World Politics

Syria carnage continues


According to media reports, thousands of Syrian troops with the help of Lebanon’s Hezbollah have launched a new offensive in the strategically important town of Al-Qusayr, which is located near the Lebanese border and is a key position on the road to Damascus.


The town has been under the control of the opposition for a year. The regime forces have bombarded the town with airstrikes and artillery, killing more than 50 people. The assaults have left a big part of the population without food and medicines. Human rights groups are raising the concern of an imminent massacre in the town. 

Things are getting from bad to worse in Syria. Eighty thousand people have so far lost their lives and around 1.5 million have become refugees in other countries, living in miserable conditions. Unfortunately, the world response has been quite shameful. The UN and so-called big powers are turning a blind eye to the ongoing carnage in Syria. The recent UN General Assembly meeting on Syrian conflict failed to bring about any change in Syria. Instead of trying to stop the bloodshed, Russia and Iran are openly supplying long-range missiles and weapons to the ruthless regime. After the involvement of Hezbollah, the conflict has become more dangerous.

The sectarian division is spreading and neighboring countries have also begun to pay a heavy price. Only days ago, terrorist attacks and car bomb blasts killed 46 people in Turkey. Jordan is facing the worst refugee crisis as it is hosting one million refugees, which is equal to its own population. Lebanon is also witnessing worsening sectarian tension in the country. —

Khawaja Umer Farooq, Jeddah

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