SOUTHERN DAMASCUS // Troops and tanks attacked the town of Daraya on the southern edges of Damascus yesterday following a 24-hour mortar and heavy artillery bombardment.
Activists said the opening barrage killed at least 15 people, including a mother and two children, and wounded another 150. No details were available last night as to how many may have subsequently been killed.
However, opposition groups have reported summary executions taking place in other areas overrun by government forces.
Skirmishes between the Free Syrian Army (FSA) and loyalist military units broke out on the edge of Daraya but residents said the lightly armed rebels could not prevent the larger, better equipped force of Bashar Al Assad's forces, backed by tanks, from quickly pushing towards the town centre. A thick column of black smoke rose above Daraya yesterday afternoon, apparently from a building set ablaze by mortar fire. Periodic explosions sounded from the town, which was sealed off by security forces, reinforced by locally recruited pro-government militia groups, known as popular committees.
Overnight, a steady stream of shells had been shot from military bases in the mountains north of Damascus.
Entrances into central Damascus from the south were cut for a second day yesterday as the assault took place.
The main motorway connecting Damascus to Jordan was shut and public transport halted. Food supplies to southern neighbourhoods stopped as part of the blockade.
Daraya, a town of 200,000 inhabitants - mainly Muslim, but with a sizeable Christian minority and a large church - has been involved in the uprising since it began last March.
It is part of the urban sprawl of southern Damascus, a swathe of densely populated middle and working-class districts running around the bottom edge of the capital in which the opposition, and in particular the FSA, has become increasingly dominant.
Military forces loyal to Mr Al Assad, the Syrian president, have been heavily deployed across the area for months but that has done little to prevent neighbourhoods from slipping out of the authorities' hands.
Periodic assaults, such as that launched on Daraya yesterday, have re-established some semblance of central control, only for increased armed resistance to eventually follow. Violence has snowballed.
"The regime can attack Daraya but it will not be able to hold on to it for long. It's too big and would require too many soldiers," said a local resident on condition of anonymity. "The war for Damascus is really only just beginning and it will be long and terrible and may destroy us all."
West of Daraya lies Moadamiya, scene of an assault by regime forces on Tuesday in which 86 of people were killed - many of them executed - according to activists and residents.
North-east of Daraya is Kafa Susa, another area prominent in the rebellion and even closer to the heart of the capital. It too has been subject to regular attacks as government forces first sought to crush peaceful anti-regime dissent there and then tried to defeat a growing armed rebellion.
Crucially for the authorities, the northern edge of Daraya abuts the Damascus military airport in Mezze, a major security installation housing dozens of prisons, secret police compounds, army units and the helicopter forces that have been used to attack restive areas of the capital.
A strong rebel armed presence in Daraya would leave the airport vulnerable to attack.
Residents in Daraya had long been expecting an attack. Regime security forces, including the traffic police, had withdrawn from the town two months ago and, since then, it had been run by local civic-action groups, which had stepped in to do the day-to-day work of the municipal authorities.
Local volunteers had cleaned the streets, established a community police service, run hospitals, set up an independent newspaper and provided psychological support services for children traumatised by the war.
They were preparing to run the education system, anticipating state-run schools would not reopen when the summer holidays end next month.
Activists in Daraya also held regular classes teaching civil liberties and rule of law, and had visited many of the families of more than 1,000 town residents killed since the uprising began, impressing upon them the need for an independent legal process in the prosecution of those responsible for the deaths, rather than seeking eye-for-an-eye revenge.
The Free Syrian Army - held as terrorists by the Syrian regime - did operate in Daraya and had formed a loose, largely symbolic defensive perimeter around the town in its outlying areas. These zones had been mortared regularly since the pull-out of the security forces.
Battles also continued elsewhere in Syria yesterday, including in Aleppo, where the FSA has been facing government forces for more than a month of street fighting.
Regime forces, which have used heavy weapons and jet aircraft to bombard rebel held areas, said they had inflicted "heavy losses" on the insurgents.
Officials in Damascus also announced yesterday they had accepted the appointment of Lakhdar Brahimi as the new UN envoy to Syria.
The veteran Algerian diplomat has said his job will be to try to end a civil war in Syria, although he has given little indication as to how he intends to do so
"We are looking forward to seeing ... what ideas he is giving for potential solutions for the problem here," Faisal Meqdad, Syria's deputy foreign minister, said.
He denied rebel claims that a Japanese journalist who died in the northern city of Aleppo this week was killed by government troops. "Any journalist who behaves in an irresponsible way should expect all these difficult possibilities," he said following a meeting with Babacare Gaye, the head of the outgoing UN mission. Japanese war correspondent Mika Yamamoto was killed on Monday.
