UNITED NATIONS, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations (UN) stands against any violation of the territorial integrity of Syria, a UN spokesperson said on Tuesday, after Israel seized a buffer zone in the Golan Heights following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad's government.
When asked about media reports that recently the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) targeted 320 Syrian military targets, Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN secretary-general, said at a daily press briefing: "It is very clear that we stand against any violation of the territorial integrity of Syria. We are against these types of attacks."
In the wake of the fall of al-Assad's government, Israel ramped up its military operation in Syria, launching airstrikes against military weaponry and seizing control of a demilitarized buffer zone in the Golan Heights.
Dujarric said that the United Nations continues to consider the Golan Heights to be the occupied territory of Syria. "I think we were very clear about the violation of the disengagement agreement following the IDF occupation of the buffer zone," he added.
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WASHINGTON -- The top commander of the U.S. military in the Middle East visited the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Syria on Tuesday to be briefed on ongoing efforts to prevent the resurgence of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), the U.S. military said.
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a post on X that General Erik Kurilla, the CENTCOM commander, "visited U.S. military commanders and service members, as well as our Defeat-ISIS partners, the Syrian Democratic Forces, at several bases in Syria."
"He received a firsthand assessment of force protection measures, the rapidly evolving situation, and ongoing efforts to prevent ISIS from exploiting the current situation," CENTCOM said.
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ANKARA -- Türkiye will not allow Syria to become a conflict zone and be divided once again, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said here Tuesday.
"Any attack on the stability of the new Syrian government or the integrity of ancient Syrian lands will face both the Syrian people and us," Erdogan said at a ruling party meeting.
"We cannot accept any steps or provocations aimed at preventing the return of our Syrian brothers and sisters to their homes," he noted.
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ABU DHABI -- The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has strongly condemned Israel's seizure of the demilitarized buffer zone in the Golan Heights and other neighboring leading positions, Emirates' official news agency WAM reported Tuesday.
The seizure violates international law, particularly the Agreement on Disengagement signed in 1974 between Israel and Syria, WAM reported, citing a statement by the UAE's Foreign Ministry.
The UAE categorically rejects such practices, which exacerbate regional tensions and hinder efforts to achieve peace and stability, it reported, saying the UAE is committed to Syria's unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.
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JERUSALEM -- Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Tuesday that Israel was creating a "sterile defense zone" in southern Syria to prevent hostile forces from approaching its borders.
Speaking during a visit to the Navy base in Haifa, Katz said he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had instructed the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to establish the zone, which would be "free of weapons and armed threats" and created "without a permanent Israeli presence."
He did not provide details on the zone's geographic boundaries or the operations Israel would use to establish it.
Katz added that Israeli forces are "currently completing their deployment in the buffer zone and strategic areas to protect the Golan Heights and Israeli citizens." The aim is to prevent hostile groups from consolidating near Israel's border in the aftermath of al-Assad's downfall, he said.
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DAMASCUS -- Mohammed al-Bashir announced Tuesday that he has been tasked with heading a transitional government in Syria until early March 2025 following the collapse of al-Assad's government.
In a brief televised statement, al-Bashir said he would lead the transitional authority until March 1.
Al-Bashir, born in 1983, was an electrical engineer and head of the "Syrian Salvation Government" (SSG) in Idlib formed in 2017 by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and other Syrian militant groups during the Syrian civil war. The SSG wielded administrative and service-related authority in areas under the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) control in northern Syria.
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MOSCOW -- Bashar al-Assad's decision to "withdraw from performing his duties as Syria's head of state is personal," Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying by local media on Tuesday.
Moscow maintains contact with all regional countries, he said when asked about Russia's influence in the region and the status of its military bases in Syria.
He added that it is difficult to predict the future development of the situation in Syria. ■
