Reactions to the news of a suspected chemical weapons attack in Syria, which so far has killed 72 people,&nbsp;have&nbsp;unsurprisingly come gushing in from around the world.

Europe

Britian and France on Wednesday both renewed their call for Assad to go&nbsp;during an international conference on&nbsp;Syria, which the European Union convened in Brussels in a bid to shore up stalled peace talks between Assad and his rivals

Britiain&#39;s Foreign Minister Boris Johnson said, &quot;This is a barbaric regime that has made it impossible for us to imagine them continuing to be an authority over the people of Syria after this conflict is over.

The UK and France have blamed Assad for the attack.&nbsp;

Russia said it believed the toxic gas had leaked from a rebel chemical weapons depot struck by Syrian bombs, setting the stage for a diplomatic collision at the Security Council.

Germany on Wednesday accused Russia and Iran of carrying some responsibility for the&nbsp;suspected chemical weapons attack by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad&#39;s forces.&nbsp;

&quot;The federal government sees responsibility lying with Russia and Iran as allies of the Assad regime,&quot; a German government spokeswoman told a regular news conference in Berlin. &quot;We are convinved that without their massive military support the regime would have long ago had to agree to serious negotiations about a political solution,&quot; she added.

Also See:<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/in-pictures-children-become-victims-of-chemical-attack-in-syria-220">&nbsp;In Pictures: Children become victims of &#39;chemical attack&#39; in Syria</a>

Turkey

Turkey has reminded Russia and Iran of their responsibilities in preventing violations of a ceasefire in&nbsp;Syria, Turkey&#39;s foreign ministry said on Wednesday. Turkey had made representations to the Russian and Iranian embassies in Ankara over Tuesday&#39;s attack in the rebel-held province of Idlib, foreign ministry spokesman Huseyin Muftuoglu said in a statement.

&nbsp;

America

The response from the US has been less than clear. In condemning Assad, Trump did not say how he would respond. The attack came a week after Trump&#39;s Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and UN&nbsp;envoy Nikki Haley said their focus was on defeating Islamic State in Syria rather than pushing Assad out.

&quot;Under Obama, we agreed that Assad had to go, but now it is unclear where the Trump position lies,&quot; said a senior EU diplomat.

&nbsp;

The Pope

Pope Francis said he was horrified by the suspected chemical weapons attack. To the&nbsp;tens of thousands of people in St Peter&#39;s Square&nbsp;he expressed his &quot;firm deploration of the unacceptable massacre that took place yesterday,&quot; and said he was praying for &quot;the defenceless victims, including many children&quot;.

Francis appealed to &quot;the consciences of those who hold political power, both at the local and international levels so that these tragedies end.&quot;

&nbsp;

The UN

The UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, said:&nbsp;&quot;The need for humanitarian aid and the protection of Syrian civilians has never been greater. The humanitarian appeal for a single crisis has never been higher.&quot;

Hours before the Brussels conference, Guterres had said,&nbsp;&quot;We have been asking for accountability on the crimes that have been committed and I am confident the Security Council will live up to its responsibilities&quot;.

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

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The government denies the use of chemical weapons and has in turn accused rebels of using banned weapons (Reuters)
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Not everybody condemned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad

Reactions to the news of a suspected chemical weapons attack in Syria, which so far has killed 72 people, have unsurprisingly come gushing in from around the world. Europe Britian and France on Wednesday both renewed their call for Assad to go during an international conference on Syria, which the European Union convened in Brussels in a bid to shore up stalled peace talks between Assad and his rivals Britiain's Foreign Minister Boris Johnson said, "This is a barbaric regime that has made it impossible for us to imagine them continuing to be an authority over the people of Syria after this conflict is over. The UK and France have blamed Assad for the attack. Russia said it believed the toxic gas had leaked from a rebel chemical weapons depot struck by Syrian bombs, setting the stage for a diplomatic collision at the Security Council. Germany on Wednesday accused Russia and Iran of carrying some responsibility for the suspected chemical weapons attack by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces. "The federal government sees responsibility lying with Russia and Iran as allies of the Assad regime," a German government spokeswoman told a regular news conference in Berlin. "We are convinved that without their massive military support the regime would have long ago had to agree to serious negotiations about a political solution," she added. Also See: In Pictures: Children become victims of 'chemical attack' in Syria Turkey Turkey has reminded Russia and Iran of their responsibilities in preventing violations of a ceasefire in Syria, Turkey's foreign ministry said on Wednesday. Turkey had made representations to the Russian and Iranian embassies in Ankara over Tuesday's attack in the rebel-held province of Idlib, foreign ministry spokesman Huseyin Muftuoglu said in a statement. America The response from the US has been less than clear. In condemning Assad, Trump did not say how he would respond. The attack came a week after Trump's Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and UN envoy Nikki Haley said their focus was on defeating Islamic State in Syria rather than pushing Assad out. "Under Obama, we agreed that Assad had to go, but now it is unclear where the Trump position lies," said a senior EU diplomat. The Pope Pope Francis said he was horrified by the suspected chemical weapons attack. To the tens of thousands of people in St Peter's Square he expressed his "firm deploration of the unacceptable massacre that took place yesterday," and said he was praying for "the defenceless victims, including many children". Francis appealed to "the consciences of those who hold political power, both at the local and international levels so that these tragedies end." The UN The UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, said: "The need for humanitarian aid and the protection of Syrian civilians has never been greater. The humanitarian appeal for a single crisis has never been higher." Hours before the Brussels conference, Guterres had said, "We have been asking for accountability on the crimes that have been committed and I am confident the Security Council will live up to its responsibilities". (WION with inputs from Reuters) The government denies the use of chemical weapons and has in turn accused rebels of using banned weapons (Reuters) ×

World responds to suspected chemical attack in Syria, as death toll reaches 72

A Syrian air strike hit a &quot;terrorist warehouse&quot; containing &quot;toxic substances&quot;, Moscow said Wednesday, a day after a suspected chemical attack in rebel-held northwest Syria that killed scores of civilians.

&quot;According to the objective data of the Russian airspace control, Syrian aviation struck a large terrorist warehouse near Khan Sheikhun,&quot; the Russian defence ministry said in a statement.

It housed &quot;a warehouse making bombs, with toxic substances&quot;, said the ministry, without stating if the strike was voluntary or deliberate.

&quot;The arsenal of chemical weapons&quot; was destined for fighters in Iraq, the ministry said, adding that the information was &quot;completely reliable and objective.&quot;

The use of such weapons &quot;by terrorists has been repeatedly proved by international organisations as well as official authorities&quot; in Iraq.

The statement did not specify whether the Syrian regime knew there were chemical weapons there and pointed the finger at &quot;terrorists&quot; who they say hold the toxic arms.&nbsp;

At least 72 civilians including 20 children died in a suspected chemical attack on Tuesday in the rebel-held Syrian town of Khan Sheikhun in Idlib province in the northwest.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said the attack also left dozens suffering respiratory problems and symptoms including vomiting, fainting and foaming at the mouth.

Syria&#39;s opposition blamed President Bashar al-Assad&#39;s forces, saying the attack cast doubt on the future of peace talks.

The army denied any involvement in a statement blaming &quot;terrorist groups&quot; for using &quot;chemical and toxic substances&quot;.

Rebel groups led by former Al-Qaeda affiliate Fateh al-Sham Front vowed revenge for the attack.

The incident brought swift international condemnation, with the United States, France and Britain presenting a draft resolution to the UN Security Council demanding a full investigation.

(AFP)

The death toll from Tuesday's attack has risen to 72, including 20 children

A Syrian air strike hit a "terrorist warehouse" containing "toxic substances", Moscow said Wednesday, a day after a suspected chemical attack in rebel-held northwest Syria that killed scores of civilians. "According to the objective data of the Russian airspace control, Syrian aviation struck a large terrorist warehouse near Khan Sheikhun," the Russian defence ministry said in a statement. It housed "a warehouse making bombs, with toxic substances", said the ministry, without stating if the strike was voluntary or deliberate. "The arsenal of chemical weapons" was destined for fighters in Iraq, the ministry said, adding that the information was "completely reliable and objective." The use of such weapons "by terrorists has been repeatedly proved by international organisations as well as official authorities" in Iraq. The statement did not specify whether the Syrian regime knew there were chemical weapons there and pointed the finger at "terrorists" who they say hold the toxic arms. At least 72 civilians including 20 children died in a suspected chemical attack on Tuesday in the rebel-held Syrian town of Khan Sheikhun in Idlib province in the northwest. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said the attack also left dozens suffering respiratory problems and symptoms including vomiting, fainting and foaming at the mouth. Syria's opposition blamed President Bashar al-Assad's forces, saying the attack cast doubt on the future of peace talks. The army denied any involvement in a statement blaming "terrorist groups" for using "chemical and toxic substances". Rebel groups led by former Al-Qaeda affiliate Fateh al-Sham Front vowed revenge for the attack. The incident brought swift international condemnation, with the United States, France and Britain presenting a draft resolution to the UN Security Council demanding a full investigation. (AFP)

Syria strike hit rebel 'toxic' weapons depot: Moscow

By: Anchal Vohra

Col. Haitham Afise is leading the 51st division brigade of the Free Syrian Army and is directly in touch with the Pentagon. One of the top Free Syrian Army leaders, he is coordinating the attack in Al Bab with the Pentagon and says his men are making fast progress. Post Al Bab he wants to take Idlib infested with Al Qaeda affiliates but not Raqqa yet. He spoke to WION&#39;s Anchal Vohra in Turkey.

On India

Anchal: Thank you very much for speaking with us. Has the Free Syrian Army established any contact with the India government and what are your expectations from them?

Col. Afise: May peace be upon you. You are welcome. We were expecting from the Indian government to support us but they are supporting the regime. India is a symbol of freedom. We were peaceful in our demonstrations like Gandhi who fought the British, we took inspiration from him but India, may be, forgot its history and Gandhi. We started the revolution in a peaceful way but the regime attacked us and shot us. That is why I defected from the army to support the Syrian people and get our freedom.

Anchal: You say you want India&#39;s support but Syrian government says the protests were not peaceful. They were violent. They show videos of protestors beheading Syrian army. How do you respond to that?

Col. Afise:&nbsp;India is a superpower and they have good intelligence. It is impossible that the Syrian regime tells lies to the Indian government. They have to know the truth because they are a superpower and have great intelligence network.

On Syrian government&#39;s lies

Anchal: The Syrian government also said that the protesters asked for extremists to be released from the prison and because of that these terrorists are on the ground. Why did you ask for these terrorists to be released?

Col. Afise:&nbsp;We didn&#39;t ask for the criminals to be released. We asked Assad to release people who got arrested in the revolution. The extremists were arrested before the revolution. They were released by the regime and then they formed different terror groups and became their leaders. Assad knew if these extremists are released they will destroy the revolution.

Anchal: You are saying the defectors never asked for the extremists to be released?

Col. Afise:&nbsp;We didn&#39;t ask the government to release them. They were in the jail. They were not only in Sednaya military prison in Syria but 950 came from prison in Iraq. Al Maliki claims they escaped the jail but Al Maliki did this so that they can join the war and the Islamic State.

Anchal:&nbsp;So are you saying that Assad and Maliki created the ISIS problem?

Col. Afise:&nbsp;Not only Bashar al-Assad and Maliki but also Iran. The plan between Iran, Assad, Maliki and Hezbollah is to create a Shia country from Iran to Bahrain.

On Al Bab

Anchal:&nbsp;What is the situation in Al Bab and if your figters are in Al Bab?

Col. Afise:&nbsp;I am involved in the Operation Euphrates Shield. We kicked ISIS from the north of Al Bab and we are fighting in Al Bab. Now we are in the middle of Al Bab. &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; 
&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Anchal:&nbsp;How long before your fighters will take Al Bab?

Col. Afise:&nbsp;We took the biggest part of Al&nbsp;Bab and by tomorrow we take all of it. Very soon Isha Allah.

On Penatgon and Raqqa

Anchal:&nbsp;Is there any conversation that you have had with the Pentagon on Raqqa?

