Sunday News Bulletin from Hizb ut-Tahrir Radio, Syria Province
2025/07/13
Headlines:
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Beginning the stage of controlling fires in the Latakia countryside and seizing a weapons and ammunition depot in the Tartus countryside during a security raid.
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Security tension closes the Damascus-Sweida road after mutual kidnapping incidents.
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US envoy clarifies his statements regarding Lebanon: No threat, but rather praise for Syria's steps.
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"Al-Shara" praises the results of his visit to Azerbaijan, and "Haaretz" talks about: A meeting in Baku to discuss regional threats and security coordination with the Jewish entity.
Details:
The Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management in Syria, Raed Al-Saleh, announced on Saturday evening that the Civil Defense teams and fire brigades were able to stop the spread of fire on all axes in the northern Latakia countryside. In a tweet posted on the (X) platform, Al-Saleh said: "After great and continuous efforts by the fire brigades in the Civil Defense, the fire brigades, and the supporting Turkish and Arab teams in extinguishing the forest fires in Latakia, the work reached a promising stage this evening, as the teams were able to stop the spread of fire on all axes, which is the most important step towards control."
The Internal Security Forces Command in Tartus Governorate announced the seizure of a warehouse containing quantities of weapons and ammunition inside the house of one of the wanted men in the village of Basurm in the countryside of the governorate, during a security operation carried out by a specialized unit. The Ministry of Interior stated in its statement, on the evening of Saturday, July 12, that the raid came as part of the pursuit of a "dangerous" wanted man linked to security cases, as the operation resulted in the confiscation of weapons and ammunition that were stored inside the targeted house, without clashes or injuries. The Ministry noted in its statement that the wanted man is still at large, while the security services continue combing and chasing operations within the Tartus countryside to arrest him and bring him to justice.
On Saturday, the Internal Security Forces stopped traffic on the Damascus - Sweida road from the direction of the Al-Musmiya checkpoint and several other checkpoints, following escalating security tensions and kidnapping and assault operations targeting passers-by in various locations on the vital road. The "Al-Suwaida 24" website reported that security personnel asked drivers to stop at checkpoints and not to continue on the road, in order to preserve their safety, until the situation stabilizes and the road is reopened safely. This tension comes after an incident that occurred last night, which consisted of robbing a car loaded with vegetables and detaining its driver temporarily on the same road, which triggered a series of random reactions in the Sweida Governorate, including kidnapping and detention of a number of citizens. Local sources said that groups close to the driver of the stolen car set up checkpoints and temporary inspection points inside Sweida, and detained eight people from Al-Hasakah and Sweida, with their cars, demanding the recovery of the car in exchange for their release. The sources pointed out that there are vigorous community efforts to reach a settlement and release the detainees, who have no connection to the original incident.
A source in the Lebanese Prisons Administration revealed that the joint judicial-security committee formed by the Ministries of Interior and Justice has completed the files of hundreds of Syrian prisoners in preparation for handing them over to the Syrian government, but these efforts have run into legal obstacles that prevented the implementation of the handover process. The source told *Al-Sharq Al-Awsat* newspaper that Lebanese law does not allow the extradition of any detainee unless a final judicial ruling is issued against him, stressing that detainees who have not been tried, or who have committed crimes on Lebanese territory and Lebanese citizens were victims, are not covered by any extradition decision at the present time. The source explained that Lebanon and Syria are linked by a number of judicial agreements, including an agreement to extradite wanted persons, which allows the extradition of perpetrators between the two countries based on judicial warrants, but he pointed to the absence of a special agreement to hand over convicts, which requires signing a new agreement between the Ministries of Justice and referring it to the Lebanese Parliament for approval. If this is done, about 370 convicted Syrian prisoners serving their sentences in Lebanon can be handed over.
The US Special Envoy to Syria and Ambassador to Turkey, Thomas Barack, clarified that his recent statements about the Syrian file and Lebanon were misunderstood, stressing that they do not carry any threat to Lebanon, but rather reflect his country's support for Syria's efforts to re-engage regionally and internationally. In a post on the "X" platform on Saturday evening, Barack said that his statements "were in the context of praising the developments taking place in Damascus, especially in terms of economic and diplomatic openness," stressing that Syria "is moving quickly to seize the historic opportunity provided by the American administration by easing restrictions and sanctions." Barack pointed out that Damascus has begun to attract new investments from Turkey and the Gulf countries, within an ambitious vision to build regional economic partnerships, in parallel with attempts to strengthen understanding with neighboring countries, foremost of which is Lebanon. He added: "Syrian leaders aspire only to peaceful coexistence and mutual prosperity with Lebanon," stressing Washington's commitment to supporting a balanced relationship between the two countries. Barack's previous statements, in which he referred to "an existential threat that may threaten Lebanon if it does not accelerate its steps towards rearranging the relationship with Syria," sparked angry reactions in Beirut, and were considered a veiled pressure message. However, the explanatory statement denied those interpretations, stressing that Washington encourages strengthening cooperation between "two brotherly countries" in the context of the geopolitical changes taking place in the region.
Syrian President Ahmed Al-Shara expressed his appreciation for the warm reception he received during his official visit to Azerbaijan, stressing that the visit constituted a pivotal station in the path of strengthening relations between the two countries, especially in the fields of investment and energy. In a message he addressed to his Azerbaijani counterpart, Ilham Aliyev, after leaving the capital, Baku, Al-Shara stressed the importance of building on what was reached during the discussions of political and economic agreements, in a way that enhances security and stability in the region.
The Hebrew newspaper "Haaretz" said that two officials from Syria and the Jewish entity held a meeting on Saturday in the Azerbaijani capital, Baku, describing the meeting as part of a series of security talks between the two sides. According to the newspaper, the meeting discussed multiple files, most notably the regional threats related to Iran and its Lebanese party, in addition to the tensions with the Palestinian factions present in Syria, on the sidelines of the Syrian President's visit to Azerbaijan. "Haaretz" pointed out that the two sides discussed the possibility of opening a coordination office for the entity in Damascus without a formal diplomatic character, suggesting that this meeting is part of a series of meetings that include prominent security figures from both sides, while it did not mention additional details about the officials.