The Syrian authorities say they are facing a foreign-backed insurgency by Islamic extremists, citing support of the FSA by the West and Gulf states, which have been supplying the rebels with armaments.
Opposition groups say they have been given no option but to take up arms against the regime after months of peaceful protest were met with deadly violence from the security services rather than genuine political reforms to a decades old autocracy.
More than 20,000 people - mainly civilians, but also rebel fighters and government troops - have been killed in the 17-month uprising.
"There will be no winners in Syria, as the West is betting there will be," Mr Meqdad said. "Syria will win, thanks to its people, its leader [Bashar Al Assad] and its government, which will make the right choices in the midst of these difficult circumstances."
psands@thenational.ae
* With additional reporting by the Associated Press
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
The winners
Fiction
- ‘Amreekiya’ by Lena Mahmoud
- ‘As Good As True’ by Cheryl Reid
The Evelyn Shakir Non-Fiction Award
- ‘Syrian and Lebanese Patricios in Sao Paulo’ by Oswaldo Truzzi; translated by Ramon J Stern
- ‘The Sound of Listening’ by Philip Metres
The George Ellenbogen Poetry Award
- ‘Footnotes in the Order of Disappearance’ by Fady Joudah
Children/Young Adult
- ‘I’ve Loved You Since Forever’ by Hoda Kotb
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
'Worse than a prison sentence'
Marie Byrne, a counsellor who volunteers at the UAE government's mental health crisis helpline, said the ordeal the crew had been through would take time to overcome.
“It was worse than a prison sentence, where at least someone can deal with a set amount of time incarcerated," she said.
“They were living in perpetual mystery as to how their futures would pan out, and what that would be.
“Because of coronavirus, the world is very different now to the one they left, that will also have an impact.
“It will not fully register until they are on dry land. Some have not seen their young children grow up while others will have to rebuild relationships.
“It will be a challenge mentally, and to find other work to support their families as they have been out of circulation for so long. Hopefully they will get the care they need when they get home.”
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
A meeting of young minds
The 3,494 entries for the 2019 Sharjah Children Biennial come from:
435 – UAE
2,000 – China
808 – United Kingdom
165 – Argentina
38 – Lebanon
16 – Saudi Arabia
16 – Bangladesh
6 – Ireland
3 – Egypt
3 – France
2 – Sudan
1 – Kuwait
1 – Australia
Company Profile
Company name: Big Farm Brothers
Started: September 2020
Founders: Vishal Mahajan and Navneet Kaur
Based: Dubai Investment Park 1
Industry: food and agriculture
Initial investment: $205,000
Current staff: eight to 10
Future plan: to expand to other GCC markets
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How to play the stock market recovery in 2021?
If you are looking to build your long-term wealth in 2021 and beyond, the stock market is still the best place to do it as equities powered on despite the pandemic.
Investing in individual stocks is not for everyone and most private investors should stick to mutual funds and ETFs, but there are some thrilling opportunities for those who understand the risks.
Peter Garnry, head of equity strategy at Saxo Bank, says the 20 best-performing US and European stocks have delivered an average return year-to-date of 148 per cent, measured in local currency terms.
Online marketplace Etsy was the best performer with a return of 330.6 per cent, followed by communications software company Sinch (315.4 per cent), online supermarket HelloFresh (232.8 per cent) and fuel cells specialist NEL (191.7 per cent).
Mr Garnry says digital companies benefited from the lockdown, while green energy firms flew as efforts to combat climate change were ramped up, helped in part by the European Union’s green deal.
Electric car company Tesla would be on the list if it had been part of the S&P 500 Index, but it only joined on December 21. “Tesla has become one of the most valuable companies in the world this year as demand for electric vehicles has grown dramatically,” Mr Garnry says.
By contrast, the 20 worst-performing European stocks fell 54 per cent on average, with European banks hit by the economic fallout from the pandemic, while cruise liners and airline stocks suffered due to travel restrictions.
As demand for energy fell, the oil and gas industry had a tough year, too.
Mr Garnry says the biggest story this year was the “absolute crunch” in so-called value stocks, companies that trade at low valuations compared to their earnings and growth potential.
He says they are “heavily tilted towards financials, miners, energy, utilities and industrials, which have all been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic”. “The last year saw these cheap stocks become cheaper and expensive stocks have become more expensive.”
This has triggered excited talk about the “great value rotation” but Mr Garnry remains sceptical. “We need to see a breakout of interest rates combined with higher inflation before we join the crowd.”
Always remember that past performance is not a guarantee of future returns. Last year’s winners often turn out to be this year’s losers, and vice-versa.
