Syria's President Bashar al-Assad and his wife Asma have tested positive for Covid-19 after showing minor symptoms, his office said on Monday.&nbsp;

The Syrian leader and his spouse, who announced her recovery from breast cancer in 2019, were both in good health and would keep working while in isolation at home, the statement said.&nbsp;

Syria has seen a sharp rise in infections since mid-February, a member of the country's coronavirus advisory committee said last week.&nbsp;

The health ministry started vaccinating frontline healthcare workers a week ago and said there had been a surge in Covid-19 cases without elaborating.&nbsp;

After a decade of war that has killed hundreds of thousands of people and uprooted millions, Assad's military has reclaimed most of the country with Russia and Iran's help.&nbsp;

Recently, missile strikes on makeshift oil refineries in northern Syria killed four people and injured more than 20 others, a war monitor said on Saturday. &nbsp;

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said a series of strikes launched from Russian warships and by allied Syrian government forces hit the makeshift refineries in Aleppo province on Friday night, causing a massive blaze as dozens of tankers caught fire in the area controlled by Turkey and its Syrian rebel proxies. &nbsp;

The Britain-based monitor 'documented the deaths of four people, while 24 others sustained various injuries and burns' in the attacks near the towns of Jarablus and Al-Bab. &nbsp;

At least one Syrian rebel was among the dead, said Observatory head Rami Abdul Rahman. Rescue workers spent hours trying to extinguish the fire, which spread to about 180 oil tankers, according to the war monitor. &nbsp;&nbsp;

"The fires are the largest yet from a missile attack on makeshift refineries," the Observatory said. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Oil installations in Turkey-controlled parts of Aleppo have come under repeated attack in recent months although Moscow and the Syrian regime have not claimed responsibility. &nbsp;&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Syria's President Bashar al-Assad and his wife Asma have tested positive for Covid-19 after showing minor symptoms, his office said on Monday. The Syrian leader and his spouse, who announced her recovery from breast cancer in 2019, were both in good health and would keep working while in isolation at home, the statement said.

Syria's President Bashar al-Assad and his wife Asma have tested positive for Covid-19 after showing minor symptoms, his office said on Monday. The Syrian leader and his spouse, who announced her recovery from breast cancer in 2019, were both in good health and would keep working while in isolation at home, the statement said. Syria has seen a sharp rise in infections since mid-February, a member of the country's coronavirus advisory committee said last week. The health ministry started vaccinating frontline healthcare workers a week ago and said there had been a surge in Covid-19 cases without elaborating. After a decade of war that has killed hundreds of thousands of people and uprooted millions, Assad's military has reclaimed most of the country with Russia and Iran's help. Recently, missile strikes on makeshift oil refineries in northern Syria killed four people and injured more than 20 others, a war monitor said on Saturday. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said a series of strikes launched from Russian warships and by allied Syrian government forces hit the makeshift refineries in Aleppo province on Friday night, causing a massive blaze as dozens of tankers caught fire in the area controlled by Turkey and its Syrian rebel proxies. The Britain-based monitor 'documented the deaths of four people, while 24 others sustained various injuries and burns' in the attacks near the towns of Jarablus and Al-Bab. At least one Syrian rebel was among the dead, said Observatory head Rami Abdul Rahman. Rescue workers spent hours trying to extinguish the fire, which spread to about 180 oil tankers, according to the war monitor. "The fires are the largest yet from a missile attack on makeshift refineries," the Observatory said. Oil installations in Turkey-controlled parts of Aleppo have come under repeated attack in recent months although Moscow and the Syrian regime have not claimed responsibility. (With inputs from agencies)

Syria's President Assad, wife test positive for Covid-19 

The US President Donald Trump said he wanted to assassinate Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Watch this video to know more.

WION Dispatch: Donald Trump says he wanted to assassinate Bashar al-Assad

The optics seem evident: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is at odds with just about everybody.

Erdogan is on opposite sides of Russia in Syria, with Turkish and Syrian troops poised for an all-out fight in the north of the war-torn country, as well as, in Libya. He didn’t do himself any favours by coming out swinging against his supposed Russian ally during a visit to Ukraine earlier this month.

On all three flashpoints, Turkey and Russia are testing the limits of what was always at best an opportunistic, fragile partnership aimed at capitalising on a seemingly diminishing US interest in the Middle East, evident already under President Barak Obama, and in Donald Trump’s haphazard redefinition of what he sees as America’s national interests.

If that were not already a plate full, Erdogan’s relations with his US and European allies are strained over unilateral Turkish moves in the eastern Mediterranean, Turkey’s acquisition of a Russian S-400 anti-missile system and/or Turkey’s military intervention in Syria as well as refugees and much more.

Turkey has threatened to close Incirlik Air Base and a critical radar station in Kurecik if the United States and the European Union fail to recognise what Turkey views as its national interests.

At the same time, Erdogan frets about his alliance with Qatar in the wake of suggestions that the Gulf state and Saudi Arabia are searching for a way to end a Saudi-led 2.5-year-old economic and diplomatic boycott of Qatar.

Reports that the talks between the Kingdom and Qatar have failed may not put Erdogan’s concerns to bed with the United Arab Emirates, Qatar’s most hardline detractor, restoring postal services with the Gulf state.

The restoration, mediated by the United Nation’s Universal Postal Union, was the first time that a third-party succeeded in negotiating any easing of the boycott.

Piling it on, Erdogan’s powerful navy, imitating Chinese tactics in the South China Sea, has significantly raised tensions in the eastern Mediterranean by sending naval forces to escort Turkish drillships into contested waters and to block Greek and Cypriot petrochemical exploration vessels in waters recognised as theirs under international law.

Turkey has warned Israel that it needs Turkish approval to build together with Greece and Turkey an undersea natural gas pipeline to Europe.

As he battles on multiple regional fronts, Erdogan is walking a finely calibrated tightrope, rather than hitting out blindly at everyone, in the assumption that neither Russia nor the United States or, for that matter, Qatar, can afford to lose Turkey. By the same token, neither can Turkey risk jeopardising its relationships.

As a result, Erdogan’s confrontational moves constitute a high stakes gamble, particularly with Turkey’s military build-up in northern Syria, an area in which Erdogan does not enjoy air superiority.

The Turkish leader is betting on Russia blinking first by reigning in Syrian forces and pressing for a negotiated resolution of the crisis.

Erdogan’s provocative visit to Kyiv and backing for Ukraine in its conflict with Russia was about far more than differences over the Russian-backed Syrian assault in Idlib, the last rebel outpost in the country.

Concerned that Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 has put a halt to Turkey’s maritime dominance of the Black Sea and turned it into a Russian lake, Erdogan sought in Kyiv to play both sides against the middle.

The International Crisis Group has warned that in the Black Sea “Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea has enabled it to expand its naval capability, project power south and shift the strategic balance in its favour.”

Russia’s de facto coastline grew from 475 to 1,200 kilometres or about 25 per cent of the sea’s total shorefront since the annexation.

Add to that 300 kilometres of coastline belonging to Abkhazia, a Russian-backed breakaway region of Georgia.

In a bid to counter Russian advances, Erdogan’s gamble also constitutes a bid to persuade NATO to back Turkey in the Black Sea, reversing a decades-old policy of keeping the alliance out of the region.

With 13 Turkish soldiers being killed in the last week in two Syrian attacks on Turkish targets and Turkey claiming to have killed more than 100 Syrian soldiers in retaliation, Erdogan’s gambit appears to have produced initial dividends with the Trump administration backing the Turkish leader in his high-stakes Syrian bid.

One key joker is the degree to which Erdogan may feel that he has no choice but to escalate further than he would like to in response to far-right nationalists who resonate with a part of his voter base and are pressuring him to go for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s jugular.

"What are you waiting for? Don't beat around the bush while Turkish soldiers are being martyred in attacks carried out by soldiers of another state," said Meral Aksener, leader of the Iyi or Good Party.

Added Devlet Bahceli, head of Erdogan’s coalition partner, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP): “Assad is a murderer, a criminal and the source of hostility. There will be no peace in Turkey until Assad is brought down from his throne. Turkey must start plans to enter Damascus now, and annihilate the cruel ones." 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;

The optics seem evident: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is at odds with just about everybody. Erdogan is on opposite sides of Russia in Syria, with Turkish and Syrian troops poised for an all-out fight in the north of the war-torn country, as well as, in Libya.

The optics seem evident: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is at odds with just about everybody. Erdogan is on opposite sides of Russia in Syria, with Turkish and Syrian troops poised for an all-out fight in the north of the war-torn country, as well as, in Libya. He didn’t do himself any favours by coming out swinging against his supposed Russian ally during a visit to Ukraine earlier this month. On all three flashpoints, Turkey and Russia are testing the limits of what was always at best an opportunistic, fragile partnership aimed at capitalising on a seemingly diminishing US interest in the Middle East, evident already under President Barak Obama, and in Donald Trump’s haphazard redefinition of what he sees as America’s national interests. If that were not already a plate full, Erdogan’s relations with his US and European allies are strained over unilateral Turkish moves in the eastern Mediterranean, Turkey’s acquisition of a Russian S-400 anti-missile system and/or Turkey’s military intervention in Syria as well as refugees and much more. Turkey has threatened to close Incirlik Air Base and a critical radar station in Kurecik if the United States and the European Union fail to recognise what Turkey views as its national interests. At the same time, Erdogan frets about his alliance with Qatar in the wake of suggestions that the Gulf state and Saudi Arabia are searching for a way to end a Saudi-led 2.5-year-old economic and diplomatic boycott of Qatar. Reports that the talks between the Kingdom and Qatar have failed may not put Erdogan’s concerns to bed with the United Arab Emirates, Qatar’s most hardline detractor, restoring postal services with the Gulf state. The restoration, mediated by the United Nation’s Universal Postal Union, was the first time that a third-party succeeded in negotiating any easing of the boycott. Piling it on, Erdogan’s powerful navy, imitating Chinese tactics in the South China Sea, has significantly raised tensions in the eastern Mediterranean by sending naval forces to escort Turkish drillships into contested waters and to block Greek and Cypriot petrochemical exploration vessels in waters recognised as theirs under international law. Turkey has warned Israel that it needs Turkish approval to build together with Greece and Turkey an undersea natural gas pipeline to Europe. As he battles on multiple regional fronts, Erdogan is walking a finely calibrated tightrope, rather than hitting out blindly at everyone, in the assumption that neither Russia nor the United States or, for that matter, Qatar, can afford to lose Turkey. By the same token, neither can Turkey risk jeopardising its relationships. As a result, Erdogan’s confrontational moves constitute a high stakes gamble, particularly with Turkey’s military build-up in northern Syria, an area in which Erdogan does not enjoy air superiority. The Turkish leader is betting on Russia blinking first by reigning in Syrian forces and pressing for a negotiated resolution of the crisis. Erdogan’s provocative visit to Kyiv and backing for Ukraine in its conflict with Russia was about far more than differences over the Russian-backed Syrian assault in Idlib, the last rebel outpost in the country. Concerned that Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 has put a halt to Turkey’s maritime dominance of the Black Sea and turned it into a Russian lake, Erdogan sought in Kyiv to play both sides against the middle. The International Crisis Group has warned that in the Black Sea “Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea has enabled it to expand its naval capability, project power south and shift the strategic balance in its favour.” Russia’s de facto coastline grew from 475 to 1,200 kilometres or about 25 per cent of the sea’s total shorefront since the annexation. Add to that 300 kilometres of coastline belonging to Abkhazia, a Russian-backed breakaway region of Georgia. In a bid to counter Russian advances, Erdogan’s gamble also constitutes a bid to persuade NATO to back Turkey in the Black Sea, reversing a decades-old policy of keeping the alliance out of the region. With 13 Turkish soldiers being killed in the last week in two Syrian attacks on Turkish targets and Turkey claiming to have killed more than 100 Syrian soldiers in retaliation, Erdogan’s gambit appears to have produced initial dividends with the Trump administration backing the Turkish leader in his high-stakes Syrian bid. One key joker is the degree to which Erdogan may feel that he has no choice but to escalate further than he would like to in response to far-right nationalists who resonate with a part of his voter base and are pressuring him to go for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s jugular. "What are you waiting for? Don't beat around the bush while Turkish soldiers are being martyred in attacks carried out by soldiers of another state," said Meral Aksener, leader of the Iyi or Good Party. Added Devlet Bahceli, head of Erdogan’s coalition partner, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP): “Assad is a murderer, a criminal and the source of hostility. There will be no peace in Turkey until Assad is brought down from his throne. Turkey must start plans to enter Damascus now, and annihilate the cruel ones." (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Erdogan battles on multiple fronts in risky regional power bid

An airstrike Saturday by Syrian regime ally <a href="https://www.wionews.com/.../russia-iran-shot-down-ukranian-passenger-plane -after-us-jets-were-seen-at-its-borders-275045">Russia</a> killed five civilians, including four members of the same family, in an opposition bastion in the country's northwest, a monitor said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said three children were among those killed after midnight Friday in the village of Bala in the jihadist-run Idlib region.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/several-civilians-killed-as-syrian-government-presses-idlib-offensive-274750">Several civilians killed as Syrian government presses Idlib offensive</a>

"A man, his wife, and their two little girls were among those killed," said the head of the Britain-based monitoring group, Rami Abdel Rahman.

An AFP correspondent at a hospital in the area saw the bodies of two of the children wrapped up in thick winter blankets.

The strike created a massive crater of rubble near a two-storey home flanked by an empty outdoor swimming pool, the correspondent said.

A rescue worker found a stuffed toy cockerel inside the building.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/syrian-and-russian-jets-pound-idlib-province-274552/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Another first responder retrieved two slain rabbits.&nbsp;

The Observatory, which relies on sources inside Syria for its information, says it determines who carried out airstrikes according to flight patterns as well as aircraft and ammunition involved.

The Idlib region has witnessed an uptick in violence this week, as the Syrian government presses a deadly offensive despite a ceasefire arranged by its Russian ally and rebel-backer Turkey.

Home to three million people, the jihadist-run bastion is made up of a large part of the Idlib province, as well as slivers of the neighbouring Aleppo and Latakia provinces.

Idlib is run by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a group dominated by Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate.

Fighting there since Wednesday has killed 28 civilians including eight children, according to the Observatory.

It also took the lives of 58 pro-regime fighters and 67 fighters most of them jihadists, it added.

Violence in recent weeks has prompted hundreds of thousands of civilians to flee their homes, exposing them to a harsh winter.

On Thursday, Russia denied launching any combat operations in the region since the start of a ceasefire it said went into effect on January 9. According to Turkey, the truce started on Sunday.

On Saturday, the Russian army deplored attacks led by HTS, describing them as "deliberate acts" designed to "undermine the ceasefire", according to Russian news agencies.

Turkey's President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/.../tayyip-erdogan-calls-on-europe-to-support- turkeys-moves-in-libya-275097">Recep Tayyip Erdogan</a> has said he would discuss the latest attacks in northwestern Syria on Sunday with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

Syria's war has killed more than 380,000 people and displaced more than half the country's population since starting in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-government protests.

An airstrike Saturday by Syrian regime ally Russia killed five civilians, including four members of the same family, in an opposition bastion in the country's northwest, a monitor said.

