World roundup: February 24 2023
Stories from Pakistan, South Africa, Russia, and elsewhere
INTERNATIONAL
In today’s global news:
Worldometer is tracking COVID-19 cases and fatalities.
The New York Times is tracking global vaccine distribution.
MIDDLE EAST
SYRIA
An apparent US drone strike in northwestern Syria’s Idlib province killed two suspected members of Hurras al-Din on Friday, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Syrian Civil Defense confirmed the strike but said the two victims were “unidentified.” Hurras al-Din debuted in February 2018, comprised of former Jabhat al-Nusra/Hayat Tahrir al-Sham operatives who rejected that organization’s decision to cut ties with al-Qaeda. The US government continues to regard it as a threat to carry out terrorist attacks in the West even though as best as I can tell it’s barely even active inside Syria.
The Turkish government, meanwhile, says it carried out a drone strike near the town of Qamishli this week (it seems they didn’t go into specifics) that killed Halil Menci, a suspect in November’s bombing in Istanbul. According to the Turks Menci was “under the protection” of the Kurdish YPG militia.
