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Articles by Tamer Osman
Preferred evolutionary routes of convergence in Klebsiella pneumoniae favor siderophore acquisition over hypervirulence
Abstract The rise of Klebsiella pneumoniae combining antimicrobial resistance and virulence genes poses a major health threat, but the evolutionary routes and phenotypic consequences of this convergence are poorly understood. Here, phylogenetics of 1468 isolates and population analysis of 7520 plasmids, from >50 countries through the last two decades, reveal that convergence follows preferred, constrained evolutionary paths. The dominant route involves multidrug-resistant classical K.
Syrian regime forces seize Suwayda desert
ALEPPO, Syria — Syrian government forces and pro-regime militias seized the desert of Suwayda in southern Syria on Aug. 12 following battles that lasted for eight days against the Islamic State (IS) organization. Only two days into the start of the military campaign against IS on Aug. 5, the Syrian regime forces started achieving military gains against the militant organization in the Suwayda desert. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Aug.
Syrians in opposition-held areas near Aleppo obtain new IDs
ALEPPO, Syria — The residents of al-Bab and surrounding towns in the eastern Aleppo countryside began obtaining new identification cards on July 19. As a first stage, al-Bab’s local council, with the Turkish government’s help, issued 140,000 new IDs. The same will apply to other areas in northern Syria that are controlled by the Syrian armed opposition.
Prisoners exchanged for evacuees from pro-regime towns in Syrian north
ALEPPO, Syria — Dozens of buses transporting detainees opposing the Syrian regime arrived in Idlib July 19 per an agreement between Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and Iranian negotiators. Under the deal, struck with Russian-Turkish supervision July 17, HTS evacuated fighters affiliated with the Syrian regime forces along with their families and civilians from al-Foua and Kefraya in the Idlib countryside. They had been besieged since 2015 by Jaish al-Fatah.
Desperate Syrians flee Daraa only to find closed borders
ALEPPO, Syria — The Syrian regime has intensified its airstrikes in the city of Daraa and eastern Daraa province in recent days. The offensive on Daraa started in mid-June, sending more than 300,000 refugees fleeing toward the Israeli and Jordanian borders. Both countries are keeping their land borders closed to refugees, allowing in only special cases.
South Syria offensive rages as thousands flee
ALEPPO — Battles have been raging since June 15 between the Syrian regime forces and the armed opposition in Lajat in Daraa’s eastern countryside in southwestern Syria. The Syrian regime forces, backed by Iraqi militias and fighters from Lebanese Hezbollah, are trying to gain military control over the area after breaking the de-escalation agreement that was ratified under US-Russian-Jordanian auspices in 2017.
Armed opposition infighting triggers uptick in IS attacks in northern Syria
ALEPPO, Syria — Explosions of car and motorbike bombs have been recurrent events in northern Syria lately. The Islamic State (IS) has also executed the members of pro-opposition armed factions, especially in Idlib and the northern Aleppo countryside, taking advantage of the lax security situation since April. The areas that are not controlled by the regime in northern Syria have been under joint control by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and other armed factions.
Displaced Syrians build new lives in Idlib
ALEPPO, Syria — Abu Suleiman, from al-Maliha in eastern Ghouta's Rif Dimashq, is currently residing in the town of Kafr Nabl in the Idlib countryside. He works in a bakery that he opened with the help of a local resident and is able to support his family of five. Abu Suleiman’s family came to Idlib with the fourth batch of the tens of thousands of internally displaced persons who left eastern Ghouta during March, escaping the siege by the Syrian regime imposed in 2012.
Syrians injured in war find hope for employment
ALEPPO, Syria — Samer al-Hourani had worked as a bus driver since he was a teenager until he lost both legs following a bombardment that targeted Daraa, a city in southwestern Syria, in the summer of 2014. “I was injured when a bomb targeted the place where I used to live in the city of Da'el in the countryside of Daraa. Both my legs were cut off following the bombing, and I could no longer work as a bus driver,” Hourani, a 35-year-old father of three small children, told Al-Monitor.
