Israeli strike in Syria kills 7 including academic and family
An Israeli airstrike in Syria on October 8th killed a Yemeni university professor and his family, according to the Arab News. Dr. Shawqi Alawdi, his wife, and three daughters were all killed when an Israeli strike hit a building in Al-Mazzeh, Damascus.
Syrian new agency SANA said three missiles were fired by Israel at the “densely populated” Al-Mazzeh neighbourhood, killing seven, including women and children, injuring 11, and causing damage to property.
Alawdi, who both taught pharmacology at a private university in Syria and taught at Dhamar University’s Faculty of Medicine and Sanaa University in Yemen, moved to the country in 2020 and returned to Yemen each year for breaks, say his relatives, colleagues and students.
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He studied clinical pharmacy at Ain Shams University in Egypt and earned a PhD in pharmacology and toxicology from Cairo University, according to his Facebook profile. The page was filled with messages of condolence and sympathy following his killing.
“Dr. Alawdi is composed, humble, and knowledgeable in his field. He has a unique teaching style in which he simplifies the difficult subjects he teaches,” Sanaa-based pharmacist and former student of Alwadi, Younes Al-Qadhi, told Arab News. Meanwhile Mohammed Aslan, pharmacist and friend of Alwadi, said “he was free of politics, sectarianism, and all other life pollutants. He was a pioneering scientist and one of the most important researchers in nanotechnology,” on Facebook.
In Yemen, the Houthi militia was urged on October 8th to release Yemeni journalists abducted for criticizing them by the International Federation of Journalists. The organisation says that the Houthis abducted Mohamed Al-Miyahi on September 20th after his home was raided in Sanaa just two days after criticizing the Houthis.
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Yemeni Journalists’ Syndicate member Fuad Al-Nahar was also abducted in September, alongside others who celebrated Yemen’s 1962 revolution. Anthony Bellanger, IFJ general secretary, said in a statement that “our colleague Mohamed Al-Miyahi is the latest abductee in a long list of journalists who must be immediately and unconditionally released. We call on the de facto authorities and other armed groups to stop hindering journalists’ work and release all unfairly detained journalists.”
Arab News
