Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 25 OctOber 2017
Potential showdown in eastern Syria over IS-held territory

By ZEINA KARAM partners and are support- dents. Ryan Dillan, spokes- We certainly don’t want to accusations of firing on one
SARAH EL DEEB ing their advances with man for the U.S.-led anti-IS come to that and we will another in the past.
Associated Press aggressive airstrikes. They coalition, said contacts continue to de-conflict with As the Islamic State group
BEIRUT (AP) — As U.S.-allied sheds its hold on territory,
fighters hurtle down the Iranian- and Russia-backed
eastern bank of the Eu- Syrian government forces
phrates River, a showdown have been gaining ground
could ensue between the on the western bank of the
U.S. and Russia, whose al- Euphrates River, while the
lies are racing to take over U.S.-backed SDF is advanc-
the same strategic oil-rich ing on the eastern bank
territory from the Islamic and has already seized a
State group. major natural gas field and
While the two sides will other smaller oil fields in ad-
likely avoid a direct con- dition to Al-Omar.
frontation, the capture of The Syrian government
Raqqa by the U.S.-backed and the Kurds have main-
forces, followed by their tained a complicated rela-
swift seizure of Syria’s larg- tionship throughout Syria’s
est oil field from IS, has irked war, mostly refraining from
Damascus, which needs fighting one another while
the oil to boost its flagging some rebels have accused
economy. the Kurds of being secretly
As the rival international aligned with the Syrian
coalitions compete to de- president. But U.S. support
feat the militants and snap in the fight against IS has
up oil and gas fields, the emboldened Syria’s Kurds,
Russian military has issued In this July 27, 2017 photo, U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces fighters, pass through holes as who now control nearly 25
a stream of angry state- they cross from building to building to hide from snipers, on the front line with Islamic State group percent of Syrian territory
ments, accusing the U.S. of militants, in Raqqa, Syria. As U.S.-allied fighters hurtle down the eastern banks of the Euphrates and have expanded into
colluding with the Islamic River, a showdown could ensue between the U.S. and Russia, whose allies are racing to take over non-Kurdish, Arab-dom-
State and other extremist the same strategic oil-rich territory from IS. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla) inated areas, unsettling
groups in a bid to stymie Damascus. Their capture
the government’s advanc- have so far avoided any with Russia were continu- our Russian partners,” he of Raqqa, the former heart
es. significant confrontations ing to avoid friction on the told The Associated Press of the Islamic State group’s
Both the U.S. and Russia by maintaining talks and a ground around Syria’s Al- on Tuesday. He suggested so-called caliphate, was a
have embedded special hotline intended to prevent Omar oil field, which was the SDF would continue to highly prestigious win and
forces with their respective midair and ground inci- seized by the Kurdish-led march south into the town has further raised their pro-
Syrian Democratic Forces of Boukamal on the Iraqi file. Syrian state-run media
on Sunday. But he indicat- border after consolidating ignored reports about the
ed the coalition was pre- their gains, fueling con- U.S.-backed force’s cap-
pared for any possibility. cerns of conflict between ture of Raqqa for days,
“We are prepared to de- the two groups and their and it’s not clear how Syr-
fend our partners if they are superpower sponsors. ian troops will respond to
attacked, whether by ISIS The stakes are high and the their seizure of the Al-Omar
fighters or by anyone else. two sides have exchanged field. q

Egypt:

12 suspected militants arrested near Cairo

By SAMY MAGDY Fayoum province, 80 kilo- tant group has claimed
Associated Press meters (50 miles) southwest responsibility for Friday’s
CAIRO (AP) — Egyptian of Cairo, it said. Police also attack, which took place
police arrested 12 suspect- seized 13 weapons and near Egypt’s vast western
ed militants in a province two explosive devices. desert. Previous series of
southwest of the capital, The arrests came a few attacks there have been
Cairo, the Interior Ministry days after authorities of- blamed on Islamic militants
said on Tuesday, days af- ficially announced that at pouring in from Libya.
ter a deadly attack on the least 16 police were killed On Monday, Egypt’s mili-
country’s security forces in a brazen ambush by mili- tary targeted an arms con-
killed at least 16 policemen. tants southwest of Cairo. voy crossing the border
The ministry statement said Security officials had ear- from Libya, destroying vehi-
the militants were “cadres” lier told The Associated cles loaded with weapons
of Hasm, which authorities Press and other media and explosives, and killing
say is a breakaway fac- outlets that the death toll militants, a military spokes-
tion of the outlawed Mus- reached 54, making it one man said in a statement.
lim Brotherhood that has of the worst attacks against Col. Tamer el-Rifai said that
targeted security troops in Egypt’s police in years. airstrikes destroyed eight
recent years in a series of However, it has not been vehicles and killed sus-
brazen attacks. possible to reconcile the pected militants, without
The arrests were made in conflicting reports. No mili- elaborating.q