Missile strike on Syria

The USA launched airstrikes against a facility in the eastern Syria. The Pentagon stated that the airstrikes were carried out on the pro-Iranian groups, by an order of the US President Joe Biden. John Kirby, the Pentagon’s assistant public affairs officer, explained that the airstrikes were made in a response to the recent attacks against the US and coalition officials in Iraq, as well as due to the ongoing threats. The airstrikes destroyed several facilities located at a checkpoint, used by numerous pro-Iranian groups, like ’Kataib Hezbollah’ and ’Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhadah’, the report stated. The US Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, stated that the USA are confident that it was a strike against the same Shiia group that previously made sorties in Iraq, including against the US interests. Lloyd Austin underlined that the target of the airstrike was found thanks to the intelligence provided by Iraq. The ’New York Times’ reported while citing their sources that the USA assume that several members of the aforementioned groups were killed in the airstrike. There was no official confirmation of that report. Official sources of the ’Bloomberg’ reported that the air attack targeted several buildings, considered by the USA to be a «staging post», used to transport the members of the aforementioned groups to Iraq. According to the ’Bloomberg’ — the US military believes that there were several people in there. The ’Bloomberg’ reported that the US military used an F-15 fighter jet to airstrike.

The ’Al Arabiya’ TV reported that during the recent missile attack in the eastern Syria, the US Air Force hit a convoy of Shiia militias, right after the convoy crossed the Syrian-Iraqi border near the ’Al Qaim’ checkpoint. The airstrike, reportedly, killed 22 fighters of the Iraqi Shiia militia group ’Al-Hashd al-Shaabi’, and the ’Kataib Hezbollah’ brigade. The groups are fighting on the side of Syria against the ’ISIS’ terrorists.

The deputy head of the Russian Center for the Reconciliation of the Warring Parties in Syria, Rear-Admiral Vyacheslav Sytnik, stated that «the terrorists from the radical armed groups are blocking the work of the checkpoints. They forbid the locals to travel to the territory controlled by the Syrian authorities under the threat of using weapons, or an arrest». On 22nd of February the checkpoints Seraqab, Miznaz, and Abu Azeidin started their work. The checkpoints were made so that the Syrian civilians can leave the Idlib DMZ, and the territory controlled by the Turkish troops. Vyacheslav Sytnik underlined that the Turkish troops are unable to ensure the safety of civilians in the exit corridors from the DMZ, which escalates the situation of the civilian population that suffers from a lack of a proper medical care, and due to the socio-economic situation that has developed due to the US sanctions.

The deputy head of the Russian Center for the Reconciliation of the Warring Parties in Syria, Vyacheslav Sytnik, reported that the terrorists of the ’Jebhat al-Nusra’ group attacked the checkpoint ’Serakab’ in Idlib. «On 24th of February the terrorists of the ’Jabhat al-Nusra’ attacked the checkpoint ’Serakab’ with mortars and a homemade UAV» — Vyacheslav Sytnik reported. It was noted that the command of the Russian forces in Syria decided to evacuate their personnel from the checkpoint.

The head of the US Senate Armed Services Committee, Jack Reed, stated during a briefing that the USA will extend their military presence in Afghanistan despite the agreement with the ’Taliban’. According to Jack Reed — «it seems that the Taliban didn’t follow the details of the agreement. Negotiations between the ’Taliban’ and the Afghan government went on and off. Mostly they didn’t happen». Jack Reed added that “the hope was that by now a framework agreement for a collegial government in Afghanistan would be worked out, thus giving some confidence for the future, stability, and a clear and irreversible divide between the ’Taliban’ and the terrorist groups’’. Jack Reid noted that the situation in Afghanistan is «one of the most difficult issues facing the US President Joe Biden at the moment». Jack Reed concluded that the USA must ensure that Afghanistan is no longer a safe haven for the terrorists to plan their attacks around the world.

The General Staff of Armenia announced that the Armenian troops are demanding the resignation of the Prime Minister, Nikol Pashinyan, and the entire government. «The Prime Minister and the Government of Armenia are no longer able to make proper decisions in this critical period of time for the Armenian people. Due to the current situation — the Armenian troops demand the resignation of the Prime Minister and the Government of Armenia. The troops also demand to refrain from using force against the people of Armenia who recently suffered losses while defending the country and Artsakh» — the statement stated. The Armenian Prime Minister, Nikol Pashinyan, responded on Facebook that the demand of the General Staff for his resignation is a military coup. He called on his followers to come to the Republic Square. Constantine Reztsov, specially for the ANNA NEWS.