Iraqi forces launched the multi-pronged &quot;second phase&quot; of the battle to retake eastern Mosul from jihadists today, a top commander said.

Iraqi forces punched into eastern Mosul after the massive operation to recapture the northern city from the Islamic State (IS) group was launched on October 17, but progress slowed to a crawl.

&quot;The second phase of liberating the left bank in Mosul was launched, and our forces began advancing toward Al-Quds neighbourhood,&quot; Staff Lieutenant General Abdulghani al-Assadi, a senior officer in Iraq&#39;s Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS), told AFP.

Mosul, now the last Iraqi city in which IS still holds significant territory, is split by the Tigris River, with the east side referred to as the left bank and the west as the right.

&quot;Now our forces clashed with the enemy and there is resistance,&quot; he said, adding that forces on the northern and southern fronts were also advancing.

Iraqi forces north and south of Mosul had so far remained outside the city, with the brunt of the fighting inside it being carried out by the CTS.

IS overran large areas north and west of Baghdad in 2014, but Iraqi forces backed by US-led air strikes have since regained much of the territory they lost to the jihadists.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi had pledged that Mosul would be recaptured by year&#39;s end -- a goal that is now out of reach, as operations in western Mosul have yet to begin.

Abadi also said earlier this week that three months were needed to eliminate IS in Iraq.

(AFP)

Iraq's prime minister said Islamic State would be out of the country by year's end, but this week said it would take another three months

Iraqi forces launched the multi-pronged "second phase" of the battle to retake eastern Mosul from jihadists today, a top commander said. Iraqi forces punched into eastern Mosul after the massive operation to recapture the northern city from the Islamic State (IS) group was launched on October 17, but progress slowed to a crawl. "The second phase of liberating the left bank in Mosul was launched, and our forces began advancing toward Al-Quds neighbourhood," Staff Lieutenant General Abdulghani al-Assadi, a senior officer in Iraq's Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS), told AFP. Mosul, now the last Iraqi city in which IS still holds significant territory, is split by the Tigris River, with the east side referred to as the left bank and the west as the right. "Now our forces clashed with the enemy and there is resistance," he said, adding that forces on the northern and southern fronts were also advancing. Iraqi forces north and south of Mosul had so far remained outside the city, with the brunt of the fighting inside it being carried out by the CTS. IS overran large areas north and west of Baghdad in 2014, but Iraqi forces backed by US-led air strikes have since regained much of the territory they lost to the jihadists. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi had pledged that Mosul would be recaptured by year's end -- a goal that is now out of reach, as operations in western Mosul have yet to begin. Abadi also said earlier this week that three months were needed to eliminate IS in Iraq. (AFP)

Iraq forces launch 'second phase' of east Mosul battle

Air strikes carried out by unidentified aircraft killed at least 22 civilians, including 10 children, in a village held by the Islamic State group in eastern Syria, a monitor said Wednesday.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the civilians were from two families at Hojna in Deir Ezzor, which borders Iraq and is the country&#39;s second biggest province after Homs.

The oil-rich province of Deir Ezzor is almost totally under IS control and has been regularly targeted by a US-led military coalition.

The only part of the eastern province outside of IS control is its capital, which is also named Deir Ezzor and is held by forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

IS has carried out a series of attacks across Europe and has been targeted by military offensives on several fronts in Syria and Iraq, where it declared an Islamic &#39;caliphate&#39;&nbsp;in 2014.

In Syria, IS is targeted by warplanes of the US-led coalition as well as Turkey, the Syrian regime and its ally Russia in the northern province of Aleppo, Deir Ezzor and its stronghold of Raqa.

(AFP)

Monitors said civilians were from two families at Hojna in Deir Ezzor, Syria's second largest province

Air strikes carried out by unidentified aircraft killed at least 22 civilians, including 10 children, in a village held by the Islamic State group in eastern Syria, a monitor said Wednesday. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the civilians were from two families at Hojna in Deir Ezzor, which borders Iraq and is the country's second biggest province after Homs. The oil-rich province of Deir Ezzor is almost totally under IS control and has been regularly targeted by a US-led military coalition. The only part of the eastern province outside of IS control is its capital, which is also named Deir Ezzor and is held by forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. IS has carried out a series of attacks across Europe and has been targeted by military offensives on several fronts in Syria and Iraq, where it declared an Islamic 'caliphate' in 2014. In Syria, IS is targeted by warplanes of the US-led coalition as well as Turkey, the Syrian regime and its ally Russia in the northern province of Aleppo, Deir Ezzor and its stronghold of Raqa. (AFP)

Air strikes in eastern Syria claim 22 lives, says monitor

&quot;We reached a point where we are nearly forced to swear we exist. We exist, I swear,&rdquo; quips&nbsp;Yassin al Haj Saleh, a Syrian writer and dissident now living in exile in Turkey. One can&#39;t miss the bitter laugh that he breaks into.

&nbsp;&ldquo;Our struggle is not new. We have been fighting the Assads since two generations. I was arrested as a young man during my university years and I have spent 16 years in jail. We have always refused to be humiliated, to be treated as second-class human beings. And&nbsp;we paid for this. We have been tortured and many of us are forced to live in exile,&rdquo; he goes on.

&nbsp;&ldquo;For the first two years of&nbsp;protests in Syria, we were part of&nbsp;those peaceful demonstrations. We created coordinating committees, it is because of us that people took to the streets. Secular organisations are still present&nbsp;but they have been sidelined by the war.&rdquo;

&nbsp;Yassin is a native of Raqqah, the current capital city of the Islamic State. He is part of the leftwing secular section of the Syrian society who started demonstrating against President Bashar Al Assad in 2011, asking for greater&nbsp;democracy and more freedom. His wife Samira Khalil is also a political dissident and is missing since December 2013&nbsp;when a group of Islamists abducted her along with human right activists Razan Zaitouneh, Wael Hamada and Nazem Hammadi. &ldquo;Samira was my beloved and also my assistant and our destiny, along with the one of our friends, represents the tragedy of being Syrian today and&nbsp;living in a society built on political genocide.&rdquo;&nbsp;

The mainstream narrative seems to have forgotten the role of secular and pro-democracy moderate groups in the Syrian uprising. The narrative is now majorly flattered on the war on terror: sovereign nations on one side and the Islamic State and Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, formerly al-Nusra, the Syrian branch of Al Qaeda on the other. There is no space for liberal, progressive, pro-democracy dissidents who risk&nbsp;being labelled&nbsp;terrorists. &nbsp;&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
2012 is when the situation started getting militarised in Syria. More and more weapons started arriving&nbsp;on the streets&nbsp;on both&nbsp;sides. The main armed anti-Assad group, the Free Syrian Army where many former military personnel fight, was involved in a fullscale fight against regular troops. It was a civil war, Syrians against Syrians.&nbsp;

In this environment, terrorist organisations started gaining ground. &ldquo;Since August 2011, Syrians asked for international protection&nbsp;but nothing happened. Day by day, people started feeling&nbsp;they were left to their fate. We felt left alone, without any protection,&rdquo; recalls Yassin but &ldquo;nobody wanted to passively suffer another Hama massacre.&rdquo; &nbsp;&nbsp;

He refers to what happened in the city of Hama in 1982. Under the order of then president Hafez Al Assad, the Syrian Army attacked the town to stop an uprising by the Muslim Brotherhood, killing thousands of citizens.&nbsp;

Frustration, mistrust, anger and constant war served as lifeline for hardline Islamists. &ldquo;These organisations are nihilist, they want to destroy everything in the world who is against them. They are a minority, but they have a lot of visibility. It is the dynamic of the production of the &lsquo;desired enemy&rsquo; and it helped the regime and its allies: you need terrorists to justify the war on terror,&rdquo; says Yassin.&nbsp;

The 2013 open intervention of Lebanese Hezbollah forces played an important role and started a new phase of the Syrian crisis&nbsp;which started to be increasingly described as a conflict between Shia countries against Sunni radical groups. &nbsp;

&ldquo;Sectarianism is a strategy of control: it is the old &lsquo;divide and rule&rsquo; colonial principle. It is one of the ways elites used to stay in power,&rdquo; says Yassin. &ldquo;If Kurds do not like Arabs who do not trust Christians who are suspicious of Muslims or Sunnis do not like Shias and so on, a regime becomes the solution instead of the problem. As long as you rely on sectarianism, you can stay in power forever. The war in Syria has nothing to do with primordial identities or religion, the regime just wants power and resources. Their project is to stay in power forever.&rdquo; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Sectarianism in West&nbsp;Asia&#39;s societies is a dangerous element, often used in an opportunistic way to hide political and economic interests. Iran and Saudi Arabia are valuable examples of this strategy. Tehran openly funds Shia paramilitary groups fighting both in Iraq and Syria with the aim of protecting Shiite&nbsp;followers and shrines from Sunni terrorists&nbsp;but this is also a way to expand their regional influence. Saudi Arabia plays the same game and funds Salafi organisations in order to penetrate societies and expand its influence.&nbsp;