Col. Afise:&nbsp;We all know that America supports Kurdish forces and they call them Syrian Democratic Forces. If they ask me to fight beside Kurdish forces against ISIS, I will never accept that because they are against our ideology and they don&#39;t support the Syrian revolution.

On Russia

&nbsp;Anchal:&nbsp;The Russians invited you to meet with them. What did they talk about?

Col. Afise:&nbsp;I met them but Russia won&#39;t be involved in finding peaceful solution in Syria because they support the Assad regime.

Anchal:&nbsp;What about the Russians?&nbsp;Are they more interested in fighting ISIS or Jabhat Al Nusra?

Col. Afise:&nbsp;Russia doesn&#39;t care about ISIS. They only care about Nusra. The proof is that they don&#39;t attack ISIS and only Nusra and the Free Syrian Army. The reason is because Chechen people joined Nusra and they don&#39;t want them to come to Nusra.

Anchal:&nbsp;What about America? Is America&#39;s focus ISIS, Nusra, Al Qaeda or all?

Col. Afise:&nbsp;United State&#39;s only focus is to fight ISIS, not Nusra.

Anchal:&nbsp;What about you?

Col. Afise:&nbsp;For me, I have too many enemies -- Syrian regime, Nusra, ISIS and Kurdish militia but other countries, they have only one enemy.

Anchal:&nbsp;So, can you fight with so many enemies? Or will you crack a deal with the devil and join hands with some of these groups?

Col. Afise:&nbsp;I will continue fighting all the enemies of the Syrian people. I deal with other countries. The deal depends on the goals of the revolution, goals of my country. If useful, I will crack a deal. In politics, there are no permanent friends or enemies. As long as the deal is useful for the Syrian revolution.&nbsp;

On biggest challenge

Anchal:&nbsp;What is your biggest challenge in order to fight ISIS and Nusra?

Col. Afise:&nbsp;We need good quality weapons. To fight ISIS and Nusra, we have weapons but they are not of good quality. 
&nbsp; 
Anchal:&nbsp;Exactly what weapons and how many do you need?

Col. Afise:&nbsp;We need anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles but of good qauality and we need long range weapons. If we get this, you won&#39;t find ISIS and Nusra type groups here. Before we were fighting like gangsters fight on the streets. Now, it&#39;s a fight between cities. So, we need such weapons. We have a huge goal and we can&#39;t decide how much we need. 
&nbsp; 
Anchal:&nbsp;But your weapons have gone in the hands of ISIS and Nusra in the past?

Col. Afise:&nbsp;We are a power on the ground now and will not let anyone take our weapons.

(WION)

'The plan between Iran, Assad, al-Maliki and Hezbollah is to create a Shia country from Iran to Bahrain': Col. Haitham Afise, an FSA leader

By: Anchal Vohra Col. Haitham Afise is leading the 51st division brigade of the Free Syrian Army and is directly in touch with the Pentagon. One of the top Free Syrian Army leaders, he is coordinating the attack in Al Bab with the Pentagon and says his men are making fast progress. Post Al Bab he wants to take Idlib infested with Al Qaeda affiliates but not Raqqa yet. He spoke to WION's Anchal Vohra in Turkey. On India Anchal: Thank you very much for speaking with us. Has the Free Syrian Army established any contact with the India government and what are your expectations from them? Col. Afise: May peace be upon you. You are welcome. We were expecting from the Indian government to support us but they are supporting the regime. India is a symbol of freedom. We were peaceful in our demonstrations like Gandhi who fought the British, we took inspiration from him but India, may be, forgot its history and Gandhi. We started the revolution in a peaceful way but the regime attacked us and shot us. That is why I defected from the army to support the Syrian people and get our freedom. Anchal: You say you want India's support but Syrian government says the protests were not peaceful. They were violent. They show videos of protestors beheading Syrian army. How do you respond to that? Col. Afise: India is a superpower and they have good intelligence. It is impossible that the Syrian regime tells lies to the Indian government. They have to know the truth because they are a superpower and have great intelligence network. On Syrian government's lies Anchal: The Syrian government also said that the protesters asked for extremists to be released from the prison and because of that these terrorists are on the ground. Why did you ask for these terrorists to be released? Col. Afise: We didn't ask for the criminals to be released. We asked Assad to release people who got arrested in the revolution. The extremists were arrested before the revolution. They were released by the regime and then they formed different terror groups and became their leaders. Assad knew if these extremists are released they will destroy the revolution. Anchal: You are saying the defectors never asked for the extremists to be released? Col. Afise: We didn't ask the government to release them. They were in the jail. They were not only in Sednaya military prison in Syria but 950 came from prison in Iraq. Al Maliki claims they escaped the jail but Al Maliki did this so that they can join the war and the Islamic State. Anchal: So are you saying that Assad and Maliki created the ISIS problem? Col. Afise: Not only Bashar al-Assad and Maliki but also Iran. The plan between Iran, Assad, Maliki and Hezbollah is to create a Shia country from Iran to Bahrain. On Al Bab Anchal: What is the situation in Al Bab and if your figters are in Al Bab? Col. Afise: I am involved in the Operation Euphrates Shield. We kicked ISIS from the north of Al Bab and we are fighting in Al Bab. Now we are in the middle of Al Bab. Anchal: How long before your fighters will take Al Bab? Col. Afise: We took the biggest part of Al Bab and by tomorrow we take all of it. Very soon Isha Allah. On Penatgon and Raqqa Anchal: Is there any conversation that you have had with the Pentagon on Raqqa? Col. Afise: We all know that America supports Kurdish forces and they call them Syrian Democratic Forces. If they ask me to fight beside Kurdish forces against ISIS, I will never accept that because they are against our ideology and they don't support the Syrian revolution. On Russia Anchal: The Russians invited you to meet with them. What did they talk about? Col. Afise: I met them but Russia won't be involved in finding peaceful solution in Syria because they support the Assad regime. Anchal: What about the Russians? Are they more interested in fighting ISIS or Jabhat Al Nusra? Col. Afise: Russia doesn't care about ISIS. They only care about Nusra. The proof is that they don't attack ISIS and only Nusra and the Free Syrian Army. The reason is because Chechen people joined Nusra and they don't want them to come to Nusra. Anchal: What about America? Is America's focus ISIS, Nusra, Al Qaeda or all? Col. Afise: United State's only focus is to fight ISIS, not Nusra. Anchal: What about you? Col. Afise: For me, I have too many enemies -- Syrian regime, Nusra, ISIS and Kurdish militia but other countries, they have only one enemy. Anchal: So, can you fight with so many enemies? Or will you crack a deal with the devil and join hands with some of these groups? Col. Afise: I will continue fighting all the enemies of the Syrian people. I deal with other countries. The deal depends on the goals of the revolution, goals of my country. If useful, I will crack a deal. In politics, there are no permanent friends or enemies. As long as the deal is useful for the Syrian revolution. On biggest challenge Anchal: What is your biggest challenge in order to fight ISIS and Nusra? Col. Afise: We need good quality weapons. To fight ISIS and Nusra, we have weapons but they are not of good quality. Anchal: Exactly what weapons and how many do you need? Col. Afise: We need anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles but of good qauality and we need long range weapons. If we get this, you won't find ISIS and Nusra type groups here. Before we were fighting like gangsters fight on the streets. Now, it's a fight between cities. So, we need such weapons. We have a huge goal and we can't decide how much we need. Anchal: But your weapons have gone in the hands of ISIS and Nusra in the past? Col. Afise: We are a power on the ground now and will not let anyone take our weapons. (WION)

Exclusive: Free Syrian Army leader talks about challenges of fighting the Islamic State

The Islamic State group is &quot;completely besieged&quot; in its last major stronghold in Syria&#39;s Aleppo province, a monitor said Monday, as pro-regime forces pressure the jihadists on several fronts.

IS fighters were cut off in Al-Bab after forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad&#39;s government severed a road into the northern town, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported.

&quot;Al-Bab is now completely besieged by the regime from the south, and the Turkish forces and rebels from the east, north and west,&quot; said the Britain-based monitor.

Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman said regime forces and allied militias captured the last remaining route between Al-Bab and Raqa, the jihadists&#39; de facto capital in Syria.

At least 11 pro-government fighters were killed in ongoing clashes around Al-Bab on Monday, he added.

Just 25 kilometres (15 miles) south of the Turkish border, the town is seen as a prize by nearly all sides in the complex war.

Since December, Turkey-backed rebels known as the Euphrates Shield alliance have edged towards Al-Bab from the north.

&quot;Al-Bab is more important for the Turks, who defined the town as a priority for their Euphrates Shield alliance,&quot; said Syria expert Thomas Pierret.&nbsp;

But the regime was eyeing territory around Al-Bab &quot;to protect the eastern flank of Aleppo city&quot; which it recaptured in December, he said.&nbsp;

It also sought to use the town as a buffer, &quot;preventing the Euphrates Shield from advancing south&quot; deeper into Syria.

Assad lambasts Europe

Turkey and Russia back opposing sides in the war, but have joined forces in recent months to try to end to the conflict.

The two powers carried out their first joint bombing raids around Al-Bab in January after brokering a fragile ceasefire between rebels and regime forces.

Along with Iran, they organised a summit in Kazakhstan in a bid to reinforce that truce ahead of fully fledged peace talks in Geneva later this month.

Those negotiations, hosted by UN special envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura, are the latest attempt to stop the six-year conflict.

Several rounds of indirect talks in 2016 between the regime and the opposition, represented by the High Negotiations Committee, fizzled out without notable progress.

On February 12, the HNC will announce the members of its delegation to this month&#39;s talks, the leading Istanbul-based National Coalition said Monday.

The main obstacle to progress in previous rounds has been the fate of Assad, who opposition forces say must leave power at the start of any transition period.

On Monday, Assad told visiting Belgian parliamentarians that Western policies towards the conflict in his country had actually hurt Europeans.

&quot;Most European countries adopted an unrealistic policy since the beginning of the war in Syria... damaging the interests of their own people by supporting terrorist groups,&quot; he said.

IS on defensive

Assad&#39;s regime has refocused on IS since fully recapturing Aleppo city in December, in the biggest blow to rebels battling to topple his regime.

IS is among several jihadist movements that have shot to prominence during the conflict, which has left more than 310,000 people dead and forced millions more from their homes.

Assad&#39;s forces were also locked in fighting with IS in the central province of Homs on Monday that left at least 14 government fighters dead, the Observatory said.

They had capturing the Hayyan oilfield west of the celebrated desert city of Palmyra at the weekend and were seeking to advance backed by heavy artillery and air strikes.

The United Nations said on Monday IS was &quot;militarily on the defensive&quot; across the region, struggling to attract recruits and facing a drop in revenue from oil and exortion.

But the UN report urged governments to be vigilant of IS efforts to find new revenue streams, citing concerns that journalists and aid workers travelling to areas recaptured from the jihadists could be targets for kidnapping.

On Saturday, US-backed Kurdish and Arab fighters announced a new phase in their campaign to capture Raqa, but said they needed more weapons to win.

The Syrian Democratic Forces began their offensive for the jihadist stronghold in November and have taken some ground further up the Euphrates Valley but are still some distance away.

SDF fighters have received training and air support from the US-led coalition against IS. Last week Washington said it had supplied them with armoured sports utility vehicles for the first time.

US President Donald Trump, who made fighting &quot;radical Islamic terrorism&quot; a central plank of his election campaign, was due to visit US Central Command on Monday, meeting officers who will spearhead his new strategy to defeat IS.