An airstrike Saturday by Syrian regime ally Russia killed five civilians, including four members of the same family, in an opposition bastion in the country's northwest, a monitor said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said three children were among those killed after midnight Friday in the village of Bala in the jihadist-run Idlib region. Also read: Several civilians killed as Syrian government presses Idlib offensive "A man, his wife, and their two little girls were among those killed," said the head of the Britain-based monitoring group, Rami Abdel Rahman. An AFP correspondent at a hospital in the area saw the bodies of two of the children wrapped up in thick winter blankets. The strike created a massive crater of rubble near a two-storey home flanked by an empty outdoor swimming pool, the correspondent said. A rescue worker found a stuffed toy cockerel inside the building. Another first responder retrieved two slain rabbits. The Observatory, which relies on sources inside Syria for its information, says it determines who carried out airstrikes according to flight patterns as well as aircraft and ammunition involved. The Idlib region has witnessed an uptick in violence this week, as the Syrian government presses a deadly offensive despite a ceasefire arranged by its Russian ally and rebel-backer Turkey. Home to three million people, the jihadist-run bastion is made up of a large part of the Idlib province, as well as slivers of the neighbouring Aleppo and Latakia provinces. Idlib is run by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a group dominated by Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate. Fighting there since Wednesday has killed 28 civilians including eight children, according to the Observatory. It also took the lives of 58 pro-regime fighters and 67 fighters most of them jihadists, it added. Violence in recent weeks has prompted hundreds of thousands of civilians to flee their homes, exposing them to a harsh winter. On Thursday, Russia denied launching any combat operations in the region since the start of a ceasefire it said went into effect on January 9. According to Turkey, the truce started on Sunday. On Saturday, the Russian army deplored attacks led by HTS, describing them as "deliberate acts" designed to "undermine the ceasefire", according to Russian news agencies. Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said he would discuss the latest attacks in northwestern Syria on Sunday with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Syria's war has killed more than 380,000 people and displaced more than half the country's population since starting in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-government protests.

Russia strike kill five civilians in northwest Syria

Russia-backed Syrian forces gain ground after a week-long renewed assault against the rebels in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/syria-regime-widens-control-over-idlib-fuelling-exodus-monitor-269591">Syria's Idlib</a>.

Reports said Russian planes continued to pound positions at Idlib killing at least nine civilians. The fresh assault has led to a new wave of mass exodus, Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights observed.

According to the war monitor, over 30,000 civilians have fled from southern Idlib since the ground assault by loyalists of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime began.

The Syrian Army said it had captured several villages on Monday near Maaret al-Numan. The Syrian Observatory said regime forces had surrounded several observation posts in a bid to push through the opposition bastion.

Amid the violence, a Turkish delegation arrived in Russian on Monday for talks on Syria even as President Tayyip Erdogan openly declared that Turkey cannot handle large scale influx of refugees.

Meanwhile, UN called for "immediate de-escalation" amid escalation of&nbsp; violent clashes in the area.

"The Secretary-General reminds all parties of their obligations to protect civilians and ensure freedom of movement," UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.

&nbsp;

Russia-backed Syrian forces gain ground after a week-long renewed assault against the rebels in Syria's Idlib. Reports said Russian planes continued to pound positions at Idlib killing at least nine civilians.

Russia-backed Syrian forces gain ground after a week-long renewed assault against the rebels in Syria's Idlib. Reports said Russian planes continued to pound positions at Idlib killing at least nine civilians. The fresh assault has led to a new wave of mass exodus, Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights observed. According to the war monitor, over 30,000 civilians have fled from southern Idlib since the ground assault by loyalists of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime began. The Syrian Army said it had captured several villages on Monday near Maaret al-Numan. The Syrian Observatory said regime forces had surrounded several observation posts in a bid to push through the opposition bastion. Amid the violence, a Turkish delegation arrived in Russian on Monday for talks on Syria even as President Tayyip Erdogan openly declared that Turkey cannot handle large scale influx of refugees. Meanwhile, UN called for "immediate de-escalation" amid escalation of violent clashes in the area. "The Secretary-General reminds all parties of their obligations to protect civilians and ensure freedom of movement," UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.

Russia-backed Syrian forces gain ground in Idlib

Regime forces have seized dozens of towns and villages in northwest Syria from jihadists following days of violent clashes, fuelling an exodus of civilians, a war monitor said Sunday.&nbsp;

The fresh advances in Idlib province bring regime loyalists closer to capturing one of the largest urban centres in Syria's last major opposition bastion, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

"This push is an attempt to get closer to Maaret al-Numan," Observatory head Rami Abdul Rahman told AFP.

Residents of the southern Idlib town flooded out of the area fearing further advances, an AFP correspondent there said.

The Observatory said more than 30,000 people had fled the flashpoint area in southern Idlib in recent days.

Abu Akram, a resident, said rescue workers and local relief groups were struggling to get families out.

"Everybody is working at full capacity but they can't handle such a large number of people," the father of five told AFP after he couldn't find a vehicle to drive his own family further north.&nbsp;

The jihadist-dominated Idlib region hosts some three million people including many displaced by years of violence in other parts of Syria.&nbsp;

The Damascus regime has repeatedly vowed to take back the area and bombardment has continued despite a ceasefire announced in August.

Heightened regime and Russian bombardment on the Maaret al-Numan region since December 16 has forced tens of thousands of vulnerable people to flee their homes, according to the United Nations.

The UN has called for "immediate de-escalation" and warned of further mass displacement if the violence continues.&nbsp;

"Nowhere is safe. If we stay inside our homes, or if we flee outside, we will die either way," said Abu Akram.

Damascus loyalists have since Thursday been locked in battles with jihadists and allied rebels, seizing a total of 25 towns and villages from their control, according to the Observatory.

Four days of fighting has killed 103 militants as well as 71 regime loyalists, bringing the total toll to more than 170 dead on both sides, added the monitor, which is based in Britain and relies on an extensive network inside Syria.&nbsp;

The Idlib region is controlled by the country's former Al-Qaeda affiliate, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.&nbsp;

Pro-government forces launched a blistering offensive against the region in April, killing around 1,000 civilians and displacing more than 400,000 people from their homes.

Syria's war has killed over 370,000 people and displaced millions since beginning in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-government protests.

Regime forces have seized dozens of towns and villages in northwest Syria from jihadists following days of violent clashes, fuelling an exodus of civilians, a war monitor said Sunday.

Regime forces have seized dozens of towns and villages in northwest Syria from jihadists following days of violent clashes, fuelling an exodus of civilians, a war monitor said Sunday. The fresh advances in Idlib province bring regime loyalists closer to capturing one of the largest urban centres in Syria's last major opposition bastion, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. "This push is an attempt to get closer to Maaret al-Numan," Observatory head Rami Abdul Rahman told AFP. Residents of the southern Idlib town flooded out of the area fearing further advances, an AFP correspondent there said. The Observatory said more than 30,000 people had fled the flashpoint area in southern Idlib in recent days. Abu Akram, a resident, said rescue workers and local relief groups were struggling to get families out. "Everybody is working at full capacity but they can't handle such a large number of people," the father of five told AFP after he couldn't find a vehicle to drive his own family further north. The jihadist-dominated Idlib region hosts some three million people including many displaced by years of violence in other parts of Syria. The Damascus regime has repeatedly vowed to take back the area and bombardment has continued despite a ceasefire announced in August. Heightened regime and Russian bombardment on the Maaret al-Numan region since December 16 has forced tens of thousands of vulnerable people to flee their homes, according to the United Nations. The UN has called for "immediate de-escalation" and warned of further mass displacement if the violence continues. "Nowhere is safe. If we stay inside our homes, or if we flee outside, we will die either way," said Abu Akram. Damascus loyalists have since Thursday been locked in battles with jihadists and allied rebels, seizing a total of 25 towns and villages from their control, according to the Observatory. Four days of fighting has killed 103 militants as well as 71 regime loyalists, bringing the total toll to more than 170 dead on both sides, added the monitor, which is based in Britain and relies on an extensive network inside Syria. The Idlib region is controlled by the country's former Al-Qaeda affiliate, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. Pro-government forces launched a blistering offensive against the region in April, killing around 1,000 civilians and displacing more than 400,000 people from their homes. Syria's war has killed over 370,000 people and displaced millions since beginning in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-government protests.

Syria regime widens control over Idlib, fuelling exodus: Monitor

Defeating jihadists in Idlib is the key to ending Syria's eight-year-old civil war, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/erdogan-warns-syria-offensive-will-resume-unless-kurds-complete-pull-out-257497">President Bashar al-Assad</a> said on Tuesday on his first visit to the embattled northwestern region since 2011.&nbsp;

"The battle of Idlib is the basis for resolving chaos and terrorism in all other areas of Syria," Assad's office quoted him as telling troops in the frontline town of Al-Hbeit.&nbsp;

It published a picture of the president surrounded by troops dressed in military fatigues, with maps hanging behind them.&nbsp;

His comments came as <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-mulls-leaving-some-troops-in-syria-to-guard-oil-pentagon-257363">Syrian troops continued to</a> deploy in parts of the north where they are supporting Kurdish forces to contain a Turkish invasion, according to state news agency SANA.

Watch Video:

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/did-turkey-do-the-unthinkable-in-syria-257146/embed" width="560" height="350" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" autoplay=1 allowfullscreen></iframe></div>

After turning the tide of the war, Assad's forces now control around 60 per cent of the country &nbsp;and the president has repeatedly vowed to return all of it to his control, including Idlib.

The Idlib region, which has some three million residents, half of them displaced from other parts of the country, is the last major rebel bastion in Syria.&nbsp;

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham -- a jihadist alliance led by Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate -- extended its administrative control over the whole of Idlib in January, but other rebel factions remain present.

In April, the Syrian government and its Russian allies launched an intensified bombardment of the region.

In August, government troops began a ground offensive that saw them retake several areas in southern Idlib, including the town of Al-Hbeit, which was among the first to fall.

An August 31 ceasefire brokered by Russia largely halted air strikes and clashes with heavy weapons, but skirmishes persist, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.&nbsp;

While the Idlib front has been relatively calm, Syrian troops this month deployed in the northeast as part of a deal with Kurdish forces to protect them from a Turkish invasion.

The deployment is the army's most significant in the Kurdish-controlled north and northeast since it pulled back from the region from 2012.&nbsp;

The Syrian war has killed more than 370,000 people and displaced millions since it erupted in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-government protests.

Defeating jihadists in Idlib is the key to ending Syria's eight-year-old civil war, President Bashar al-Assad said on Tuesday on his first visit to the embattled northwestern region since 2011.

Defeating jihadists in Idlib is the key to ending Syria's eight-year-old civil war, President Bashar al-Assad said on Tuesday on his first visit to the embattled northwestern region since 2011. "The battle of Idlib is the basis for resolving chaos and terrorism in all other areas of Syria," Assad's office quoted him as telling troops in the frontline town of Al-Hbeit. It published a picture of the president surrounded by troops dressed in military fatigues, with maps hanging behind them. His comments came as Syrian troops continued to deploy in parts of the north where they are supporting Kurdish forces to contain a Turkish invasion, according to state news agency SANA. Watch Video: After turning the tide of the war, Assad's forces now control around 60 per cent of the country and the president has repeatedly vowed to return all of it to his control, including Idlib. The Idlib region, which has some three million residents, half of them displaced from other parts of the country, is the last major rebel bastion in Syria. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham -- a jihadist alliance led by Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate -- extended its administrative control over the whole of Idlib in January, but other rebel factions remain present. In April, the Syrian government and its Russian allies launched an intensified bombardment of the region. In August, government troops began a ground offensive that saw them retake several areas in southern Idlib, including the town of Al-Hbeit, which was among the first to fall. An August 31 ceasefire brokered by Russia largely halted air strikes and clashes with heavy weapons, but skirmishes persist, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. While the Idlib front has been relatively calm, Syrian troops this month deployed in the northeast as part of a deal with Kurdish forces to protect them from a Turkish invasion. The deployment is the army's most significant in the Kurdish-controlled north and northeast since it pulled back from the region from 2012. The Syrian war has killed more than 370,000 people and displaced millions since it erupted in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-government protests.

Battle of Idlib basis for resolving terrorism in Syria: Assad

At least seven civilians were killed in<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/syria-flare-up-kills-35-fighters-including-26-pro-regime-forces-monitor-227319"> air strikes by the Syrian government </a>on the northwest province of Idlib on Saturday.

Around 15 other suffered injuries in the attacks by President Bashar al-Assad regime.

Out of seven, three people were killed in an air strike on the town of Maaret al-Numan, while in al-Bara, three children and their father were killed, reported Al Jazeera Even though the Idlib Province is one of four designated de-escalation zones in Syria, it is still home to at least 30,000 gunmen.

The war has been raging since 2011 in Syria.

In September last year, Turkey and Russia agreed on a ceasefire on Idlib, where the two sides agreed that the province would act as a de-escalation zone and promised to refrain from staging acts of aggression in the demarcated area.

However, regime forces have been launching several attacks in the de-escalation zone, thereby violating the truce terms.

Over 170 civilians have lost their lives in Idlib since April 25.&nbsp;

The province is home to about three million people.

More than 370,000 people were killed and millions were displaced in Syria and abroad since the beginning of the Syrian war in March 2011.&nbsp;

At least seven civilians were killed in air strikes by the Syrian government on the northwest province of Idlib on Saturday. Around 15 other suffered injuries in the attacks by President Bashar al-Assad regime.

At least seven civilians were killed in air strikes by the Syrian government on the northwest province of Idlib on Saturday. Around 15 other suffered injuries in the attacks by President Bashar al-Assad regime. Out of seven, three people were killed in an air strike on the town of Maaret al-Numan, while in al-Bara, three children and their father were killed, reported Al Jazeera Even though the Idlib Province is one of four designated de-escalation zones in Syria, it is still home to at least 30,000 gunmen. The war has been raging since 2011 in Syria. In September last year, Turkey and Russia agreed on a ceasefire on Idlib, where the two sides agreed that the province would act as a de-escalation zone and promised to refrain from staging acts of aggression in the demarcated area. However, regime forces have been launching several attacks in the de-escalation zone, thereby violating the truce terms. Over 170 civilians have lost their lives in Idlib since April 25. The province is home to about three million people. More than 370,000 people were killed and millions were displaced in Syria and abroad since the beginning of the Syrian war in March 2011.

Syria: 7 civilians killed in air strikes by Assad regime

Ethiopia`s prime minister on Friday urged Sudan`s military rulers and civilian opposition to exercise "bravery" in trying to agree on a transition to democracy after the worst bloodshed since the overthrow of President Omar al-Bashir.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who flew to Khartoum from Addis Ababa to try to mediate the country`s crisis, held separate talks with the country`s ruling military council and leaders of the Declaration of Freedom and Change Forces, an alliance of protesters and opposition parties.

The visit came days after forces stormed a protest camp outside the Defence Ministry in central Khartoum where demonstrators were demanding civilian rule. Dozens of people have been killed since Monday.

Khaled Omar, a leader of the opposition alliance, said Abiy proposed setting up a transitional council comprised of eight civilians and seven military officers with a rotating presidency.

The opposition demanded that the military rulers take responsibility for the bloodshed, allow an international investigation into the violence and free political prisoners, Omar added.

But instead of releasing prisoners, security forces arrested Mohammad Esmat, a member of the opposition delegation shortly after he met with Abiy, sources from his party said.&nbsp;

The military council could not immediately be reached for comment.

"This amounts to a practical response from the military council that effectively rejects the Ethiopian prime minister`s mediation effort," Omar told Reuters, adding that the Sudanese opposition would not agree to any deal before all of its conditions are met.

The military council said it was ready to negotiate at any time, state news agency SUNA reported.

Although no breakthrough was announced at the end of the one-day visit, an adviser to the Ethiopian prime minister said the talks went well and that Abiy would be returning to Sudan soon.

The military council and opposition had been in talks for weeks over who should lead Sudan`s transition to democracy.&nbsp;

But negotiations collapsed after Monday`s violence. The opposition said it could not talk to untrustworthy rulers. Opposition medics say 113 people were killed in the storming of the camp and subsequent crackdown.&nbsp;

The government, however, has put the week`s death toll at 61, including three security personnel.

Abiy made his visit the day after the Ethiopia-headquartered African Union bloc suspended Sudan, backing the opposition`s demand for civilian rule.

