Three Turkish soldiers killed in car bomb attack in northern Syria
January 17, 2020, 1:01 pm

Three Turkish soldiers killed in car bomb attack in northern Syria

Turkish soldiers walk along the Syrian-Turkish border, in Idlib province. (File photo Reuters)

A car bombing has killed three Turkish soldiers in a Turkish-controlled area in northern Syria, Turkey’s Defense Ministry said.

The ministry said the attack occurred late on Thursday as the soldiers were carrying out road checks in northern Syria, in an area that is under the control of Turkish forces and Turkish-backed Syrian fighters since a Turkish incursion into the region in October.

“Three heroic brothers-in-arms were martyred in a car-bomb attack during a road check,” the ministry said. It did not provide further details on the attack.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the bombing.

Turkey invaded the border area in neighboring Syria to drive away from the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units, or YPG, a group it considers extremists because of its links to Kurdish rebels fighting inside Turkey. However, the same fighters were the main US allies on the ground in the war against ISIS.

Thursday’s blast was the latest in a series of attacks targeting Turkish troops or the allied Syrian rebels in northern Syria. Four soldiers were killed last week in a similar car bomb explosion.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned the attack and vowed retaliation.

“We cannot let this go without a response,” he said.

More than 20 Turkish soldiers have died in the region since the start of the incursion, which drew widespread international criticism. The US, in turn, was seen as abandoning the Syrian Kurdish force that had helped fight IS militants.

Erdogan also said he would discuss the situation in Syria’s Idlib province on Sunday with world leaders who will be attending a conference in Berlin on the conflict in Libya.

Violence in Idlib has continued despite a new cease-fire agreement between Russia and Turkey, which support opposite sides in the conflict, that went into effect last week.

Syrian government warplanes hit a market and an industrial area on Wednesday in Idlib, the last territory in rebel hands. The attacks killed at least 15 people, opposition activists said.

source: AP

Turkish President Erdogan to discuss ‘troubling’ Idlib situation with Putin Libya’s Haftar thanks ‘dear friend’ Putin for peace efforts

BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”