Armed factions join forces to counter Syrian regime gains
ALEPPO, Syria — Military factions in northern and central Syria are joining forces to form the National Liberation Front (NLF) and calling on others to join them in building a new democratic state that preserves the rights of all Syrians regardless of ethnicity. The NLF includes a number of major opposition military factions operating in northern and central Syria, among them the Free Idlib Army, Martyrs of Islam Brigade, Jaish al-Nasr and others. The group officially launched in May, when Col.
Aleppo’s Little Architect: Imagining a Brighter Future for Syria
Like many boys his age, Muhammad loves to draw. Well known for his creativity and artistic talents in his hometown of Aleppo, the largest and probably hardest-hit city in Syria, the 14-year-old boy has outdone himself this time. When the armed conflict intensified in Aleppo in 2012, Muhammad, then a sixth-grader, was forced to quit school.
Syrian Islamist factions join forces against Hayat Tahrir al-Sham
ALEPPO, Syria — Islamist opposition movements Ahrar al-Sham and Nour al-Din al-Zenki Brigade joined forces Feb. 18, forming a unified body called the Syrian Liberation Front. The announcement by two of the largest opposition factions operating in northern Syria follows weeks of consultations between the factions’ senior leaders. The movements' decision to unite grew out of concern involving elevated tensions between Free Syrian Army factions and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham in the north of Syria.
Syria's Eastern Ghouta faces 'another Aleppo'
ALEPPO, Syria — The Syrian regime launched fighter aircrafts, cannons and missiles in a fierce attack on residential neighborhoods and public facilities in Rif Dimashq in Eastern Ghouta on Jan. 30. Dozens of people were killed, others were injured and the infrastructure was destroyed. At least 24 people, including five women and a child, were killed in 15 air raids that targeted Otaya, al-Nashabiya, Hazarma and Deir Salman in al-Marj.
Syrian regime, allies step up Idlib offensive
ALEPPO, Syria — The Syrian regime's airstrikes have hit a number of cities, towns and villages in the Idlib countryside over the past few days, causing a great deal of destruction to the local infrastructure and raising fears that the area will suffer the same fate as the eastern neighborhoods of Aleppo. A Jan. 30 air raid that targeted a market killed 15 people and wounded others in the town of Ariha.
Syria’s internally displaced in dire need of aid
ALEPPO, Syria — Displaced persons from various Syrian cities currently living in Aleppo’s northern countryside camps, especially in the vicinity of Azaz, are trying to survive the winter under the difficult humanitarian situation. There is no heating in these camps, as local and international humanitarian organizations are reluctant to provide assistance to displaced people in unorganized camps along the Syrian-Turkish border.
Manbij residents face off against SDF over conscription policy
ALEPPO, Syria — Activists in the city of Manbij in Aleppo’s eastern countryside, which is under the control of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), are demanding the SDF to release 15 people who organized a strike in the city Nov. 5. The strike came in protest against a new law on forced conscription issued by the SDF’s legislative council Nov. 2.
Bottom line in Syria: No one is safe yet
ALEPPO, Syria — The Free Syrian Army (FSA), backed by Turkish troops and Russian air support, has launched an attack on the jihadi group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham in northwest Syria's Idlib province. The objective is to wrest control from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham of the large areas it now holds, to pave the way for declaring Idlib city a safe zone. Meanwhile, heavy fighting was reported Oct. 9 between Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and the Islamic State (IS) in northern Hama province near the Idlib border.
Russian-backed cease-fire fails to stop shelling in Syria's Eastern Ghouta
ALEPPO, Syria — Syrian regime forces continue to bomb cities and villages in Eastern Ghouta in Rif Dimashq, despite the de-escalation agreement the armed opposition forces and the Syrian regime reached in Cairo under the auspices of both Russia and Egypt on July 22. The opposition-controlled Jobar neighborhood in Damascus was heavily bombarded by the Syrian regime with six surface-to-surface missiles Sept.
