Israeli airstrikes on Damascus kill three civilians, injure nine: Defense Ministry

Three people were killed and nine others were injured as a result of an Israeli air raid that targeted the Syrian capital Damascus at dawn on Tuesday, according to the Syrian Defense Ministry.

The attack, launched at approximately 02:05 local time, involved Israeli fighter jets and drones striking multiple targets in the city from the direction of the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, the ministry said in a statement.

Local eyewitnesses recounted the horrifying attack, saying they heard powerful explosions in the western Mazzeh neighborhood.

"A missile fell terrifyingly, then another missile fell on the western side of the park, causing injuries and deaths among innocent vendors," said a local resident named Kamal Ali.

Marwan Mayassa, a mechanic, said that about 50 to 60 cars were damaged because of the airstrike.

Another local resident who identified himself as Maysar said: "We work here as stall owners in the park. I went out and looked at the exploded car which had been hit by a shell with fire burning inside it. The worker who was with me was injured by shrapnel in his stomach, and a child selling biscuits was killed."

The Israeli bombing continued for more than an hour, while Syrian air defenses managed to intercept and down most of the incoming missiles and drones, the Syrian Defense Ministry said.

"The missiles were fired more than once because the first time the enemy missiles failed, so did the second time. Therefore, they were forced to fire the third time," said Turki Al-Hassan, a Syrian military expert. The attack came as Israel launched a ground operation across its northern border into Lebanon targeting the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah.

Commenting on the current escalating tensions, Al-Hassan said: "In principle, they say that what they are doing now is to prevent Hezbollah (from getting) supplies from Syria, whether by land routes, and you hear that there are cars being targeted on the road, and people (were targeted too). And he (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu) said that he will eliminate Hamas in Gaza, then he will eliminate Hezbollah in Lebanon and then he will move to Syria."

Syrian state TV also reported the death of a journalist, who was killed when shrapnel struck her home in the area. The state TV later identified the journalist killed in the attack as Safaa Ahmad.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based watchdog group, said the attack was an assassination attempt in the Mazzeh area with the target still unknown.

Israeli airstrikes on Damascus kill three civilians, injure nine: Defense Ministry

Yalu River estuary in northeast China's Liaoning Province is a key biodiversity conservation area in China providing habitats for migratory birds and dozens of endangered species.

Situated at the northern edge of the Yellow Sea Ecoregion, the Yalu River estuary in Dandong, Liaoning Province is a crucial stopover site for birds migrating along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway which spans more than 20 countries and regions from the Arctic to Southeast Asia and Australasia.

Staff at the Dandong Yalu River Estuary National Nature Reserve are conducting research on the quantity, species, and spatial distribution of migratory waterbirds as they arrive here during their autumn migration.

"By doing these surveys we can understand the waterbirds' migration patterns, food chains and food distribution. We can also track these birds via satellite to monitor their migration routes and timings within the migratory area," said Ma Li from the nature reserve.

Ma added that the reserve has conducted surveys on northbound waterbirds for 26 consecutive years. The number of migratory birds being surveyed can reach 60,000 to 80,000 during the autumn migration.

As well as being a stopover site for migratory birds, Yalu River estuary also contributes to biodiversity conservation by providing vital habitats for endangered species within the region.

Preserving the typical coastal wetland landscape of East Asia, the Dandong Yalu River Estuary National Nature Reserve accommodates most species of the Liaodong Peninsula in northeast China, thus maintaining the richness and diversity of wildlife.

The nature reserve is home to 453 species of plants, 324 species of birds, more than 80 species of nektons, amphibians, reptiles and mammals.

"In terms of global biodiversity conservation, the Yalu River Estuary Wetland in Dandong supports the survival and development of nearly 20 rare and endangered species in the world. Therefore, as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this location holds significant importance," said Lei Guangchun, a professor from Beijing Forestry University.

The Yalu River estuary is one of the Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of the Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China (Phase II) which was included in UNESCO's World Heritage List on July 26.

Migratory bird habitat in China’s Liaoning bears significance for biodiversity conservation