Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Jewish Business News

World News

Syria denies targeting civilians, tells U.S. to criticize militants instead

A man makes his way through rubble at a site hit by what activists said were airstrikes by forces loyal to Syria's President al-Assad in Raqqa
Syria rejected as “fabricated” U.S. accusations that its forces are targeting civilians with air strikes and said Washington would do better to criticize hardline Islamic State militants who have killed American citizens.

The U.S. State Department said on Wednesday it was “horrified” by Syrian government bombings in Raqqa province which it said had killed “dozens of civilians and demolished residential areas”.

Please help us out :
Will you offer us a hand? Every gift, regardless of size, fuels our future.
Your critical contribution enables us to maintain our independence from shareholders or wealthy owners, allowing us to keep up reporting without bias. It means we can continue to make Jewish Business News available to everyone.
You can support us for as little as $1 via PayPal at office@jewishbusinessnews.com.
Thank you.

“The Syrian Arab Army does not target civilians and will not do so, ” the state news agency SANA quoted Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi as saying late on Thursday.

He said Washington was getting its information from “terrorist organizations” operating in Syria such as Islamic State and al Qaeda’s Nusra Front.

Tuesday’s government strikes on the northern Raqqa province killed 95 civilians, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Raqqa province is the stronghold of Islamic State, a hardline al Qaeda offshoot which has seized land in Syria and neighboring Iraq.

Both the Syrian air force and U.S.-led forces are bombing Syria in separate air campaigns and both say they are targeting militant groups.

“The U.S. State Department should rather have shown respect for the souls of American victims at the hands of terrorists from the Daesh (Islamic State) organization and not directed fabricated accusations towards the Syrian state which has been facing terrorism for years, ” Zoubi was quoted by SANA as saying.

Three U.S. civilians – two journalists and an aid worker – have been beheaded by Islamic State.

Zoubi said the U.S. statement on Wednesday had ignored crimes committed by Islamic State, adding that Syria was more committed to its people than countries which send money and weapons to “terrorists” and train them.

The United States has backed anti-government rebels and wants to train and equip some to counter Islamic State. Qatar has been running a camp for rebels, sources say.

The government of President Bashar al-Assad has characterized all opponents of his rule as extremists.

“Everyone has to choose between two options – either you are with terrorism, Daesh, Nusra Front and others or you are countering terrorism, ” Zoubi said.

The United Nations estimates that some 200, 000 people have been killed in Syria’s civil war since 2011, though activists say the real figure is much higher.

Newsletter



Advertisement

You May Also Like

World News

In the 15th Nov 2015 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:   ·         A new Israeli treatment brings hope to relapsed leukemia...

Entertainment

The Movie The Professional is what made Natalie Portman a Lolita.

Travel

After two decades without a rating system in Israel, at the end of 2012 an international tender for hotel rating was published.  Invited to place bids...

VC, Investments

You may not become a millionaire, but there is a lot to learn from George Soros.