Beirut // ISIL has killed 164 civilians in its offensive on the Kurdish town of Kobani, in one of the extremist group’s worst massacres in Syria.
The killing spree, which took place mostly inside Kobani itself, was widely seen as vengeance for a series of defeats inflicted on ISIL by Kurdish militia in recent weeks.
At least 120 civilians were killed in a 24-hour rampage on Kobani. Another 26 were executed in a nearby village, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
The bullet-riddled bodies of another 18 people, including children, were found yesterday morning in the streets of Kobani, the Observatory said, adding that they had been shot “at close range”.
The assault, in which 42 militants and 10 Kurdish fighters also died, began on Thursday when three suicide bombers blew up vehicles at the entrances to the town, which has become a symbol of Kurdish resistance.
“When they entered the town, the jihadists took up positions in buildings at the south-east and south-west entrances, firing at everything that moved,” said Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman.
Journalist Mostafa Ali said there was no military dimension to the assault.
“ISIL doesn’t want to take over the town. They just came to kill the highest number of civilians in the ugliest ways possible,” he said.
“Every family in Kobani lost a family member on Thursday,” said Kurdish activist Arin Shekhmos.
The extremists entered Kobaniat dawn on Thursday disguised as Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) fighters, Mr Ali said.
They took up positions in buildings in the south of the town, using civilians as “human shields”.
“There are at least 70 civilians in these various neighbourhoods that have been taken hostage by ISIL,” he said.
“The YPG has sent reinforcements and have encircled the buildings, but the situation is difficult. The YPG doesn’t want to hurt the women and children there.”
More than 1,000 fleeing civilians waited on the Syrian side of the frontier with Turkey yesterday, carefully watched by Turkish troops and police on the other side.
Kobani was the scene of one of ISIL’s most dramatic defeats in January when it was forced out by Kurdish militia backed by US-led airstrikes after four months of fighting.
Kurdish fighters have gone on to seize Tal Abyad, another border town farther east, in a blow to the ISIL’s supply lines.ISIL has hit back with an offensive against Hasakeh city in the north-east, capital of the mainly Kurdish province of the same name.
Mr Abdel Rahman said ISIL had seized two neighbourhoods in the city’s south as government forces, who jointly controlled the city with Kurdish militia, carried out airstrikes.
At least 20 militants and 30 pro-government fighters were killed when ISIL captured southern parts of Hasakeh.
The Syrian government yesterday called on city residents to take up arms.
The extremists set off bombs that destroyed part of a security building in the city, killing a number of people.
On Thursday, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said the clashes had displaced an estimated 60,000 people.
Roughly 50,000 were displaced within Hasakeh, while another 10,000 had fled north towards Amuda.
Mr Shekhmos said civilians from southern neighbourhoods had fled to Kurdish-controlled parts of the city, but that the YPG was not yet involved in the fighting.
ISIL previously advanced to the southern edge of Hasakeh last month but were pushed back by government forces.
In southern Syria, a rebel alliance pressed an assault on the city and provincial capital of Deraa that it began on Thursday, with about 40 people reported killed.
President Bashar Al Assad’s regime has already lost two provincial capitals in the four-year-old civil war: ISIL-held Raqa in the Euphrates valley and Idlib in the north-west, which is held by a rebel alliance including Al Qaeda.
At least 230,000 people have been killed since Syria’s conflict erupted in 2011.