(AFP)

IS fighters were cut off in Al-Bab after forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad's government severed a road into the northern town

The Islamic State group is "completely besieged" in its last major stronghold in Syria's Aleppo province, a monitor said Monday, as pro-regime forces pressure the jihadists on several fronts. IS fighters were cut off in Al-Bab after forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad's government severed a road into the northern town, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported. "Al-Bab is now completely besieged by the regime from the south, and the Turkish forces and rebels from the east, north and west," said the Britain-based monitor. Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman said regime forces and allied militias captured the last remaining route between Al-Bab and Raqa, the jihadists' de facto capital in Syria. At least 11 pro-government fighters were killed in ongoing clashes around Al-Bab on Monday, he added. Just 25 kilometres (15 miles) south of the Turkish border, the town is seen as a prize by nearly all sides in the complex war. Since December, Turkey-backed rebels known as the Euphrates Shield alliance have edged towards Al-Bab from the north. "Al-Bab is more important for the Turks, who defined the town as a priority for their Euphrates Shield alliance," said Syria expert Thomas Pierret. But the regime was eyeing territory around Al-Bab "to protect the eastern flank of Aleppo city" which it recaptured in December, he said. It also sought to use the town as a buffer, "preventing the Euphrates Shield from advancing south" deeper into Syria. Assad lambasts Europe Turkey and Russia back opposing sides in the war, but have joined forces in recent months to try to end to the conflict. The two powers carried out their first joint bombing raids around Al-Bab in January after brokering a fragile ceasefire between rebels and regime forces. Along with Iran, they organised a summit in Kazakhstan in a bid to reinforce that truce ahead of fully fledged peace talks in Geneva later this month. Those negotiations, hosted by UN special envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura, are the latest attempt to stop the six-year conflict. Several rounds of indirect talks in 2016 between the regime and the opposition, represented by the High Negotiations Committee, fizzled out without notable progress. On February 12, the HNC will announce the members of its delegation to this month's talks, the leading Istanbul-based National Coalition said Monday. The main obstacle to progress in previous rounds has been the fate of Assad, who opposition forces say must leave power at the start of any transition period. On Monday, Assad told visiting Belgian parliamentarians that Western policies towards the conflict in his country had actually hurt Europeans. "Most European countries adopted an unrealistic policy since the beginning of the war in Syria... damaging the interests of their own people by supporting terrorist groups," he said. IS on defensive Assad's regime has refocused on IS since fully recapturing Aleppo city in December, in the biggest blow to rebels battling to topple his regime. IS is among several jihadist movements that have shot to prominence during the conflict, which has left more than 310,000 people dead and forced millions more from their homes. Assad's forces were also locked in fighting with IS in the central province of Homs on Monday that left at least 14 government fighters dead, the Observatory said. They had capturing the Hayyan oilfield west of the celebrated desert city of Palmyra at the weekend and were seeking to advance backed by heavy artillery and air strikes. The United Nations said on Monday IS was "militarily on the defensive" across the region, struggling to attract recruits and facing a drop in revenue from oil and exortion. But the UN report urged governments to be vigilant of IS efforts to find new revenue streams, citing concerns that journalists and aid workers travelling to areas recaptured from the jihadists could be targets for kidnapping. On Saturday, US-backed Kurdish and Arab fighters announced a new phase in their campaign to capture Raqa, but said they needed more weapons to win. The Syrian Democratic Forces began their offensive for the jihadist stronghold in November and have taken some ground further up the Euphrates Valley but are still some distance away. SDF fighters have received training and air support from the US-led coalition against IS. Last week Washington said it had supplied them with armoured sports utility vehicles for the first time. US President Donald Trump, who made fighting "radical Islamic terrorism" a central plank of his election campaign, was due to visit US Central Command on Monday, meeting officers who will spearhead his new strategy to defeat IS. (AFP)

Syria: IS 'completely besieged' as regime forces severe key route

Syrian rebels shelled Aleppo and air strikes resumed around the city on Friday as Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his allies said the insurgents&#39; withdrawal from the city could pave the way towards a political solution for the country.

A day after the last rebels left their remaining pocket of territory in the city, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights - a war monitor based in Britain - said about 10 shells fell in its southwestern al-Hamdaniya district.

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<h5>The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights - a war monitor based in Britain - said about 10 shells fell in east Aleppo&#39;s al-Hamdaniya district</h5>
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The Observatory said six people, including two children, were killed. State television said at least three people died.

Insurgents seeking to oust Assad have shelled government-controlled areas of Aleppo throughout the conflict, which began in 2011. The destruction in those parts of the city has been far less than in eastern districts rebels held until this month.

Air strikes resumed in rebel-held areas of the countryside near Aleppo on Friday for the first time since the end of the evacuation operation.

Strikes hit to the west, south-west and south of the city, areas which had not been hit for at least a week. The Britain-based Observatory had no information on casualties yet.

After months of bombardment and a final few weeks of intense air strikes and Syrian army advances on the besieged, rebel-held part of Aleppo, a local ceasefire was reached on Dec. 15 which allowed thousand of civilians and then fighters to leave.

The last left the city late on Thursday for countryside immediately to the west. The International Committee of the Red Cross said about 35,000 people, mostly civilians, had departed.

Many of those who left are living as refugees in the areas to the west and south of Aleppo, including in Idlib province where bulldozers were used to clear heavy snowfall on Friday morning, the opposition Orient television showed.

On Friday, the army and its allies, including Lebanese group Hezbollah, searched districts abandoned by the rebels, to clear them of mines and other dangers, the Observatory reported.

State television showed empty streets lined with apartment blocks smashed by air strikes in the al-Ansari district.

Damascus water cut

In the capital Damascus, the water authority has been forced to cut supplies coming into the Syrian capital for a few days and use reserves instead after rebels polluted the water with diesel, it said on Friday.

The al-Fija spring which supplies Damascus with water is in the rebel-held Wadi Barada valley north-west of the capital in a mountainous area near the Lebanese border.

The government controls much of the surrounding territory and on Friday carried out aerial attacks and shelled the rebel-held area, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

A military news outlet run by Hezbollah said the rebels in the valley had refused to leave the area and the Syrian Arab Army began an offensive against them on Friday morning.

Through a series of so-called settlement agreements and army offensives, the Syrian government, backed by Russian air power and Iran-backed militias, has been steadily suppressing armed opposition around the capital.

Peace talks?

During the long struggle to re-take Aleppo, Assad&#39;s forces were supported by heavy Russian air strikes, Iran-backed militias and fighters from Iran-backed Shi&#39;ite Hezbollah.

On Friday, Assad thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin for having been Syria&#39;s main partner in the battle&nbsp;and said the city&#39;s fall had opened the door to a political process.

Putin said Russia, Iran, Turkey and Assad had agreed the Kazakh capital of Astana should be the venue for new peace negotiations, and Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said the defeat of the rebels in the city could pave the way to a political solution.

Turkey backs rebels fighting Assad and Islamic State.

United Nations-backed peace talks in Geneva broke down earlier this year as violence escalated, particularly around Aleppo.

(Reuters)

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said six people, including two children, were killed

Syrian rebels shelled Aleppo and air strikes resumed around the city on Friday as Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his allies said the insurgents' withdrawal from the city could pave the way towards a political solution for the country. A day after the last rebels left their remaining pocket of territory in the city, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights - a war monitor based in Britain - said about 10 shells fell in its southwestern al-Hamdaniya district. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights - a war monitor based in Britain - said about 10 shells fell in east Aleppo's al-Hamdaniya district × The Observatory said six people, including two children, were killed. State television said at least three people died. Insurgents seeking to oust Assad have shelled government-controlled areas of Aleppo throughout the conflict, which began in 2011. The destruction in those parts of the city has been far less than in eastern districts rebels held until this month. Air strikes resumed in rebel-held areas of the countryside near Aleppo on Friday for the first time since the end of the evacuation operation. Strikes hit to the west, south-west and south of the city, areas which had not been hit for at least a week. The Britain-based Observatory had no information on casualties yet. After months of bombardment and a final few weeks of intense air strikes and Syrian army advances on the besieged, rebel-held part of Aleppo, a local ceasefire was reached on Dec. 15 which allowed thousand of civilians and then fighters to leave. The last left the city late on Thursday for countryside immediately to the west. The International Committee of the Red Cross said about 35,000 people, mostly civilians, had departed. Many of those who left are living as refugees in the areas to the west and south of Aleppo, including in Idlib province where bulldozers were used to clear heavy snowfall on Friday morning, the opposition Orient television showed. On Friday, the army and its allies, including Lebanese group Hezbollah, searched districts abandoned by the rebels, to clear them of mines and other dangers, the Observatory reported. State television showed empty streets lined with apartment blocks smashed by air strikes in the al-Ansari district. Damascus water cut In the capital Damascus, the water authority has been forced to cut supplies coming into the Syrian capital for a few days and use reserves instead after rebels polluted the water with diesel, it said on Friday. The al-Fija spring which supplies Damascus with water is in the rebel-held Wadi Barada valley north-west of the capital in a mountainous area near the Lebanese border. The government controls much of the surrounding territory and on Friday carried out aerial attacks and shelled the rebel-held area, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. A military news outlet run by Hezbollah said the rebels in the valley had refused to leave the area and the Syrian Arab Army began an offensive against them on Friday morning. Through a series of so-called settlement agreements and army offensives, the Syrian government, backed by Russian air power and Iran-backed militias, has been steadily suppressing armed opposition around the capital. Peace talks? During the long struggle to re-take Aleppo, Assad's forces were supported by heavy Russian air strikes, Iran-backed militias and fighters from Iran-backed Shi'ite Hezbollah. On Friday, Assad thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin for having been Syria's main partner in the battle and said the city's fall had opened the door to a political process. Putin said Russia, Iran, Turkey and Assad had agreed the Kazakh capital of Astana should be the venue for new peace negotiations, and Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said the defeat of the rebels in the city could pave the way to a political solution. Turkey backs rebels fighting Assad and Islamic State. United Nations-backed peace talks in Geneva broke down earlier this year as violence escalated, particularly around Aleppo. (Reuters)

Syria rebels shell Aleppo, air strikes resume

Close to 8,000 civilians have been evacuated from the Syrian city of Aleppo with a sixth convoy currently &quot;en route to safety&quot;, a Turkish official said on Friday.

Foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Twitter that more than 7,000 civilians had been evacuated in the first five convoys.

The evacuation, from the last rebel bastion in Aleppo, began on Thursday under a ceasefire deal brokered by Turkey and Russia that would end years of fighting for the city and mark a major victory for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

(Reuters)

The official also said that a sixth convoy was currently 'en route to safety'

Close to 8,000 civilians have been evacuated from the Syrian city of Aleppo with a sixth convoy currently "en route to safety", a Turkish official said on Friday. Foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Twitter that more than 7,000 civilians had been evacuated in the first five convoys. The evacuation, from the last rebel bastion in Aleppo, began on Thursday under a ceasefire deal brokered by Turkey and Russia that would end years of fighting for the city and mark a major victory for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. (Reuters)

Close to 8,000 civilians evacuated from Aleppo: Turkish official

Thousands of civilians and rebels left Aleppo on Thursday under an evacuation deal that will allow Syria&#39;s regime to take full control of the city after years of fighting.

The International Committee of the Red Cross said the operation could take days as US secretary of state John Kerry warned action was needed to prevent a Srebrenica-style massacre with tens of thousands of civilians still trapped in the city.

Three convoys left Aleppo carrying wounded civilians, fighters and their families, with civilians mostly leaving on buses and ambulances.

&quot;Some 3,000 civilians and more than 40 wounded, including children, were brought out,&quot; the head of the International Committee for the Red Cross in Syria, Marianne Gasser, said after the first two convoys left.

&quot;No one knows how many people are left in the east, and the evacuation could take days,&quot; she added.

The withdrawal began a month to the day after Syrian government forces launched a major offensive to retake all of Aleppo, and will hand the regime its biggest victory in more than five years of civil war.

In a video message to Syrians, President Bashar al-Assad said the &quot;liberation&quot; of Aleppo was &quot;history in the making&quot;.

Thousands still trapped

US chief diplomat Kerry said what had already happened in the city was &quot;unconscionable&quot; but warned over the fate of &quot;tens of thousands of lives that are now concentrated into a very small area of Aleppo&quot;.

&quot;And the last thing anybody wants to see... is that that small area turns into another Srebrenica,&quot; he said, referring to a 1995 Bosnian war massacre.

UN envoy Staffan de Mistura said Thursday that around 50,000 people were still trapped, including 40,000 civilians.

The evacuations were announced on Thursday, after an initial plan for civilians and fighters to leave rebel-held parts of the city collapsed the previous day amid renewed clashes.

They began with a convoy of ambulances and buses crossing into a government-held district in southern Aleppo around 2:30 pm (1230 GMT).