He was welcomed by Lieutenant General Shams El Din Kabbashi, spokesman for the Transitional Military Council. Abiy later hosted a meeting with the opposition alliance.&nbsp;

"The military and the people and the political forces need to act with bravery and responsibility in taking quick steps to a democratic, reconciliatory transitional period in the country," he said in a statement.&nbsp;

Abiy, a reformer who took office last year, has won wide praise for his diplomatic skills, including brokering peace with Eritrea, Ethiopia`s neighbour and long-time foe.&nbsp;

Attacks on hospitals

Stability in Sudan is crucial for a volatile region struggling against Islamist insurgencies from the Horn of Africa to Egypt and Libya. Various powers, including Russia and the Gulf Arab states, are trying to influence its path.

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which have close ties with the military council, have said they are watching developments with concern and support a renewal of dialogue.

Russia said on Thursday it opposed foreign intervention in Sudan and the authorities in Khartoum must subdue what it described as "extremists," a Russian news agency reported.

Sudan was placed on a US&nbsp;list of sponsors of terrorism under Bashir, an Islamist former general accused of war crimes in the western Darfur region.

A doctors` group linked to the protest movement said hospitals were now overcrowded with people injured in this week`s crackdown. Worsening the situation, five hospitals had been shut down by the feared paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which grew out of Darfur militia, it said.

"There is a great shortage in medical staff, mainly caused by the military militias targeting doctors and preventing them from reaching hospitals and clinics to perform their duty," it said. "For all these reasons, more and more lives are being lost every day."

The World Health Organization said some medical staff and patients had been injured during raids into hospitals, and emergency services were being shut down.

Mobile tent clinics set up to treat injured protesters had been set on fire and destroyed while medical equipment had been looted and some women health workers were reportedly raped, it said.&nbsp;

"These actions represent a total and unacceptable violation of international human rights law and must stop," said Ahmed Al-Mandhari, WHO regional director for the Eastern Mediterranean.

Rights group Amnesty International and the opposition have blamed the RSF for the violence.

The military council counters that infiltrators are putting on RSF uniforms. It says Monday`s raid was targeting criminals in an area next to the camp, but got out of hand.

Ethiopia`s prime minister on Friday urged Sudan`s military rulers and civilian opposition to exercise "bravery" in trying to agree on a transition to democracy after the worst bloodshed since the overthrow of President Omar al-Bashir.

Ethiopia`s prime minister on Friday urged Sudan`s military rulers and civilian opposition to exercise "bravery" in trying to agree on a transition to democracy after the worst bloodshed since the overthrow of President Omar al-Bashir. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who flew to Khartoum from Addis Ababa to try to mediate the country`s crisis, held separate talks with the country`s ruling military council and leaders of the Declaration of Freedom and Change Forces, an alliance of protesters and opposition parties. The visit came days after forces stormed a protest camp outside the Defence Ministry in central Khartoum where demonstrators were demanding civilian rule. Dozens of people have been killed since Monday. Khaled Omar, a leader of the opposition alliance, said Abiy proposed setting up a transitional council comprised of eight civilians and seven military officers with a rotating presidency. The opposition demanded that the military rulers take responsibility for the bloodshed, allow an international investigation into the violence and free political prisoners, Omar added. But instead of releasing prisoners, security forces arrested Mohammad Esmat, a member of the opposition delegation shortly after he met with Abiy, sources from his party said. The military council could not immediately be reached for comment. "This amounts to a practical response from the military council that effectively rejects the Ethiopian prime minister`s mediation effort," Omar told Reuters, adding that the Sudanese opposition would not agree to any deal before all of its conditions are met. The military council said it was ready to negotiate at any time, state news agency SUNA reported. Although no breakthrough was announced at the end of the one-day visit, an adviser to the Ethiopian prime minister said the talks went well and that Abiy would be returning to Sudan soon. The military council and opposition had been in talks for weeks over who should lead Sudan`s transition to democracy. But negotiations collapsed after Monday`s violence. The opposition said it could not talk to untrustworthy rulers. Opposition medics say 113 people were killed in the storming of the camp and subsequent crackdown. The government, however, has put the week`s death toll at 61, including three security personnel. Abiy made his visit the day after the Ethiopia-headquartered African Union bloc suspended Sudan, backing the opposition`s demand for civilian rule. He was welcomed by Lieutenant General Shams El Din Kabbashi, spokesman for the Transitional Military Council. Abiy later hosted a meeting with the opposition alliance. "The military and the people and the political forces need to act with bravery and responsibility in taking quick steps to a democratic, reconciliatory transitional period in the country," he said in a statement. Abiy, a reformer who took office last year, has won wide praise for his diplomatic skills, including brokering peace with Eritrea, Ethiopia`s neighbour and long-time foe. Attacks on hospitals Stability in Sudan is crucial for a volatile region struggling against Islamist insurgencies from the Horn of Africa to Egypt and Libya. Various powers, including Russia and the Gulf Arab states, are trying to influence its path. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which have close ties with the military council, have said they are watching developments with concern and support a renewal of dialogue. Russia said on Thursday it opposed foreign intervention in Sudan and the authorities in Khartoum must subdue what it described as "extremists," a Russian news agency reported. Sudan was placed on a US list of sponsors of terrorism under Bashir, an Islamist former general accused of war crimes in the western Darfur region. A doctors` group linked to the protest movement said hospitals were now overcrowded with people injured in this week`s crackdown. Worsening the situation, five hospitals had been shut down by the feared paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which grew out of Darfur militia, it said. "There is a great shortage in medical staff, mainly caused by the military militias targeting doctors and preventing them from reaching hospitals and clinics to perform their duty," it said. "For all these reasons, more and more lives are being lost every day." The World Health Organization said some medical staff and patients had been injured during raids into hospitals, and emergency services were being shut down. Mobile tent clinics set up to treat injured protesters had been set on fire and destroyed while medical equipment had been looted and some women health workers were reportedly raped, it said. "These actions represent a total and unacceptable violation of international human rights law and must stop," said Ahmed Al-Mandhari, WHO regional director for the Eastern Mediterranean. Rights group Amnesty International and the opposition have blamed the RSF for the violence. The military council counters that infiltrators are putting on RSF uniforms. It says Monday`s raid was targeting criminals in an area next to the camp, but got out of hand.

Ethiopia attempts to mediate Sudan crisis after bloodshed

Several Russian envoys met Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and discussed a constitutional committee, trade, as well as the ways to improve Syria's relations with neighbouring Arab countries, Russia's Foreign Ministry said.

Formation of a constitutional committee is key to political reforms and new elections meant to unify Syria and end an eight-year war, which has killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced about half of Syria's pre-war 22 million population.

Syria's opposition last year agreed to join the process of rewriting the constitution under UN&nbsp;auspices following a peacemaking conference in the Russian city of Sochi.

Russia has been a close ally of Assad and in 2015 launched a military intervention there to support his forces, turning the tide of the war in Assad's favour.

The Foreign Ministry said in a statement late on Friday that Assad met Russia's Syria envoy Alexander Lavrentiev, Deputy Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin and several Russian Defence Ministry officials.

Separately, Interfax news agency, citing the Russian government, said Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov would meet Assad in Damascus later on Saturday to talk about cooperation in trade and economy.

&nbsp;

Several Russian envoys met Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and discussed a constitutional committee, trade, as well as the ways to improve Syria's relations with neighbouring Arab countries, Russia's Foreign Ministry said.

Several Russian envoys met Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and discussed a constitutional committee, trade, as well as the ways to improve Syria's relations with neighbouring Arab countries, Russia's Foreign Ministry said. Formation of a constitutional committee is key to political reforms and new elections meant to unify Syria and end an eight-year war, which has killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced about half of Syria's pre-war 22 million population. Syria's opposition last year agreed to join the process of rewriting the constitution under UN auspices following a peacemaking conference in the Russian city of Sochi. Russia has been a close ally of Assad and in 2015 launched a military intervention there to support his forces, turning the tide of the war in Assad's favour. The Foreign Ministry said in a statement late on Friday that Assad met Russia's Syria envoy Alexander Lavrentiev, Deputy Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin and several Russian Defence Ministry officials. Separately, Interfax news agency, citing the Russian government, said Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov would meet Assad in Damascus later on Saturday to talk about cooperation in trade and economy.

Russian envoys meet Syria's Assad, discuss post-war efforts, trade

The Euphrates emerges where the Karasu and Murat rivers merge in northeastern Turkey and flows to join the Tigris near Basra in Iraq.&nbsp;

Historically, Mesopotamia the region lying between the Euphrates and Tigris, was the heartland of the Babylonian and Assyrian empires. It is today the territory of modern-day Turkey, Syria and Iraq and the centre of a conflict that has engulfed the Middle East.&nbsp;

Where it crosses Syria, a state torn in the conflict between President Assad and a plethora of anti-regime groups, the Euphrates today marks the rough dividing line between forces backed by Iran and the United States.&nbsp;

The area to the river’s east is controlled by the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) backed by the United States, while pro-regime forces backed by Iran control the western banks.&nbsp;

This unstated yet clearly demarcated balance was disturbed when President Donald Trump tweeted on December 19 about the immediate and unconditional US retreat from the area east of the Euphrates river.&nbsp;

This was not significant in terms of the numbers of troops that will be withdrawn, but of the deterrence that the US provided through air power and its commitment as the global superpower.&nbsp;

Should this deterrence be removed, the SDF whose backbone is the Kurdish Peoples’ Protection Units (YPG), would feel the pressure from multiple actors in the region, including Russia, Turkey and Iran as well as the Syrian regime that is increasingly gaining ground.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (in an opinion piece on January 7 in the New York Times) reacted to the planned withdrawal by positing Turkey as the regional alternative who could ‘get the job done’.&nbsp;

Proposing a comprehensive strategy to eliminate the root causes of extremism, President Erdogan has called for a stabilisation force featuring fighters from all parts of Syria (except those with links to terrorist organisations), adequate representation of all communities in popularly elected councils and most importantly, a willingness to shoulder the responsibility of transition to stable governance.&nbsp;

Implicit in the offer is the stipulation for the liquidation of the YPG, which is the chief US ally in Syria, but which Ankara identifies as a terrorist affiliate of the banned Turkish group, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), and the establishment of Turkish control in the east of Euphrates, a region covering about 27 per cent of Syrian territory.&nbsp;

This is not the first time Turkey has suggested a ‘zone of influence’ as a surrogate buffer zone. Similar offers of a ‘buffer zone’, signalling its initial intentions of a serious involvement, had been made by Turkey earlier as a measure to protect refugees fleeing the conflict in Syria. What is significant this time is President Trump’s tweet giving Turkey the green signal for actually setting up a 20-mile-wide buffer zone within Syria.

The proposed buffer zone under Turkish control has been rejected by the Syrian Kurds, who have called for the deployment of UN forces along the line separating Kurdish fighters from Turkish troops.&nbsp;

Identifying Turkey as one of the parties to the ongoing dispute, senior political leader Aldar Khalil has argued that as one of the players involved, Turkey cannot guarantee stability.&nbsp;

Complicated ethnic overlaps mean that the Kurdish population in the region now live across Turkey, Syria, Iran and Iraq with varying levels of autonomy.&nbsp;

While Turkey has accepted northern Iraq’s autonomous status over time, the dilemma is about the future of the Syrian Kurdish areas, adjoining southeastern Turkey, and the precedence that the autonomous status of the Kurds would create for the Kurdish population in Syria and Turkey.&nbsp;

Turkey has battled domestic Kurdish insurgency for decades and has only recently begun negotiations for conciliation. It, therefore, fears the domestic consequences of the creation of a contiguous area under Kurdish control in northern Syria.&nbsp;

When the Syrian crisis started in March 2011, Syria’s Kurds adopted an ambivalent position. However, in July 2012 they took control of several cities in the north where Kurds are in a majority.&nbsp;

The Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD), which governs this region bordering Turkey, is affiliated to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and has clearly expressed its interest to form an autonomous zone in Syria comparable to Iraqi Kurdistan, a move Ankara opposes.&nbsp;

Turkey’s Syrian policy, in which President Erdogan had sought President Assad’s overthrow, therefore became counterproductive when it contributed to bringing Syrian Kurds into the fray.

The grandiose Turkish rhetoric faces challenges on a number of fronts. The Turkish plan outlined in the New York Times piece would test Turkish military, administrative and financial capabilities unless supported by US military commitments.&nbsp;

In that case, it would face opposition from Russia, which supports the return of the Kurdish-held regions to the Assad regime and the Astana process of which it is a part.&nbsp;

It would also affect its position in western Syria where it has made inroads into Idlib with Russian support. Syrian Kurds are reportedly in favour of allowing the Assad regime jurisdiction over their areas, rather than surrender control to the Turkish. And most significantly, the January 16 attack on a US military convoy in the northern city of Manbij has raised questions about the practicality of the withdrawal of American ground presence in Syria.&nbsp;

This was the sixth major attack by the Islamic State in less than a month and has raised questions about rhetoric centered around the ‘defeat of the Islamic State’ and reconstruction in a post-Islamic State era. Experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan show that any such premature assumptions should be avoided.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

(This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-middle-east-s-melting-pot-2710965">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

The Euphrates emerges where the Karasu and Murat rivers merge in northeastern Turkey and flows to join the Tigris near Basra in Iraq. Historically, Mesopotamia the region lying between the Euphrates and Tigris, was the heartland of the Babylonian and Assyrian empires.

The Euphrates emerges where the Karasu and Murat rivers merge in northeastern Turkey and flows to join the Tigris near Basra in Iraq. Historically, Mesopotamia the region lying between the Euphrates and Tigris, was the heartland of the Babylonian and Assyrian empires. It is today the territory of modern-day Turkey, Syria and Iraq and the centre of a conflict that has engulfed the Middle East. Where it crosses Syria, a state torn in the conflict between President Assad and a plethora of anti-regime groups, the Euphrates today marks the rough dividing line between forces backed by Iran and the United States. The area to the river’s east is controlled by the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) backed by the United States, while pro-regime forces backed by Iran control the western banks. This unstated yet clearly demarcated balance was disturbed when President Donald Trump tweeted on December 19 about the immediate and unconditional US retreat from the area east of the Euphrates river. This was not significant in terms of the numbers of troops that will be withdrawn, but of the deterrence that the US provided through air power and its commitment as the global superpower. Should this deterrence be removed, the SDF whose backbone is the Kurdish Peoples’ Protection Units (YPG), would feel the pressure from multiple actors in the region, including Russia, Turkey and Iran as well as the Syrian regime that is increasingly gaining ground. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (in an opinion piece on January 7 in the New York Times) reacted to the planned withdrawal by positing Turkey as the regional alternative who could ‘get the job done’. Proposing a comprehensive strategy to eliminate the root causes of extremism, President Erdogan has called for a stabilisation force featuring fighters from all parts of Syria (except those with links to terrorist organisations), adequate representation of all communities in popularly elected councils and most importantly, a willingness to shoulder the responsibility of transition to stable governance. Implicit in the offer is the stipulation for the liquidation of the YPG, which is the chief US ally in Syria, but which Ankara identifies as a terrorist affiliate of the banned Turkish group, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), and the establishment of Turkish control in the east of Euphrates, a region covering about 27 per cent of Syrian territory. This is not the first time Turkey has suggested a ‘zone of influence’ as a surrogate buffer zone. Similar offers of a ‘buffer zone’, signalling its initial intentions of a serious involvement, had been made by Turkey earlier as a measure to protect refugees fleeing the conflict in Syria. What is significant this time is President Trump’s tweet giving Turkey the green signal for actually setting up a 20-mile-wide buffer zone within Syria. The proposed buffer zone under Turkish control has been rejected by the Syrian Kurds, who have called for the deployment of UN forces along the line separating Kurdish fighters from Turkish troops. Identifying Turkey as one of the parties to the ongoing dispute, senior political leader Aldar Khalil has argued that as one of the players involved, Turkey cannot guarantee stability. Complicated ethnic overlaps mean that the Kurdish population in the region now live across Turkey, Syria, Iran and Iraq with varying levels of autonomy. While Turkey has accepted northern Iraq’s autonomous status over time, the dilemma is about the future of the Syrian Kurdish areas, adjoining southeastern Turkey, and the precedence that the autonomous status of the Kurds would create for the Kurdish population in Syria and Turkey. Turkey has battled domestic Kurdish insurgency for decades and has only recently begun negotiations for conciliation. It, therefore, fears the domestic consequences of the creation of a contiguous area under Kurdish control in northern Syria. When the Syrian crisis started in March 2011, Syria’s Kurds adopted an ambivalent position. However, in July 2012 they took control of several cities in the north where Kurds are in a majority. The Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD), which governs this region bordering Turkey, is affiliated to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and has clearly expressed its interest to form an autonomous zone in Syria comparable to Iraqi Kurdistan, a move Ankara opposes. Turkey’s Syrian policy, in which President Erdogan had sought President Assad’s overthrow, therefore became counterproductive when it contributed to bringing Syrian Kurds into the fray. The grandiose Turkish rhetoric faces challenges on a number of fronts. The Turkish plan outlined in the New York Times piece would test Turkish military, administrative and financial capabilities unless supported by US military commitments. In that case, it would face opposition from Russia, which supports the return of the Kurdish-held regions to the Assad regime and the Astana process of which it is a part. It would also affect its position in western Syria where it has made inroads into Idlib with Russian support. Syrian Kurds are reportedly in favour of allowing the Assad regime jurisdiction over their areas, rather than surrender control to the Turkish. And most significantly, the January 16 attack on a US military convoy in the northern city of Manbij has raised questions about the practicality of the withdrawal of American ground presence in Syria. This was the sixth major attack by the Islamic State in less than a month and has raised questions about rhetoric centered around the ‘defeat of the Islamic State’ and reconstruction in a post-Islamic State era. Experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan show that any such premature assumptions should be avoided. (This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Middle East’s melting pot

Two developments, the pending return of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad to the Arab fold and protests in Sudan, Jordan and Tunisia, send contradictory messages of where the Middle East and North Africa are headed.