* Agence France-Presse
Comment, a11
TOP%2010%20MOST%20POLLUTED%20CITIES
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Match info
Australia 580
Pakistan 240 and 335
Result: Australia win by an innings and five runs
Wonka
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%C2%A0Paul%20King%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%C2%A0%3C%2Fstrong%3ETimothee%20Chalamet%2C%20Olivia%20Colman%2C%20Hugh%20Grant%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Persuasion
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UAE%20SQUAD
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The%20team
%3Cp%3E%0DFashion%20director%3A%20Sarah%20Maisey%0D%3Cbr%3EPhotographer%3A%20Greg%20Adamski%0D%3Cbr%3EHair%20and%20make-up%3A%20Ania%20Poniatowska%0D%3Cbr%3EModels%3A%20Nyajouk%20and%20Kristine%20at%20MMG%2C%20and%20Mitchell%0D%3Cbr%3EStylist%E2%80%99s%20assistants%3A%20Nihala%20Naval%20and%20Sneha%20Maria%20Siby%0D%3Cbr%3EVideographer%3A%20Nilanjana%20Gupta%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
KINGDOM%20OF%20THE%20PLANET%20OF%20THE%20APES
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The%C2%A0specs%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204-cylinder%202.0L%20TSI%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dual%20clutch%207-speed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20320HP%20%2F%20235kW%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20400Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Efrom%20%2449%2C709%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 2.3-litre, turbo four-cylinder
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Power: 300hp
Torque: 420Nm
Price: Dh189,900
On sale: now
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Company%20profile
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ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates, Etihad and Swiss fly direct from the UAE to Zurich from Dh2,855 return, including taxes.
The chalet
Chalet N is currently open in winter only, between now and April 21. During the ski season, starting on December 11, a week’s rental costs from €210,000 (Dh898,431) per week for the whole property, which has 22 beds in total, across six suites, three double rooms and a children’s suite. The price includes all scheduled meals, a week’s ski pass, Wi-Fi, parking, transfers between Munich, Innsbruck or Zurich airports and one 50-minute massage per person. Private ski lessons cost from €360 (Dh1,541) per day. Halal food is available on request.
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20SAMSUNG%20GALAXY%20S24%20ULTRA
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The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
SPECS%3A%20Polestar%203
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ELong-range%20dual%20motor%20with%20400V%20battery%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E360kW%20%2F%20483bhp%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E840Nm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle-speed%20automatic%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EMax%20touring%20range%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20628km%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E0-100km%2Fh%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204.7sec%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETop%20speed%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20210kph%20%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh360%2C000%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeptember%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
Without Remorse
Directed by: Stefano Sollima
Starring: Michael B Jordan
4/5
End of free parking
- paid-for parking will be rolled across Abu Dhabi island on August 18
- drivers will have three working weeks leeway before fines are issued
- areas that are currently free to park - around Sheikh Zayed Bridge, Maqta Bridge, Mussaffah Bridge and the Corniche - will now require a ticket
- villa residents will need a permit to park outside their home. One vehicle is Dh800 and a second is Dh1,200.
- The penalty for failing to pay for a ticket after 10 minutes will be Dh200
- Parking on a patch of sand will incur a fine of Dh300
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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ENGLAND SQUAD
Goalkeepers Henderson, Johnstone, Pickford, Ramsdale
Defenders Alexander-Arnold, Chilwell, Coady, Godfrey, James, Maguire, Mings, Shaw, Stones, Trippier, Walker, White
Midfielders Bellingham, Henderson, Lingard, Mount, Phillips, Rice, Ward-Prowse
Forwards Calvert-Lewin, Foden, Grealish, Greenwood, Kane, Rashford, Saka, Sancho, Sterling, Watkins
Company%20Profile
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Company%20Profile
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Revibe%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202022%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Hamza%20Iraqui%20and%20Abdessamad%20Ben%20Zakour%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20UAE%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Refurbished%20electronics%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20raised%20so%20far%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2410m%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFlat6Labs%2C%20Resonance%20and%20various%20others%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre, twin-turbo V8
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 582bhp
Torque: 730Nm
Price: Dh649,000
On sale: now
How to register as a donor
1) Organ donors can register on the Hayat app, run by the Ministry of Health and Prevention
2) There are about 11,000 patients in the country in need of organ transplants
3) People must be over 21. Emiratis and residents can register.
4) The campaign uses the hashtag #donate_hope