A Syrian military source told AFP that the first convoy carried mostly civilians as well as around 200 rebel fighters.

The vehicles arrived just over an hour later in opposition territory about five kilometres (three miles) west of the city, and they were followed by two more convoys.

An AFP correspondent in the city&#39;s southern Al-Amiriyah district saw people piling on to green buses, filling seats and even sitting on the floor, with some worried there would not get another chance to leave.

Many were in tears and some hesitated to board, afraid they would end up in the hands of regime forces.

On the dusty window of one of the buses someone had written &quot;One day we will return&quot;.

A first evacuation attempt on Wednesday fell apart, with artillery exchanges and resumed air strikes rocking the city until the early hours of Thursday.

But the agreement, brokered by Syrian regime ally Russia and opposition supporter Turkey, was revived following fresh talks.

The defence ministry in Moscow said Syrian authorities had guaranteed the safety of the rebels leaving the city.

The head of the UN-backed humanitarian task force for Syria, Jan Egeland, said in Geneva that most of those evacuated from Aleppo would head to opposition stronghold Idlib, in Syria&#39;s north-west.

De Mistura, however, warned that &quot;Idlib will become the next Aleppo&quot; if a ceasefire and political agreement for Syria is not found.

Pressure on Russia

The UN Security Council will meet Friday around 1700 GMT to discuss the crisis in Aleppo in response to a request by France, which is calling for international observers to be sent to monitor the situation and ensure aid deliveries.

European Union leaders also tried to pile pressure on Russia Thursday, urging the Kremlin to protect civilians, but EU President Donald Tusk, however, acknowledged the bloc was largely powerless.

&quot;We know we are not effective enough. Unfortunately, I know who is effective enough, not in humanitarian assistance but in bombing,&quot; Tusk said.

Russia meanwhile accused the rebels of having violated the ceasefire as violence erupted before Wednesday&#39;s planned evacuation while Turkey accused Assad&#39;s regime and its allies of blocking people from leaving.

Iran, another key Assad backer, was reported to have imposed new conditions on the agreement, including the evacuation of some civilians from two Shiite-majority villages in northwestern Syria under rebel siege.

On Thursday, nearly 30 vehicles were headed to Fuaa and Kafraya to evacuate sick and wounded residents, the governor of neighbouring Hama province, Mohamed al-Hazouri, told state news agency SANA.

A Syrian source on the ground told AFP that &quot;1,200 injured and sick people and their families will be evacuated&quot;.

Backed by foreign militia forces including fighters from Lebanon&#39;s Shiite Hezbollah movement, the advance launched last month made rapid gains, leaving the rebels cornered in a tiny pocket of the territory they had controlled since 2012.

More than 465 civilians died in east Aleppo during the assault and another 149 were killed by rebel rocket fire on government-held areas, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group.

Shrinking rebel territory

More than 310,000 people have been killed since the Syrian conflict began in 2011 with anti-government protests, and over half the population has been displaced, with millions becoming refugees.

Diplomatic efforts -- including several rounds of peace talks in Geneva -- failed to make headway in resolving the conflict which saw a turning point last year when Russia launched an air war in support of Assad.

With Aleppo out of rebel hands, the largest remaining rebel bastion is Idlib province, which is controlled by an alliance dominated by former Al-Qaeda affiliate Fateh al-Sham Front.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he discussed the situation in Aleppo Thursday with US and Russian counterparts, Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin.

After upping its involvement by brokering the Aleppo deal, Turkey said it would meet with Russia and Iran in Moscow on December 27 to discuss a political solution to the entire conflict.

(AFP)

Three convoys left Aleppo carrying wounded civilians, fighters and their families, with civilians mostly leaving on buses and ambulances

Thousands of civilians and rebels left Aleppo on Thursday under an evacuation deal that will allow Syria's regime to take full control of the city after years of fighting. The International Committee of the Red Cross said the operation could take days as US secretary of state John Kerry warned action was needed to prevent a Srebrenica-style massacre with tens of thousands of civilians still trapped in the city. Three convoys left Aleppo carrying wounded civilians, fighters and their families, with civilians mostly leaving on buses and ambulances. "Some 3,000 civilians and more than 40 wounded, including children, were brought out," the head of the International Committee for the Red Cross in Syria, Marianne Gasser, said after the first two convoys left. "No one knows how many people are left in the east, and the evacuation could take days," she added. The withdrawal began a month to the day after Syrian government forces launched a major offensive to retake all of Aleppo, and will hand the regime its biggest victory in more than five years of civil war. In a video message to Syrians, President Bashar al-Assad said the "liberation" of Aleppo was "history in the making". Thousands still trapped US chief diplomat Kerry said what had already happened in the city was "unconscionable" but warned over the fate of "tens of thousands of lives that are now concentrated into a very small area of Aleppo". "And the last thing anybody wants to see... is that that small area turns into another Srebrenica," he said, referring to a 1995 Bosnian war massacre. UN envoy Staffan de Mistura said Thursday that around 50,000 people were still trapped, including 40,000 civilians. The evacuations were announced on Thursday, after an initial plan for civilians and fighters to leave rebel-held parts of the city collapsed the previous day amid renewed clashes. They began with a convoy of ambulances and buses crossing into a government-held district in southern Aleppo around 2:30 pm (1230 GMT). A Syrian military source told AFP that the first convoy carried mostly civilians as well as around 200 rebel fighters. The vehicles arrived just over an hour later in opposition territory about five kilometres (three miles) west of the city, and they were followed by two more convoys. An AFP correspondent in the city's southern Al-Amiriyah district saw people piling on to green buses, filling seats and even sitting on the floor, with some worried there would not get another chance to leave. Many were in tears and some hesitated to board, afraid they would end up in the hands of regime forces. On the dusty window of one of the buses someone had written "One day we will return". A first evacuation attempt on Wednesday fell apart, with artillery exchanges and resumed air strikes rocking the city until the early hours of Thursday. But the agreement, brokered by Syrian regime ally Russia and opposition supporter Turkey, was revived following fresh talks. The defence ministry in Moscow said Syrian authorities had guaranteed the safety of the rebels leaving the city. The head of the UN-backed humanitarian task force for Syria, Jan Egeland, said in Geneva that most of those evacuated from Aleppo would head to opposition stronghold Idlib, in Syria's north-west. De Mistura, however, warned that "Idlib will become the next Aleppo" if a ceasefire and political agreement for Syria is not found. Pressure on Russia The UN Security Council will meet Friday around 1700 GMT to discuss the crisis in Aleppo in response to a request by France, which is calling for international observers to be sent to monitor the situation and ensure aid deliveries. European Union leaders also tried to pile pressure on Russia Thursday, urging the Kremlin to protect civilians, but EU President Donald Tusk, however, acknowledged the bloc was largely powerless. "We know we are not effective enough. Unfortunately, I know who is effective enough, not in humanitarian assistance but in bombing," Tusk said. Russia meanwhile accused the rebels of having violated the ceasefire as violence erupted before Wednesday's planned evacuation while Turkey accused Assad's regime and its allies of blocking people from leaving. Iran, another key Assad backer, was reported to have imposed new conditions on the agreement, including the evacuation of some civilians from two Shiite-majority villages in northwestern Syria under rebel siege. On Thursday, nearly 30 vehicles were headed to Fuaa and Kafraya to evacuate sick and wounded residents, the governor of neighbouring Hama province, Mohamed al-Hazouri, told state news agency SANA. A Syrian source on the ground told AFP that "1,200 injured and sick people and their families will be evacuated". Backed by foreign militia forces including fighters from Lebanon's Shiite Hezbollah movement, the advance launched last month made rapid gains, leaving the rebels cornered in a tiny pocket of the territory they had controlled since 2012. More than 465 civilians died in east Aleppo during the assault and another 149 were killed by rebel rocket fire on government-held areas, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group. Shrinking rebel territory More than 310,000 people have been killed since the Syrian conflict began in 2011 with anti-government protests, and over half the population has been displaced, with millions becoming refugees. Diplomatic efforts -- including several rounds of peace talks in Geneva -- failed to make headway in resolving the conflict which saw a turning point last year when Russia launched an air war in support of Assad. With Aleppo out of rebel hands, the largest remaining rebel bastion is Idlib province, which is controlled by an alliance dominated by former Al-Qaeda affiliate Fateh al-Sham Front. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he discussed the situation in Aleppo Thursday with US and Russian counterparts, Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin. After upping its involvement by brokering the Aleppo deal, Turkey said it would meet with Russia and Iran in Moscow on December 27 to discuss a political solution to the entire conflict. (AFP)

Thousands leave Aleppo under rebel withdrawal deal

Syrian warplanes again pounded Aleppo&#39;s last rebel-held districts today, as the United States said American and Russian officials would meet in a bid to save the city from &quot;complete&quot; destruction.

With the fighting resuming after a brief respite, the UN General Assembly demanded an immediate ceasefire and urgent aid deliveries, in a resolution adopted by a strong majority.

US officials will meet tomorrow with their Russian counterparts in Geneva to try to stop Aleppo &quot;being absolutely, completely destroyed&quot;, US Secretary of State John Kerry said.

He was in Paris for a meeting of foreign ministers from the Western and Arab backers of Syria&#39;s weakened opposition, also tomorrow.

Kerry was not upbeat about the chances of success, however, as key regime ally Russia vowed that the assault would not end until rebels leave Aleppo.

&quot;I know people are tired of these meetings, I&#39;m tired of these meetings,&quot; Kerry said.

&quot;But what am I supposed to do? Go home and have a nice weekend... While people are dying? Sit there in Washington and do nothing?&quot;

Government strikes had halted briefly from yesterday night, when Moscow announced a pause in the regime offensive to allow the evacuation of civilians, although shelling did not cease.

Syria&#39;s army is three weeks into a battle to retake east Aleppo from rebels who are now confined to just a few neighbourhoods in their former bastion.

The city&#39;s loss would be the biggest blow for the rebels in Syria&#39;s nearly six-year-old war, which has killed more than 300,000 people and displaced over half the country&#39;s population.

Tens of thousands of civilians have fled east Aleppo in recent weeks, although the United Nations said today it had received reports that rebels had blocked some from leaving.

It also expressed concern about reports that hundreds of men had gone missing after fleeing to government-held territory.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor, reported at least a dozen air strikes on rebel-held neighbourhoods today afternoon.

Artillery fire had continued throughout yesterday night and into today after Moscow&#39;s announcement, the monitor and an AFP correspondent in east Aleppo reported.

Syria&#39;s army has captured around 85 percent of east Aleppo, with rebels and remaining civilians confined to a shrinking space in increasingly grim conditions.

East Aleppo has been encircled by the regime since mid-July, with international aid provisions exhausted and remaining food supplies dwindling even before the government assault began in mid-November.

The AFP correspondent said fleeing civilians had seen bodies in the streets of one neighbourhood because the intensity of the bombardment made it too dangerous to retrieve the dead.

