Syria says Israeli strikes leave 18 dead in the biggest toll since the war in Gaza began
Masyaf (Syria), Sep 9: The number of people killed in overnight Israeli strikes in Syria has risen to 18 with dozens more wounded, Syria's health minister said on Monday — the largest death toll in such an attack since the beginning of the war in Gaza.
One of the sites targeted was a research centre used in the development of weapons, a war monitor said. Syrian officials said civilian sites were targeted.
Israel regularly targets military sites in Syria linked to Iran and the Lebanese group Hezbollah. Those strikes have become more frequent as Hezbollah has exchanged fire with Israeli forces for the past 11 months against the backdrop of Israel's war against Hamas — a Hezbollah ally — in Gaza.
However, the intensity and death toll of Sunday night's strikes were unusual.
There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military. Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes on targets inside government-controlled parts of war-torn Syria in recent years, but it rarely acknowledges or discusses the operations. The strikes often target Syrian forces or Iranian-backed groups.
Israel has vowed to stop Iranian entrenchment in Syria, particularly since Syria is a key route for Iran to send weapons to Hezbollah.
Israeli strikes hit several areas in central Syria, damaging a highway in Hama province and sparking fires, Syrian state news agency SANA said.
Speaking to reporters, Syrian Health Minister Hassan al-Ghabbash described the strikes as a “brutal and barbaric aggression”. He said the death toll had risen to 18 with nearly 40 wounded.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based war monitor, said 25 were killed, including at least five civilians, while the others included Syrian army soldiers and members of Hezbollah and other Iran-linked armed groups.
One strike targeted a scientific research centre in Masyaf, and others struck sites where “Iranian militias and experts are stationed to develop weapons in Syria”, the observatory said. It said the research centre was reportedly used for developing weapons, including short- and medium-range precision missiles and drones.
Minister of Electricity Mohammad al-Zamel said the strikes had caused “truly significant” damage to water and electricity infrastructure.
“This brutal attack targeted civilian targets, and the martyrs were mostly civilians, as were the wounded,” he said.
Local media also reported strikes around the coastal city of Tartous, which the observatory said were the result of air defense missiles falling.
On Monday afternoon, a charred car remained at the scene of one strike and smoke was still rising from some spots where fires had been put out.
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SC asks CBI to file status report on probe into 'financial irregularities' at R G Kar Hospital
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the CBI to submit a status report on the probe into alleged financial irregularities at the R G Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata where a trainee doctor was raped and murdered last month.
The top court also perused the status report filed by the CBI concerning the rape and murder incident and said disclosing the status will jeopardise further investigation.
Refusing to stop streaming live proceedings in the suo motu case related to the incident, the apex court said it was a matter of public interest and the public must know what is transpiring in the courtroom.
A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra perused the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) report and said disclosing the status would jeopardise further investigation.
As the hearing commenced, senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the West Bengal government, sought the stopping of live proceedings in the case. He alleged that women lawyers of the chamber are facing threats of acid attacks and rapes.
The top court assured Sibal that it would step in if there were any threats to lawyers and others.
The Solicitor General, appearing for the CBI, submitted that Wikipedia was still showing the name and photo of the victim. The top court then directed Wikipedia to remove the name of the victim.
"In the interest of maintaining the dignity and privacy of the deceased, the governing principle is that the identity of the victim in a rape and murder case shall not be disclosed. Wikipedia shall take steps to comply with the previous order passed," the bench said.
The top court also said that nobody can say that the CBI destroyed anything related to the crime, scene or the 27 minutes of CCTV camera footage.
The West Bengal police told the court nothing related to the crime, including the CCTV footage, remains with them and everything has been handed over to the CBI.
The apex court asked the central agency to file a status report on the probe so far on the alleged financial irregularities in medical departments.
The hearing is currently underway.
The medic's body with severe injury marks was found on August 9. A civic volunteer was arrested by the Kolkata Police in connection with the case the following day.
On August 13, the Calcutta High Court ordered the transfer of the probe from the Kolkata Police to the CBI, which started its investigation on August 14.
