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The crash of Azerbaijan Airlines Flight J2-8243 that killed 38 people in Kazakhstan is under investigation, with sources suggesting the potential involvement of Russian air defense systems. On Thursday, four sources familiar with Azerbaijan's investigation shared these preliminary findings with Reuters. The Embraer passenger aircraft crashed near Aktau, Kazakhstan, on Wednesday after deviating from its planned route over southern Russia. The flight departed from Baku, Azerbaijan, heading for Grozny, Chechnya, but veered significantly off course across the Caspian Sea before the incident. Russia's aviation authority suggested an emergency, possibly involving a bird strike, caused the crash. However, they did not explain the aircraft's substantial route deviation. Notably, Makhachkala airport, which lay along the original flight path, was closed Wednesday morning. According to Azerbaijani sources, preliminary findings indicate the aircraft may have been struck by a Pantsir-S air defense system, with […]

Syria's new government reports that forces loyal to former President Assad killed 14 interior ministry troops and wounded 10 others in an ambush near Tartous. The incident occurred as security forces attempted to arrest a former officer connected to the Saydnaya prison, marking the first major challenge to new leader Ahmad al-Sharaa's authority. The state news agency Sana reports that security forces have launched operations to "restore security" in Tartous province, claiming to have "neutralized" some pro-Assad militants while pursuing others. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed three additional casualties among unidentified armed men during the clash. Tensions are particularly high in Alawite-majority regions, including Tartous, Latakia, and Assad's hometown Qardaha. The Alawite community, an offshoot of Shia Islam to which many former regime officials belonged, fears retribution for alleged war crimes committed under Assad's rule. Some former officers […]