Syrian opposition fights for the coast

Syrian opposition advances in the vicinity of Hama lead the news in Arab dailies on Tuesday, amid reports of dozens of casualties on both sides in fighting in the eastern city of Deir El-zour.

London-based daily Al-Hayat reports that some 60 men were killed in three days of fighting between “jihadists” and the standing army in Deir El-Zour, with the “extremist fighters” advancing on the ground.

The chief of staff of the Free Syrian Army, Salim Idris, visited the coastal area of Latakia on Monday, promising arms to fighters attempting to “liberate” the Syrian coast.

London-based Al-Quds Al-Arabi, featuring a photo of Idris standing in plain clothes among opposition soldiers, quotes a communique by the al-Qaeda affiliate the Islamic State of Iraq and Sham claiming to be “within a stone’s throw” of Qirdaha, Assad’s home town.

“The opposition’s advance to this area represents a great victory for Assad’s rivals following months of setbacks in which they have lost the area surrounding Damascus and the city of Homs in the country’s center,” reads the article.

Displaying footage of fighting near Latakia, Qatari news channel Al-Jazeera reports that Assad forces have unsuccessfully tried to regain control of territories lost to the opposition.

Meanwhile, Saudi-owned daily A-Sharq Al-Awsat reports that Syrian shells have landed on the Jordanian side of the border near the Ramtha border crossing. Fighting between government and opposition forces followed a visit by the head of the National Coalition of the Syria Opposition Ahmad Jabra to the city of Daraa, where he spent the holiday of Eid Al-Fitr. Opposition forces have attempted to take control of the Daraa border crossing with Jordan, which has been inactive for the past year.

Kurdish political forces in Syria, reports the daily, have held meetings to discuss the establishment of a “provisional civil administration” to govern Kurdish areas liberated from the central government. Shirzad Al-Yazidi, a spokesman for the People’s Council of West Kurdistan, said that the provisional government will include members of other ethnic and religious groups in the region, such as Arabs, Christians and Turkmen.

Morsi’s arrest extended

Supporters of Mohammed Morsi in Egypt have remained defiant in face of a looming threat by the military to disperse their sit-in, causing Arab analysts to predict confrontation rather than a peaceful resolution of the standoff.

Al-Hayat displays an AP image of an Egyptian soldier sitting atop an armored personnel carrier near a pro-Morsi sit-in at Cairo University.

“Morsi’s arrest extended by 15 days and the Egyptian army prepares for new strikes in Sinai,” reads the headline of A-Sharq Al-Awsat, reporting that the opposition is “flexing its muscles on the streets.”

Morsi, held at a secret location near Cairo, has been indicted for conspiring with Hamas and Hezbollah to carry out attacks in Egypt, including strikes on security buildings.

The Egyptian army is preparing to launch a new series of strikes against terror cells in northern Sinai, near the towns of Rafah and Sheikh Zuweid.

As the government continues to mull forcefully dispersing the Brotherhood sit-ins, the headline of independent Egyptian daily Al-Masry Al-Youm reads “The Brotherhood meets the plan to disperse with ‘street fights.'”

The interior ministry has urged residents of Rabia Al-Adawiya square to vacate their apartments and move their cars ahead of the expected showdown, the daily reports.

Lebanese angry at Hezbollah for controlling the airport

Dubai-based news channel Al-Arabiya reports rising opposition to Hezbollah over its effective control of Rafik Hariri international airport in Beirut.

“It is not the first time that voices are being raised against Hezbollah, but this time the voices are not against its weapons but against its control of the largest gateway to Lebanon, the Rafik Hariri international airport.”

“Lebanese sources opposed to Hezbollah believe that with the party’s growing influence, it has succeeded in infiltrating the airport’s security apparatus and forge tight strategic relations with it, based on common interests. Hezbollah is prepared to provide information that the state agencies are unable to collect, in return for information from the airport apparatus which Hezbollah considers essential for its strategic security,” reads the article.