&ldquo;When Russia stepped in, an imperialist phase of the war started,&rdquo; says Yassin. &ldquo;We (the leftwing) became invisible, we came to the point that our very existence was a controversial issue,&rdquo; says Yassin. &nbsp;

The US, who armed several anti-Assad groups since the very beginning without taking enough care of who they were, accused Russia of war crimes due to their heavy bombings. The Kremlin replied this is how they fight the terrorists Washington armed. &nbsp;

Five years of conflict have led to&nbsp;more than 4,00,000&nbsp;deaths, 13.5 million refugees, destroyed cities and have seen different countries involved.&nbsp;The Syrian civil war is not about Syria anymore. It has become a power struggle between regional and international actors who are fighting for&nbsp;political hegemony in&nbsp;West&nbsp;Asia.&nbsp;

&ldquo;We the people of Syria live in an impossible situation. We are attacked from every front, we are killed in hundreds of thousands, we are displaced in millions and we are blamed at the same time. We do not even have on our side the concept of sacrifice, of dying for a reason.&rdquo;&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

(WION)

He spent 16 years in jail for opposing Assad's father and is part of the secular left wing which organised the 2011 pro-democracy protests

"We reached a point where we are nearly forced to swear we exist. We exist, I swear,” quips Yassin al Haj Saleh, a Syrian writer and dissident now living in exile in Turkey. One can't miss the bitter laugh that he breaks into. “Our struggle is not new. We have been fighting the Assads since two generations. I was arrested as a young man during my university years and I have spent 16 years in jail. We have always refused to be humiliated, to be treated as second-class human beings. And we paid for this. We have been tortured and many of us are forced to live in exile,” he goes on. “For the first two years of protests in Syria, we were part of those peaceful demonstrations. We created coordinating committees, it is because of us that people took to the streets. Secular organisations are still present but they have been sidelined by the war.” Yassin is a native of Raqqah, the current capital city of the Islamic State. He is part of the leftwing secular section of the Syrian society who started demonstrating against President Bashar Al Assad in 2011, asking for greater democracy and more freedom. His wife Samira Khalil is also a political dissident and is missing since December 2013 when a group of Islamists abducted her along with human right activists Razan Zaitouneh, Wael Hamada and Nazem Hammadi. “Samira was my beloved and also my assistant and our destiny, along with the one of our friends, represents the tragedy of being Syrian today and living in a society built on political genocide.” The mainstream narrative seems to have forgotten the role of secular and pro-democracy moderate groups in the Syrian uprising. The narrative is now majorly flattered on the war on terror: sovereign nations on one side and the Islamic State and Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, formerly al-Nusra, the Syrian branch of Al Qaeda on the other. There is no space for liberal, progressive, pro-democracy dissidents who risk being labelled terrorists. 2012 is when the situation started getting militarised in Syria. More and more weapons started arriving on the streets on both sides. The main armed anti-Assad group, the Free Syrian Army where many former military personnel fight, was involved in a fullscale fight against regular troops. It was a civil war, Syrians against Syrians. In this environment, terrorist organisations started gaining ground. “Since August 2011, Syrians asked for international protection but nothing happened. Day by day, people started feeling they were left to their fate. We felt left alone, without any protection,” recalls Yassin but “nobody wanted to passively suffer another Hama massacre.” He refers to what happened in the city of Hama in 1982. Under the order of then president Hafez Al Assad, the Syrian Army attacked the town to stop an uprising by the Muslim Brotherhood, killing thousands of citizens. Frustration, mistrust, anger and constant war served as lifeline for hardline Islamists. “These organisations are nihilist, they want to destroy everything in the world who is against them. They are a minority, but they have a lot of visibility. It is the dynamic of the production of the ‘desired enemy’ and it helped the regime and its allies: you need terrorists to justify the war on terror,” says Yassin. The 2013 open intervention of Lebanese Hezbollah forces played an important role and started a new phase of the Syrian crisis which started to be increasingly described as a conflict between Shia countries against Sunni radical groups. “Sectarianism is a strategy of control: it is the old ‘divide and rule’ colonial principle. It is one of the ways elites used to stay in power,” says Yassin. “If Kurds do not like Arabs who do not trust Christians who are suspicious of Muslims or Sunnis do not like Shias and so on, a regime becomes the solution instead of the problem. As long as you rely on sectarianism, you can stay in power forever. The war in Syria has nothing to do with primordial identities or religion, the regime just wants power and resources. Their project is to stay in power forever.” Sectarianism in West Asia's societies is a dangerous element, often used in an opportunistic way to hide political and economic interests. Iran and Saudi Arabia are valuable examples of this strategy. Tehran openly funds Shia paramilitary groups fighting both in Iraq and Syria with the aim of protecting Shiite followers and shrines from Sunni terrorists but this is also a way to expand their regional influence. Saudi Arabia plays the same game and funds Salafi organisations in order to penetrate societies and expand its influence. “When Russia stepped in, an imperialist phase of the war started,” says Yassin. “We (the leftwing) became invisible, we came to the point that our very existence was a controversial issue,” says Yassin. The US, who armed several anti-Assad groups since the very beginning without taking enough care of who they were, accused Russia of war crimes due to their heavy bombings. The Kremlin replied this is how they fight the terrorists Washington armed. Five years of conflict have led to more than 4,00,000 deaths, 13.5 million refugees, destroyed cities and have seen different countries involved. The Syrian civil war is not about Syria anymore. It has become a power struggle between regional and international actors who are fighting for political hegemony in West Asia. “We the people of Syria live in an impossible situation. We are attacked from every front, we are killed in hundreds of thousands, we are displaced in millions and we are blamed at the same time. We do not even have on our side the concept of sacrifice, of dying for a reason.” (WION)

Exclusive: Syrians living a political genocide, says writer and dissident Yassin al-Haj Saleh

Iraqi forces will resume their push against Islamic State inside Mosul in the coming days, a US&nbsp;battlefield commander said, in a new phase of the two-month-old operation that will see American troops deployed closer to the front line in the city.

The battle for Mosul, involving 100,000 Iraqi troops, members of the Kurdish security forces and Shi&#39;ite militiamen, is the biggest ground operation in Iraq since the US-led invasion of 2003. The upcoming phase appears likely to give American troops their biggest combat role since they fulfilled President Barack Obama&#39;s pledge to withdraw from Iraq in 2011.

Elite Iraqi soldiers have retaken a quarter of Mosul, the jihadists&#39; last major stronghold in Iraq, but their advance has been slow and punishing. They entered a planned &quot;operational refit&quot; this month, the first significant pause of the campaign.

A heavily armoured unit of several thousand federal police was redeployed from the southern outskirts two weeks ago to reinforce the eastern front after army units advised by the Americans suffered heavy losses in an Islamic State counter-attack.

US&nbsp;advisers, part of an international coalition that has conducted thousands of air strikes and trained tens of thousands of Iraqi ground troops, will work directly with those forces and an elite Interior Ministry strike force.

&quot;Right now we&#39;re staging really for the next phase of the attack as we start the penetration into the interior of east Mosul,&quot; Lieutenant Colonel Stuart James, commander of a combat arms battalion assisting Iraqi security forces on the southeastern front, said in a Reuters interview late on Sunday.

&quot;So right now, positioning forces and positioning men and equipment into the interior of east Mosul...it&#39;s going to happen in the next several days.&quot;

That will put US&nbsp;troops inside of Mosul proper and at greater risk, though James said the danger level was still characterised as &quot;moderate&quot;. Three US&nbsp;servicemen have been killed in northern Iraq in the past 15 months.

James, speaking from an austere outpost east of Mosul where several hundred US&nbsp;troops are stationed, said the pace of the upcoming phase on the eastern side would depend on resistance from Islamic State, also known as ISIS, ISIL or Daesh.

&quot;If we achieve great success on the first day and we gain momentum, then it may go very quickly. If Daesh fights very hard the first day and we run into a roadblock and we have to go back and go OK that was not the correct point of penetration, it may take longer,&quot; he said.