Conservative monarchies like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have gone to great lengths to reverse the achievements of the 2011 Arab popular revolts that toppled the autocratic leaders of Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Yemen and sparked mass protests in a swath of land stretching from the Atlantic coast of Africa to the Gulf.

A number of recent contacts, including a visit to Damascus by embattled Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir, the first by an Arab leader since the eruption of the Syrian civil war; a meeting in Cairo of Syrian and Egyptian intelligence chiefs, and the refurbishing of the shuttered UAE embassy in the Syrian capital, are widely seen as precursors for Syria’s return.

In a twist of irony, Messrs. Al-Bashir and Al-Assad have both been accused of war crimes. The International Criminal Court in The Hague has issued an arrest warrant for Al-Bashir that has largely been ignored by Middle Eastern and African nations.

Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who overthrew Mohammed Morsi, Egypt’s first and only democratically elected leader, in a UAE-Saudi-backed military coup in 2013, drove home autocrats’ seeming victory with the appearance in a court of the country’s two toppled leaders, Hosni Mubarak and Morsi.

In a demonstration of Al-Sisi’s supremacy, Mubarak was required to testify against Morsi in a case involving a 2011 jail break.

There is little doubt that Middle Eastern and North African autocracy has the winds at its back, in part because many in the region have been taken aback by the brutality of the counterrevolution that has sparked civil war, military intervention and harsh repression.

Nonetheless, multiple protests in recent years across the region in Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Mauritania and Sudan, as well as, online protests in various countries, including Saudi Arabia, suggest that grievances underlying the 2011 and subsequent protests remain widespread. This is true for countries like Egypt where the achievements of the 2011 protests have been reversed as well as Tunisia, the one country that succeeded in pursuing political transition.

A recent survey conducted by Zogby Research Services (ZRS) concluded that only one in five Tunisians and Egyptians believed that their country was moving in the “right direction,” while 69 per cent of Tunisians and 55 per cent of Egyptians said their countries were moving in the “wrong direction.”

When asked whether respondents felt they were better or worse off than they had been five years ago, only 21 per cent of Tunisians and 20 per cent of Egyptians said “better off,” while 59 per cent of Tunisians and 64 per cent of Egyptians claimed they were “worse off.”

The survey seemed to confirm the notion that the key to long-term stability in the Middle East and North Africa lies in resolving the region’s ticking time bomb: Unemployment and particularly youth unemployment.

The Zogby survey showed that employment, corruption, nepotism, an improved educational system and political reform were priorities for Egyptians and Tunisians. “The bottom line - the need to create jobs and reform governance so as to create greater confidence and opportunities for citizens are the challenges faced by the leaderships in both Tunisia and Egypt,” said James J Zogby, the founder of ZRS.

Official youth unemployment rates across the Middle East hover around 30 per cent and 20-25 per cent in North Africa with real rates believed to be far higher.

Neither Arab autocrats nor democratic Tunisia have so far been able to deliver. Yet, the outcome of the battle between greater political liberalism and autocracy in the Middle East is likely to be won in the sphere of economics rather than politics.

Arab autocrats as well as Tunisian leaders have since 2011 been long on promising economic reform that would create jobs and enhance career perspectives and short on delivery. A failure to tackle corruption, the enhanced role of the state in countries like Egypt where the military supported by the UAE and Saudi Arabia plays an ever-greater role in the economy, and depressed oil prices, have stymied growth in the region.

As a result, economics rather than politics will also seal the ultimate fate of the Arab spring, a code word for the crisis of confidence in the system and in leadership that has helped autocrats in the Middle East and North Africa retain or regain power and has fuelled populism, nationalism and the rise of the far right across the globe.

In a rare and furtive recognition of Middle Eastern and North African realities by the Trump administration, the US embassy in Riyadh tweeted in early December a video with Arabic subtitles promoting peaceful protest as a path to "positive social and political changes," but quickly deleted it when questioned about it by Middle East Eye.

The video argued that "even in oppressive, authoritarian conditions, protesters can tailor their campaigns to succeed." It featured archival photos of celebrated protest movements, asserting that research showed that between 1900 and 2006, non-violent protests had been twice as effective as violent ones.

Al-Assad’s return to the Arab fold may constitute one more setback for forces of change in the Middle East and North Africa but is a long way from symbolising their demise. For that to happen, the region’s autocrats have to make good on their promises by implementing painful structural reforms that inevitably will challenge vested interests. So far, there is little indication of that happening.

Which means that a warning earlier this year by Christine Lagarde, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), that “Public dissatisfaction, bubbling up in several countries, is a reminder that even more urgent action is needed,” remains as valid today as when she first issued it.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

 
&nbsp;

Two developments, the pending return of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad to the Arab fold and protests in Sudan, Jordan and Tunisia, send contradictory messages of where the Middle East and North Africa are headed.

Two developments, the pending return of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad to the Arab fold and protests in Sudan, Jordan and Tunisia, send contradictory messages of where the Middle East and North Africa are headed. Conservative monarchies like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have gone to great lengths to reverse the achievements of the 2011 Arab popular revolts that toppled the autocratic leaders of Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Yemen and sparked mass protests in a swath of land stretching from the Atlantic coast of Africa to the Gulf. A number of recent contacts, including a visit to Damascus by embattled Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir, the first by an Arab leader since the eruption of the Syrian civil war; a meeting in Cairo of Syrian and Egyptian intelligence chiefs, and the refurbishing of the shuttered UAE embassy in the Syrian capital, are widely seen as precursors for Syria’s return. In a twist of irony, Messrs. Al-Bashir and Al-Assad have both been accused of war crimes. The International Criminal Court in The Hague has issued an arrest warrant for Al-Bashir that has largely been ignored by Middle Eastern and African nations. Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who overthrew Mohammed Morsi, Egypt’s first and only democratically elected leader, in a UAE-Saudi-backed military coup in 2013, drove home autocrats’ seeming victory with the appearance in a court of the country’s two toppled leaders, Hosni Mubarak and Morsi. In a demonstration of Al-Sisi’s supremacy, Mubarak was required to testify against Morsi in a case involving a 2011 jail break. There is little doubt that Middle Eastern and North African autocracy has the winds at its back, in part because many in the region have been taken aback by the brutality of the counterrevolution that has sparked civil war, military intervention and harsh repression. Nonetheless, multiple protests in recent years across the region in Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Mauritania and Sudan, as well as, online protests in various countries, including Saudi Arabia, suggest that grievances underlying the 2011 and subsequent protests remain widespread. This is true for countries like Egypt where the achievements of the 2011 protests have been reversed as well as Tunisia, the one country that succeeded in pursuing political transition. A recent survey conducted by Zogby Research Services (ZRS) concluded that only one in five Tunisians and Egyptians believed that their country was moving in the “right direction,” while 69 per cent of Tunisians and 55 per cent of Egyptians said their countries were moving in the “wrong direction.” When asked whether respondents felt they were better or worse off than they had been five years ago, only 21 per cent of Tunisians and 20 per cent of Egyptians said “better off,” while 59 per cent of Tunisians and 64 per cent of Egyptians claimed they were “worse off.” The survey seemed to confirm the notion that the key to long-term stability in the Middle East and North Africa lies in resolving the region’s ticking time bomb: Unemployment and particularly youth unemployment. The Zogby survey showed that employment, corruption, nepotism, an improved educational system and political reform were priorities for Egyptians and Tunisians. “The bottom line - the need to create jobs and reform governance so as to create greater confidence and opportunities for citizens are the challenges faced by the leaderships in both Tunisia and Egypt,” said James J Zogby, the founder of ZRS. Official youth unemployment rates across the Middle East hover around 30 per cent and 20-25 per cent in North Africa with real rates believed to be far higher. Neither Arab autocrats nor democratic Tunisia have so far been able to deliver. Yet, the outcome of the battle between greater political liberalism and autocracy in the Middle East is likely to be won in the sphere of economics rather than politics. Arab autocrats as well as Tunisian leaders have since 2011 been long on promising economic reform that would create jobs and enhance career perspectives and short on delivery. A failure to tackle corruption, the enhanced role of the state in countries like Egypt where the military supported by the UAE and Saudi Arabia plays an ever-greater role in the economy, and depressed oil prices, have stymied growth in the region. As a result, economics rather than politics will also seal the ultimate fate of the Arab spring, a code word for the crisis of confidence in the system and in leadership that has helped autocrats in the Middle East and North Africa retain or regain power and has fuelled populism, nationalism and the rise of the far right across the globe. In a rare and furtive recognition of Middle Eastern and North African realities by the Trump administration, the US embassy in Riyadh tweeted in early December a video with Arabic subtitles promoting peaceful protest as a path to "positive social and political changes," but quickly deleted it when questioned about it by Middle East Eye. The video argued that "even in oppressive, authoritarian conditions, protesters can tailor their campaigns to succeed." It featured archival photos of celebrated protest movements, asserting that research showed that between 1900 and 2006, non-violent protests had been twice as effective as violent ones. Al-Assad’s return to the Arab fold may constitute one more setback for forces of change in the Middle East and North Africa but is a long way from symbolising their demise. For that to happen, the region’s autocrats have to make good on their promises by implementing painful structural reforms that inevitably will challenge vested interests. So far, there is little indication of that happening. Which means that a warning earlier this year by Christine Lagarde, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), that “Public dissatisfaction, bubbling up in several countries, is a reminder that even more urgent action is needed,” remains as valid today as when she first issued it. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Efforts to return Syria’s Bashar al-Assad to Arab fold amount to hollow victory for autocrats

Israel will study a US decision <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-says-islamic-state-defeated-us-will-pull-all-forces-out-of-syira-185369">to pull its forces from Syria</a> and will ensure its own security, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.

Netanyahu in a statement said he had <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-backed-forces-expel-is-from-east-syria-hub-184123">spoken over the past two days</a> with the US president and secretary of state about their intention to withdraw US forces from Syria.

"They made clear they have other ways to have influence in the area," Netanyahu said.

"We will study the timeline, how it will be done and of course the implications for us. In any case, we will make sure to maintain Israel's security and protect ourselves from this arena," he said.

Republican Senator Bob Corker, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said that he was 'stunned' by President Donald Trump's 'precipitous' decision to withdraw US troops from Syria.

Hours after Trump tweeted that "We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there," Corker told reporters that the decision had not been communicated in advance.

A decision to pull out completely, confirmed by US officials, coincides with the roughly 2,000 US troops finishing up a campaign to retake territory once held by Islamic State militants.

But it could leave the United States with few options to prevent a resurgence of Islamic State. It could also undercut US leverage in the region and undermine diplomatic efforts to end the Syrian civil war, which is now in its eighth year.

The withdrawal drew swift criticism from some of Trump's fellow Republicans, who said that leaving strengthened the hand of Russia and Iran, which both support Syrian President Bashar al Assad.

It may also leave exposed an alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias known as the Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF, which has been among the most effective against Islamic State but is under threat as Turkey weighs a new offensive in Syria.

US commanders on the ground, who have developed strong ties to SDF leaders, had voiced concerns about what a fast withdrawal would mean for the US-backed forces and were surprised by the decision, US officials told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Israel will study a US decision to pull its forces from Syria and will ensure its own security, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. Netanyahu in a statement said he had spoken over the past two days with the US president and secretary of state about their intention to withdraw US forces from Syria.

Israel will study a US decision to pull its forces from Syria and will ensure its own security, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. Netanyahu in a statement said he had spoken over the past two days with the US president and secretary of state about their intention to withdraw US forces from Syria. "They made clear they have other ways to have influence in the area," Netanyahu said. "We will study the timeline, how it will be done and of course the implications for us. In any case, we will make sure to maintain Israel's security and protect ourselves from this arena," he said. Republican Senator Bob Corker, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said that he was 'stunned' by President Donald Trump's 'precipitous' decision to withdraw US troops from Syria. Hours after Trump tweeted that "We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there," Corker told reporters that the decision had not been communicated in advance. A decision to pull out completely, confirmed by US officials, coincides with the roughly 2,000 US troops finishing up a campaign to retake territory once held by Islamic State militants. But it could leave the United States with few options to prevent a resurgence of Islamic State. It could also undercut US leverage in the region and undermine diplomatic efforts to end the Syrian civil war, which is now in its eighth year. The withdrawal drew swift criticism from some of Trump's fellow Republicans, who said that leaving strengthened the hand of Russia and Iran, which both support Syrian President Bashar al Assad. It may also leave exposed an alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias known as the Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF, which has been among the most effective against Islamic State but is under threat as Turkey weighs a new offensive in Syria. US commanders on the ground, who have developed strong ties to SDF leaders, had voiced concerns about what a fast withdrawal would mean for the US-backed forces and were surprised by the decision, US officials told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Will protect ourselves, says Israeli PM Netanyahu as Trump decides to pullout US troops from Syria

Turkey and other world powers would consider working with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad if he won a democratic election, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told a conference in Qatar on Sunday.

Turkey supported the opposition to Assad in the Syrian civil war that broke out in 2011 and continues to support rebel fighters who control part of northwest Syria. A year ago Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan described Assad as a terrorist and said it was impossible for Syrian peace efforts to continue with him.

Since then Assad, with backing from Russia and Iran, has driven rebels from strongholds in the south of the country and around Damascus, strengthening his authority even though parts of the country remain outside government control.

Asked whether Turkey would work with Assad, Cavusoglu said Syria must hold an election. If Assad won, he told a conference in Doha and "if it is democratic election, and if it is a credible one then everybody should consider (working with him)."

Assad won re-election in June 2014, securing 88.7 percent support in a vote which the opposition derided as a charade, saying that he faced no credible rival candidate and that no poll held amid civil war could be credible.

Turkey and other world powers would consider working with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad if he won a democratic election, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told a conference in Qatar on Sunday.