(AFP)

The UN General Assembly demanded an immediate ceasefire and urgent aid deliveries, in a resolution adopted by a strong majority

Syrian warplanes again pounded Aleppo's last rebel-held districts today, as the United States said American and Russian officials would meet in a bid to save the city from "complete" destruction. With the fighting resuming after a brief respite, the UN General Assembly demanded an immediate ceasefire and urgent aid deliveries, in a resolution adopted by a strong majority. US officials will meet tomorrow with their Russian counterparts in Geneva to try to stop Aleppo "being absolutely, completely destroyed", US Secretary of State John Kerry said. He was in Paris for a meeting of foreign ministers from the Western and Arab backers of Syria's weakened opposition, also tomorrow. Kerry was not upbeat about the chances of success, however, as key regime ally Russia vowed that the assault would not end until rebels leave Aleppo. "I know people are tired of these meetings, I'm tired of these meetings," Kerry said. "But what am I supposed to do? Go home and have a nice weekend... While people are dying? Sit there in Washington and do nothing?" Government strikes had halted briefly from yesterday night, when Moscow announced a pause in the regime offensive to allow the evacuation of civilians, although shelling did not cease. Syria's army is three weeks into a battle to retake east Aleppo from rebels who are now confined to just a few neighbourhoods in their former bastion. The city's loss would be the biggest blow for the rebels in Syria's nearly six-year-old war, which has killed more than 300,000 people and displaced over half the country's population. Tens of thousands of civilians have fled east Aleppo in recent weeks, although the United Nations said today it had received reports that rebels had blocked some from leaving. It also expressed concern about reports that hundreds of men had gone missing after fleeing to government-held territory. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor, reported at least a dozen air strikes on rebel-held neighbourhoods today afternoon. Artillery fire had continued throughout yesterday night and into today after Moscow's announcement, the monitor and an AFP correspondent in east Aleppo reported. Syria's army has captured around 85 percent of east Aleppo, with rebels and remaining civilians confined to a shrinking space in increasingly grim conditions. East Aleppo has been encircled by the regime since mid-July, with international aid provisions exhausted and remaining food supplies dwindling even before the government assault began in mid-November. The AFP correspondent said fleeing civilians had seen bodies in the streets of one neighbourhood because the intensity of the bombardment made it too dangerous to retrieve the dead. (AFP)

US, Russia to meet as Syrian army pounds Aleppo rebels

The United Nations on Monday blamed all sides in Syria after renewed fighting and air strikes in the Syrian city of Aleppo prevented the medical evacuations and aid deliveries from reaching the war-ravaged city.&nbsp;

UN aid agencies had held days of negotiations to try to secure safe passage for the sick and wounded, but the effort came to a halt when fighting resumed after three days of truce.&nbsp;

&quot;It is deeply regrettable that no patients or accompanying family members could be moved,&quot; said Stephen O&#39;Brien, the UN&#39;s humanitarian aid coordinator. &quot;The evacuations were obstructed by various factors, including delays in receiving the necessary approvals from local authorities in eastern Aleppo,&quot; he said.

&quot;After three days of lull, parties to the conflict have still not agreed, military operations have resumed and violence is now escalating,&quot; said O&#39;Brien in a statement. &quot;The political and military paths are trumping basic humanity once again in Syria.&quot;

US secretary of state John too voiced concern to his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov days after the Russian-called truce ended. &quot;They talked about the importance of the continued multilateral discussions in Geneva and how ... to get a meaningful cessation of hostilities and the delivery of humanitarian aid,&quot; state department spokesman John Kirby said.

Syria&#39;s main ally, Moscow had last week declared a humanitarian pause in the assault on eastern Aleppo, where more than 250,000 civilians have been trapped. But Russia had ruled out a renewal of the ceasefire and blamed rebel groups for blocking the medical evacuation.

The two leaders agreed that the negotiations in Geneva to search for ways to resolve the Aleppo crisis will continue. &nbsp;Lavrov told Kerry the United States must fulfil its obligation to separate moderate opposition groups from &quot;terrorists&quot; in Syria, the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement.

During the phone call, Kerry had expressed concern about the renewal of air strikes and ground attacks in Aleppo by the Syrian government forces and their Russian supporters after a pause in the fighting for several days, Kirby said.

He also noted that humanitarian aid had still not made it through to people under siege in Aleppo, despite the pause in fighting.

No UN aid convoy has entered Aleppo since July 7 and food rations will run out by the end of October, UN chief Ban Ki-moon had warned last week.

(WION with inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

Despite a Russian-called truce last week, UN aid agencies failed to deliver aid and evacuate wounded as violence continued unabated

The United Nations on Monday blamed all sides in Syria after renewed fighting and air strikes in the Syrian city of Aleppo prevented the medical evacuations and aid deliveries from reaching the war-ravaged city. UN aid agencies had held days of negotiations to try to secure safe passage for the sick and wounded, but the effort came to a halt when fighting resumed after three days of truce. "It is deeply regrettable that no patients or accompanying family members could be moved," said Stephen O'Brien, the UN's humanitarian aid coordinator. "The evacuations were obstructed by various factors, including delays in receiving the necessary approvals from local authorities in eastern Aleppo," he said. "After three days of lull, parties to the conflict have still not agreed, military operations have resumed and violence is now escalating," said O'Brien in a statement. "The political and military paths are trumping basic humanity once again in Syria." US secretary of state John too voiced concern to his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov days after the Russian-called truce ended. "They talked about the importance of the continued multilateral discussions in Geneva and how ... to get a meaningful cessation of hostilities and the delivery of humanitarian aid," state department spokesman John Kirby said. Syria's main ally, Moscow had last week declared a humanitarian pause in the assault on eastern Aleppo, where more than 250,000 civilians have been trapped. But Russia had ruled out a renewal of the ceasefire and blamed rebel groups for blocking the medical evacuation. The two leaders agreed that the negotiations in Geneva to search for ways to resolve the Aleppo crisis will continue. Lavrov told Kerry the United States must fulfil its obligation to separate moderate opposition groups from "terrorists" in Syria, the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement. During the phone call, Kerry had expressed concern about the renewal of air strikes and ground attacks in Aleppo by the Syrian government forces and their Russian supporters after a pause in the fighting for several days, Kirby said. He also noted that humanitarian aid had still not made it through to people under siege in Aleppo, despite the pause in fighting. No UN aid convoy has entered Aleppo since July 7 and food rations will run out by the end of October, UN chief Ban Ki-moon had warned last week. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Aleppo fighting intensifies as UN blames all sides for failure of Syria evacuation plan

US officials say Russia is using US President Barack Obama&#39;s last days in office, and the intervening months before an administration with a tougher policy on Syria could possibly&nbsp;take&nbsp;charge, to help strengthen Bashar al-Assad&#39;s hold on power in Syria, AFP reported.

Russian President Putin&#39;s strategy, according to US officials, is to use this time -- when Obama will not be able to intervene in Syria&#39;s escalating conflict --&nbsp;to consolidate gains in the war-ravaged country.&nbsp;

It is still not certain however what the new, if any, US policy on Syria will be.&nbsp;

Republican vice-presidential nominee Mike Pence on Tuesday described Putin as a &ldquo;bullying leader&rdquo; whose provocations need to be met with &ldquo;American strength&rdquo;.

&ldquo;The United States of America should be prepared to use force to strike military targets of the Assad regime,&rdquo; Pence added on Russia&#39;s alleged goal to help Syria retake the besieged city of Aleppo.

His potential boss,&nbsp;Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, however&nbsp;seems unsure of his relationship with the Russian leader.

&quot;I don&#39;t love Putin, I don&#39;t hate. We&#39;ll see how it works. We&#39;ll see,&quot; Trump told supporters on Wednesday in Nevada.&nbsp;

Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton has also called for stronger action on Syria by suggesting the US military enforce a no-fly zone to protect civilian&nbsp;areas.

Russia has supported Assad, sending him troops and warplanes, in the bloody conflict&nbsp;that has killed over 300,000 people over the past&nbsp;five years.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

US officials fear the Kremlin is racing to consolidate its gains in Syria before a new, possibly tougher administration takes charge

US officials say Russia is using US President Barack Obama's last days in office, and the intervening months before an administration with a tougher policy on Syria could possibly take charge, to help strengthen Bashar al-Assad's hold on power in Syria, AFP reported. Russian President Putin's strategy, according to US officials, is to use this time -- when Obama will not be able to intervene in Syria's escalating conflict -- to consolidate gains in the war-ravaged country. It is still not certain however what the new, if any, US policy on Syria will be. Republican vice-presidential nominee Mike Pence on Tuesday described Putin as a “bullying leader” whose provocations need to be met with “American strength”. “The United States of America should be prepared to use force to strike military targets of the Assad regime,” Pence added on Russia's alleged goal to help Syria retake the besieged city of Aleppo. His potential boss, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, however seems unsure of his relationship with the Russian leader. "I don't love Putin, I don't hate. We'll see how it works. We'll see," Trump told supporters on Wednesday in Nevada. Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton has also called for stronger action on Syria by suggesting the US military enforce a no-fly zone to protect civilian areas. Russia has supported Assad, sending him troops and warplanes, in the bloody conflict that has killed over 300,000 people over the past five years. (WION with inputs from AFP)

With US focused on vote, Russia steps up efforts to secure Syria's Assad in power

Russia has also warned ?that Washington's refusal to work with Moscow on a settlement would be a 'gift to terrorists'

The United States said on Thursday that it is on the verge of ending talks with Russia over the airstrikes on Aleppo. US secretary of state John Kerry admitted that months of diplomacy to end the war had hit a dead-end. "I think we are on the verge of suspending the discussion because, you know, it's irrational in the context of the kind of bombing taking place, to be sitting there, trying to take things seriously," he told a conference in the US capital, according to the international news agency, AFP. Air strikes pounded Aleppo province on Thursday and killed at least 11 civilians, including seven children, died during attacks on the city of Idlib, nearby Jarjanaz and central Hama province, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights was quoted as saying by AFP. US President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have condemned what they called "barbarous" Russian and Syrian regime airstrikes on Aleppo during a phone call later on Thursday but Russia said it would press ahead with airstrikes in support of the regime. According to the UN, Aleppo is witnessing the worst humanitarian crisis since the war started in 2011. × Russia has also warned that Washington's refusal to work with Moscow on a settlement would be a "gift to terrorists." "If Washington's threats to halt cooperation become concrete decisions, then there is no longer any doubt that the rebels are under the White House's protection and in the streets,terrorists will celebrate," Russian foreign ministry spokesman Maria Zakharova told AFP. Russia and the United States have been blaming each other for last week's collapse of a ceasefire deal that would have marked the first step to initiate an to end the five-year war that has killed 300,000 people. According to the UN, Aleppo is witnessing the worst humanitarian crisis since the war started in 2011. UN aid chief Stephen O'Brien told the Security Council in New York that Aleppo is descending into a "merciless abyss of a humanitarian catastrophe unlike any we have witnessed so far in Syria.", AFP reported. More than 100,000 children are trapped in east Aleppo, which is under intense bombing since the Syrian army offensive began, he said. The siege by Syrian government forces has made food scarce and fresh water in short supply, he added. (WION with inputs from AFP)

US on 'verge of suspending' Syria talks with Russia

Free Syrian Army militants were seen driving out United States troops from a border town in a video clip put up on Twitter, a development that can have repurcussions in the FSA-US relations. 
 
The US Central Command is investigating the footage, its spokesperson said. 
 
The footage shows FSA militants hurling abuses at the American commandos in al-Rai town near the Turkish border. 
 
One man can be heard shouting&nbsp;&quot;dogs, agents of America&quot; in Arabic while others call the American troops &quot;crusaders&quot;, &quot;pigs&quot; and &quot;infidels&quot;. They are even heard chanting, &quot;They (America) are coming to Syria to occupy it.&quot; 
&nbsp;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ABD?src=hash">#ABD</a> askerleri ve onlara bagli gruplar <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%C3%87obanbey?src=hash">#?obanbey</a>&#39;den boyle kovuldu (2) <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Halep?src=hash">#Halep</a> <a href="https://t.co/8q70UZj9dW">pic.twitter.com/8q70UZj9dW</a>
&mdash; Levent Kemal (@ValkryV) <a href="https://twitter.com/ValkryV/status/776746004456546304">September 16, 2016</a></blockquote>
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Another voice in the video can be seen saying in Arabic: &quot;We won&#39;t accept any Americans participating alongside us.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
This one of the first documented instances where some sections of the FSA have voiced their opposition to US&#39; presence on their soil. 
 