&nbsp;

Integration

Further integration with the Iraqi troops - to what commanders described as an unprecedented level for conventional US&nbsp;forces - will help synchronise surveillance, air support and force movement, according to James.

&quot;It increases our situational understanding. The man on the ground knows what&#39;s going on best,&quot; he said. &quot;It&#39;s just better when they&#39;re on the ground talking to each other and saying, &#39;Hey, have you looked at that area over there? That&#39;s decisive terrain. Have you thought about putting forces there?&#39;&quot;

Mosul, the largest city held by Islamic State anywhere across its once vast territorial holdings in Iraq and neighbouring Syria, has been held by the group since its fighters drove the US-trained army out in June 2014.

Its fall would probably end Islamic State&#39;s ambition to rule over millions of people in a self-styled caliphate, but the fighters could still mount a traditional insurgency in Iraq, and plot or inspire attacks on the West.

A multi-ethnic city where up to 1.5 million people of a pre-war population of around two&nbsp;million are still thought to be living, Mosul is divided roughly in half by the Tigris River. The western section, which Iraqi forces have yet to penetrate, has built-up markets and ancient narrow alleyways which will complicate future advances.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi had said he would win Mosul back by the end of this year, a deadline now certain to be missed. His commanders say their advance was held up by the need to protect civilians, fewer of whom fled than initially expected.

Inclement weather has repeatedly delayed ground advances which rely heavily on aerial surveillance and air strikes.

(Reuters)

Mosul's fall would probably end Islamic State's ambition to rule over millions of people in a self-styled caliphate

Iraqi forces will resume their push against Islamic State inside Mosul in the coming days, a US battlefield commander said, in a new phase of the two-month-old operation that will see American troops deployed closer to the front line in the city. The battle for Mosul, involving 100,000 Iraqi troops, members of the Kurdish security forces and Shi'ite militiamen, is the biggest ground operation in Iraq since the US-led invasion of 2003. The upcoming phase appears likely to give American troops their biggest combat role since they fulfilled President Barack Obama's pledge to withdraw from Iraq in 2011. Elite Iraqi soldiers have retaken a quarter of Mosul, the jihadists' last major stronghold in Iraq, but their advance has been slow and punishing. They entered a planned "operational refit" this month, the first significant pause of the campaign. A heavily armoured unit of several thousand federal police was redeployed from the southern outskirts two weeks ago to reinforce the eastern front after army units advised by the Americans suffered heavy losses in an Islamic State counter-attack. US advisers, part of an international coalition that has conducted thousands of air strikes and trained tens of thousands of Iraqi ground troops, will work directly with those forces and an elite Interior Ministry strike force. "Right now we're staging really for the next phase of the attack as we start the penetration into the interior of east Mosul," Lieutenant Colonel Stuart James, commander of a combat arms battalion assisting Iraqi security forces on the southeastern front, said in a Reuters interview late on Sunday. "So right now, positioning forces and positioning men and equipment into the interior of east Mosul...it's going to happen in the next several days." That will put US troops inside of Mosul proper and at greater risk, though James said the danger level was still characterised as "moderate". Three US servicemen have been killed in northern Iraq in the past 15 months. James, speaking from an austere outpost east of Mosul where several hundred US troops are stationed, said the pace of the upcoming phase on the eastern side would depend on resistance from Islamic State, also known as ISIS, ISIL or Daesh. "If we achieve great success on the first day and we gain momentum, then it may go very quickly. If Daesh fights very hard the first day and we run into a roadblock and we have to go back and go OK that was not the correct point of penetration, it may take longer," he said. Integration Further integration with the Iraqi troops - to what commanders described as an unprecedented level for conventional US forces - will help synchronise surveillance, air support and force movement, according to James. "It increases our situational understanding. The man on the ground knows what's going on best," he said. "It's just better when they're on the ground talking to each other and saying, 'Hey, have you looked at that area over there? That's decisive terrain. Have you thought about putting forces there?'" Mosul, the largest city held by Islamic State anywhere across its once vast territorial holdings in Iraq and neighbouring Syria, has been held by the group since its fighters drove the US-trained army out in June 2014. Its fall would probably end Islamic State's ambition to rule over millions of people in a self-styled caliphate, but the fighters could still mount a traditional insurgency in Iraq, and plot or inspire attacks on the West. A multi-ethnic city where up to 1.5 million people of a pre-war population of around two million are still thought to be living, Mosul is divided roughly in half by the Tigris River. The western section, which Iraqi forces have yet to penetrate, has built-up markets and ancient narrow alleyways which will complicate future advances. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi had said he would win Mosul back by the end of this year, a deadline now certain to be missed. His commanders say their advance was held up by the need to protect civilians, fewer of whom fled than initially expected. Inclement weather has repeatedly delayed ground advances which rely heavily on aerial surveillance and air strikes. (Reuters)

Iraqi forces to advance on IS in east Mosul within days: US commander

US federal authorities warned local law enforcement authorities across the US on Friday that supporters of the Islamic State have been calling upon their sympathisers to attack holiday gatherings, including churches, a law enforcement official said.

Though no specific threat has been issued, a pro-Islamic State group has published a list of churches, that can be potential targets across the US on its websites, Reuters reported.

Immediately after the warning was issued, President-elect Donald Trump raised the topic of the recent Berlin Christmas market attack and urged the world to combat the Islamic State group.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb">
The terrorist who killed so many people in Germany said just before crime, &quot;by God&#39;s will we will slaughter you pigs, I swear, we will......
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/812406855469252608">23 December 2016</a></blockquote>
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slaughter you. This is a purely religious threat, which turned into reality. Such hatred! When will the U.S., and all countries, fight back?
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/812408189492797442">23 December 2016</a></blockquote>
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A retired FBI officer said&nbsp;the warning from national security officials is&nbsp;just a precaution, but one that local law enforcement agencies take seriously.

FBI spokesman Andrew Ames said in a statement, &quot;The FBI is aware of the recent link published online that urges attacks against US&nbsp;churches. As with similar threats, the FBI is tracking this matter while we investigate its credibility.&quot;

The warning came just days after Monday&#39;s attack at a Christmas market in Berlin that left 12 dead and 56 injured.

The notice was issued after a publicly-available list of US?churches that were potential targets was published on pro-Islamic State websites

US federal authorities warned local law enforcement authorities across the US on Friday that supporters of the Islamic State have been calling upon their sympathisers to attack holiday gatherings, including churches, a law enforcement official said. Though no specific threat has been issued, a pro-Islamic State group has published a list of churches, that can be potential targets across the US on its websites, Reuters reported. Immediately after the warning was issued, President-elect Donald Trump raised the topic of the recent Berlin Christmas market attack and urged the world to combat the Islamic State group. The terrorist who killed so many people in Germany said just before crime, "by God's will we will slaughter you pigs, I swear, we will...... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 23 December 2016 × slaughter you. This is a purely religious threat, which turned into reality. Such hatred! When will the U.S., and all countries, fight back? — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 23 December 2016 × A retired FBI officer said the warning from national security officials is just a precaution, but one that local law enforcement agencies take seriously. FBI spokesman Andrew Ames said in a statement, "The FBI is aware of the recent link published online that urges attacks against US churches. As with similar threats, the FBI is tracking this matter while we investigate its credibility." The warning came just days after Monday's attack at a Christmas market in Berlin that left 12 dead and 56 injured.

FBI warns of possible IS-inspired attacks across US

At least 88 civilians have been killed in 24 hours of Turkish air strikes on an Islamic State group bastion in northern Syria, a monitoring group said on Friday.

A barrage of raids hit Al-Bab on Thursday, killing 72 civilians including 21 children, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.&nbsp;

Bombardment continued on Friday, leaving another 16 civilians dead, including three children.

&quot;Eighty-eight civilians have been killed in 24 hours,&quot; Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP.&nbsp;

He said it was the bloodiest attack by Turkish forces that his monitoring group had recorded since Ankara began its intervention in Syria in late August.&nbsp;The Observatory says it determines whose planes carry out raids according to their type, location, flight patterns and the munitions involved.

Turkish forces and their Syrian rebel allies have been seeking to capture Al-Bab, about 25 kilometres (15 miles) from the northern Syrian border, for weeks.&nbsp;

On Thursday, IS released a video purportedly showing two captured Turkish soldiers being burned alive, after Ankara vowed to respond to 16 of its troops being killed in the fight against the jihadist group.&nbsp;

Turkish troops entered Syria on August 24 in support of pro-Ankara Syrian rebels, with the aim of ousting IS jihadists as well as Kurdish militia from the border area.