Turkey and other world powers would consider working with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad if he won a democratic election, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told a conference in Qatar on Sunday. Turkey supported the opposition to Assad in the Syrian civil war that broke out in 2011 and continues to support rebel fighters who control part of northwest Syria. A year ago Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan described Assad as a terrorist and said it was impossible for Syrian peace efforts to continue with him. Since then Assad, with backing from Russia and Iran, has driven rebels from strongholds in the south of the country and around Damascus, strengthening his authority even though parts of the country remain outside government control. Asked whether Turkey would work with Assad, Cavusoglu said Syria must hold an election. If Assad won, he told a conference in Doha and "if it is democratic election, and if it is a credible one then everybody should consider (working with him)." Assad won re-election in June 2014, securing 88.7 percent support in a vote which the opposition derided as a charade, saying that he faced no credible rival candidate and that no poll held amid civil war could be credible.

Turkey would consider working with Assad if he won a democratic Syrian election

France has issued its first <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/ready-to-cooperate-with-new-un-envoy-syria-175423">international arrest warrants </a>for three senior Syrian intelligence officials, a move hailed by rights groups Monday as an important step towards prosecuting war criminals.

The warrants -- one of them for National Security Bureau director Ali Mamluk -- were issued for "complicity in acts of torture", "complicity in crimes against humanity" and "complicity in war crimes".

Jamil Hassan, head of the Syrian Air Force Intelligence, is also targeted along with Abdel Salam Mahmoud, in charge of the Air Force Intelligence investigative branch at the Mezzeh military aport in Damascus.

All three warrants were issued in connection with the deaths of two Franco-Syrian nationals, father and son Mazen and Patrick Dabbagh.

Mazen Dabbagh was a 57-year-old official working at a French school in Damascus, where Patrick, 22, was a student.&nbsp;

The pair were arrested in November 2013 and went missing after being detained in the Mezzeh detention centre, according to the Paris-based International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH).

The FIDH says that neither was active in the opposition movement against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and that their arrests remain unexplained.&nbsp;

They were officially declared dead this summer.

Arrest warrants for the three Syrians were issued on October 8, but made public only on Monday, according to the FIDH.

France is not the first European country to launch legal cases against members of the Syrian regime: similar cases are being pursued in Britain, Germany and the Netherlands.

In June, German magazine Der Spiegel reported that German prosecutors had also issued an international arrest warrant for Hassan on charges of overseeing the torture and murder of hundreds of detainees.

Both the French and German investigations have drawn on evidence provided by a former Syrian police photographer known as "Caesar".

He fled Syria in 2013, taking with him 55,000 graphic photographs showing the brutal torture of detainees.

Clemence Bectarte, litigation coordinator for the FIDH, said the French warrants send "a strong signal saying 'impunity must not prevail'."

"It's the first time the French courts have issued international arrest warrants against senior Syrian dignitaries," she told AFP.

"These arrest warrants are the highest level of what the French courts can do," she added.

"It's a very important signal, and a very important symbol, of the level of responsibility that is being placed on the highest echelons of Syria's repressive apparatus."

According to the FIDH, the three officials could be put on trial in France, regardless of whether the arrest warrants were executed, under a process of "extraterritorial jurisdiction" which can be applied to crimes against humanity.

The Syrian government has not ratified the founding treaty of the International Criminal Court, and its powerful ally Russia would block any war crimes investigation via the United Nations.

More than 350,000 people are believed to have been killed in the Syrian war, which started with the brutal repression of anti-government protests in 2011.

According to the FIDH, between 250,000 and a million civilians have been arrested and detained by government forces and affiliated militias since the start of the protests.

France has issued its first international arrest warrants for three senior Syrian intelligence officials, a move hailed by rights groups Monday as an important step towards prosecuting war criminals.

France has issued its first international arrest warrants for three senior Syrian intelligence officials, a move hailed by rights groups Monday as an important step towards prosecuting war criminals. The warrants -- one of them for National Security Bureau director Ali Mamluk -- were issued for "complicity in acts of torture", "complicity in crimes against humanity" and "complicity in war crimes". Jamil Hassan, head of the Syrian Air Force Intelligence, is also targeted along with Abdel Salam Mahmoud, in charge of the Air Force Intelligence investigative branch at the Mezzeh military aport in Damascus. All three warrants were issued in connection with the deaths of two Franco-Syrian nationals, father and son Mazen and Patrick Dabbagh. Mazen Dabbagh was a 57-year-old official working at a French school in Damascus, where Patrick, 22, was a student. The pair were arrested in November 2013 and went missing after being detained in the Mezzeh detention centre, according to the Paris-based International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH). The FIDH says that neither was active in the opposition movement against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and that their arrests remain unexplained. They were officially declared dead this summer. Arrest warrants for the three Syrians were issued on October 8, but made public only on Monday, according to the FIDH. France is not the first European country to launch legal cases against members of the Syrian regime: similar cases are being pursued in Britain, Germany and the Netherlands. In June, German magazine Der Spiegel reported that German prosecutors had also issued an international arrest warrant for Hassan on charges of overseeing the torture and murder of hundreds of detainees. Both the French and German investigations have drawn on evidence provided by a former Syrian police photographer known as "Caesar". He fled Syria in 2013, taking with him 55,000 graphic photographs showing the brutal torture of detainees. Clemence Bectarte, litigation coordinator for the FIDH, said the French warrants send "a strong signal saying 'impunity must not prevail'." "It's the first time the French courts have issued international arrest warrants against senior Syrian dignitaries," she told AFP. "These arrest warrants are the highest level of what the French courts can do," she added. "It's a very important signal, and a very important symbol, of the level of responsibility that is being placed on the highest echelons of Syria's repressive apparatus." According to the FIDH, the three officials could be put on trial in France, regardless of whether the arrest warrants were executed, under a process of "extraterritorial jurisdiction" which can be applied to crimes against humanity. The Syrian government has not ratified the founding treaty of the International Criminal Court, and its powerful ally Russia would block any war crimes investigation via the United Nations. More than 350,000 people are believed to have been killed in the Syrian war, which started with the brutal repression of anti-government protests in 2011. According to the FIDH, between 250,000 and a million civilians have been arrested and detained by government forces and affiliated militias since the start of the protests.

France issues arrest warrant against three Syrian intelligence officials

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said he plans to visit North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, North Korean state media reported on Sunday, potentially the first meeting between Kim and another head of state in Pyongyang.

"I am going to visit the DPRK and meet HE Kim Jong Un," Assad said on May 30, North Korea's KCNA news agency reported, using the initials of the country's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

There was no immediate comment from the Syrian president’s office.

Assad reportedly made the remarks as he received the credentials of North Korean Ambassador Mun Jong Nam.

Pyongyang and Damascus maintain good relations, and United Nations monitors have accused North Korea of cooperating with Syria on chemical weapons, a charge the North denies.

Both countries have faced international isolation, North Korea over its nuclear weapons programme, and Syria over its tactics during a bloody civil war.

Since the beginning of the year, however, North Korea's Kim has launched a flurry of diplomatic meetings with leaders in China and South Korea, and is scheduled to hold a summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in Singapore on June 12.

Since taking power in 2011, Kim has not publicly met with another head of state in North Korea.

"The world welcomes the remarkable events in the Korean peninsula brought about recently by the outstanding political caliber and wise leadership of HE Kim Jong Un," Assad said, according to KCNA.&nbsp"I am sure that he will achieve the final victory and realize the reunification of Korea without fail."

According to South Korea's foreign ministry, North Korea established diplomatic relations with Syria in 1966, opening its embassy in Damascus. Syria opened its mission in Pyongyang in 1969.

Close military cooperation between the two countries began when North Korea sent some 530 troops including pilots, tank drivers and missile personnel to Syria during the Arab-Israeli war in October 1973.&nbsp

"The Syrian government will as ever fully support all policies and measures of the DPRK leadership and invariably strengthen and develop the friendly ties with the DPRK," Assad said, as quoted by KCNA.

Assad reportedly made the remarks as he received the credentials of North Korean Ambassador Mun Jong Nam

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said he plans to visit North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, North Korean state media reported on Sunday, potentially the first meeting between Kim and another head of state in Pyongyang. "I am going to visit the DPRK and meet HE Kim Jong Un," Assad said on May 30, North Korea's KCNA news agency reported, using the initials of the country's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. There was no immediate comment from the Syrian president’s office. Assad reportedly made the remarks as he received the credentials of North Korean Ambassador Mun Jong Nam. Pyongyang and Damascus maintain good relations, and United Nations monitors have accused North Korea of cooperating with Syria on chemical weapons, a charge the North denies. Both countries have faced international isolation, North Korea over its nuclear weapons programme, and Syria over its tactics during a bloody civil war. Since the beginning of the year, however, North Korea's Kim has launched a flurry of diplomatic meetings with leaders in China and South Korea, and is scheduled to hold a summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in Singapore on June 12. Since taking power in 2011, Kim has not publicly met with another head of state in North Korea. "The world welcomes the remarkable events in the Korean peninsula brought about recently by the outstanding political caliber and wise leadership of HE Kim Jong Un," Assad said, according to KCNA. "I am sure that he will achieve the final victory and realize the reunification of Korea without fail." According to South Korea's foreign ministry, North Korea established diplomatic relations with Syria in 1966, opening its embassy in Damascus. Syria opened its mission in Pyongyang in 1969. Close military cooperation between the two countries began when North Korea sent some 530 troops including pilots, tank drivers and missile personnel to Syria during the Arab-Israeli war in October 1973. "The Syrian government will as ever fully support all policies and measures of the DPRK leadership and invariably strengthen and develop the friendly ties with the DPRK," Assad said, as quoted by KCNA.

Syria's Assad says will visit North Korea, news agency reports

Israel could respond to any Iranian attack on it from Syria by toppling Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government, an Israeli security cabinet minister said on Monday, hinting that Assad himself may be targeted for assassination.

Israel and Iran have traded blows over Syria since February, stirring concern that major escalation could be looming ahead of next week's review decision by U.S. President Donald Trump on the 2015 international nuclear deal with Tehran.

On April 9, an air strike killed seven Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps members at the Syrian base. Tehran blamed Israel and vowed unspecified retaliation, drawing Israeli counter-threats to broaden attacks on Iranian military assets in Syria.

Sharpening these warnings, Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz said on Monday that Assad may find himself in Israel's sights.

"If Assad allows Iran to turn Syria into a military vanguard against us, to attack us from Syrian territory, he should know that would be the end of him, the end of his regime," Steinitz told the Ynet news site.

Asked if that meant Israel might assassinate Assad, Steinitz said: "His blood would be forfeit." He also appeared to suggest that his remarks did not reflect Israeli government policy, saying: "I'm not talking about any concrete proposal."

There was no immediate response from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office or from Israel's Defence Ministry.

A Ynet text story had quoted Steinitz as saying explicitly that Israel would kill Assad, but this was not borne out by a video clip of the interview.

Iran, Lebanon’s Hezbollah militia and Russia have been reinforcing Damascus against a 7-year-old Syrian rebellion. The Israelis worry that Iran’s garrison will remain, linking with Hezbollah to form a broad Syrian-Lebanese front against them.

On Sunday, Israeli media carried what they described as an alert by Israel's intelligence services that Iran was planning a missile salvo against Israeli military bases from within Syria.

Some analysts interpreted the publication as a warning to Iran that its plans were known, lest it try to carry out the missile strike without explicitly claiming responsibility.

On Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow to discuss Syria, where Moscow wants to see Assad's rule restored.

"Whoever is interested in Assad's survival should do the honour of telling Assad to prevent attacks on Israel," Steinitz said, alluding to Putin.

Israeli Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz hinted that Assad himself may be targeted for assassination

Israel could respond to any Iranian attack on it from Syria by toppling Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government, an Israeli security cabinet minister said on Monday, hinting that Assad himself may be targeted for assassination. Israel and Iran have traded blows over Syria since February, stirring concern that major escalation could be looming ahead of next week's review decision by U.S. President Donald Trump on the 2015 international nuclear deal with Tehran. On April 9, an air strike killed seven Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps members at the Syrian base. Tehran blamed Israel and vowed unspecified retaliation, drawing Israeli counter-threats to broaden attacks on Iranian military assets in Syria. Sharpening these warnings, Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz said on Monday that Assad may find himself in Israel's sights. "If Assad allows Iran to turn Syria into a military vanguard against us, to attack us from Syrian territory, he should know that would be the end of him, the end of his regime," Steinitz told the Ynet news site. Asked if that meant Israel might assassinate Assad, Steinitz said: "His blood would be forfeit." He also appeared to suggest that his remarks did not reflect Israeli government policy, saying: "I'm not talking about any concrete proposal." There was no immediate response from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office or from Israel's Defence Ministry. A Ynet text story had quoted Steinitz as saying explicitly that Israel would kill Assad, but this was not borne out by a video clip of the interview. Iran, Lebanon’s Hezbollah militia and Russia have been reinforcing Damascus against a 7-year-old Syrian rebellion. The Israelis worry that Iran’s garrison will remain, linking with Hezbollah to form a broad Syrian-Lebanese front against them. On Sunday, Israeli media carried what they described as an alert by Israel's intelligence services that Iran was planning a missile salvo against Israeli military bases from within Syria. Some analysts interpreted the publication as a warning to Iran that its plans were known, lest it try to carry out the missile strike without explicitly claiming responsibility. On Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow to discuss Syria, where Moscow wants to see Assad's rule restored. "Whoever is interested in Assad's survival should do the honour of telling Assad to prevent attacks on Israel," Steinitz said, alluding to Putin.

Israeli response to Iran attack from Syria could be toppling Assad: Minister

Russia plans to deliver new air defence systems to Syria in the near future, Russian defence ministry said on Wednesday.

The ministry added it plans to study a US Tomahawk cruise missile captured by Syrian forces in a recent attack, in order to improve Russia's own missiles.

"Russian force group is ready to rebut strikes by any air attack weapons. Yesterday Russian air defence system detected and destroyed two rebels' unmanned aerial vehicles at a distance of 10 km from Hmeymim air base," Colonel General Sergei Rudskoi said.

Colonel-general Sergei Rudskoi also said Russian servicemen captured two UAVs which he said belonged to the rebels.

"Russian experts will continue teaching Syrian servicemen and will also provide assistance in mastering new air defence systems which will be delivered," Rudskoi declared.

The ministry added it plans to study a US Tomahawk cruise missile captured by Syrian forces in a recent attack

Russia plans to deliver new air defence systems to Syria in the near future, Russian defence ministry said on Wednesday. The ministry added it plans to study a US Tomahawk cruise missile captured by Syrian forces in a recent attack, in order to improve Russia's own missiles. "Russian force group is ready to rebut strikes by any air attack weapons. Yesterday Russian air defence system detected and destroyed two rebels' unmanned aerial vehicles at a distance of 10 km from Hmeymim air base," Colonel General Sergei Rudskoi said. Colonel-general Sergei Rudskoi also said Russian servicemen captured two UAVs which he said belonged to the rebels. "Russian experts will continue teaching Syrian servicemen and will also provide assistance in mastering new air defence systems which will be delivered," Rudskoi declared.

Russia to deliver new air defence systems to Syria: Defence Ministry

The Kremlin says it has nothing to do with Russian civilians fighting in Syria but on three recent occasions groups of men flying in from Damascus headed straight to a defence ministry base in Molkino, Reuters reporters witnessed.

Molkino in southwestern Russia is where the Russian 10th Special Forces Brigade is based, according to information on the Kremlin website.

The destination of the Russians arriving from Syria provides rare evidence of a covert Russian mission in Syria beyond the air strikes, training of Syrian forces and small numbers of special forces troops acknowledged by Moscow.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Feb. 14 Russians may be in Syria but "they are not part of the armed forces of the Russian Federation". He referred Reuters to the defence ministry when asked why civilians fighting in Syria return to a military base. The ministry did not immediately respond.

A duty officer at the 10th special forces brigade, asked why non-military people were entering the military base, said: "Nobody enters it, as far as I am aware ... You've seen them, okay. But you should not believe everything ... You can maybe. But how can we comment on what other organisations do?"