Despite cease-fire, shelling continues in Eastern Ghouta
Children walk past the rubble of damaged buildings in Ein Tarma in the Damascus suburb of Eastern Ghouta, Syria, July 19, 2017. (photo by REUTERS/Bassam Khabieh) ALEPPO, Syria — Syrian regime forces continue to breach the cease-fire agreement with Syria’s armed opposition in Eastern Ghouta in Rif Dimashq province. The agreement was ratified in Cairo under Egyptian-Russian brokerage July 22. However, the Syrian regime targeted Ein Tarma town in Eastern Ghouta on Aug.
New Syrian banknote may be more than meets the eye
ALEPPO, Syria — The Central Bank of Syria is circulating new 2,000-pound banknotes in all cities under the regime’s control, topping the previously largest denomination of 1,000 pounds and helping to shrink the wads of cash residents have been forced to carry because of the currency's devaluation since the ongoing civil war began in 2011.
Hundreds flee battles in Raqqa
A general view shows the damage along a street in Raqqa's al-Sanaa industrial neighborhood, Syria, June 14, 2017. (photo by REUTERS/Rodi Said) ALEPPO, Syria — Dozens of vehicles carrying displaced citizens from Raqqa province arrive in Aleppo’s northern countryside daily. Raqqa has witnessed violent battles between the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Islamic State (IS) since June 6, when the SDF launched military operations in the province to expel IS.
Ghouta residents suffer under siege during Ramadan
A boy carries pastries to be sold during Ramadan in the rebel-held besieged eastern Damascus suburb of Ghouta, Syria, May 28, 2017. (photo by REUTERS/Bassam Khabieh) This year’s holy month of Ramadan is the worst in the history of eastern Ghouta in Rif Dimashq, with residents in this rebel-held area facing a severe humanitarian crisis.
Syrian NGO begins rebuilding war-torn Idlib
Residents of Idlib celebrate the restoration of the city's famed clock tower, video uploaded May 27, 2017. (photo by YOUTUBE/Idlib Media Center) ALEPPO, Syria — There are signs of new life, and hope, in northern Syria. On May 27, the Violet organization, with the cooperation of the Idlib Provincial Council, launched the Idlib Spring project in light of the de-escalation deal signed May 6 in Astana, Kazakhstan, between the Syrian regime and armed opposition factions.
Death Continues to Rain from Above in Aleppo
This article was originally published by Syria Deeply. After two and a half months of relative quiet in the liberated, opposition-controlled areas in the city of Aleppo, the government’s air force started a new shelling campaign on Aleppo’s busy neighborhoods last week. According to the media office of the civil defense teams in Aleppo, the bombing caused the death and injury of nearly 200 civilians and widespread destruction of people’s homes and businesses. At 6 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept.
Aleppo's displaced face another crisis in Idlib
Civil defense personnel and citizens carry children at a damaged site after an airstrike on rebel-held Idlib city, Syria, March 19, 2017. (photo by REUTERS/Ammar Abdullah) ALEPPO, Syria — Syrian regime warplanes are increasingly hovering in the sky over Idlib in northern Syria and targeting several residential areas inside the city. Idlib is full of civilians, most of whom are from elsewhere in Idlib province, while others were displaced from various Syrian cities and villages.
When Barrel Bombs Fall, Enter the White Helmets
ALEPPO, Syria – Mohammad Nour Houriyya had just graduated from high school when Syria’s uprising against Bashar al-Assad turned violent. Setting aside his dreams of law school, 18-year-old Mohammad decided to devote his life to helping his fellow citizens in Aleppo. He first volunteered in the office of a small relief organization there, but as the government’s barrel bomb attacks intensified in the city, he felt he needed to do more.
Syrian rebel groups see necessity in consolidating ranks
Rebel fighters ride in a convoy on the outskirts of the Islamic State-controlled northern Syrian town of al-Bab, Syria, Feb. 3, 2017. (photo by REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi) ALEPPO, Syria — Significant developments are taking place in northern Syria, particularly in the areas held by the Syrian armed opposition factions. Large rebel factions joined the ranks of two large entities, namely Hayyat Tahrir al-Sham (Liberation of the Levant Committee) and Ahrar al-Sham.
