Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 5 sepTember 2017

Syrian troops close to breaking IS siege in eastern city

By BASSEM MROUE Deir el-Zour’s governor Mo-
Associated Press hammed Ibrahim al-Samra
BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian gov- told state TV, speaking from
ernment forces and their inside the besieged area.
allies are on the verge of “Assad’s forces are few ki-
breaking a nearly three- lometers (miles) from break-
year siege imposed by ing the siege,” said oppo-
the Islamic State group on sition activist Omar Abu
parts of the eastern city of Laila, who currently lives in
Deir el-Zour, opposition ac- Europe but is from Deir el-
tivists and state media said Zour. He is with DeirEzzor 24,
Monday. an activist group that has
Breaking the siege on Deir reporters throughout the
el-Zour would mark another eastern province. Al-Manar
victory for President Bashar TV, the media arm of Leb-
Assad, whose forces have anon’s Hezbollah militant
been advancing on sev- group, aired footage of
eral fronts against IS and people celebrating in the
other insurgent groups over streets of besieged parts of
the past year. Deir el-Zour. Some 70,000
Syrian troops and allied mi- people live in government-
litiamen have for months held areas, which have
been advancing toward been relying on air drops
Deir el-Zour, the provincial This photo shows Syrian troops and pro-government gunmen standing next to a placard in for food and basic goods.
capital of the oil-rich prov- Arabic which reads, “Deir el-Zour welcomes you,” in the eastern city of Deir el-Zour, Syria. Syrian Hezbollah is fighting along-
ince of the same name. opposition activists and state media say government forces are close to breaking a nearly three- side Assad’s forces, and
year siege imposed by the Islamic State group on parts of the provincial capital of the oil-rich
Government forces are province of the same name. Russia is providing crucial
besieged in a handful of (SANA via AP) air support. The Russian
neighborhoods as well as a Defense Ministry said its
nearby airport. are a few hundred meters will be able to lift the siege. siege. State news agency aircraft have carried out
The Britain-based Syr- (yards) from a besieged, State TV reported that gov- SANA reported the “col- 80 airstrikes, destroying
ian Observatory for Hu- government-held air base ernment forces are only lapse” of IS defenses in the two tanks and killing and
man Rights said Monday known as Brigade 137. If three kilometers (2 miles) area. wounding 70 people in the
that the advancing forces they reach the base, they away from breaking the “The morale is very high,” Deir el-Zour area.q
Yemen’s Saleh appears on TV after rumors of arrest

By AHMED AL-HAJ form of house arrest. Abdul-Malik al-Houthi that Saleh, who used to com- was president he repeat-
Associated Press “There is no crisis or differ- Saleh was plotting a coup mand the support of much edly went to war with the
SANAA, Yemen (AP) — Ye- ences whatsoever, but only against their joint govern- of Yemen’s security appa- rebels in their northern
men’s former president Ali in the imagination of those ment. He said that he sent ratus, joined forces with the heartland. In recent weeks,
Abdullah Saleh appeared who want these decisions,” his assurances to the Houthi Houthis and helped them the Houthis have accused
on TV Monday to deny Saleh said in an interview leadership. to seize Yemen’s capital, Saleh of trying to pull his
there are any divisions be- with his Yemen Today TV “We won’t stage a coup Sanaa, in 2014. Since then forces from the front lines,
tween him and the Shi- network. He spoke slowly, against Ansar Allah” he they have been at war with while his supporters have
ite Houthi rebels, his ally appearing to choose his said, using another name the government, which complained about the
against the internationally words carefully. for the Houthis. The inter- is backed by a Saudi-led Houthis monopolizing pow-
recognized government in Arab media had earlier view was then cut off, with coalition. The fighting has er.
the country’s civil war. carried reports of his arrest, no explanation provided. killed more than 10,000 ci- The two sides clashed ear-
But tensions have risen in and in recent days secu- Shortly before Saleh’s ap- vilians, forced more than 3 lier this month after Saleh’s
recent weeks between the rity officials had said he ap- pearance, Mohammed al- million to flee, and pushed supporters held a large rally
two factions, and Saleh’s peared to be confined at Bukhaiti, a Houthi spokes- the Arab world’s poorest and the Houthis responded
strange appearance, in an one of his many residences. man, said that Saleh is country to the brink of fam- with a military parade of
interview that was abruptly Saleh said that there had “within an arm’s reach,” in- ine. hundreds of pickup trucks.
cut off, was unlikely to dis- been “fears or doubts” dicating he may be under Saleh and the Houthis are A top aide to Saleh, Khaled
pel rumors he is under some voiced by rebel leader the rebels’ control. unlikely allies. When Saleh al-Radhi, was killed.q