Turkish forces regularly carry out air strikes in support of the ground operation in Syria, but officials insist that the utmost is done to avoid civilian casualties.

(AFP)

A barrage of raids hit Al-Bab on Thursday, killing 72 civilians including 21 children, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights

At least 88 civilians have been killed in 24 hours of Turkish air strikes on an Islamic State group bastion in northern Syria, a monitoring group said on Friday. A barrage of raids hit Al-Bab on Thursday, killing 72 civilians including 21 children, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Bombardment continued on Friday, leaving another 16 civilians dead, including three children. "Eighty-eight civilians have been killed in 24 hours," Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP. He said it was the bloodiest attack by Turkish forces that his monitoring group had recorded since Ankara began its intervention in Syria in late August. The Observatory says it determines whose planes carry out raids according to their type, location, flight patterns and the munitions involved. Turkish forces and their Syrian rebel allies have been seeking to capture Al-Bab, about 25 kilometres (15 miles) from the northern Syrian border, for weeks. On Thursday, IS released a video purportedly showing two captured Turkish soldiers being burned alive, after Ankara vowed to respond to 16 of its troops being killed in the fight against the jihadist group. Turkish troops entered Syria on August 24 in support of pro-Ankara Syrian rebels, with the aim of ousting IS jihadists as well as Kurdish militia from the border area. Turkish forces regularly carry out air strikes in support of the ground operation in Syria, but officials insist that the utmost is done to avoid civilian casualties. (AFP)

88 killed in last 24 hours of Turkish raids on IS-held Syria town: Monitor

At least 29 civilians including eight children were killed on Thursday in Turkish air strikes on an Islamic State group bastion in northern Syria, a monitoring group said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the strikes were carried out on the flashpoint town of Al-Bab, which Turkish forces have been seeking to capture for weeks in the biggest test of a four-month incursion into Syria.

The raids came a day after 14 Turkish soldiers were killed by jihadists around Al-Bab, in the country`s biggest loss of the campaign so far.

Turkish troops entered Syria on August 24 in support of pro-Ankara Syrian rebels, with the aim of ousting IS jihadists as well as Kurdish militia from the border area.

Turkish forces regularly carry our air strikes in support of the ground operation in Syria but officials insist the utmost is done to avoid any civilian casualties.

Defence Minister Fikri Isik told parliament on Thursday that 1,005 IS jihadists and 299 fighters affiliated to the Kurdish People`s Protection Units (YPG) had been killed so far in the Syria operation, but made no mention of any civilian casualties.

Prime Minister Binali Yildirim vowed Thursday to press on with the fight, saying: &quot;Turkey is in the midst of a great struggle,our fight against terror continues both in our country and outside our borders.&quot;

The army has suffered increasing casualties in the fight for Al-Bab, 25 kilometres (15 miles) from the border -- with some three dozen soldiers believed to have been killed so far.

&nbsp;

(AFP)

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the strikes were carried out on the flashpoint town of Al-Bab

At least 29 civilians including eight children were killed on Thursday in Turkish air strikes on an Islamic State group bastion in northern Syria, a monitoring group said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the strikes were carried out on the flashpoint town of Al-Bab, which Turkish forces have been seeking to capture for weeks in the biggest test of a four-month incursion into Syria. The raids came a day after 14 Turkish soldiers were killed by jihadists around Al-Bab, in the country`s biggest loss of the campaign so far. Turkish troops entered Syria on August 24 in support of pro-Ankara Syrian rebels, with the aim of ousting IS jihadists as well as Kurdish militia from the border area. Turkish forces regularly carry our air strikes in support of the ground operation in Syria but officials insist the utmost is done to avoid any civilian casualties. Defence Minister Fikri Isik told parliament on Thursday that 1,005 IS jihadists and 299 fighters affiliated to the Kurdish People`s Protection Units (YPG) had been killed so far in the Syria operation, but made no mention of any civilian casualties. Prime Minister Binali Yildirim vowed Thursday to press on with the fight, saying: "Turkey is in the midst of a great struggle,our fight against terror continues both in our country and outside our borders." The army has suffered increasing casualties in the fight for Al-Bab, 25 kilometres (15 miles) from the border -- with some three dozen soldiers believed to have been killed so far. (AFP)

Turkish strikes on IS bastion in northern Syria kills 29 civilians: Monitor

The Islamic State group is &quot;indiscriminately&quot; attacking civilians who refused to retreat along with the jihadists in the Iraqi city of Mosul, Human Rights Watch said&nbsp;on Wednesday.

Iraqi forces launched a massive operation to retake the last IS-held city in Iraq more than two months ago, and have pushed the jihadists out of several neighbourhoods on Mosul&#39;s eastern side.

&quot;Fighters with the Islamic State (also known as ISIS) have indiscriminately attacked civilian areas in eastern Mosul with mortar rounds and explosives, and deliberately shot at fleeing residents,&quot; HRW said.

&quot;Residents said ISIS members told them in person, by radio, and over mosque loudspeakers that those who stayed behind were &#39;unbelievers&#39; and therefore valid targets along with the Iraqi and coalition forces,&quot; the rights group said.

But Iraqi and US-led coalition forces seeking to oust IS from Mosul are also responsible for endangering civilians, HRW said.

Some IS attacks occurred in places &quot;where Iraqi military forces had positioned soldiers inside homes or on residential rooftops in densely populated areas,&quot; it said.

And five witnesses described three separate strikes carried out by either Iraq or the coalition that targeted IS fighters but also killed civilians, HRW said.

IS overran large areas north and west of Baghdad beginning in June 2014, but Iraqi forces backed by the US-led coalition and Iran have since regained much of the territory they had lost.

(AFP)

The human rights body said Islamic State 'indiscriminately' attacked civilians with explosives and mortar rounds in east Mosul

The Islamic State group is "indiscriminately" attacking civilians who refused to retreat along with the jihadists in the Iraqi city of Mosul, Human Rights Watch said on Wednesday. Iraqi forces launched a massive operation to retake the last IS-held city in Iraq more than two months ago, and have pushed the jihadists out of several neighbourhoods on Mosul's eastern side. "Fighters with the Islamic State (also known as ISIS) have indiscriminately attacked civilian areas in eastern Mosul with mortar rounds and explosives, and deliberately shot at fleeing residents," HRW said. "Residents said ISIS members told them in person, by radio, and over mosque loudspeakers that those who stayed behind were 'unbelievers' and therefore valid targets along with the Iraqi and coalition forces," the rights group said. But Iraqi and US-led coalition forces seeking to oust IS from Mosul are also responsible for endangering civilians, HRW said. Some IS attacks occurred in places "where Iraqi military forces had positioned soldiers inside homes or on residential rooftops in densely populated areas," it said. And five witnesses described three separate strikes carried out by either Iraq or the coalition that targeted IS fighters but also killed civilians, HRW said. IS overran large areas north and west of Baghdad beginning in June 2014, but Iraqi forces backed by the US-led coalition and Iran have since regained much of the territory they had lost. (AFP)

IS targets 'unbelieving' civilians in Mosul: Human Rights Watch

Turkish army on Wednesday said&nbsp;14&nbsp;soldiers had been&nbsp;killed and 33 wounded&nbsp;in attacks by Islamic State militants in Syria in a bid to take&nbsp;al Bab.

It was the heaviest loss for the Turkish army in a single day under the Euphrates Shield Operation, including three suicide car bomb attacks, Turkish media reported quoting the army.&nbsp;

Four soldiers were killed earlier in the day and another 10 died late Wednesday.&nbsp;

&quot;The operation to control al Bab, which is being besieged under the Euphrates Shield Operation, is on-going,&quot; the army stated.

&quot;Once this area has been seized, Daesh&#39;s dominance of al-Bab will to a large extent be broken,&quot; the army had said in an earlier statement.&nbsp;

The militants used suicide bombers and car bombs, Reuters reported.

Most of the fighting had been centred on a hospita area, on the slope of a hill that had been long used as weapon storage by the IS.&nbsp;

Around 67 Islamic State targets were shelled by the Turkish army.

According to the army 138 Islamic State militants had been killed, however thr army&#39;s toll could not be verified independently, AFP reported.&nbsp;

Euphrates Shield Operation aims to push Islamic State and&nbsp;Kurdish militia away from Syria&#39;s border with Turkey.