Sundance Film Festival shines light on Aleppo
Steen Johannessen and Feras Fayyad accept the World Cinema: Grand Jury Prize for their film "Last Men in Aleppo" during the 2017 Sundance Film Festival Awards Night Ceremony in Park City, Utah, Jan. 28, 2017.
Can Aleppo’s displaced survive in Idlib?
ALEPPO, Syria — Residents of eastern Aleppo who fled Syrian regime forces for western Aleppo and the Idlib area are suffering under tragic conditions. They are having a hard time finding places to live, given the thousands of displaced people and refugees flooding the areas. In addition, they can't find jobs under the harsh economic conditions prevailing in Syria as a result of the civil war that has plagued the country for six years now.
Aleppo braces for harsh winter
Smoke rises from the besieged Bustan al-Basha neighborhood of Aleppo, Syria, Oct. 5, 2016. (photo by REUTERS/Abdalrhman Ismail) ALEPPO, Syria — Residents of the opposition-controlled eastern neighborhoods of Aleppo are bracing themselves for the harsh winter conditions amid the regime's blockade that has been ongoing since Sept. 4. The besieged neighborhoods are facing a lack of heat sources for the winter.
As Aleppo battle rages, citizens suffer from blockade, shelling
People dig in the rubble in an ongoing search for survivors at a site hit by an airstrike in the rebel-held Tareeq al-Bab neighborhood of Aleppo, Syria, Sept. 26, 2016. (photo by REUTERS/Abdalrhman Ismail/File Photo) ALEPPO — The Syrian regime’s military airplanes and helicopters are intensely shelling the neighborhoods in Aleppo under the Syrian opposition’s control. On Sept. 28, the warplanes targeted a bakery in al-Maadi neighborhood, east of Aleppo, while people were gathering to buy bread.
How are Aleppo's residents dealing with truce?
Rebel fighters walk by damaged buildings near Castello road in Aleppo, Syria, Sept. 16, 2016. (photo by REUTERS/Abdalrhman Ismail) ALEPPO, Syria — The neighborhoods in Aleppo controlled by the Syrian opposition have been experiencing relative calm after the 48-hour truce approved by the United States and Russia took effect Sept. 12. As US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov agreed to extend the cease-fire for another 48 hours on the night of Sept. 14, Gen.
Half a million people in Aleppo stuck inside regime’s siege
Residents walk near damaged buildings in the rebel-held area of the old part of Aleppo, May 5, 2016. (photo by REUTERS/Abdalrhman Ismail) ALEPPO, Syria — The city of Aleppo has been under siege for 13 consecutive days. The Syrian regime imposed the blockade on the areas under the control of the Syrian opposition after government forces took over strategic areas July 7 in al-Mallah region in northern Aleppo province.
In battle for Aleppo, Syria may be at stake
A general view shows Aleppo's historic citadel, controlled by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad, as seen from a rebel-held area of Aleppo, Syria, July 5, 2016. (photo by REUTERS/Abdalrhman Ismail) ALEPPO, Syria — At least a dozen people, mostly women and children, were killed July 14 as the Syrian government continued to pound rebel-held areas of Aleppo with airstrikes in a battle for a strategic supply route.
What's behind Syrian regime's latest claims on Aleppo strikes?
Men inspect damage after an airstrike on Aleppo's rebel-held al-Shaar neighborhood in Syria, June 8, 2016. (photo by REUTERS/Abdalrhman Ismail) ALEPPO, Syria — While the Syrian regime’s air raids follow in succession, targeting residential neighborhoods in opposition-controlled areas in Aleppo, the regime is circulating news that these airstrikes are targeting Jabhat al-Nusra’s military positions in Aleppo city.
Who is killing Syrian opposition figures in Aleppo and Idlib?
Nureddin Zengi Brigade fighters walk near damaged buildings in the Handarat area, north of Aleppo, April 19, 2016. (photo by REUTERS/Abdalrhman Ismail) ALEPPO, Syria — Areas under the control of armed opposition factions in northern Syria have devolved into a state of lawlessness leading to militant cells — perhaps affiliated with the regime or the Islamic State (IS) — attempting to assassinate prominent military and media personalities in an unprecedented manner.