The vitriol against the US forces further complicates matters in the years-long Syria war. Although FSA is backed by the US, the video suggests&nbsp;not everything is fine between the two, perhaps because of America&#39;s partnership with Kurdish militia.&nbsp; 
 
(WION)
&nbsp;

A video shows Free Syrian Army militants abusing and driving out US commandos from a border town of Syria

Free Syrian Army militants were seen driving out United States troops from a border town in a video clip put up on Twitter, a development that can have repurcussions in the FSA-US relations. The US Central Command is investigating the footage, its spokesperson said. The footage shows FSA militants hurling abuses at the American commandos in al-Rai town near the Turkish border. One man can be heard shouting "dogs, agents of America" in Arabic while others call the American troops "crusaders", "pigs" and "infidels". They are even heard chanting, "They (America) are coming to Syria to occupy it." #ABD askerleri ve onlara bagli gruplar #?obanbey'den boyle kovuldu (2) #Halep pic.twitter.com/8q70UZj9dW — Levent Kemal (@ValkryV) September 16, 2016 Another voice in the video can be seen saying in Arabic: "We won't accept any Americans participating alongside us." This one of the first documented instances where some sections of the FSA have voiced their opposition to US' presence on their soil. The vitriol against the US forces further complicates matters in the years-long Syria war. Although FSA is backed by the US, the video suggests not everything is fine between the two, perhaps because of America's partnership with Kurdish militia. (WION)

US-backed rebel fighters eject American troops from Syrian town

More than 70 aid groups in Syria have reportedly withdrawn from the United Nation&#39;s (UN) information sharing programme, accusing the world body of being &ldquo;significantly and substantially&rdquo; influenced in its distribution of aid by President Bashar al-Assad&#39;s regime.&nbsp; 
 
In a letter to the UN, about 70 humanitarian groups have announced their withdrawal from &quot;Whole of Syria (WoS)&nbsp;information-sharing mechanism&quot;, the Guardian reported today.&nbsp; 
 
The letter stated that the groups, which comprise Syria&#39;s most renowned aid organisations, could no longer put up with the &ldquo;manipulation of humanitarian relief efforts by the political interests of the Syrian government that deprive&nbsp;other Syrians in besieged areas from the services of those programmes&rdquo;. 
 
According to Al Jazeera, aid groups accused the UN of being complacent in Syrian government&#39;s interference in the delivery of humanitarian assistance.&nbsp; 
 
In the open letter, the Guardian further elaborates, the non-governmental organisations told&nbsp;the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA): &nbsp;&ldquo;The Whole of Syria information-sharing mechanism was created in order to prevent gaps in the response by including all humanitarian actors providing cross-border relief. Yet, UN agencies based in Damascus and their main partner, Syrian Arab Red Crescent (Sarc)&nbsp;have been making the final decisions, shaped by the political influence of the Syrian government.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
UN is also accused of being a &#39;&#39;political player&#39;&#39; in marginalising humanitarian workers and blocking aid to the rebel-held areas. 
 
The signatories have called for a transparent investigation into the &quot;political impact that the Syrian government has on humanitarian actors&quot;. 
 
The UN secretary-general&#39;s spokesman, however, said that the world body&#39;s operations in Syria were transparent.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Everything is listed. We always welcome any scrutiny to our humanitarian work in Syria. Our focus is and will continue to be to deliver as much aid as possible to the Syrian people,&quot; he said. 
 
(WION) 
&nbsp;

In a letter to the UN, the aid groups said that they can no longer tolerate the 'manipulation of relief efforts by the Syrian government'

More than 70 aid groups in Syria have reportedly withdrawn from the United Nation's (UN) information sharing programme, accusing the world body of being “significantly and substantially” influenced in its distribution of aid by President Bashar al-Assad's regime. In a letter to the UN, about 70 humanitarian groups have announced their withdrawal from "Whole of Syria (WoS) information-sharing mechanism", the Guardian reported today. The letter stated that the groups, which comprise Syria's most renowned aid organisations, could no longer put up with the “manipulation of humanitarian relief efforts by the political interests of the Syrian government that deprive other Syrians in besieged areas from the services of those programmes”. According to Al Jazeera, aid groups accused the UN of being complacent in Syrian government's interference in the delivery of humanitarian assistance. In the open letter, the Guardian further elaborates, the non-governmental organisations told the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA): “The Whole of Syria information-sharing mechanism was created in order to prevent gaps in the response by including all humanitarian actors providing cross-border relief. Yet, UN agencies based in Damascus and their main partner, Syrian Arab Red Crescent (Sarc) have been making the final decisions, shaped by the political influence of the Syrian government." UN is also accused of being a ''political player'' in marginalising humanitarian workers and blocking aid to the rebel-held areas. The signatories have called for a transparent investigation into the "political impact that the Syrian government has on humanitarian actors". The UN secretary-general's spokesman, however, said that the world body's operations in Syria were transparent. "Everything is listed. We always welcome any scrutiny to our humanitarian work in Syria. Our focus is and will continue to be to deliver as much aid as possible to the Syrian people," he said. (WION)

Syria's aid groups withdraw cooperation from UN, say efforts 'influenced' by Assad government: Reports

A series of bomb attacks rocked mostly Syrian government-controlled areas, leaving at least 48 people, Syrian media reported. 
 
The attacks come after Turkish forces and their allies in Syria ejected Islamic State from northern Syria. 
 
One of the bombings occurred in Tartus, a coastal city in Syria&nbsp;and also Syrian President Bashar al-Assad&#39;s stronghold. 
 
Islamic State claimed responsibility for a blast against a security post in Hasakeh. The handiwork of other bombings in Tartus, Homs city and an army checkpoint outside Damascus remains unknown.&nbsp; 
 
The&nbsp;Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitoring group, believed the attacks to be coordinated.&nbsp;

&quot;Clearly these attacks were simultaneous and they all targeted security posts,&quot; Rami Abdel Rahman, the Observatory director, told AFP. 
 
The deadliest attack occurred in Tartus, which left 30 dead and dozens injured. 
 
All the four blasts happened between 05:00 and 06:00 GMT. 
 
United States President Barack Obama and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin met to discuss the Syrian crisis in the G20 summit in China. 
 
Later, Obama called the talks &quot;productive&quot;, while Putin said the 90-minute discussion has led to some &quot;alignment&quot; on the issue. 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies) 
 
&nbsp;

 
 
 
 
&nbsp;

&nbsp;

 
 
 
 
 
A string of bomb attacks hit across mostly government-controlled areas of&nbsp;Syria&nbsp;on Monday, killing several dozen people including at least 35 in President Bashar al-Assad&#39;s coastal stronghold of Tartus, state media said.

At least 48 people died in the multiple blasts, with dozens also wounded in the double bombing outside of Tartus city, which is home to a Russian naval base.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for one of the blasts, against a Kurdish security post in Hasakeh, but there were no immediate claims for the other attacks in Tartus, on government-held Homs city and at an army checkpoint on a road outside Damascus.

In Tartus, two blasts targeted the Arzuna bridge, &quot;the first a car bomb and the second a suicide bomber who detonated his explosive belt when people gathered to help the wounded,&quot; according to state television.

Quoting the head of Al-Bassel hospital in Tartus, the channel said 35 people had been killed and 43 others wounded in the attack.&nbsp;

Tartus has been largely spared the worst violence of&nbsp;Syria&#39;s conflict since it began with anti-government protests in March 2011.

It has become a refuge for many Syrians fleeing the fighting that has displaced more than half the country&#39;s population.

In&nbsp;the northeast of the country, at least eight people were killed by a bomber on a motorbike in the city of Hasakeh, which is mostly controlled by Kurdish forces, though the regime is also present.

Syrian state media said the dead were six members of the Asayesh security forces and two civilians.

IS claimed the attack in a statement circulated on social media.

Hasakeh city has been regularly targeted by IS, including in July when a motorcycle bomber killed at least 16 people outside a bakery in the city.

&nbsp;

<h2>- &#39;Coordinated attacks&#39; -</h2>

&nbsp;

Monday&#39;s bombings came after advances by Turkish forces and allied Syrian rebels expelled IS from the last stretch of the Syrian-Turkish border under their control.

The jihadist group has been losing ground to both an alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters known as the Syrian Democratic Forces and, more recently, to a Turkish offensive involving rebels loyal to Ankara.

In central Homs city, state media said at least four people were killed in a car bomb at the entrance to Al-Zahraa, a neighbourhood whose residents mostly belong to the same Alawite sect as Assad.

Al-Zahraa has also been regularly targeted in attacks, including a devastating double bomb blast in February that killed 57 people and was claimed by IS.

State television broadcast images from the aftermath of the blast in Homs, showing rubble strewn on the streets and smoke rising from the charred remains of vehicles.

Another bomb attack was also reported on Al-Sabura road west of the capital Damascus, with state media saying one person had been killed and three wounded.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitoring group, said that attack targeted a checkpoint and gave a toll of three dead.

Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman said the dead in both the Homs and Al-Sabura road attacks were government security forces manning checkpoints.

He said the blasts appeared to be coordinated.

&quot;Clearly these attacks were simultaneous and they all targeted security posts,&quot; he told AFP.

More than 290,000 people have been killed in&nbsp;Syria&nbsp;since its conflict erupted in March 2011, and millions displaced by the fighting.

Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack in Tartus, which is Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's base

A series of bomb attacks rocked mostly Syrian government-controlled areas, leaving at least 48 people, Syrian media reported. The attacks come after Turkish forces and their allies in Syria ejected Islamic State from northern Syria. One of the bombings occurred in Tartus, a coastal city in Syria and also Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's stronghold. Islamic State claimed responsibility for a blast against a security post in Hasakeh. The handiwork of other bombings in Tartus, Homs city and an army checkpoint outside Damascus remains unknown. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitoring group, believed the attacks to be coordinated. "Clearly these attacks were simultaneous and they all targeted security posts," Rami Abdel Rahman, the Observatory director, told AFP. The deadliest attack occurred in Tartus, which left 30 dead and dozens injured. All the four blasts happened between 05:00 and 06:00 GMT. United States President Barack Obama and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin met to discuss the Syrian crisis in the G20 summit in China. Later, Obama called the talks "productive", while Putin said the 90-minute discussion has led to some "alignment" on the issue. (WION with inputs from agencies) A string of bomb attacks hit across mostly government-controlled areas of Syria on Monday, killing several dozen people including at least 35 in President Bashar al-Assad's coastal stronghold of Tartus, state media said. At least 48 people died in the multiple blasts, with dozens also wounded in the double bombing outside of Tartus city, which is home to a Russian naval base. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for one of the blasts, against a Kurdish security post in Hasakeh, but there were no immediate claims for the other attacks in Tartus, on government-held Homs city and at an army checkpoint on a road outside Damascus. In Tartus, two blasts targeted the Arzuna bridge, "the first a car bomb and the second a suicide bomber who detonated his explosive belt when people gathered to help the wounded," according to state television. Quoting the head of Al-Bassel hospital in Tartus, the channel said 35 people had been killed and 43 others wounded in the attack. Tartus has been largely spared the worst violence of Syria's conflict since it began with anti-government protests in March 2011. It has become a refuge for many Syrians fleeing the fighting that has displaced more than half the country's population. In the northeast of the country, at least eight people were killed by a bomber on a motorbike in the city of Hasakeh, which is mostly controlled by Kurdish forces, though the regime is also present. Syrian state media said the dead were six members of the Asayesh security forces and two civilians. IS claimed the attack in a statement circulated on social media. Hasakeh city has been regularly targeted by IS, including in July when a motorcycle bomber killed at least 16 people outside a bakery in the city. - 'Coordinated attacks' - Monday's bombings came after advances by Turkish forces and allied Syrian rebels expelled IS from the last stretch of the Syrian-Turkish border under their control. The jihadist group has been losing ground to both an alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters known as the Syrian Democratic Forces and, more recently, to a Turkish offensive involving rebels loyal to Ankara. In central Homs city, state media said at least four people were killed in a car bomb at the entrance to Al-Zahraa, a neighbourhood whose residents mostly belong to the same Alawite sect as Assad. Al-Zahraa has also been regularly targeted in attacks, including a devastating double bomb blast in February that killed 57 people and was claimed by IS. State television broadcast images from the aftermath of the blast in Homs, showing rubble strewn on the streets and smoke rising from the charred remains of vehicles. Another bomb attack was also reported on Al-Sabura road west of the capital Damascus, with state media saying one person had been killed and three wounded. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitoring group, said that attack targeted a checkpoint and gave a toll of three dead. Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman said the dead in both the Homs and Al-Sabura road attacks were government security forces manning checkpoints. He said the blasts appeared to be coordinated. "Clearly these attacks were simultaneous and they all targeted security posts," he told AFP. More than 290,000 people have been killed in Syria since its conflict erupted in March 2011, and millions displaced by the fighting.

Multiple bombings leave at least 48 dead in Syria

As a growing power, India has a role to play in meeting the challenge of terrorism, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has said as the two countries agreed to upgrade their security consultations. 
 