(WION with inputs from agencies)

Most of the fighting had been centred on a hospital area, on the slope of a hill that had been long used as weapon storage by the IS

Turkish army on Wednesday said 14 soldiers had been killed and 33 wounded in attacks by Islamic State militants in Syria in a bid to take al Bab. It was the heaviest loss for the Turkish army in a single day under the Euphrates Shield Operation, including three suicide car bomb attacks, Turkish media reported quoting the army. Four soldiers were killed earlier in the day and another 10 died late Wednesday. "The operation to control al Bab, which is being besieged under the Euphrates Shield Operation, is on-going," the army stated. "Once this area has been seized, Daesh's dominance of al-Bab will to a large extent be broken," the army had said in an earlier statement. The militants used suicide bombers and car bombs, Reuters reported. Most of the fighting had been centred on a hospita area, on the slope of a hill that had been long used as weapon storage by the IS. Around 67 Islamic State targets were shelled by the Turkish army. According to the army 138 Islamic State militants had been killed, however thr army's toll could not be verified independently, AFP reported. Euphrates Shield Operation aims to push Islamic State and Kurdish militia away from Syria's border with Turkey. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Syria: 14 Turkish soldiers killed, 33 wounded in battle to take al Bab

The US military has officially ended operations in a former Islamic State bastion in Libya, officials have announced.

The Pentagon had launched Operation Odyssey Lightning to help local forces push the jihadists from the coastal city of Sirte on August 1.

&quot;In partnership with the Libyan Government of National Accord, the operation succeeded in its core objective of enabling GNA-aligned forces to drive Daesh (IS) out of Sirte,&quot; the US military&#39;s Africa Command said in a statement.

US drones, gunships and warplanes had hammered IS positions, conducting a total of 495 strikes.

&quot;We are proud to have supported this campaign to eliminate ISIL&#39;s hold over the only city it has controlled outside Iraq and Syria,&quot; Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook told reporters, using an IS acronym.

Officials said the United States would continue to strike IS jihadists if the Libyan unity government asked for help in doing so.

Unity government leader Fayez al-Sarraj on Saturday announced that military operations in Sirte were done, but IS still has fighters in Libya and on Sunday conducted a suicide attack in Benghazi.

The fall of Sirte -- Kadhafi&#39;s home town located 450 kilometres east of Tripoli -- is a major setback for IS, which has also faced military defeats in Syria and Iraq.

Libya descended into chaos following the NATO-backed ousting of longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011, with rival administrations emerging and well-armed militias vying for control of its vast oil wealth.

(AFP)

Officials said the United States would continue to strike Islamic State jihadists if the Libyan unity government asked for help in doing so

The US military has officially ended operations in a former Islamic State bastion in Libya, officials have announced. The Pentagon had launched Operation Odyssey Lightning to help local forces push the jihadists from the coastal city of Sirte on August 1. "In partnership with the Libyan Government of National Accord, the operation succeeded in its core objective of enabling GNA-aligned forces to drive Daesh (IS) out of Sirte," the US military's Africa Command said in a statement. US drones, gunships and warplanes had hammered IS positions, conducting a total of 495 strikes. "We are proud to have supported this campaign to eliminate ISIL's hold over the only city it has controlled outside Iraq and Syria," Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook told reporters, using an IS acronym. Officials said the United States would continue to strike IS jihadists if the Libyan unity government asked for help in doing so. Unity government leader Fayez al-Sarraj on Saturday announced that military operations in Sirte were done, but IS still has fighters in Libya and on Sunday conducted a suicide attack in Benghazi. The fall of Sirte -- Kadhafi's home town located 450 kilometres east of Tripoli -- is a major setback for IS, which has also faced military defeats in Syria and Iraq. Libya descended into chaos following the NATO-backed ousting of longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011, with rival administrations emerging and well-armed militias vying for control of its vast oil wealth. (AFP)

US military formally ends anti-IS operation in Libya's Sirte

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the Berlin truck attack that killed 12 and almost 50 wounded.

The militant group&#39;s Amaq news agency said &quot;A soldier of the Islamic State carried out the Berlin operation in response to appeals to target citizens of coalition countries.&quot;

The&nbsp;agency did not name the attacker.&nbsp;

Interior minister Thomas de Maiziere was wary of the claim and said that several possible leads were being followed before arriving to conclusion.&nbsp;

&quot;We just heard about the supposed claim of responsibility by this so-called Islamic State that is in fact a gang of terrorists,&quot; de Maiziere told ARD broadcaster.

&quot;There are several leads that investigators are following now,&quot; the minister added.

The claim came after German prosecutors released a Pakistani asylum seeker, who was the main suspect, citing lack of evidence.

He was arrested late Monday after he was reportedly seen jumping out of the truck and fleeing.

The prosecuters office said, &quot;The forensic tests carried out so far did not provide evidence of the accused&#39;s presence during the crimes in the cab of the lorry&quot;.

They believe the perpetrator was still out large.&nbsp;

De Maiziere had earlier told broadcaster ZDF &quot;We can&#39;t rule out that the perpetrator is on the run&quot;, and that he was confident there would be &quot;progress&quot; in the investigation.&nbsp;

He assured &quot;nobody will rest until the perpetrator or the perpetrators are caught&quot;.

Monday&#39;s attack was similar to the one carried out in Nice in July, when a truck mowed down people celebrating Bastille Day, killing 86. The Islamic State had claimed responsibilty for the attack.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from agencies)

Islamic State's Amaq news agency said an IS soldier carried out the attack to target 'nationals of the coalition countries'

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the Berlin truck attack that killed 12 and almost 50 wounded. The militant group's Amaq news agency said "A soldier of the Islamic State carried out the Berlin operation in response to appeals to target citizens of coalition countries." The agency did not name the attacker. Interior minister Thomas de Maiziere was wary of the claim and said that several possible leads were being followed before arriving to conclusion. "We just heard about the supposed claim of responsibility by this so-called Islamic State that is in fact a gang of terrorists," de Maiziere told ARD broadcaster. "There are several leads that investigators are following now," the minister added. The claim came after German prosecutors released a Pakistani asylum seeker, who was the main suspect, citing lack of evidence. He was arrested late Monday after he was reportedly seen jumping out of the truck and fleeing. The prosecuters office said, "The forensic tests carried out so far did not provide evidence of the accused's presence during the crimes in the cab of the lorry". They believe the perpetrator was still out large. De Maiziere had earlier told broadcaster ZDF "We can't rule out that the perpetrator is on the run", and that he was confident there would be "progress" in the investigation. He assured "nobody will rest until the perpetrator or the perpetrators are caught". Monday's attack was similar to the one carried out in Nice in July, when a truck mowed down people celebrating Bastille Day, killing 86. The Islamic State had claimed responsibilty for the attack. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Berlin attack: IS claims responsibility, suspect still on loose

Libyan security and health officials say a suicide bomber has killed eight army troops near the eastern city of Benghazi.

The officials say the Sunday night counter-attack in the besieged Ganfouda area also wounded another eight soldiers.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they aren&#39;t authorised to talk to reporters.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the bombing in a statement circulated online.

Army spokesman Ahmed al-Mosmari says a push to retake the district is in &quot;its last stage, and terrorist group leaders are besieged inside.&quot;

Ganfouda is one of the last two extremist-held areas in the east besieged by Libyan army troops that answer to Field Marshal Khalifa Hifter, who backs Libya&#39;s last elected parliament against rival militias loyal to the UN-backed government based in Tripoli.

(AP)

The officials say the Sunday night counter-attack in the besieged Ganfouda area also wounded another eight soldiers

Libyan security and health officials say a suicide bomber has killed eight army troops near the eastern city of Benghazi. The officials say the Sunday night counter-attack in the besieged Ganfouda area also wounded another eight soldiers. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they aren't authorised to talk to reporters. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the bombing in a statement circulated online. Army spokesman Ahmed al-Mosmari says a push to retake the district is in "its last stage, and terrorist group leaders are besieged inside." Ganfouda is one of the last two extremist-held areas in the east besieged by Libyan army troops that answer to Field Marshal Khalifa Hifter, who backs Libya's last elected parliament against rival militias loyal to the UN-backed government based in Tripoli. (AP)

Islamic State suicide bomber kills 8 Libyan troops near Benghazi

Libya&#39;s prime minister-designate Fayez al-Sarraj announced the liberation of Sirte from Islamic State on Saturday, eight months after operations began to drive out the militant group.&nbsp;

&quot;I officially announce the end of military operations and the liberation of the town&quot;, Sarraj announced, two weeks after government led forces gained control of the coastal ground.&nbsp;

Sirte was the last major territory in Islamic State&#39;s control in the country.&nbsp;

However, he warned &quot;the battle for Sirte is over but the war against terrorism in Libya is not finished,&quot; and pushed for the need to unify the different military forces into &quot;one single army&quot;.