More than 2,000 Russian contractors are fighting to help Syrian forces recapture land from their opponents, several sources, including one contractor, have said.

The contractors are transferred by Syrian airline Cham Wings, the sources said.

Reuters reporters saw a Syrian Cham Wings charter flight from Damascus land at the civilian airport in Rostov-on-Don on April 17 and watched groups of men leave the terminal through an exit separate from the one used by ordinary passengers.

They boarded three buses, which took them to an area mainly used by airport staff. A luggage carrier brought numerous oversized bags and the men, dressed in civilian clothes, got off the buses, loaded the bags and got back on.

The three buses then left the airport in convoy and headed south two made stops near cafes along the way and one on the roadside. All three reached the village of Molkino, 350 km (220 miles) south, shortly before midnight.

In the village, each bus paused for a minute or two at a checkpoint manned by at least two servicemen, before driving on. About 15-20 minutes later the buses drove back through the checkpoint empty. Publicly available satellite maps show the road leads to the military facility.

The buses took men along the same route from the airport to Molkino on Mar. 25 and Apr. 6, a Reuters reporter saw.

Several relatives, friends and recruiters of fighters told Reuters Russian private contractors have had a training camp in Molkino since the time they fought in eastern Ukraine alongside pro-Russian separatists.

The military facility is known for its recently renovated firing range, where the military trains for counter terrorist operations, tank battles and sniper shooting, the Russian defence ministry website says.

Reuters contacted the owners of some of the buses transporting the groups of men from the airport. They said they rent out their buses but declined to say who to: one said a trip to Molkino could have been an excursion.

One of the buses, a white 33-year-old Neoplan with a slogan of a tourist company on its boards, was imported into Russia in 2007 and initially registered in the town of Pechory. Dmitry Utkin, identified by three sources as leader of the contractors, previously commanded a special forces unit based in Pechory.

Molkino in southwestern Russia is where the Russian 10th Special Forces Brigade is based, according to information on the Kremlin website

The Kremlin says it has nothing to do with Russian civilians fighting in Syria but on three recent occasions groups of men flying in from Damascus headed straight to a defence ministry base in Molkino, Reuters reporters witnessed. Molkino in southwestern Russia is where the Russian 10th Special Forces Brigade is based, according to information on the Kremlin website. The destination of the Russians arriving from Syria provides rare evidence of a covert Russian mission in Syria beyond the air strikes, training of Syrian forces and small numbers of special forces troops acknowledged by Moscow. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Feb. 14 Russians may be in Syria but "they are not part of the armed forces of the Russian Federation". He referred Reuters to the defence ministry when asked why civilians fighting in Syria return to a military base. The ministry did not immediately respond. A duty officer at the 10th special forces brigade, asked why non-military people were entering the military base, said: "Nobody enters it, as far as I am aware ... You've seen them, okay. But you should not believe everything ... You can maybe. But how can we comment on what other organisations do?" More than 2,000 Russian contractors are fighting to help Syrian forces recapture land from their opponents, several sources, including one contractor, have said. The contractors are transferred by Syrian airline Cham Wings, the sources said. Reuters reporters saw a Syrian Cham Wings charter flight from Damascus land at the civilian airport in Rostov-on-Don on April 17 and watched groups of men leave the terminal through an exit separate from the one used by ordinary passengers. They boarded three buses, which took them to an area mainly used by airport staff. A luggage carrier brought numerous oversized bags and the men, dressed in civilian clothes, got off the buses, loaded the bags and got back on. The three buses then left the airport in convoy and headed south two made stops near cafes along the way and one on the roadside. All three reached the village of Molkino, 350 km (220 miles) south, shortly before midnight. In the village, each bus paused for a minute or two at a checkpoint manned by at least two servicemen, before driving on. About 15-20 minutes later the buses drove back through the checkpoint empty. Publicly available satellite maps show the road leads to the military facility. The buses took men along the same route from the airport to Molkino on Mar. 25 and Apr. 6, a Reuters reporter saw. Several relatives, friends and recruiters of fighters told Reuters Russian private contractors have had a training camp in Molkino since the time they fought in eastern Ukraine alongside pro-Russian separatists. The military facility is known for its recently renovated firing range, where the military trains for counter terrorist operations, tank battles and sniper shooting, the Russian defence ministry website says. Reuters contacted the owners of some of the buses transporting the groups of men from the airport. They said they rent out their buses but declined to say who to: one said a trip to Molkino could have been an excursion. One of the buses, a white 33-year-old Neoplan with a slogan of a tourist company on its boards, was imported into Russia in 2007 and initially registered in the town of Pechory. Dmitry Utkin, identified by three sources as leader of the contractors, previously commanded a special forces unit based in Pechory.

Russian civilians helping Assad use military base back home - Witnesses

Syrian rebels began withdrawing from an enclave northeast of Damascus on Saturday and will go to northern Syria, state TV and a rebel official said, in a surrender agreement that marks another victory for President Bashar al-Assad.

The withdrawal will restore state control over the eastern Qalamoun enclave, some 40 km (25 miles) from Damascus.&nbsp

Assad, backed by Russia and Iran, is seeking to wipe out the last few rebel enclaves near Damascus, building on momentum from the defeat of the insurgency in eastern Ghouta, which was the last major opposition stronghold near the capital.

State TV said rebel fighters and their families would be transported from eastern Qalamoun to Idlib and Jarablus, a rebel-held territory at the border with Turkey, with 3,200 militants and their families expected to leave on Saturday.

The spokesman for one of the rebel groups in eastern Qalamoun said the insurgents had agreed to the deal after intensified Russian shelling killed six people in areas near the town of al-Ruhaiba earlier this week.

"This made the Free (Syrian) Army factions sit at the negotiating table with the Russian side and an agreement was reached the most important articles of which are the surrender of heavy weapons and the departure of fighters to the north," Said Seif of the Ahmad Abdo Martyr brigade said.&nbsp

A first convoy of 10 buses had left Ruhaiba and was being searched in a nearby area before continuing to the north.&nbsp

Humanitarian situation

Meanwhile, the Syrian military and its allies pressed the bombardment of a besieged enclave south of Damascus.&nbsp

State TV footage showed clouds of smoke rising from the al-Hajar al-Aswad district, part of an enclave including the Palestinian Yarmouk camp that is held by Islamic State and other jihadist groups.

A commander in the regional military alliance that fights in support of Assad said jihadist positions were being targeted with all types of weapons. "Daesh positions are being targeted by Syrian army helicopters," the commander added, using an acronym for Islamic State.

UNRWA, the UN&nbspagency that cares for Palestinian refugees, has said it is deeply concerned about the fate of civilians including some 12,000 Palestinian refugees in Yarmouk and the surrounding areas.

"Displacement continues with people moving to the neighbouring area of Yalda ... to escape the fighting. Some families are staying in Yarmouk, either because they cannot move due to the intensity of fighting or because they choose to remain," UNRWA spokesman Chris Gunness said.

"We don't have any numbers on how many people have moved but the humanitarian situation of those in both Yarmouk and Yalda is intolerable."

Although the conquest of eastern Qalamoun and the enclave south of Damascus will leave just one remaining besieged rebel enclave, north of the city of Homs, large parts of Syria at the borders with Jordan, Israel, Turkey and Iraq remain outside Assad's control, however.&nbsp

Anti-Assad rebels hold a chunk of territory in the southwest and the northwest, and Kurdish-led militias, backed by the United States, control an expanse of northern and eastern Syria.&nbsp 
&nbsp

Assad, backed by Russia and Iran, is seeking to wipe out the last few rebel enclaves near Damascus

Syrian rebels began withdrawing from an enclave northeast of Damascus on Saturday and will go to northern Syria, state TV and a rebel official said, in a surrender agreement that marks another victory for President Bashar al-Assad. The withdrawal will restore state control over the eastern Qalamoun enclave, some 40 km (25 miles) from Damascus. Assad, backed by Russia and Iran, is seeking to wipe out the last few rebel enclaves near Damascus, building on momentum from the defeat of the insurgency in eastern Ghouta, which was the last major opposition stronghold near the capital. State TV said rebel fighters and their families would be transported from eastern Qalamoun to Idlib and Jarablus, a rebel-held territory at the border with Turkey, with 3,200 militants and their families expected to leave on Saturday. The spokesman for one of the rebel groups in eastern Qalamoun said the insurgents had agreed to the deal after intensified Russian shelling killed six people in areas near the town of al-Ruhaiba earlier this week. "This made the Free (Syrian) Army factions sit at the negotiating table with the Russian side and an agreement was reached the most important articles of which are the surrender of heavy weapons and the departure of fighters to the north," Said Seif of the Ahmad Abdo Martyr brigade said. A first convoy of 10 buses had left Ruhaiba and was being searched in a nearby area before continuing to the north. Humanitarian situation Meanwhile, the Syrian military and its allies pressed the bombardment of a besieged enclave south of Damascus. State TV footage showed clouds of smoke rising from the al-Hajar al-Aswad district, part of an enclave including the Palestinian Yarmouk camp that is held by Islamic State and other jihadist groups. A commander in the regional military alliance that fights in support of Assad said jihadist positions were being targeted with all types of weapons. "Daesh positions are being targeted by Syrian army helicopters," the commander added, using an acronym for Islamic State. UNRWA, the UN&nbspagency that cares for Palestinian refugees, has said it is deeply concerned about the fate of civilians including some 12,000 Palestinian refugees in Yarmouk and the surrounding areas. "Displacement continues with people moving to the neighbouring area of Yalda ... to escape the fighting. Some families are staying in Yarmouk, either because they cannot move due to the intensity of fighting or because they choose to remain," UNRWA spokesman Chris Gunness said. "We don't have any numbers on how many people have moved but the humanitarian situation of those in both Yarmouk and Yalda is intolerable." Although the conquest of eastern Qalamoun and the enclave south of Damascus will leave just one remaining besieged rebel enclave, north of the city of Homs, large parts of Syria at the borders with Jordan, Israel, Turkey and Iraq remain outside Assad's control, however. Anti-Assad rebels hold a chunk of territory in the southwest and the northwest, and Kurdish-led militias, backed by the United States, control an expanse of northern and eastern Syria.

Syrian rebels withdraw from enclave northeast of Damascus

PM Haider al-Abadi's said Iraqi Air Force carried out air strikes on Islamic State(IS) installations inside Syria.

The prime minister's office said the "deadly air strikes" were launched from the Iraqi side of the border.

An Iraqi military spokesman told Reuters that air strikes were carried out in coordination with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government.

"The Iraqi Air Force used F-16 jets to cross into Syria and carry out the strikes," Brigadier General Yahya Rasool told news wire Reuters.

The Islamic State once controlled large parts of the country but Iraqi forces began to sweep the areas controlled by the IS leading to brutal fights. After long protracted battle inside Iraq, the country declared in December last year that IS was pushed out of the country and decimated.

"These raids demonstrate the growing capacity of our armed forces to hunt down and liquidate terrorists," the Iraqi statement said.

An Iraqi military spokesman told Reuters that air strikes were carried out in coordination with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government.

PM Haider al-Abadi's said Iraqi Air Force carried out air strikes on Islamic State(IS) installations inside Syria. The prime minister's office said the "deadly air strikes" were launched from the Iraqi side of the border. An Iraqi military spokesman told Reuters that air strikes were carried out in coordination with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government. "The Iraqi Air Force used F-16 jets to cross into Syria and carry out the strikes," Brigadier General Yahya Rasool told news wire Reuters. The Islamic State once controlled large parts of the country but Iraqi forces began to sweep the areas controlled by the IS leading to brutal fights. After long protracted battle inside Iraq, the country declared in December last year that IS was pushed out of the country and decimated. "These raids demonstrate the growing capacity of our armed forces to hunt down and liquidate terrorists," the Iraqi statement said.

Air Force carried out strikes on Islamic State targets inside Syria: Iraq PM

The Syrian government on Thursday stepped up its efforts to retake the opposition's last besieged enclaves, as rebels prepared to withdraw from one and a newspaper reported an ultimatum against another.&nbsp

President Bashar al-Assad scored a major victory this month by retaking eastern Ghouta, the biggest rebel stronghold near Damascus, putting his forces in by far their strongest position since the early months of the seven-year-old civil war.

The United States, Britain and France launched a volley of air strikes on Saturday against three Syrian targets in retaliation for a suspected chemical weapons strike during the Ghouta assault.

But the limited Western intervention, far from any contested battlefront, has shown no sign of having any impact on the ground, where Assad's forces have pressed on with his offensive.

The last rebels withdrew from eastern Ghouta hours after the Western bombing. Since then, the government has focused on regaining four less populous enclaves which have long been under siege.

Their capture would leave the opposition holding only its two main strongholds located in the northwest and southwest along Syria's international borders.

Diplomacy this week has focussed on the accusations of poison gas use in Douma, the last town to hold out against the government advance in eastern Ghouta.

Western countries say scores of people were gassed to death in the April 7 chemical attack. Syria and its ally Russia deny it. Now that the rebels have surrendered, the area is under government control, and a team of international inspectors have so far been unable to reach it.

The inspectors have delayed their visit to Douma after their security team were shot at during a reconnaissance trip on Tuesday, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said.

The Western countries say Moscow and Damascus are preventing the inspectors from reaching the site and may be destroying evidence. Russia and Assad's government deny this.

Meanwhile, the Western intervention has had no measurable impact on the wider war, with rebels continuing to surrender under deals that allow them to withdraw to the opposition pocket in the northwest in return for abandoning territory.

Surrender

State television showed live footage of buses entering the town of Dumayr, northeast of Damascus, to bring out fighters and their families, while soldiers stood by the roadside.&nbsp

Twenty buses would be used to transfer about 5,000 people, including 1,500 rebels of the Jaish al-Islam group, to north Syria, after they surrendered their heavy weapons, Syrian state TV said.

A war monitoring group, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said there were also talks under way between Russia and rebels for the insurgents to withdraw from an enclave in central Syria around the town of Rastan.&nbsp

The army was also putting military pressure on rebels in the Eastern Qalamoun enclave, near Dumayr, to start negotiations to withdraw, the Observatory reported.&nbsp

Separately, the pro-government al-Watan newspaper reported on Thursday that Islamic State militants had been given 48 hours to agree to withdraw from an enclave centred around the Yarmouk camp for Palestinian refugee south of Damascus.

"If they refuse, the army and supporting forces are ready to launch a military operation to end the presence of the organisation in the area," al-Watan said.

Most residents have fled the camp, once Syria's largest for Palestinian refugees, but thousands of civilians are still inside. Christopher Gunness, a spokesman for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) which looks after Palestinian refugees said it was deeply concerned for their safety.

A commander in the regional military alliance that backs the Syrian government said the Syrian army had begun shelling the jihadist enclave on Tuesday in preparation for an assault.

