Blog

The collapse of the Syrian regime could lead to a resurgence of Islamic State (IS), with concern growing about the fate of camps and detention sites holding thousands of captured fighters.Jonathan Hall KC, the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation in the UK, has warned the evolving crisis creates the potential for a new wave of terrorism to emerge. He told Sky News that the detention facilities in northeastern Syria "are holding some of the most dangerous Islamic State fighters".Syria latest - PM agrees to hand power to rebels Image: Celebrations in Damascus on Monday. Pic: AP Image: A Syrian girl with the revolutionary flag painted on her face in Damascus. Pic: AP ...

Around 180 mostly elderly people have been killed in Haiti after they were reportedly suspected of witchcraft.Gang leader Monel "Mikano" Felix ordered the massacre in Cite Soleil - a densely populated slum in the capital Port-au-Prince - after his child became unwell, according to the National Human Rights Defence Network (RNDDH). The boss of the Wharf Jeremie gang sought advice from a voodoo priest who accused older residents in the area of using witchcraft to harm the youngster who died on Saturday afternoon, the non-governmental organisation said.At least 60 people were killed on Friday and 50 on Saturday in attacks involving machetes and knives, while all the victims were aged over 60, said the RNDDH.The total number killed increased to around 180 on Monday, following a statement from ...

Syrian rebels have brought 24 years of Bashar al Assad's dictatorship to an end in a single week.Led by the former al Qaeda affiliate group Hayat Tahrir al Sham, the uprising was also supported by US-backed Kurdish forces, Turkish-backed militias, and dozens of smaller fighter groups. Russia 'surprised' at Assad ousting - Syria latestHere we look at who the various rebel groups are, who supports them - and what areas they control now the government has fallen.Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS) The ousting of Bashar al Assad's government was spearheaded by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS) - a former affiliate of al Qaeda known then as the Nusra Front.Its founder Abu Muhammed al Jolani broke away from al Qaeda in 2016 in a bid to appear more moderate. ...

Israeli forces have seized a demilitarised buffer zone in the Golan Heights in a move that has been criticised by Egypt and Qatar.Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his forces had entered the 155-square mile area after a rebel advance ended Syrian President Bashar al Assad's rule on Sunday. The zone was established by a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Syria in 1974.Mr Netanyahu said the 50-year-old deal had collapsed and Syrian troops had abandoned their positions in the zone, necessitating the Israeli takeover as a "temporary defensive position".Follow latest: Middle East live updates It came as Egypt's foreign ministry condemned the seizure of the buffer zone and accused Israel of "exploiting the power vacuum… to occupy more Syrian territories and create a fait accomp...