Egypt condemns series of explosions in Syrian city of Tartous

Ahmed Abbas
2 Min Read

Egypt condemned the series of explosions that were carried out by the Islamic State (IS) in Tartous on Monday, leaving 150 people dead.

IS claimed responsibility for the deadly attack, saying that it was targeting the Syrian armed forces.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that nearly 150 people were killed in five suicide attacks and two car bombs.

The attacks are the first of their kind type in the coastal city of Tartous where a Russian military base is located.

The Kremlin said the incident confirms the need to revive the peace talks over Syria in Geneva which stalled after a US-Russian backed ceasefire collapsed.

“This demonstrates yet again just how fragile the situation in Syria is … and underscores the need for new urgent steps to continue the negotiation process,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told journalists.

Human Rights Watch condemned the attack which targeted civilians in two bus stations and a hospital.

“The deadly attacks on bus stations and a hospital in Tartous show the assailants’ callous disregard for civilian life,” deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch Nadim Houry said in a statement. “In the face of such horrors, it’s more important than ever to make it a top priority to protect Syria’s civilians–regardless of whom they support, where they live, or their religion.”

 

Share This Article
Follow:
Ahmed Abbas is a journalist at DNE’s politics section. He previously worked as Egypt based reporter for Correspondents.org, and interned as a broadcast journalist at Deutsche Welle TV in Berlin. Abbas is a fellow of Salzburg Academy of Media and Global Change. He holds a Master’s Degree of Journalism and New Media from Jordan Media Institute. He was awarded by the ICFJ for best public service reporting in 2013, and by the German foreign office for best feature in 2014.
Leave a comment