The latest conquest will increase authority of Sarraj&#39;s UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA), which was launched in Tripoli in March but its legitmacy is contested by a rival party in Eastern Libya.&nbsp;

The GNA is backed by western countries, in the hope it will curb&nbsp;jihadism in Libya and stop human trafficking across the Mediterranean.

The loss of Sirte is a major setback for the Islamic State group which is losing ground in Syria and Iraq.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from AFP)

 
&nbsp;

In a televised address, Libya's unity government leader Fayez al-Sarraj announced the cessation of all military operations in Sirte

Libya's prime minister-designate Fayez al-Sarraj announced the liberation of Sirte from Islamic State on Saturday, eight months after operations began to drive out the militant group. "I officially announce the end of military operations and the liberation of the town", Sarraj announced, two weeks after government led forces gained control of the coastal ground. Sirte was the last major territory in Islamic State's control in the country. However, he warned "the battle for Sirte is over but the war against terrorism in Libya is not finished," and pushed for the need to unify the different military forces into "one single army". The latest conquest will increase authority of Sarraj's UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA), which was launched in Tripoli in March but its legitmacy is contested by a rival party in Eastern Libya. The GNA is backed by western countries, in the hope it will curb jihadism in Libya and stop human trafficking across the Mediterranean. The loss of Sirte is a major setback for the Islamic State group which is losing ground in Syria and Iraq. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Libya officially announces liberation of Sirte from IS

At least seven killed and eight injured in a suicide bomb attack in Benghazi targeting Libyan National Army (LNA) on Sunday.

Islamic State claimed reponsibilty for the attack which took place in the district of Ganfouda, one of the last areas holding out against the LNA.

All those killed where part of the LNA, a medical source from Benghazi&#39;s main hospital, Reuters reported.&nbsp;

The LNA is loyal to eastern commander Khalifa Haftar who has been waging war in Benghazi for more than two years against Islamists and other opponents.&nbsp;

&nbsp;The fight is part of a broader conflict in Libya, following the uprising that overthrew Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

The attack comes in after LNA gained control of building along the coast west of Ganfouda after heavy fighting.

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

Around eight were injured in the attack carried out by Islamic State militants targeting the Libyan National Army

At least seven killed and eight injured in a suicide bomb attack in Benghazi targeting Libyan National Army (LNA) on Sunday. Islamic State claimed reponsibilty for the attack which took place in the district of Ganfouda, one of the last areas holding out against the LNA. All those killed where part of the LNA, a medical source from Benghazi's main hospital, Reuters reported. The LNA is loyal to eastern commander Khalifa Haftar who has been waging war in Benghazi for more than two years against Islamists and other opponents. The fight is part of a broader conflict in Libya, following the uprising that overthrew Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. The attack comes in after LNA gained control of building along the coast west of Ganfouda after heavy fighting. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Libya: At least seven killed in suicide bomb attack in Benghazi

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for a bomb attack on a Cairo church that killed 25 people, in a statement circulated on social media on Tuesday.

IS identified the suicide bomber who carried out Sunday&#39;s attack by the pseudonym Abu Abdallah al-Masri.

The bomber &quot;got in between the crowd&quot; and detonated his explosive belt, the jihadist group said in the statement.

The group said it would continue attacks against &quot;every infidel and apostate in Egypt, and everywhere&quot;.

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi named the suicide bomber as Mahmoud Shafik Mohamed Mostafa, 22, during a funeral for the victims on Monday.

Sisi said Mostafa had detonated his explosive belt at the Saint Peter and Saint Paul Church.

The interior ministry said late on Monday that Mostafa had been identified by DNA tests from body parts which matched that of his family.

The authorities have arrested four suspects, including a woman, Sisi said on Monday.

They are still searching for others, according to the interior ministry. 
 
(AFP)

The IS said it would continue its attacks on 'every infidel and apostate in Egypt, and everywhere'

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for a bomb attack on a Cairo church that killed 25 people, in a statement circulated on social media on Tuesday. IS identified the suicide bomber who carried out Sunday's attack by the pseudonym Abu Abdallah al-Masri. The bomber "got in between the crowd" and detonated his explosive belt, the jihadist group said in the statement. The group said it would continue attacks against "every infidel and apostate in Egypt, and everywhere". President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi named the suicide bomber as Mahmoud Shafik Mohamed Mostafa, 22, during a funeral for the victims on Monday. Sisi said Mostafa had detonated his explosive belt at the Saint Peter and Saint Paul Church. The interior ministry said late on Monday that Mostafa had been identified by DNA tests from body parts which matched that of his family. The authorities have arrested four suspects, including a woman, Sisi said on Monday. They are still searching for others, according to the interior ministry. (AFP)

IS claims deadly Cairo church bombing

The Syrian army and its allies are in the &quot;last moments before declaring victory&quot; in Aleppo, a Syrian military source said, after rebel defences collapsed on Monday, leaving insurgents in a tiny, heavily bombarded pocket of ground.

A Reuters journalist in the government-held zone said the bombardment of rebel areas of the city continued non-stop on Monday, and a civilian trapped there described the situation as resembling &quot;Doomsday&quot;.

&quot;The battle in eastern Aleppo should end quickly. They (rebels) don&#39;t have much time. They either have to surrender or die,&quot; Lieutenant General Zaid al-Saleh, head of the government&#39;s Aleppo security committee, told reporters in the recaptured Sheikh Saeed district of the city.

Rebels withdrew from all districts on the east side of the Aleppo river on Monday afternoon after losing Sheikh Saeed in the south of their pocket in overnight fighting, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

In government-held districts, soldiers started to fire into the air in celebration, carving tracer bullets into Aleppo&#39;s night sky, and car drivers honked their horns at what they believed was imminent victory, state television showed.

The rebels&#39; rapidly diminishing enclave had halved in only a few hours and Observatory director Rami Abdulrahman described the battle for Aleppo as having reached its end.

&quot;The situation is extremely difficult today,&quot; said Zakaria Malahifji of the Fastaqim rebel group fighting in Aleppo.

An official from Jabha Shamiya, a rebel faction that is also present in Aleppo, said the insurgents might make a new stand along the west bank of the river.

&quot;It is expected there will be a new front line,&quot; said the official, who is based in Turkey.

The White Helmets civil defence organisation and three other trapped aid groups made a desperate appeal for the international community to arrange safe passage for 100,000 civilians across a 4-km (2.5-mile) stretch of government-held territory.

&quot;If we stay, we fear for our lives. The women may be taken to camps, the men disappeared and anyone who is known to have supported civilians will face detention or execution,&quot; they said in a statement time stamped 9 p.m. (1900 GMT).

Activists and two residents inside the remaining rebel enclave said at least 79 civilians were summarily executed in the Fardous and Saliheen districts by pro-government militias.

&quot;There are more than 100 corpses and others who could be still alive under the rubble whom no one is able to get to,&quot; said civil defence chief Ammar al Selmo.

UN&nbsp;Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was alarmed by unverified reports of atrocities against a large number of civilians, including women and children, Ban&#39;s spokesman said.

Jan Egeland, the UN&nbsp;humanitarian adviser on Syria, tweeted that Russia&#39;s and Syria&#39;s governments would be responsible for any such abuses.

&quot;The Gov&#39;ts of Syria &amp; Russia are accountable for any and all atrocities that the victorious militias in Aleppo are now committing!,&quot; Egeland wrote.

The rebels&#39; sudden retreat represented a &quot;big collapse in terrorist morale&quot;, a Syrian military source said.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, backed by Russia, is now close to taking back full control of Aleppo, which was Syria&#39;s most populous city before the war and would be his greatest prize so far after nearly six years of conflict.

&quot;We are in the final moments before declaring the victory of the Arab Syrian army in the battle of East Aleppo. We could announce this any moment,&quot; the military source told Reuters.

The Russian Defence Ministry said that since the start of the Aleppo battle, more than 2,200 rebels had surrendered and 100,000 civilians had left areas of the city that were controlled by militants.

&quot;People run from one shelling to another to escape death and just to save their souls. ... It&#39;s doomsday in Aleppo, yes doomsday in Aleppo,&quot; said Abu Amer Iqab, a former government employee in the Sukkari district in the heart of the rebel enclave.

