days ago that led to dozens of casualties.

“The EU is concerned about the increasing violence in Syria, as we witnessed on Wednesday in Damascus and in the northwest, where at least 27 people lost their lives in one of the deadliest days in the country in recent times,” the EU said in statement.

On October 20, 14 military personnel of the Syrian government forces killed and three others were wounded in a bomb attack that targeted their bus in the city center of Damascus.

On the same day, more than ten people were killed and about 40 others were wounded in a bombing by Syrian government forces on the city of Ariha, south of Idlib, northwestern Syria. Two more people were also killed in a reported Turkish drone attack in the Kurdish city of Kobane on that same day. 

“We offer our condolences to the families of the victims and wish the wounded a speedy recovery,” the EU added, calling on all sides “to refrain from violence and show restraint.”  

The EU reiterated its support for a nationwide ceasefire as called for by the UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen.

“We call on all parties to adhere to the principle of protection of civilians and international humanitarian law, and to avoid escalation and restore calm,” it noted. 

The only path to stability in Syria is a credible and inclusive UN-facilitated political solution in line with UN Security Council Resolution 2254, according to the EU statement. 

Talks over a constitutional reform has resumed this week, eight months after very little progress from where they were suspended. 

Syria says it executed 24 people for starting 2020 wildfires

Syria's government says it has executed 24 people convicted of deliberately starting deadly wildfires last year.

Eleven others were sentenced to life in prison and five minors were given jail terms of between 10 and 12 years, a justice ministry statement said.

It described them as criminals who had committed "terrorist acts".

They allegedly admitted igniting fires in mountainous coastal regions of the war-torn country in September and October 2020 that killed three people.

Human rights groups believe that thousands of people have been executed by President Bashar al-Assad's government since the civil war began in 2011.

UN war crimes investigators said in a recent report that they had been told by witnesses about the killings of detainees without trial or following unfair trials by counter-terrorism or field military courts.

Local authorities documented at total of 187 wildfires around Latakia, Tartous, Homs and Hama provinces that affected 280 towns and villages, the justice ministry said. They devastated 13,000 hectares (32,000 acres) of agricultural land and 11,000 hectares of forested land, it added.



PUKmedia