DAMASCUS -- At least 14 people were killed and more than 15 others injured in sectarian clashes in the Damascus suburb of Jaramana, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported on Tuesday. In response, authorities imposed heightened security measures and said a citywide curfew was under consideration to prevent further violence.
The fighting erupted late Monday and escalated into the early hours of Tuesday between local armed groups and unidentified gunmen who entered the area. The clashes were reportedly sparked by the online circulation of an audio recording deemed offensive to Islam, allegedly made by a member of the Druze community. (Syria-Sectarian Clashes-Casualties)
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JERUSALEM -- The Israeli government on Tuesday canceled its decision to fire Ronen Bar, head of the Shin Bet domestic security agency, a day after Bar announced he would step down on June 15.
According to a document submitted to the Supreme Court on behalf of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government, "the government has decided to revoke its March 20 decision" to fire Bar. (Israel-Shin Bet Chief Dismissal-Cancellation)
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TEHRAN -- Governor of the southern Iranian province of Hormozgan Mohammad Ashouri Taziani refuted on Tuesday the hypothesis that an act of sabotage was behind a deadly blast at Shahid Rajaee Port in the province.
He made the remarks while elaborating on the likely causes of the explosion that occurred on Saturday and its subsequent fire, in which at least 70 people were killed and over 1,200 others injured, the official news agency IRNA reported. (Iran-Port Blast-Cause)
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ISTANBUL -- Turkish police detained 76 suspects in Istanbul as part of an operation targeting terrorist groups allegedly planning to provoke unrest during May Day demonstrations, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office announced on Tuesday.
The operation followed detention warrants issued by the office for 84 individuals suspected of being affiliated with leftist "terrorist organizations." (Türkiye-Suspects-Arrests) ■