The last rebels withdrew from eastern Ghouta hours after the Western bombing

The Syrian government on Thursday stepped up its efforts to retake the opposition's last besieged enclaves, as rebels prepared to withdraw from one and a newspaper reported an ultimatum against another. President Bashar al-Assad scored a major victory this month by retaking eastern Ghouta, the biggest rebel stronghold near Damascus, putting his forces in by far their strongest position since the early months of the seven-year-old civil war. The United States, Britain and France launched a volley of air strikes on Saturday against three Syrian targets in retaliation for a suspected chemical weapons strike during the Ghouta assault. But the limited Western intervention, far from any contested battlefront, has shown no sign of having any impact on the ground, where Assad's forces have pressed on with his offensive. The last rebels withdrew from eastern Ghouta hours after the Western bombing. Since then, the government has focused on regaining four less populous enclaves which have long been under siege. Their capture would leave the opposition holding only its two main strongholds located in the northwest and southwest along Syria's international borders. Diplomacy this week has focussed on the accusations of poison gas use in Douma, the last town to hold out against the government advance in eastern Ghouta. Western countries say scores of people were gassed to death in the April 7 chemical attack. Syria and its ally Russia deny it. Now that the rebels have surrendered, the area is under government control, and a team of international inspectors have so far been unable to reach it. The inspectors have delayed their visit to Douma after their security team were shot at during a reconnaissance trip on Tuesday, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said. The Western countries say Moscow and Damascus are preventing the inspectors from reaching the site and may be destroying evidence. Russia and Assad's government deny this. Meanwhile, the Western intervention has had no measurable impact on the wider war, with rebels continuing to surrender under deals that allow them to withdraw to the opposition pocket in the northwest in return for abandoning territory. Surrender State television showed live footage of buses entering the town of Dumayr, northeast of Damascus, to bring out fighters and their families, while soldiers stood by the roadside. Twenty buses would be used to transfer about 5,000 people, including 1,500 rebels of the Jaish al-Islam group, to north Syria, after they surrendered their heavy weapons, Syrian state TV said. A war monitoring group, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said there were also talks under way between Russia and rebels for the insurgents to withdraw from an enclave in central Syria around the town of Rastan. The army was also putting military pressure on rebels in the Eastern Qalamoun enclave, near Dumayr, to start negotiations to withdraw, the Observatory reported. Separately, the pro-government al-Watan newspaper reported on Thursday that Islamic State militants had been given 48 hours to agree to withdraw from an enclave centred around the Yarmouk camp for Palestinian refugee south of Damascus. "If they refuse, the army and supporting forces are ready to launch a military operation to end the presence of the organisation in the area," al-Watan said. Most residents have fled the camp, once Syria's largest for Palestinian refugees, but thousands of civilians are still inside. Christopher Gunness, a spokesman for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) which looks after Palestinian refugees said it was deeply concerned for their safety. A commander in the regional military alliance that backs the Syrian government said the Syrian army had begun shelling the jihadist enclave on Tuesday in preparation for an assault.

Assad steps up efforts to crush last besieged enclaves

Germany's role in the Syrian <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/after-us-france-says-highly-likely-evidence-will-be-removed-from-syria-attack-site-131026">peace process must be to </a>secure the channels of communication with Russia that are necessary to achieve a political solution to the country's seven-year-old civil war, foreign minister Heiko Maas said on Tuesday.

Maas's remarks came as Western foreign ministers braced for another round of diplomacy on the conflict at a Toronto summit this weekend, from which Russia, the strongest international backer of Syrian President Bashir al-Assad, will be absent.

Germany backed missile strikes by the United States, Britain and France against Syrian targets over the suspected use of chemical weapons by Assad's forces, but also wants to avoid further isolating Russia, despite a sharp cooling in relations.

"The aim we are pursuing in the foreign ministry is to keep Germany an appreciable part of the peace initiative," Maas told a joint news conference with visiting Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland.

"The aim ... is that in our role we can be the ones who can prop open the window for dialogue with Russia," he added.

Since taking office earlier this year, Maas, a Social Democrat, has spearheaded a harsher line towards Moscow, one which has divided his party, which sees itself as the heir to Germany's pioneering "Ostpolitik" policy of opening up to the Soviet Union in the 1970s.

"We have to use this moment to get the political process going again," he added. "We also need Russia for this dialogue."

Since taking office earlier this year, Maas, a Social Democrat, has spearheaded a harsher line towards Moscow.

Germany's role in the Syrian peace process must be to secure the channels of communication with Russia that are necessary to achieve a political solution to the country's seven-year-old civil war, foreign minister Heiko Maas said on Tuesday. Maas's remarks came as Western foreign ministers braced for another round of diplomacy on the conflict at a Toronto summit this weekend, from which Russia, the strongest international backer of Syrian President Bashir al-Assad, will be absent. Germany backed missile strikes by the United States, Britain and France against Syrian targets over the suspected use of chemical weapons by Assad's forces, but also wants to avoid further isolating Russia, despite a sharp cooling in relations. "The aim we are pursuing in the foreign ministry is to keep Germany an appreciable part of the peace initiative," Maas told a joint news conference with visiting Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland. "The aim ... is that in our role we can be the ones who can prop open the window for dialogue with Russia," he added. Since taking office earlier this year, Maas, a Social Democrat, has spearheaded a harsher line towards Moscow, one which has divided his party, which sees itself as the heir to Germany's pioneering "Ostpolitik" policy of opening up to the Soviet Union in the 1970s. "We have to use this moment to get the political process going again," he added. "We also need Russia for this dialogue."

Syria strikes: 'Can open window for dialogue with Russia,' says German foreign minister

A defiant French president said today that the Syria strikes were conducted "within a legitimate, multilateral framework", asserting that it was for the "honour of the international community".

"Those that are shocked by images of women, of children who have been attacked by chlorine, we need to stand up to defend our rights. What are we going to say, our rights and principles just for us? No, that simply isn't acceptable," Macron said.

"Three countries have intervened, and let me be quite frank, quite honest -- this is for the honour of the international community," Macron added.

After the US said on Monday that the Syria attack site may be tampered with by Russians, France expressed&nbsp;similar fears saying it was "highly likely evidence may be removed from Syria attack site."

US, France and Britain had conducted missile strikes on Assad's Syria on Saturday targetting at least three research centres believed to be chemical weapons sites raining missiles over the area with reports suggesting at least 105 missiles were fired by US-led forces.

President Trump later said "Mission Accomplished" as the US forces released satellite images of the site, however, there has been no independent confirmation of the sites being hit with Syria and Russia unwilling to share more information.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said: "I can guarantee that Russia has not tampered with the site."

OPCW (Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons) has been waiting to get the green signal to examine the sites, but the Syrian government has so far not given permission to the nine-member OPCW team.

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US, France and Britain had conducted missile strikes on Assad's Syria on Saturday targetting at least three research centres believed to be chemical weapons sites

A defiant French president said today that the Syria strikes were conducted "within a legitimate, multilateral framework", asserting that it was for the "honour of the international community". "Those that are shocked by images of women, of children who have been attacked by chlorine, we need to stand up to defend our rights. What are we going to say, our rights and principles just for us? No, that simply isn't acceptable," Macron said. "Three countries have intervened, and let me be quite frank, quite honest -- this is for the honour of the international community," Macron added. After the US said on Monday that the Syria attack site may be tampered with by Russians, France expressed similar fears saying it was "highly likely evidence may be removed from Syria attack site." US, France and Britain had conducted missile strikes on Assad's Syria on Saturday targetting at least three research centres believed to be chemical weapons sites raining missiles over the area with reports suggesting at least 105 missiles were fired by US-led forces. President Trump later said "Mission Accomplished" as the US forces released satellite images of the site, however, there has been no independent confirmation of the sites being hit with Syria and Russia unwilling to share more information. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said: "I can guarantee that Russia has not tampered with the site." OPCW (Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons) has been waiting to get the green signal to examine the sites, but the Syrian government has so far not given permission to the nine-member OPCW team.

After US, France says 'highly likely' evidence will be removed from Syria attack site

Prime Minister Theresa May today spoke at length in Parliament on Britain's role in Saturday's air strike on Syria jointly conducted along US and France.

The <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/after-syria-strikes-british-pm-may-to-face-critical-parliament-130817">British PM had gone ahead </a>with the strikes on Syria without seeking Parliamentary approval&nbsp;leading several lawmakers to question the prime minister's decision.

"This was a limited, targeted strike on a legal basis that has been used before, and it was a decision which required the evaluation of intelligence and information," May told the British parliament.

The British prime minister said she "conscious of the gravity of the decisions" to strike Syria.

"While the action was taken to alleviate humanitarian suffering in Syria by degrading the regime's chemical weapons capability, it will also send a clear message to anyone who believes they can use chemical weapons with impunity," the prime minister declared.

"I am clear the way we protect our national interest is to stand up for the global rules and standards that keep us safe," she to British lawmakers.

Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the main opposition Labour Party, had questioned the legal basis for Britain's involvement.&nbsp;

"We have not done this because President Trump asked us to do so. We have done it because we believed it was the right thing to do and we are not alone," the PM asserted.

Britain later said there are no plans for future strikes against Syria with foreign minister Boris Johnson saying that the strikes were not aimed at regime change in Syria, but rather designed to send a message.

"We have acted because it is in our national interest. It is in our national interest to prevent the further use of chemical weapons in Syria and to uphold and defend the global consensus that these weapons should not be used," May said.

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The British prime minister said she "conscious of the gravity of the decisions" to strike Syria.

Prime Minister Theresa May today spoke at length in Parliament on Britain's role in Saturday's air strike on Syria jointly conducted along US and France. The British PM had gone ahead with the strikes on Syria without seeking Parliamentary approval leading several lawmakers to question the prime minister's decision. "This was a limited, targeted strike on a legal basis that has been used before, and it was a decision which required the evaluation of intelligence and information," May told the British parliament. The British prime minister said she "conscious of the gravity of the decisions" to strike Syria. "While the action was taken to alleviate humanitarian suffering in Syria by degrading the regime's chemical weapons capability, it will also send a clear message to anyone who believes they can use chemical weapons with impunity," the prime minister declared. "I am clear the way we protect our national interest is to stand up for the global rules and standards that keep us safe," she to British lawmakers. Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the main opposition Labour Party, had questioned the legal basis for Britain's involvement. "We have not done this because President Trump asked us to do so. We have done it because we believed it was the right thing to do and we are not alone," the PM asserted. Britain later said there are no plans for future strikes against Syria with foreign minister Boris Johnson saying that the strikes were not aimed at regime change in Syria, but rather designed to send a message. "We have acted because it is in our national interest. It is in our national interest to prevent the further use of chemical weapons in Syria and to uphold and defend the global consensus that these weapons should not be used," May said.

Syria strikes right thing to do, not because Trump asked us to do it: British PM Theresa May

At a meeting of the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-preparing-new-sanctions-on-russia-over-syria-says-haley-130693">Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical </a>Weapons(OPCW), US envoy Kenneth Ward said Russia may have tampered with the attack site in which three Syrian chemical weapons were targeted by the US and its allies on Saturday.

"It is our understanding the Russians may have visited the attack site," US Ambassador Kenneth Ward said at a meeting of the OPCW in The Hague on Monday.

US, Britain and France in a joint operation had launched air strikes on Syria on Saturday in retaliation against alleged use of chemical weapons on civilians by the Assad regime&nbsp;in the Damascus suburb of Douma on April 7.

OPCW officials had visited Syria prior to the strikes but haven't got access to the attack site which is now under the control of the Assad government. 
&nbsp; 
"It is our concern that they may have tampered with it with the intent of thwarting the efforts of the OPCW Fact-Finding Mission to conduct an effective investigation," Ward added.

Russian foreign minister&nbsp;Sergei Lavrov, however, dismissed reports of tampering, saying: "I can guarantee that Russia has not tampered with the site."

The British and&nbsp;OPCW officials have accused Russia and the Syrian government of refusing access to Douma. The inspectors aim to interview people and collect evidence of the use of chemical weapons by the Assad government.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the British accusation that Russia was to blame for holding up the inspections was "groundless".

"We called for an objective investigation. This was at the very beginning after this information [of the attack] appeared. Therefore allegations of this towards Russia are groundless," Peskov said.

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Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, however, dismissed reports of tampering

At a meeting of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons(OPCW), US envoy Kenneth Ward said Russia may have tampered with the attack site in which three Syrian chemical weapons were targeted by the US and its allies on Saturday. "It is our understanding the Russians may have visited the attack site," US Ambassador Kenneth Ward said at a meeting of the OPCW in The Hague on Monday. US, Britain and France in a joint operation had launched air strikes on Syria on Saturday in retaliation against alleged use of chemical weapons on civilians by the Assad regime in the Damascus suburb of Douma on April 7. OPCW officials had visited Syria prior to the strikes but haven't got access to the attack site which is now under the control of the Assad government. "It is our concern that they may have tampered with it with the intent of thwarting the efforts of the OPCW Fact-Finding Mission to conduct an effective investigation," Ward added. Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, however, dismissed reports of tampering, saying: "I can guarantee that Russia has not tampered with the site." The British and OPCW officials have accused Russia and the Syrian government of refusing access to Douma. The inspectors aim to interview people and collect evidence of the use of chemical weapons by the Assad government. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the British accusation that Russia was to blame for holding up the inspections was "groundless". "We called for an objective investigation. This was at the very beginning after this information [of the attack] appeared. Therefore allegations of this towards Russia are groundless," Peskov said.

Russia may have tampered with Syria attack strike: US envoy Kenneth Ward

According to British NGO Syrian Observatory of Human Rights (SOHR), Bashar al-Assad-led forces launched an offensive targetting provinces of Homs and Hama on Sunday.

The offensive came after the Syrian government forces proclaimed victory in the Eastern Ghouta district on the outskirts of Damascus on Saturday.

The SOHR statement reported shelling by the regime forces that targetted the northern countryside of Homs along with a renewed shelling targetting south of Hama.

Sources confirmed reports of a military operation underway along the road that links Homs to the neighbouring town Al Salamiya in Hama province.

Clashes between the government and rebel forces continue in areas like Al Hamirat, Selim, Al Amariya and Quibe al Kurdi, among other locations.

Backed by Russian firepower, the government forces launched their offensive against eastern Ghouta in February.

British-based war monitoring group, the Syrian Observatory for Human rights says the campaign killed more than 1,600 civilians.

The conquest of Douma underlines how Russia's entry into the fray in 2015 on Assad's side has now helped him to an unassailable position in a conflict that mushroomed out of protests against his rule seven years ago.

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Sources confirmed reports of a military operation underway along the road that links Homs to the neighbouring town Al Salamiya in Hama province

According to British NGO Syrian Observatory of Human Rights (SOHR), Bashar al-Assad-led forces launched an offensive targetting provinces of Homs and Hama on Sunday. The offensive came after the Syrian government forces proclaimed victory in the Eastern Ghouta district on the outskirts of Damascus on Saturday. The SOHR statement reported shelling by the regime forces that targetted the northern countryside of Homs along with a renewed shelling targetting south of Hama. Sources confirmed reports of a military operation underway along the road that links Homs to the neighbouring town Al Salamiya in Hama province. Clashes between the government and rebel forces continue in areas like Al Hamirat, Selim, Al Amariya and Quibe al Kurdi, among other locations. Backed by Russian firepower, the government forces launched their offensive against eastern Ghouta in February. British-based war monitoring group, the Syrian Observatory for Human rights says the campaign killed more than 1,600 civilians. The conquest of Douma underlines how Russia's entry into the fray in 2015 on Assad's side has now helped him to an unassailable position in a conflict that mushroomed out of protests against his rule seven years ago. (With inputs from agencies)

Post Ghouta victory, Assad-led forces launch fresh offensive

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's children last year visited a holiday camp in Russian-annexed Crimea, the RIA news agency cited a Russian lawmaker as saying on Sunday.

Assad met a group of Russian lawmakers in Damascus on Sunday after the West launched missile strikes against Syria over a suspected poison gas attack.

Lawmaker Dmitry Sablin told RIA that Assad had said his children visited the Artek holiday camp in Crimea last year. Russia annexed the peninsula from Ukraine in 2014, a move that prompted US&nbspand European sanctions.

"My children were at Artek last year. After the trip they began to understand Russia better," Sablin quoted Assad as saying.&nbsp

Assad has two sons and a daughter, born between 2001 and 2004. Syria's ambassador to Moscow said last year that the children had started learning to speak Russian, according to Russian media reports.

Assad met a group of Russian lawmakers in Damascus on Sunday after the West launched missile strikes against Syria

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's children last year visited a holiday camp in Russian-annexed Crimea, the RIA news agency cited a Russian lawmaker as saying on Sunday. Assad met a group of Russian lawmakers in Damascus on Sunday after the West launched missile strikes against Syria over a suspected poison gas attack. Lawmaker Dmitry Sablin told RIA that Assad had said his children visited the Artek holiday camp in Crimea last year. Russia annexed the peninsula from Ukraine in 2014, a move that prompted US&nbspand European sanctions. "My children were at Artek last year. After the trip they began to understand Russia better," Sablin quoted Assad as saying. Assad has two sons and a daughter, born between 2001 and 2004. Syria's ambassador to Moscow said last year that the children had started learning to speak Russian, according to Russian media reports.