Assad made the assertion during a meeting with Indian minister of state for foreign affairs M J Akbar when the latter called on him yesterday during his Syria visit. 
 
&quot;There was an agreement between both sides for further upgrading security consultations,&quot; the sources said. 
 
However, the sources did not mention the level to which they have been upgraded to. During the meeting, Assad also welcomed India&#39;s objective position on the conflict in Syria and both leaders acknowledged that terrorism was a global problem, sources said. 
 
&quot;As a growing power, India has a role to play in meeting the challenge of terrorism,&quot; sources quoted Assad as saying. 
 
On his part, Akbar, during their meeting, said the age of destruction should give way to the age of reconstruction in Syria. Assad also invited India to play an active role in the reconstruction of the Syrian economy. 
 
Both leaders agreed that as secular nations, India and Syria believe in faith equality. Akbar is currently on a nearly week-long visit to West Asia from August 17. 
 
(PTI)

Indian foreign minister Akbar met President Assad who welcomed India's objective position on the conflict in Syria

As a growing power, India has a role to play in meeting the challenge of terrorism, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has said as the two countries agreed to upgrade their security consultations. Assad made the assertion during a meeting with Indian minister of state for foreign affairs M J Akbar when the latter called on him yesterday during his Syria visit. "There was an agreement between both sides for further upgrading security consultations," the sources said. However, the sources did not mention the level to which they have been upgraded to. During the meeting, Assad also welcomed India's objective position on the conflict in Syria and both leaders acknowledged that terrorism was a global problem, sources said. "As a growing power, India has a role to play in meeting the challenge of terrorism," sources quoted Assad as saying. On his part, Akbar, during their meeting, said the age of destruction should give way to the age of reconstruction in Syria. Assad also invited India to play an active role in the reconstruction of the Syrian economy. Both leaders agreed that as secular nations, India and Syria believe in faith equality. Akbar is currently on a nearly week-long visit to West Asia from August 17. (PTI)

Syria and India agree to scale up security consultations

More than 300 civilians have been killed in a three-week surge of fighting and bombardment in Syria&#39;s devastated Aleppo city, a monitoring group said on Saturday.&nbsp; 
 
The battle for Syria&#39;s second city has killed 333 civilians since July 31 when rebels launched a major push to break a government siege of districts under their control.&nbsp; 
 
The toll includes 165 civilians, among them 49 children, killed in opposition fire on the city&#39;s government-held western districts. &nbsp;Another 168 civilians died in Russian and regime air strikes and shelling on its rebel-controlled eastern neighbourhoods, the Observatory said. 
 
Russia has been carrying out air raids in support of President Bashar al-Assad&#39;s forces in Syria since September 2015. &nbsp;Another 109 people were killed in bombardment across the rest of Aleppo province during the same period, the Britain-based monitoring group said. 
 
Once Syria&#39;s economic hub, Aleppo city has been ripped apart by violence since mid-2012, with warplanes bombarding the east and rockets raining down on the west.&nbsp; 
 
Air strikes pounded Aleppo&#39;s southern edges on Saturday, and the intense battles there could be heard throughout the city.&nbsp;The violence rendered the rebel route out of the city, via the southern district of Ramussa, temporarily unusable, and trucks of food and other produce could not be brought into the city, the correspondent said. 
&nbsp; 
Approximately 250,000 people live in the city&#39;s eastern districts, while another 1.2 million live in its western neighbourhoods. While rebel groups are accessing the city via Ramussa, the regime is using the Castello Road to the north of the city to reach areas it controls.&nbsp; 
 
According to the Observatory, regime forces seized territory on the city&#39;s southern edges on Saturday.&nbsp;&quot;There are a lot of clashes and air strikes, and the regime made modest advances. They are trying to reinforce their positions,&quot; Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said.&nbsp; 
 
The Observatory, which relies on a network of sources inside Syria for its information, says it determines what planes carried out raids according to their type, location, flight patterns and the munitions involved.&nbsp;More than 290,000 people have been killed since Syria&#39;s conflict started in March 2011, and international efforts at putting an end to the war have faltered.&nbsp; 
 
(AFP)

Once Syria's economic hub, Aleppo has been ripped apart since mid-2012, with warplanes bombarding the east and rockets firing from the west

More than 300 civilians have been killed in a three-week surge of fighting and bombardment in Syria's devastated Aleppo city, a monitoring group said on Saturday. The battle for Syria's second city has killed 333 civilians since July 31 when rebels launched a major push to break a government siege of districts under their control. The toll includes 165 civilians, among them 49 children, killed in opposition fire on the city's government-held western districts. Another 168 civilians died in Russian and regime air strikes and shelling on its rebel-controlled eastern neighbourhoods, the Observatory said. Russia has been carrying out air raids in support of President Bashar al-Assad's forces in Syria since September 2015. Another 109 people were killed in bombardment across the rest of Aleppo province during the same period, the Britain-based monitoring group said. Once Syria's economic hub, Aleppo city has been ripped apart by violence since mid-2012, with warplanes bombarding the east and rockets raining down on the west. Air strikes pounded Aleppo's southern edges on Saturday, and the intense battles there could be heard throughout the city. The violence rendered the rebel route out of the city, via the southern district of Ramussa, temporarily unusable, and trucks of food and other produce could not be brought into the city, the correspondent said. Approximately 250,000 people live in the city's eastern districts, while another 1.2 million live in its western neighbourhoods. While rebel groups are accessing the city via Ramussa, the regime is using the Castello Road to the north of the city to reach areas it controls. According to the Observatory, regime forces seized territory on the city's southern edges on Saturday. "There are a lot of clashes and air strikes, and the regime made modest advances. They are trying to reinforce their positions," Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said. The Observatory, which relies on a network of sources inside Syria for its information, says it determines what planes carried out raids according to their type, location, flight patterns and the munitions involved. More than 290,000 people have been killed since Syria's conflict started in March 2011, and international efforts at putting an end to the war have faltered. (AFP)

More than 300 civilians killed in Aleppo in last 3 weeks: Monitor

US President Barack Obama said Thursday that he was &quot;not confident&quot; that Russia and President Vladimir Putin could be trusted as partners in trying to end Syria&#39;s bloody civil war. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m not confident that we can trust the Russians and (President) Vladimir Putin, which is why we have to test whether or not we can get an actual cessation of hostilities that includes an end to the kinds of aerial bombing and civilian death and destruction that we have seen carried out by the Assad regime,&quot; Obama said. 
 
&quot;We go into this without any blinders on.&quot; 
 
Obama expressed concern about Russia&#39;s military action in support of the Syrian regime, and urged Moscow to cooperate with Washington to find a way out of the crisis. 
 
&quot;The US remains prepared to work with Russia to try to reduce the violence and strengthen our efforts against Islamic State, al-Qaeda and Syria,&quot; Obama told reporters at the Pentagon. 
 
&quot;But Russia has failed to take the necessary steps. Given the deteriorating situation, it is time for Russia to show it is serious about pursuing these objectives,&quot; Obama said, following a meeting with his national security council. 
 
Russia and the United States back opposing sides in Syria&#39;s five-year war, which has left 280,000 people dead and forced half the population to flee their homes. 
 
Multiple rounds of international negotiations to end the war, which erupted in 2011 after the Assad regime unleashed a brutal crackdown against a pro-democracy revolt, have so far failed. 
 
Russia, an ally of Damascus, and the United States, which supports moderate rebels fighting to unseat Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, are nominally co-chairs of the international effort to bring the Syrian regime and armed opposition groups to the negotiating table as a step toward ending the war. 
 
Following heavy Russian air strikes on the outskirts of divided Aleppo city, US secretary of state John Kerry on Monday urged Russia to &quot;restrain&quot; itself and its ally in Damascus from &quot;offensive operations.&quot; 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

Washington has urged Moscow to 'restrain' itself and its ally in Damascus from 'offensive operations'

US President Barack Obama said Thursday that he was "not confident" that Russia and President Vladimir Putin could be trusted as partners in trying to end Syria's bloody civil war. "I'm not confident that we can trust the Russians and (President) Vladimir Putin, which is why we have to test whether or not we can get an actual cessation of hostilities that includes an end to the kinds of aerial bombing and civilian death and destruction that we have seen carried out by the Assad regime," Obama said. "We go into this without any blinders on." Obama expressed concern about Russia's military action in support of the Syrian regime, and urged Moscow to cooperate with Washington to find a way out of the crisis. "The US remains prepared to work with Russia to try to reduce the violence and strengthen our efforts against Islamic State, al-Qaeda and Syria," Obama told reporters at the Pentagon. "But Russia has failed to take the necessary steps. Given the deteriorating situation, it is time for Russia to show it is serious about pursuing these objectives," Obama said, following a meeting with his national security council. Russia and the United States back opposing sides in Syria's five-year war, which has left 280,000 people dead and forced half the population to flee their homes. Multiple rounds of international negotiations to end the war, which erupted in 2011 after the Assad regime unleashed a brutal crackdown against a pro-democracy revolt, have so far failed. Russia, an ally of Damascus, and the United States, which supports moderate rebels fighting to unseat Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, are nominally co-chairs of the international effort to bring the Syrian regime and armed opposition groups to the negotiating table as a step toward ending the war. Following heavy Russian air strikes on the outskirts of divided Aleppo city, US secretary of state John Kerry on Monday urged Russia to "restrain" itself and its ally in Damascus from "offensive operations." (AFP)

US President Obama says not confident Putin can be trusted to cooperate in Syria

Rebel shelling into government-held parts of Syria&#39;s second city, Aleppo, killed at least 38 civilians today, a war monitor said, as Syrian government forces continued their offensive to completely encircle rebel-held parts of the city.

Those killed included 14 children and 13 women, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights conflict monitor said. 
 
Syrian government and allied forces advanced this week towards the only route into the opposition half of the city, the Castello Road. 
 
The Syrian military said it extended a 72-hour nationwide ceasefire that expired on Friday, July 8,&nbsp;for another 72 hours, state media reported today.

The military high command said in a statement reported by state media that &quot;a regime of calm will be extended for a period of 72 hours from one o&#39;clock on July 9.&quot;

Syrian forces are now 500-1000 metres away from the road, sources say, bringing the road within firing range and trapping between 250,000 and 300,000 people in opposition-held parts of Aleppo.

Aleppo, Syria&#39;s largest city before the war when it had more than 2 million people, has been divided for years into rebel and government sectors. Controlling all of it has been one of President Bashar al-Assad&#39;s biggest goals.

Heavy aerial and artillery bombardment had at times made the Castello Road impassable. But this week&#39;s advance brings government forces the closest so far to the road, making it even easier to hit.

The Observatory said air strikes and heavy shelling also hit rebel-held parts of Aleppo, killing at least five people.

Syrian state media put today&#39;s death toll from rebel-fire in Aleppo at about 40, with more than 300 injured. 
 
(Reuters)

Syrian military has extended the 72-hour nationwide ceasefire that expired on July 8

Rebel shelling into government-held parts of Syria's second city, Aleppo, killed at least 38 civilians today, a war monitor said, as Syrian government forces continued their offensive to completely encircle rebel-held parts of the city. Those killed included 14 children and 13 women, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights conflict monitor said. Syrian government and allied forces advanced this week towards the only route into the opposition half of the city, the Castello Road. The Syrian military said it extended a 72-hour nationwide ceasefire that expired on Friday, July 8, for another 72 hours, state media reported today. The military high command said in a statement reported by state media that "a regime of calm will be extended for a period of 72 hours from one o'clock on July 9." Syrian forces are now 500-1000 metres away from the road, sources say, bringing the road within firing range and trapping between 250,000 and 300,000 people in opposition-held parts of Aleppo. Aleppo, Syria's largest city before the war when it had more than 2 million people, has been divided for years into rebel and government sectors. Controlling all of it has been one of President Bashar al-Assad's biggest goals. Heavy aerial and artillery bombardment had at times made the Castello Road impassable. But this week's advance brings government forces the closest so far to the road, making it even easier to hit. The Observatory said air strikes and heavy shelling also hit rebel-held parts of Aleppo, killing at least five people. Syrian state media put today's death toll from rebel-fire in Aleppo at about 40, with more than 300 injured. (Reuters)

38 civilians killed in rebel fire on government-held part of Syria's Aleppo

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad joined Eid al-Fitr prayers at a mosque in the country&#39;s third-largest city, Homs, on Wednesday in a rare public appearance outside the capital for the end-of-Ramadan holiday. 
 
