RUSSIAN MILITARY POLICE ARRESTS LOOTERS IN SOUTHERN DAMASCUS. SECURITY FORCES STROM ILLEGAL MARKETS

Click to see the full-size image

On May 26, the Russian Military Police arrested several thieves who were looting civilian houses in the district of Babbila south of the city of Damascus and returned electronics and fortune, which had been stolen, to their owner, according to Syrian pro-government sources.

Click to see the full-size image

According to reports, the thieves were wearing uniforms of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA). However, a military source told South Front that SAA soldiers are not allowed to enter Babbila. This means that these thieves were likely members of some pro-government militia.

The Russian Military Police started patrolling the districts of Beit Sahm, Babbila, Sidi Miqdad and Yelda in southern Damascus on May 13 under the reconciliation agreement, which was reached on April 13.

Meanwhile, the Syrian pro-government news outlet Syrian Reports said that Syrian security forces had stormed several illegal markets in the district of Dahiyat al-Assad northeast of Damascus. According to the source, these illegal markets are known for selling fortune and electronics that have been looted from war zones.

Click to see the full-size image

Click to see the original-size image

During the security operation, Syrian security forces arrested dozens of looters and confiscated all the goods in order to return them to their owners.

Local observers believe that the upcoming weeks will witness larger security campaigns against looters who took advantage of the lack of security around Damascus city during the past seven years.

Comments

Why States Still Use Barrel Bombs

Smoke ascends after a Syrian military helicopter allegedly dropped a barrel bomb over the city of Daraya on Jan. 31.(FADI DIRANI/AFP/Getty Images) Summary Barrel bombs are not especially effective weapons. They are often poorly constructed; they fail to detonate more often than other devices constructed for a similar purpose; and their lack of precision means they can have a disproportionate effect on civilian populations. However, combatants continue to use barrel bombs in conflicts, including in recent and ongoing conflicts in Africa and the Middle East, and they are ideally suited to the requirements of resource-poor states. Analysis Barrel bombs are improvised devices that contain explosive filling and shrapnel packed into a container, often in a cylindrical shape such as a barrel. The devices continue to be dropped on towns all over Syria . Indeed, there have been several documented cases of their use in Iraq over the past months, and residents of the city of Mosul, which was re

Russia Looks East for New Oil Markets

Click to Enlarge In the final years of the Soviet Union, Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev began orienting his foreign policy toward Asia in response to a rising Japan. Putin has also piloted a much-touted pivot to Asia, coinciding with renewed U.S. interest in the area. A good expression of intent was Russia's hosting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in 2012 in Vladivostok, near Russia's borders with China and North Korea. Although its efforts in Asia have been limited by more direct interests in Russia's periphery and in Europe, Moscow recently has been able to look more to the east. Part of this renewed interest involves finding new export markets for Russian hydrocarbons. Russia's economy relies on energy exports, particularly crude oil and natural gas exported via pipeline to the West. However, Western Europe is diversifying its energy sources as new supplies come online out of a desire to reduce its dependence on Russian energy supplies . This has

LONDON POLICE INDIRECTLY ENCOURAGE CRIMINALS TO ATTACK RUSSIAN DIPLOMATIC PROPERTY

ILLUSTRATIVE IMAGE A few days ago an unknown perpetrator trespassed on the territory of the Russian Trade Delegation in London, causing damage to the property and the vehicles belonging to the trade delegation , Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said during the September 12 press briefing. The diplomat revealed the response by the London police was discouraging. Police told that the case does not have any prospects and is likely to be closed. This was made despite the fact that the British law enforcement was provided with video surveillance tapes and detailed information shedding light on the incident. By this byehavior, British law inforcements indirectly encourage criminals to continue attacks on Russian diplomatic property in the UK. Zakharova’s statement on “Trespassing on the Russian Trade Mission premises in London” ( source ): During our briefings, we have repeatedly discussed compliance with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, specif

Search This Blog