Evacuations begin in Syria’s Sweida as days of deadly clashes ease

BUSRA AL-HARIR, Syria (AP) — Syria ‘s government on Monday started evacuating Bedouin families trapped inside the southern city of Sweida, where deadly fighting between Druze militiamen and Bedouin fighters has largely stopped as a ceasefire takes told. Last week’s clashes killed hundreds and threatened to unravel Syria’s fragile postwar transition. They also led to sectarian attacks against the Druze religious minority, followed by revenge attacks against the Sunni Muslim Bedouins. The U.N. International Organization for Migration said 128,571 people were displaced. Neighboring Israel also launched dozens of airstrikes in Druze-majority Sweida province, targeting government forces who effectively sided with the Bedouins.

Bangladesh Air Force training jet crashes into a school in Dhaka and kills at least 20

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — A Bangladesh Air Force training jet crashed into a school in Dhaka, killing the pilot and at least 19 people, mostly students. The crash occurred Monday afternoon after the jet experienced what the military described as a “technical malfunction” shortly after takeoff. Officials say 171 students were rescued from the wreckage of the two-story school building, many with burns. The military says the pilot tried to divert the plane away from densely populated areas before the crash. Rescue efforts continued into the evening. Bangladesh has declared a national day of mourning on Tuesday, with flags at half-staff to honor the victims.

Russia launches a major aerial attack on Kyiv

(AP) — Russia has launched one of its largest aerial assaults on Ukraine in months, targeting Kyiv overnight into Monday. Ukrainian officials report two deaths and 15 injuries, including a child. The escalation came hours before the U.K. and Germany led a NATO meeting on military support for Ukraine, including advanced air defense systems like Patriots. The British defense chief is expected to urge Ukraine’s Western partners at the meeting to launch a “50-day drive” to get Kyiv the weapons it needs to fight Russia’s bigger army and force Russian President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table, according to a statement by the U.K. government.

Israeli forces push into parts of a central Gaza city that the war had largely spared

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli ground troops for the first time have pushed into areas of a central Gaza city where several aid groups are based. An Israeli military official on Monday confirmed the incursion that appears to be the latest effort to carve up the Palestinian territory with military corridors. Deir al-Balah is the only Gaza city that has not seen major ground operations or suffered widespread devastation in 21 months of war. That has led to speculation that the Hamas militant group holds large numbers of hostages there. The main group representing hostages’ families said it was “shocked and alarmed” by the incursion.