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
ACC 2019: The winners in full
Best Actress Maha Alemi, Sofia
Best Actor Mohamed Dhrif, Weldi
Best Screenplay Meryem Benm’Barek, Sofia
Best Documentary Of Fathers and Sons by Talal Derki
Best Film Yomeddine by Abu Bakr Shawky
Best Director Nadine Labaki, Capernaum
Smart words at Make Smart Cool
Make Smart Cool is not your usual festival. Dubbed “edutainment” by organisers Najahi Events, Make Smart Cool aims to inspire its youthful target audience through a mix of interactive presentation by social media influencers and a concert finale featuring Example with DJ Wire. Here are some of the speakers sharing their inspiration and experiences on the night.
Prince Ea
With his social media videos accumulating more half a billion views, the American motivational speaker is hot on the college circuit in the US, with talks that focus on the many ways to generate passion and motivation when it comes to learning.
Khalid Al Ameri
The Emirati columnist and presenter is much loved by local youth, with writings and presentations about education, entrepreneurship and family balance. His lectures on career and personal development are sought after by the education and business sector.
Ben Ouattara
Born to an Ivorian father and German mother, the Dubai-based fitness instructor and motivational speaker is all about conquering fears and insecurities. His talk focuses on the need to gain emotional and physical fitness when facing life’s challenges. As well managing his film production company, Ouattara is one of the official ambassadors of Dubai Expo2020.
Meydan card
6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 (PA) Group 1 US$65,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.05pm: Conditions (TB) $100,000 (Turf) 1,400m
7.40pm: UAE 2000 Guineas Trial (TB) $100,000 (D) 1,600m
8.15pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 1,200m
8.50pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 (TB) Group 2 $350,000 (D) 1,600m
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (D) 1,900m
10pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,600m
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
How it works
Booklava works on a subscription model. On signing up you receive a free book as part of a 30-day-trial period, after which you pay US$9.99 (Dh36.70) per month to gain access to a library of books and discounts of up to 30 per cent on selected titles. You can cancel your subscription at any time. For more details go to www.booklava.com
The specs
A4 35 TFSI
Engine: 2.0-litre, four-cylinder
Transmission: seven-speed S-tronic automatic
Power: 150bhp
Torque: 270Nm
Price: Dh150,000 (estimate)
On sale: First Q 2020
A4 S4 TDI
Engine: 3.0-litre V6 turbo diesel
Transmission: eight-speed PDK automatic
Power: 350bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: Dh165,000 (estimate)
On sale: First Q 2020
Essentials
The flights
Etihad (etihad.ae) and flydubai (flydubai.com) fly direct to Baku three times a week from Dh1,250 return, including taxes.
The stay
A seven-night “Fundamental Detox” programme at the Chenot Palace (chenotpalace.com/en) costs from €3,000 (Dh13,197) per person, including taxes, accommodation, 3 medical consultations, 2 nutritional consultations, a detox diet, a body composition analysis, a bio-energetic check-up, four Chenot bio-energetic treatments, six Chenot energetic massages, six hydro-aromatherapy treatments, six phyto-mud treatments, six hydro-jet treatments and access to the gym, indoor pool, sauna and steam room. Additional tests and treatments cost extra.
Ordinary Virtues: Moral Order in a Divided World by Michael Ignatieff
Harvard University Press
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Know your Camel lingo
The bairaq is a competition for the best herd of 50 camels, named for the banner its winner takes home
Namoos - a word of congratulations reserved for falconry competitions, camel races and camel pageants. It best translates as 'the pride of victory' - and for competitors, it is priceless
Asayel camels - sleek, short-haired hound-like racers
Majahim - chocolate-brown camels that can grow to weigh two tonnes. They were only valued for milk until camel pageantry took off in the 1990s
Millions Street - the thoroughfare where camels are led and where white 4x4s throng throughout the festival
TO A LAND UNKNOWN
Director: Mahdi Fleifel
Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa
Rating: 4.5/5
Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
TALE OF THE TAPE
Manny Pacquiao
Record: 59-6-2 (38 KOs)
Age: 38
Weight: 146lbs
Height: 166cm
Reach: 170cm
Jeff Horn
Record: 16-0-1 (11 KOs)
Age: 29
Weight: 146.2lbs
Height: 175cm
Reach: 173cm
Company%20profile
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Meydan race card
6.30pm: Baniyas (PA) Group 2 Dh125,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,200m
7.40pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,400m
8.15pm: Handicap (TB) Dh170,000 (D) 1,900m
8.50pm: Rated Conditions (TB) Dh240,000 (D) 1,600m
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) Dh175,000 (D)1,200m
10pm: Handicap (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,400m
Name: Peter Dicce
Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics
Favourite sport: soccer
Favourite team: Bayern Munich
Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer
Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Match info
Liverpool 3
Hoedt (10' og), Matip (21'), Salah (45 3')
Southampton 0