Large parts of Homs were once under the control of rebels fighting to overthrow Assad&#39;s regime but since May 2014 they have been confined to a single besieged neighbourhood in the city&#39;s outskirts. 
 
The Al-Safa mosque, where Assad joined worshippers, is in Akrama, a loyalist neighbourhood which has been hit by repeated attacks by the Islamic State group and its jihadist rival Al-Qaeda. 
 
State television broadcast footage of the president in the congregation alongside Islamic Endowments Minister Mohammad Abdel-Sattar Sayyed and Syria&#39;s top Muslim cleric Ahmad Badredine Hassoun. 
 
Since the civil war erupted in 2011, Assad has made only rare public appearances and nearly all of those have been in Damascus. 
 
(AFP)

Since the civil war erupted in 2011, Assad has made only rare public appearances and nearly all of those have been in Damascus

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad joined Eid al-Fitr prayers at a mosque in the country's third-largest city, Homs, on Wednesday in a rare public appearance outside the capital for the end-of-Ramadan holiday. Large parts of Homs were once under the control of rebels fighting to overthrow Assad's regime but since May 2014 they have been confined to a single besieged neighbourhood in the city's outskirts. The Al-Safa mosque, where Assad joined worshippers, is in Akrama, a loyalist neighbourhood which has been hit by repeated attacks by the Islamic State group and its jihadist rival Al-Qaeda. State television broadcast footage of the president in the congregation alongside Islamic Endowments Minister Mohammad Abdel-Sattar Sayyed and Syria's top Muslim cleric Ahmad Badredine Hassoun. Since the civil war erupted in 2011, Assad has made only rare public appearances and nearly all of those have been in Damascus. (AFP)

Syria's Assad makes rare appearance outside capital for Eid

At least seven people died in rebel shelling of a neighbourhood of the Syrian city of Aleppo held by the Kurdish YPG militia at dawn on Saturday, a monitoring group said, as rebels took territory to the south. 
 
More than 40 people were also wounded in the attack on the Sheikh Maqsood area, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, a district next to the only way in and out of rebel-held parts of the northern city, the Castello road. 
 
An escalation in air and artillery strikes in recent weeks around the road has made it virtually impassable, putting hundreds of thousands of people in Aleppo under effective siege. 
 
Hundreds of people have been killed in Aleppo since peace talks broke off in April, as Syria&#39;s President Bashar al-Assad seeks to regain control of what was Syria&#39;s largest pre-war city, now split between rebel and government sectors. 
 
Rebels have said in the past their attacks on Sheikh Maqsood were in response to YPG&#39;s attempts to cut the Castello road. 
 
The YPG controls nearly all of Syria&#39;s northern frontier with Turkey and has been a close ally of the United States in the campaign against Islamic State in Syria. Many rebels in western Syria do not trust the YPG because they say it cooperates with Damascus rather than fighting it, an accusation the YPG has denied. 
 
Heavy Bombardment 
 
Sheikh Maqsood has been under intense bombardment since mid-February which has killed more than 132 civilians and injured around 900 more, the Observatory said. 
 
A 48-hour ceasefire in Aleppo announced by Russia on Thursday has had little impact on fighting and air strikes and shelling have continued in and around the city since then. 
 
Three people, two of them children, died and more than nine people were injured by barrel bombs dropped from helicopters in the city, the Observatory said on Saturday. 
 
The White Helmets, a group of civil defence emergency workers operating in rebel-held areas, said on Twitter one of their buildings in Haritan, in the north Aleppo countryside, was hit by an air strike on Saturday. There were no injuries. 
 
The Observatory also said on Saturday that rebels had captured three villages south of Aleppo from government control - Zeitan, Khalsa and Barna - causing significant losses among government forces and their allies. 
 
The villages are near a main highway within rebel territory linking Aleppo with the capital Damascus to the south. They lie in an area captured by government forces at the end of last year in a large offensive assisted by Iranian-backed militias and Russian air power. 
 
But the Syrian Observatory said there has been a lack of Russian air support during this week&#39;s battle for these villages. 
 
At least 86 members of Syrian government forces and its allies - who include members of the Lebanese group Hezbollah and other Iranian-backed militias - were killed in fighting in the south Aleppo area in the past four days, the Observatory said. 
 
The numbers could not be independently confirmed. 
 
The rebels are fighting alongside the al Qaeda-affiliated Nusra Front which, like Islamic State, was excluded from a February ceasefire and from the Geneva peace talks. 
(Reuters)

More than 40 were also wounded, in an escalation of air and artillery attacks that have put hundreds of thousands effectively under siege

At least seven people died in rebel shelling of a neighbourhood of the Syrian city of Aleppo held by the Kurdish YPG militia at dawn on Saturday, a monitoring group said, as rebels took territory to the south. More than 40 people were also wounded in the attack on the Sheikh Maqsood area, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, a district next to the only way in and out of rebel-held parts of the northern city, the Castello road. An escalation in air and artillery strikes in recent weeks around the road has made it virtually impassable, putting hundreds of thousands of people in Aleppo under effective siege. Hundreds of people have been killed in Aleppo since peace talks broke off in April, as Syria's President Bashar al-Assad seeks to regain control of what was Syria's largest pre-war city, now split between rebel and government sectors. Rebels have said in the past their attacks on Sheikh Maqsood were in response to YPG's attempts to cut the Castello road. The YPG controls nearly all of Syria's northern frontier with Turkey and has been a close ally of the United States in the campaign against Islamic State in Syria. Many rebels in western Syria do not trust the YPG because they say it cooperates with Damascus rather than fighting it, an accusation the YPG has denied. Heavy Bombardment Sheikh Maqsood has been under intense bombardment since mid-February which has killed more than 132 civilians and injured around 900 more, the Observatory said. A 48-hour ceasefire in Aleppo announced by Russia on Thursday has had little impact on fighting and air strikes and shelling have continued in and around the city since then. Three people, two of them children, died and more than nine people were injured by barrel bombs dropped from helicopters in the city, the Observatory said on Saturday. The White Helmets, a group of civil defence emergency workers operating in rebel-held areas, said on Twitter one of their buildings in Haritan, in the north Aleppo countryside, was hit by an air strike on Saturday. There were no injuries. The Observatory also said on Saturday that rebels had captured three villages south of Aleppo from government control - Zeitan, Khalsa and Barna - causing significant losses among government forces and their allies. The villages are near a main highway within rebel territory linking Aleppo with the capital Damascus to the south. They lie in an area captured by government forces at the end of last year in a large offensive assisted by Iranian-backed militias and Russian air power. But the Syrian Observatory said there has been a lack of Russian air support during this week's battle for these villages. At least 86 members of Syrian government forces and its allies - who include members of the Lebanese group Hezbollah and other Iranian-backed militias - were killed in fighting in the south Aleppo area in the past four days, the Observatory said. The numbers could not be independently confirmed. The rebels are fighting alongside the al Qaeda-affiliated Nusra Front which, like Islamic State, was excluded from a February ceasefire and from the Geneva peace talks. (Reuters)

Syria rebels kill 7 in Aleppo assault, capture 3 villages

Islamic State militants claimed responsibility for car and suicide bomb blasts that killed at least eight people and injured scores in a suburb of the Syrian capital Damascus today, the IS-affiliated Amaq news agency said. 
 
The Sayeda Zeinab suburb contains Syria&#39;s holiest Shiite shrine and is a base for Shiite militant groups from Lebanon and Iraq who are on the side of President Bashar al-Assad in the country&#39;s five-year-old civil war.

Amaq news agency said that in today&#39;s attack, militants detonated an explosives-laden car in Sayeda Zeinab while two suicide bombers blew themselves up nearby. Syrian state media showed footage of wide-scale damage in a busy marketplace.

A Shiite religious cleric said on the state-run Ikhbariyah TV channel that the car bomb blast was not far from the shrine area in the main al-Taen street.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, however, said the death toll was at least nine. The heavily garrisoned area is a well known stronghold of Lebanon&#39;s powerful Shiite Hezbollah group, a major backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Thousands of Iraqi and Afghan Shiite militia recruits, who volunteer to fight against the Sunni rebel groups trying to bring down Assad&#39;s government, normally come to the area before being sent to frontlines across Syria.

They say they come to Syria to defend the Sayeda Zeinab shrine from radical Sunni extremists.

The Sayeda Zeinab suburb contains Syria's holiest Shiite shrine and is a base for Shiite militant groups from Lebanon and Iraq

Islamic State militants claimed responsibility for car and suicide bomb blasts that killed at least eight people and injured scores in a suburb of the Syrian capital Damascus today, the IS-affiliated Amaq news agency said. The Sayeda Zeinab suburb contains Syria's holiest Shiite shrine and is a base for Shiite militant groups from Lebanon and Iraq who are on the side of President Bashar al-Assad in the country's five-year-old civil war. Amaq news agency said that in today's attack, militants detonated an explosives-laden car in Sayeda Zeinab while two suicide bombers blew themselves up nearby. Syrian state media showed footage of wide-scale damage in a busy marketplace. A Shiite religious cleric said on the state-run Ikhbariyah TV channel that the car bomb blast was not far from the shrine area in the main al-Taen street. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, however, said the death toll was at least nine. The heavily garrisoned area is a well known stronghold of Lebanon's powerful Shiite Hezbollah group, a major backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Thousands of Iraqi and Afghan Shiite militia recruits, who volunteer to fight against the Sunni rebel groups trying to bring down Assad's government, normally come to the area before being sent to frontlines across Syria. They say they come to Syria to defend the Sayeda Zeinab shrine from radical Sunni extremists.

Islamic State claims responsibility for bombings near Damascus Shiite shrine

At least eight people were killed and scores wounded in twin suicide and car bomb blasts today in a Damascus suburb that contains Syria&#39;s holiest Shiite Muslim shrine, state television said. 
 
State media, which flashed the news, did not give further details about the bombings in the Sayeda Zeinab area, where at least three bomb attacks claimed by Islamic State militants have killed and injured scores of people this year. 
 
A Shiite religious cleric said on the state-run Ikhbariyah TV channel that the car bomb blast was not far from the shrine area in the main al-Taen street. 
 
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, however, said the death toll was at least nine. The heavily garrisoned area is a well known stronghold of Lebanon&#39;s powerful Shiite Hezbollah group, a major backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. 
 
Thousands of Iraqi and Afghan Shiite militia recruits, who volunteer to fight against the Sunni rebel groups trying to bring down Assad&#39;s government, normally come to the area before being sent to frontlines across Syria. 
 
They say they come to Syria to defend the Sayeda Zeinab shrine from radical Sunni extremists.

A Shiite religious cleric was quoted saying that the car bomb blast was not far from the shrine area in main al-Taen street

At least eight people were killed and scores wounded in twin suicide and car bomb blasts today in a Damascus suburb that contains Syria's holiest Shiite Muslim shrine, state television said. State media, which flashed the news, did not give further details about the bombings in the Sayeda Zeinab area, where at least three bomb attacks claimed by Islamic State militants have killed and injured scores of people this year. A Shiite religious cleric said on the state-run Ikhbariyah TV channel that the car bomb blast was not far from the shrine area in the main al-Taen street. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, however, said the death toll was at least nine. The heavily garrisoned area is a well known stronghold of Lebanon's powerful Shiite Hezbollah group, a major backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Thousands of Iraqi and Afghan Shiite militia recruits, who volunteer to fight against the Sunni rebel groups trying to bring down Assad's government, normally come to the area before being sent to frontlines across Syria. They say they come to Syria to defend the Sayeda Zeinab shrine from radical Sunni extremists.

Suicide, car bomb blasts hit Damascus suburb, at least 8 dead, says Syrian state media

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Suicide, car bomb blasts hit Damascus suburb, at least 8 dead, says Syrian state media