Syrian widows chart course out of poverty at Aleppo training center
Women participate in a training course at the Balqis Center in Aleppo, Syria, Dec. 28, 2015. (photo by FACEBOOK/BalqisCenter) ALEPPO, Syria — More than five years into a raging war in Syria, Syrian women are shouldering a very heavy burden. Some see their rights violated when they are detained and others are displaced in refugee camps. Many of them have lost a husband or son.
UNESCO steps in to protect what's left of Syria's Palmyra
Part of the historic city of Palmyra is seen in an image provided by SANA on March 27, 2016. (photo by REUTERS/SANA/Handout) ALEPPO, Syria — The city of Palmyra's archaeological heritage has been severely battered — but not destroyed — after years of fighting in Syria, experts say. Until recently, Palmyra was one of Syria's most important tourist attractions.
People stay because it's home - UPI.com
ALEPPO, Syria -- The human rights group Amnesty International delivered a report last May on the Syrian city of Aleppo simply called: "Death Everywhere." It described how civilians in the city have been bombed indiscriminately so often by the Assad regime that it was a war crime.
Is Syria's 'fragile cease-fire' really a cease-fire at all?
Residents inspect the damage after an airstrike on the rebel-held al-Maysar neighborhood in Aleppo, Syria, April 11, 2016. (photo by REUTERS/Abdalrhman Ismail) ALEPPO, Syria — Syrian regime fighter jets stepped up their attacks on residential neighborhoods in Aleppo over the weekend, killing 42 people, including women and children, and wounding scores of other civilians. The warplanes targeted buildings in numerous opposition-controlled neighborhoods, including a market in Sakhur.
Currency crash adds to Syrians’ woes
ALEPPO, Syria — An unprecedented plummet in the Syrian pound’s value against foreign currencies is contributing to skyrocketing food prices and compounding Syrians' already-dire economic situation as the war here enters its fifth year. The pound's exchange rate against the US dollar exceeded 500 in early April.
Chaos in Aleppo Creates Opportunity for Kurds
This article was originally published on Syria Deeply. The chaos created by the Russian-backed government offensive in Aleppo has given rise to an entirely new conflict in northern Syria between opposition and Kurdish militias. As pro-government forces supported by heavy Russian airstrikes drive to sever vital rebel supply lines between Syria’s northernmost city and Turkey, Syrian Kurdish groups are pushing to expand their autonomous area of control.
Pro-Assad Militias Close in on Rebel-held Aleppo
This article was originally published by Syria Deeply. Syrian government troops, backed by Iranian and Iraqi militias and the Russian air force, are very close to capturing opposition-controlled neighborhoods in Aleppo. Pro-government forces have taken control of the village of Marasteh Khan in northern, rural Aleppo, and are now only 750 yards (700 meters) away from the towns of Nubbul and al-Zahraa, Shiite communities that are largely loyal to the government.
Before the Disaster Strikes: Aleppo's Winter Crisis
As harsh winter weather descends on Syria, local aid organizations and councils are working around the clock to ensure Syria's poor and displaced will survive the cold temperatures.
When Barrel Bombs Fall, Enter the White Helmets
This article was previously published by Syria Deeply. Mohammad Nour Houriyya had just graduated from high school when Syria's uprising against Bashar al-Assad turned violent. Setting aside his dreams of law school, 18-year-old Mohammad decided to devote his life to helping his fellow citizens in Aleppo. He first volunteered in the office of a small relief organization there, but as the government's barrel bomb attacks intensified in the city, he felt he needed to do more.
Back to School in Aleppo's Basements
Students in Aleppo will be changing classrooms this year, but the move certainly can’t be called an upgrade. According to a statement issued by the directorate of education in the city’s liberated areas, classes will no longer be held in existing schools. Students will instead attend classes in basements and other “secure areas” that have been equipped with “security features” meant to protect the children.
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