State television footage from Saliheen, one of the districts that had just fallen to the army, showed mounds of rubble and half-collapsed buildings, with bodies still lying on the ground and a few bewildered civilians carrying children or suitcases.

Rebels

While Aleppo&#39;s fall would deal a stunning blow to rebels trying to remove Assad from power, he would still be far from restoring control across Syria. Swathes of the country remain in rebel hands, and Islamic State retook Palmyra on Sunday.

Tens of thousands of civilians remain in rebel-held areas, hemmed in by ever-changing front lines, pounded by air strikes and shelling, and without basic supplies, according to the Observatory, a British-based monitoring group.

In the Sheikh Saeed district, an elderly couple stood lamenting their fate.

&quot;May every son return to his mother. I have suffered that loss. May other women not endure the same,&quot; said the woman, her arms raised to the sky. &quot;I have lost my three children. Two died in battle and the third is kidnapped,&quot; she added, as an army officer attempted to calm her.

Rebel groups in Aleppo received a US-Russian proposal on Sunday for a withdrawal of fighters and civilians from the city&#39;s opposition areas, but Moscow said no agreement had been reached yet in talks in Geneva to end the crisis peacefully.

The US&nbsp;State Department said Russia had turned down the US&nbsp;proposal for an immediate ceasefire and said it could not start for several days.

The UN&nbsp;mediator for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, met with US&nbsp;Secretary of State John Kerry and other State Department officials on Monday, State Department deputy spokesman Mark Toner said.

&quot;During their discussions, Department officials stressed the US&#39; unwavering commitment to a de-escalation of violence, the safe departure of Aleppo for all who want to leave, delivery of critical humanitarian aid and future inta-Syrian talks for a political solution to the crisis,&quot; Toner said.

Fighting

The Syrian army is backed by Russian war planes and Lebanese and Iraqi Shi&#39;ite militias supported by Iran. Its advances on Monday were aided by a militia of Palestinian refugees in Syria, the Liwa al-Quds or Jerusalem Brigade, the general said.

The mostly Sunni rebels include groups backed by the United States, Turkey and Gulf monarchies as well as hardline jihadists who are not supported by the West.

A correspondent for Syria&#39;s official SANA news agency said the army had taken control of Sheikh Saeed, and more than 3,500 people had left at dawn.

A Syrian official told Reuters: &quot;We managed to take full control of the Sheikh Saeed district. This area is very important because it facilitates access to al-Amariya and allows us to secure a greater part of the Aleppo-Ramousah road.&quot; The road is the main entry point to the city from the south.

Riad Hijab, Syria&#39;s chief opposition coordinator, said the rebels&#39; defeat in Aleppo would not weaken the resolve of Assad&#39;s opponents, or push them to water down the demand that he quit.

&quot;If Assad and his allies think that a military advance in certain quarters of Aleppo will signify that we make concessions, then (I say) that will not happen,&quot; he told reporters after meeting French President Francois Hollande.

The loss of Palmyra, an ancient desert city whose recapture from Islamic State in March was heralded by Damascus and Moscow as vindicating Russia&#39;s entry into the war, was an embarrassing setback to Assad.

The Observatory reported that the jihadist group carried out eight executions of Syrian soldiers and allied militiamen in Palmyra on Monday while warplanes bombarded their positions around the city.

Still, Islamic State made further advances around Palmyra, it and the Observatory said on Monday, including coming close to a military air base.

Four other people, including two children, were shot dead while the jihadists cleared the city, the Observatory said.

It said at least 34 people had died in air raids on an Islamic State-held village north of Palmyra, and that local officials said poison gas had been used. Islamic State accused Russia of the attack. Both Russia and Syria&#39;s military deny using chemical weapons.

The Observatory said that four weeks into the army offensive in Aleppo, at least 415 civilians, including 47 children, had been killed in rebel-held parts of the city.

It added that 364 rebel fighters had been killed in the eastern sector. It said rebel shelling of government-held west Aleppo had killed 130 civilians including 40 children.

(Reuters)

Rebel defences collapsed on Monday, leaving insurgents in a tiny, heavily bombarded pocket of ground

The Syrian army and its allies are in the "last moments before declaring victory" in Aleppo, a Syrian military source said, after rebel defences collapsed on Monday, leaving insurgents in a tiny, heavily bombarded pocket of ground. A Reuters journalist in the government-held zone said the bombardment of rebel areas of the city continued non-stop on Monday, and a civilian trapped there described the situation as resembling "Doomsday". "The battle in eastern Aleppo should end quickly. They (rebels) don't have much time. They either have to surrender or die," Lieutenant General Zaid al-Saleh, head of the government's Aleppo security committee, told reporters in the recaptured Sheikh Saeed district of the city. Rebels withdrew from all districts on the east side of the Aleppo river on Monday afternoon after losing Sheikh Saeed in the south of their pocket in overnight fighting, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. In government-held districts, soldiers started to fire into the air in celebration, carving tracer bullets into Aleppo's night sky, and car drivers honked their horns at what they believed was imminent victory, state television showed. The rebels' rapidly diminishing enclave had halved in only a few hours and Observatory director Rami Abdulrahman described the battle for Aleppo as having reached its end. "The situation is extremely difficult today," said Zakaria Malahifji of the Fastaqim rebel group fighting in Aleppo. An official from Jabha Shamiya, a rebel faction that is also present in Aleppo, said the insurgents might make a new stand along the west bank of the river. "It is expected there will be a new front line," said the official, who is based in Turkey. The White Helmets civil defence organisation and three other trapped aid groups made a desperate appeal for the international community to arrange safe passage for 100,000 civilians across a 4-km (2.5-mile) stretch of government-held territory. "If we stay, we fear for our lives. The women may be taken to camps, the men disappeared and anyone who is known to have supported civilians will face detention or execution," they said in a statement time stamped 9 p.m. (1900 GMT). Activists and two residents inside the remaining rebel enclave said at least 79 civilians were summarily executed in the Fardous and Saliheen districts by pro-government militias. "There are more than 100 corpses and others who could be still alive under the rubble whom no one is able to get to," said civil defence chief Ammar al Selmo. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was alarmed by unverified reports of atrocities against a large number of civilians, including women and children, Ban's spokesman said. Jan Egeland, the UN humanitarian adviser on Syria, tweeted that Russia's and Syria's governments would be responsible for any such abuses. "The Gov'ts of Syria & Russia are accountable for any and all atrocities that the victorious militias in Aleppo are now committing!," Egeland wrote. The rebels' sudden retreat represented a "big collapse in terrorist morale", a Syrian military source said. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, backed by Russia, is now close to taking back full control of Aleppo, which was Syria's most populous city before the war and would be his greatest prize so far after nearly six years of conflict. "We are in the final moments before declaring the victory of the Arab Syrian army in the battle of East Aleppo. We could announce this any moment," the military source told Reuters. The Russian Defence Ministry said that since the start of the Aleppo battle, more than 2,200 rebels had surrendered and 100,000 civilians had left areas of the city that were controlled by militants. "People run from one shelling to another to escape death and just to save their souls. ... It's doomsday in Aleppo, yes doomsday in Aleppo," said Abu Amer Iqab, a former government employee in the Sukkari district in the heart of the rebel enclave. State television footage from Saliheen, one of the districts that had just fallen to the army, showed mounds of rubble and half-collapsed buildings, with bodies still lying on the ground and a few bewildered civilians carrying children or suitcases. Rebels While Aleppo's fall would deal a stunning blow to rebels trying to remove Assad from power, he would still be far from restoring control across Syria. Swathes of the country remain in rebel hands, and Islamic State retook Palmyra on Sunday. Tens of thousands of civilians remain in rebel-held areas, hemmed in by ever-changing front lines, pounded by air strikes and shelling, and without basic supplies, according to the Observatory, a British-based monitoring group. In the Sheikh Saeed district, an elderly couple stood lamenting their fate. "May every son return to his mother. I have suffered that loss. May other women not endure the same," said the woman, her arms raised to the sky. "I have lost my three children. Two died in battle and the third is kidnapped," she added, as an army officer attempted to calm her. Rebel groups in Aleppo received a US-Russian proposal on Sunday for a withdrawal of fighters and civilians from the city's opposition areas, but Moscow said no agreement had been reached yet in talks in Geneva to end the crisis peacefully. The US State Department said Russia had turned down the US proposal for an immediate ceasefire and said it could not start for several days. The UN mediator for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, met with US Secretary of State John Kerry and other State Department officials on Monday, State Department deputy spokesman Mark Toner said. "During their discussions, Department officials stressed the US' unwavering commitment to a de-escalation of violence, the safe departure of Aleppo for all who want to leave, delivery of critical humanitarian aid and future inta-Syrian talks for a political solution to the crisis," Toner said. Fighting The Syrian army is backed by Russian war planes and Lebanese and Iraqi Shi'ite militias supported by Iran. Its advances on Monday were aided by a militia of Palestinian refugees in Syria, the Liwa al-Quds or Jerusalem Brigade, the general said. The mostly Sunni rebels include groups backed by the United States, Turkey and Gulf monarchies as well as hardline jihadists who are not supported by the West. A correspondent for Syria's official SANA news agency said the army had taken control of Sheikh Saeed, and more than 3,500 people had left at dawn. A Syrian official told Reuters: "We managed to take full control of the Sheikh Saeed district. This area is very important because it facilitates access to al-Amariya and allows us to secure a greater part of the Aleppo-Ramousah road." The road is the main entry point to the city from the south. Riad Hijab, Syria's chief opposition coordinator, said the rebels' defeat in Aleppo would not weaken the resolve of Assad's opponents, or push them to water down the demand that he quit. "If Assad and his allies think that a military advance in certain quarters of Aleppo will signify that we make concessions, then (I say) that will not happen," he told reporters after meeting French President Francois Hollande. The loss of Palmyra, an ancient desert city whose recapture from Islamic State in March was heralded by Damascus and Moscow as vindicating Russia's entry into the war, was an embarrassing setback to Assad. The Observatory reported that the jihadist group carried out eight executions of Syrian soldiers and allied militiamen in Palmyra on Monday while warplanes bombarded their positions around the city. Still, Islamic State made further advances around Palmyra, it and the Observatory said on Monday, including coming close to a military air base. Four other people, including two children, were shot dead while the jihadists cleared the city, the Observatory said. It said at least 34 people had died in air raids on an Islamic State-held village north of Palmyra, and that local officials said poison gas had been used. Islamic State accused Russia of the attack. Both Russia and Syria's military deny using chemical weapons. The Observatory said that four weeks into the army offensive in Aleppo, at least 415 civilians, including 47 children, had been killed in rebel-held parts of the city. It added that 364 rebel fighters had been killed in the eastern sector. It said rebel shelling of government-held west Aleppo had killed 130 civilians including 40 children. (Reuters)