Assad's children visited Crimean holiday camp: Russian lawmaker

The Russian defence ministry said today the Syrian government forces have taken full control of Douma with the Syrian regime's flag flying over the town.

Russian news agency reported that the last rebel stronghold in eastern Ghouta enclave outside Damascus was under Syrian government control.

"The raised state flag over a building in the town of Douma has heralded the control over this location and therefore over the whole of eastern Ghouta," Russian news agencies quoted Major-General Yuri Yevtushenko, head of the Russian peace and reconciliation centre in Syria.

Russian TV reported red, white and black flag with two green stars hanging over the unidentified buildings in eastern Ghouta.&nbsp;

"From today, units of the Russian armed forces' military police are working in the town of Douma. They are a guarantee of the observance of law and order in the town," the Russian defence ministry said in a statement.

The Russian military said the situation in Douma was normalising and a total of 166,644 people had been evacuated from the city through a humanitarian corridor.

Meanwhile, &nbsp;Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the remaining rebels in Syria's eastern Ghouta have surrendered heavy weapons as they fled the enclave to the north.

"Jaish al-Islam fighters handed over their heavy weapons to Russian military police in the town of Douma on Wednesday," Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

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Russian news agency reported that the last rebel stronghold in eastern Ghouta enclave outside Damascus was under Syrian government control.

The Russian defence ministry said today the Syrian government forces have taken full control of Douma with the Syrian regime's flag flying over the town. Russian news agency reported that the last rebel stronghold in eastern Ghouta enclave outside Damascus was under Syrian government control. "The raised state flag over a building in the town of Douma has heralded the control over this location and therefore over the whole of eastern Ghouta," Russian news agencies quoted Major-General Yuri Yevtushenko, head of the Russian peace and reconciliation centre in Syria. Russian TV reported red, white and black flag with two green stars hanging over the unidentified buildings in eastern Ghouta. "From today, units of the Russian armed forces' military police are working in the town of Douma. They are a guarantee of the observance of law and order in the town," the Russian defence ministry said in a statement. The Russian military said the situation in Douma was normalising and a total of 166,644 people had been evacuated from the city through a humanitarian corridor. Meanwhile, Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the remaining rebels in Syria's eastern Ghouta have surrendered heavy weapons as they fled the enclave to the north. "Jaish al-Islam fighters handed over their heavy weapons to Russian military police in the town of Douma on Wednesday," Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Syrian government forces have taken full control of Douma: Russia

After reports <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/chemical-attack-row-14-killed-in-syria-air-base-attack--129303">emerged of attacks on Syrian military base</a>, the Russian army accused Israel of carrying out the strikes.

The Russian media quoting the Russian defence ministry said: "Two F-15 planes of the Israeli army hit the airbase between 03:25 am and 03:53 am Moscow time (0025 GMT and 0053 GMT) with the help of eight missiles controlled remotely from Lebanese territory, without entering Syrian air space."

Syrian state TV reported loud explosions near the T-4 airfield in the desert east of Homs in the early hours of Monday. It said the airfield was targeted with several missiles and that the Syrian air defence was responding and had shot down eight incoming missiles.

Earlier, Syrian state media had said the US was responsible for the air strike on Tayfur airport but it was swiftly denied by Pentagon.

"At this time, the Department of Defense is not conducting air strikes in Syria," a Pentagon spokesman said.&nbsp;

Tensions in Syria have risen over the weekend after reports of chemical attack being carried by the Assad regime in a&nbsp;rebel-held town called Douma.

French president Macron condemned the incident and later called President Trump to discuss the alleged attack.

Trump said the Assad regime had a "big price to pay" over the attack.&nbsp;

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Syrian state media had said the US was responsible for the air strike on Tayfur airport but it was swiftly denied by Pentagon.

After reports emerged of attacks on Syrian military base, the Russian army accused Israel of carrying out the strikes. The Russian media quoting the Russian defence ministry said: "Two F-15 planes of the Israeli army hit the airbase between 03:25 am and 03:53 am Moscow time (0025 GMT and 0053 GMT) with the help of eight missiles controlled remotely from Lebanese territory, without entering Syrian air space." Syrian state TV reported loud explosions near the T-4 airfield in the desert east of Homs in the early hours of Monday. It said the airfield was targeted with several missiles and that the Syrian air defence was responding and had shot down eight incoming missiles. Earlier, Syrian state media had said the US was responsible for the air strike on Tayfur airport but it was swiftly denied by Pentagon. "At this time, the Department of Defense is not conducting air strikes in Syria," a Pentagon spokesman said. Tensions in Syria have risen over the weekend after reports of chemical attack being carried by the Assad regime in a rebel-held town called Douma. French president Macron condemned the incident and later called President Trump to discuss the alleged attack. Trump said the Assad regime had a "big price to pay" over the attack.

Israeli Air Force planes carried out strikes on Syrian air base: Russian defence ministry

Syria`s US-backed Kurds are getting indirect help from an unlikely source in their war against Turkey in the northwestern region of Afrin: President Bashar al-Assad.

Pro-government forces and Kurdish-led forces have fought each other elsewhere in Syria and Damascus opposes the Kurds` demands for autonomy. But in Afrin they have a common enemy and a mutual interest in blocking Turkish advances.&nbsp;

Turkey, which regards the Kurdish YPG militia in Afrin as a threat on its southern border, launched an assault on the region last month. Seeking to shield Afrin, the Kurds asked Damascus to send forces into action to defend the border.

The government shows no sign of doing so, but it is providing indirect help by allowing Kurdish fighters, civilians and politicians to reach Afrin through territory it holds, representatives of both sides told Reuters. 
Assad stands to gain while doing little.

The arrival of reinforcements is likely to sustain Kurdish resistance, bog down the Turkish forces and prolong a conflict that is sapping the resources of military powers that rival him for control of Syrian territory.

For the United States, it is yet another complication in Syria`s seven-year-old war, and a reminder of how its Syrian Kurdish ally must at times make deals with Assad even as it builds military ties with the United States.

Lacking international protection, the Kurdish-led forces in northern Syria say they have reached agreements with Damascus to allow reinforcements to be sent to Afrin from other Kurdish-dominated areas -- Kobani and the Jazeera region.

&quot;There are different ways to get reinforcements to Afrin but the fundamental route is via regime forces. There are understandings between the two forces ... for the sake of delivering reinforcements to Afrin,&quot; Kino Gabriel, spokesman for the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), said.

While the Kurds depend on Assad to reach Afrin, Kurdish sources say they also enjoy leverage over Damascus because it needs their cooperation to source grain and oil from areas of the northeast under Kurdish control.&nbsp;

A commander in the military alliance fighting in support of Assad said &quot;the Kurds have no option but coordination with the regime&quot; to defend Afrin.&nbsp;

&quot;The Syrian regime is helping the Kurds with humanitarian support and some logistics, like turning a blind eye and allowing Kurdish support to reach some fronts,&quot; said the commander, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Turkish campaign moves slowly&nbsp;

The Turkish military is making slow gains nearly three weeks into the operation it calls &quot;Olive Branch&quot;.

Ankara views the YPG as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers` Party (PKK), which has fought a three-decade insurgency in Turkey and is regarded as a terrorist group by the United States and the European Union.

The United States has relied on the YPG as a vital ground component of its war against Islamic State, and has backed the group in other Kurdish-run regions in northern Syria along the border with Turkey.

But US forces are not in Afrin, so have been unable to shield Afrin from the attack by Turkey, its NATO ally.

The Kurds meanwhile accuse Russia of giving a green light for the Turkish attack by withdrawing observers it deployed in Afrin last year.

The Afrin war marks another twist in the complicated story of relations between Assad and the Syrian Kurdish groups, spearheaded by the YPG, that have carved out autonomous regions in northern Syria since the war began in 2011.

The YPG controls nearly all of Syria`s frontier with Turkey. But Afrin is separated from the bigger Kurdish-controlled region further east by a 100 km-wide zone controlled by the Turkish military and its Syrian militia allies.

For much of the war, Damascus and the YPG have avoided confrontation, at times fighting common enemies, including the rebel groups that are now helping Turkey attack Afrin.

But tensions have mounted in recent months, with Damascus threatening to march into parts of eastern and northern Syria captured by the SDF with support from the US-led coalition.

Underlining that, pro-Syrian government forces attacked the SDF in the eastern province of Deir al-Zor, drawing coalition air strikes overnight that killed more than 100 of the attackers, the coalition said.

&quot;The regime has allowed the YPG to bring people into Afrin, while attacking it east of Euphrates (River). I think that is indicative of the state of relations right,&quot; said Noah Bonsey, International Crisis Group`s Senior Analyst on Syria.

He added: &quot;There is still a significant gap between the YPG and regime positions on the future of northeastern Syria.&quot;

Fighting for Afrin

The main Syrian Kurdish groups remain wedded to their vision of a Syria where they enjoy autonomy in a form of federalism that is at odds with Assad`s determination to recover all Syria.

Each side has allowed the other to maintain footholds in its territory. In Kurdish-held Qamishli, the government still controls the airport. In the Sheikh Maqsoud district of Aleppo, a government city, Kurdish security forces patrol the streets.

Scores of Kurds from Sheikh Maqsoud have gone to Afrin to support the fight, Kurdish officials there said. The short journey requires movement through areas held by the government or its Iran-backed Shi`ite militia allies.

&quot;Of course people went from Sheikh Maqsoud - in the hundreds - to bear arms and defend Afrin,&quot; said Badran Himo, a Kurdish official from Sheikh Maqsoud.&nbsp;

&quot;Around 10 of them were martyred (killed),&quot; he told Reuters as Kurdish security forces held a rally to commemorate one of the dead.

Earlier this week, witnesses say a civilian convoy of hundreds of cars drove to Afrin from other Kurdish-held areas in a show of solidarity.

The Syrian government has ignored appeals by the Kurdish authorities to guard the Syrian border at Afrin.&nbsp;

&quot;We tried to convince them, via the Russians, to at least protect the borders, to take a position, but we did not reach (get?) a result,&quot; Aldar Khalil, a top Kurdish politician, said.

&quot;If they don`t protect the borders, then at least they don`t have the right to block the way for Syrian patriots who are protecting these borders, regardless of other domestic issues.&quot;

Pro-government forces and Kurdish-led forces have fought each other elsewhere in Syria and Damascus opposes the Kurds` demands for autonomy. But in Afrin they have a common enemy and a mutual interest in blocking Turkish advances

Syria`s US-backed Kurds are getting indirect help from an unlikely source in their war against Turkey in the northwestern region of Afrin: President Bashar al-Assad. Pro-government forces and Kurdish-led forces have fought each other elsewhere in Syria and Damascus opposes the Kurds` demands for autonomy. But in Afrin they have a common enemy and a mutual interest in blocking Turkish advances. Turkey, which regards the Kurdish YPG militia in Afrin as a threat on its southern border, launched an assault on the region last month. Seeking to shield Afrin, the Kurds asked Damascus to send forces into action to defend the border. The government shows no sign of doing so, but it is providing indirect help by allowing Kurdish fighters, civilians and politicians to reach Afrin through territory it holds, representatives of both sides told Reuters. Assad stands to gain while doing little. The arrival of reinforcements is likely to sustain Kurdish resistance, bog down the Turkish forces and prolong a conflict that is sapping the resources of military powers that rival him for control of Syrian territory. For the United States, it is yet another complication in Syria`s seven-year-old war, and a reminder of how its Syrian Kurdish ally must at times make deals with Assad even as it builds military ties with the United States. Lacking international protection, the Kurdish-led forces in northern Syria say they have reached agreements with Damascus to allow reinforcements to be sent to Afrin from other Kurdish-dominated areas -- Kobani and the Jazeera region. "There are different ways to get reinforcements to Afrin but the fundamental route is via regime forces. There are understandings between the two forces ... for the sake of delivering reinforcements to Afrin," Kino Gabriel, spokesman for the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), said. While the Kurds depend on Assad to reach Afrin, Kurdish sources say they also enjoy leverage over Damascus because it needs their cooperation to source grain and oil from areas of the northeast under Kurdish control. A commander in the military alliance fighting in support of Assad said "the Kurds have no option but coordination with the regime" to defend Afrin. "The Syrian regime is helping the Kurds with humanitarian support and some logistics, like turning a blind eye and allowing Kurdish support to reach some fronts," said the commander, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Turkish campaign moves slowly The Turkish military is making slow gains nearly three weeks into the operation it calls "Olive Branch". Ankara views the YPG as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers` Party (PKK), which has fought a three-decade insurgency in Turkey and is regarded as a terrorist group by the United States and the European Union. The United States has relied on the YPG as a vital ground component of its war against Islamic State, and has backed the group in other Kurdish-run regions in northern Syria along the border with Turkey. But US forces are not in Afrin, so have been unable to shield Afrin from the attack by Turkey, its NATO ally. The Kurds meanwhile accuse Russia of giving a green light for the Turkish attack by withdrawing observers it deployed in Afrin last year. The Afrin war marks another twist in the complicated story of relations between Assad and the Syrian Kurdish groups, spearheaded by the YPG, that have carved out autonomous regions in northern Syria since the war began in 2011. The YPG controls nearly all of Syria`s frontier with Turkey. But Afrin is separated from the bigger Kurdish-controlled region further east by a 100 km-wide zone controlled by the Turkish military and its Syrian militia allies. For much of the war, Damascus and the YPG have avoided confrontation, at times fighting common enemies, including the rebel groups that are now helping Turkey attack Afrin. But tensions have mounted in recent months, with Damascus threatening to march into parts of eastern and northern Syria captured by the SDF with support from the US-led coalition. Underlining that, pro-Syrian government forces attacked the SDF in the eastern province of Deir al-Zor, drawing coalition air strikes overnight that killed more than 100 of the attackers, the coalition said. "The regime has allowed the YPG to bring people into Afrin, while attacking it east of Euphrates (River). I think that is indicative of the state of relations right," said Noah Bonsey, International Crisis Group`s Senior Analyst on Syria. He added: "There is still a significant gap between the YPG and regime positions on the future of northeastern Syria." Fighting for Afrin The main Syrian Kurdish groups remain wedded to their vision of a Syria where they enjoy autonomy in a form of federalism that is at odds with Assad`s determination to recover all Syria. Each side has allowed the other to maintain footholds in its territory. In Kurdish-held Qamishli, the government still controls the airport. In the Sheikh Maqsoud district of Aleppo, a government city, Kurdish security forces patrol the streets. Scores of Kurds from Sheikh Maqsoud have gone to Afrin to support the fight, Kurdish officials there said. The short journey requires movement through areas held by the government or its Iran-backed Shi`ite militia allies. "Of course people went from Sheikh Maqsoud - in the hundreds - to bear arms and defend Afrin," said Badran Himo, a Kurdish official from Sheikh Maqsoud. "Around 10 of them were martyred (killed)," he told Reuters as Kurdish security forces held a rally to commemorate one of the dead. Earlier this week, witnesses say a civilian convoy of hundreds of cars drove to Afrin from other Kurdish-held areas in a show of solidarity. The Syrian government has ignored appeals by the Kurdish authorities to guard the Syrian border at Afrin. "We tried to convince them, via the Russians, to at least protect the borders, to take a position, but we did not reach (get?) a result," Aldar Khalil, a top Kurdish politician, said. "If they don`t protect the borders, then at least they don`t have the right to block the way for Syrian patriots who are protecting these borders, regardless of other domestic issues."

Friend or foe? Assad quietly aids Syrian Kurds against Turkey

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