Aleppo offensive in final stages, says Syrian general

At least 34 people in Palmyra have been killed in a suspected gas attack and heavy bombardment, according to a war monitor.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, citing local sources near the site of the attack in eastern Hama province, northwest of the ancient city of Palmyra, said there were dead bodies with no visible injuries.

This comes a day after Islami State recaptured the ancient city of Palmyra.

The reported attack came from the air and took place near the town of Uqairabat, which lies on a main road leading south into Palmyra from government-held territory, the Observatory said, without specifying who might have been responsible.

Amaq, a news service linked to Islamic State, said in an online statement that 20 people had died and around 200 were injured from breathing problems &quot;as a result of a Russian air attack with sarin gas&quot;.

Both the Syrian army and Russia have denied using chemical weapons. A United Nations investigation this year found that the Syrian military had used chlorine in attacks on rebels and that Islamic State had also used chemical weapons in attacks.&nbsp;

Damascus has said that the conclusions of that investigation were wrong.

On Sunday Islamic State militants recaptured Palmyra despite dozens of Russian air strikes attempting to push them back. It had previously been driven from the city in March.

(With inputs from Reuters)

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said there were cases of suffocation and that dozens had been wounded during heavy rocket fire

At least 34 people in Palmyra have been killed in a suspected gas attack and heavy bombardment, according to a war monitor. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, citing local sources near the site of the attack in eastern Hama province, northwest of the ancient city of Palmyra, said there were dead bodies with no visible injuries. This comes a day after Islami State recaptured the ancient city of Palmyra. The reported attack came from the air and took place near the town of Uqairabat, which lies on a main road leading south into Palmyra from government-held territory, the Observatory said, without specifying who might have been responsible. Amaq, a news service linked to Islamic State, said in an online statement that 20 people had died and around 200 were injured from breathing problems "as a result of a Russian air attack with sarin gas". Both the Syrian army and Russia have denied using chemical weapons. A United Nations investigation this year found that the Syrian military had used chlorine in attacks on rebels and that Islamic State had also used chemical weapons in attacks. Damascus has said that the conclusions of that investigation were wrong. On Sunday Islamic State militants recaptured Palmyra despite dozens of Russian air strikes attempting to push them back. It had previously been driven from the city in March. (With inputs from Reuters)

Suspected gas attack near IS-held Palmyra: Monitor

The Islamic State jihadist group recaptured Palmyra on Sunday after Syrian armed forces pulled out from the desert city, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

&quot;Despite the ongoing air raids, IS retook all of Palmyra after the Syrian army withdrew south of the city,&quot; said Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman.

The IS-linked Amaq news agency also reported that IS regained &quot;full control&quot; of the city on Sunday.&nbsp; 
 
(AFP)

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and IS-linked Amaq news agency both reported that IS had recaptured the city

The Islamic State jihadist group recaptured Palmyra on Sunday after Syrian armed forces pulled out from the desert city, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. "Despite the ongoing air raids, IS retook all of Palmyra after the Syrian army withdrew south of the city," said Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman. The IS-linked Amaq news agency also reported that IS regained "full control" of the city on Sunday. (AFP)

IS regains 'full control' of Palmyra after Syria army withdrawal

&nbsp;Eight people were killed in two car bombings in the Iraqi city of Falluja west of Baghdad on Sunday, police and hospital sources said, and a news agency close to Islamic State said its militants carried out the attacks.

The bombings took place as Iraqi forces wage an eight-week military campaign to crush Islamic State in its north Iraq stronghold of Mosul, the largest city in its self-declared caliphate in Iraq and Syria.

The fact that the jihadist group was able to carry out the attack in Falluja, which the Iraqi army recaptured in June, suggests it will continue to pose a threat in Iraq even if it is finally crushed in Mosul.

The sources said a suicide bomber detonated a car at a security checkpoint in the west of the city, and a second bomb in a parked car struck the centre, near a security checkpoint and a busy cafe.

Sources at the hospital where casualties from both incidents were brought said eight bodies were delivered to the hospital.

The Amaq news agency, which is close to Islamic State, said both attacks were carried out by suicide car bombers.

The attacks in Falluja occurred on the day that U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter visited Iraq for talks with political leaders and the US&nbsp;commander of the international coalition force supporting them in the gruelling Mosul campaign.

Elite Iraqi counter terrorism forces have taken about a quarter of the city of Mosul from Islamic State fighters, but they have faced fierce counter attacks from snipers, mortar barrages and hundreds of suicide car bombs.

Insurgents in Falluja, the first Iraqi city to fall to Islamic State in January 2014, put up only limited resistance in June, military officials said at the time, in contrast to the fierce defence the jihadists have put up in Mosul.

(Reuters)

The attack was carried out by the Islamic State militants, a news agency close to the group said

Eight people were killed in two car bombings in the Iraqi city of Falluja west of Baghdad on Sunday, police and hospital sources said, and a news agency close to Islamic State said its militants carried out the attacks. The bombings took place as Iraqi forces wage an eight-week military campaign to crush Islamic State in its north Iraq stronghold of Mosul, the largest city in its self-declared caliphate in Iraq and Syria. The fact that the jihadist group was able to carry out the attack in Falluja, which the Iraqi army recaptured in June, suggests it will continue to pose a threat in Iraq even if it is finally crushed in Mosul. The sources said a suicide bomber detonated a car at a security checkpoint in the west of the city, and a second bomb in a parked car struck the centre, near a security checkpoint and a busy cafe. Sources at the hospital where casualties from both incidents were brought said eight bodies were delivered to the hospital. The Amaq news agency, which is close to Islamic State, said both attacks were carried out by suicide car bombers. The attacks in Falluja occurred on the day that U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter visited Iraq for talks with political leaders and the US commander of the international coalition force supporting them in the gruelling Mosul campaign. Elite Iraqi counter terrorism forces have taken about a quarter of the city of Mosul from Islamic State fighters, but they have faced fierce counter attacks from snipers, mortar barrages and hundreds of suicide car bombs. Insurgents in Falluja, the first Iraqi city to fall to Islamic State in January 2014, put up only limited resistance in June, military officials said at the time, in contrast to the fierce defence the jihadists have put up in Mosul. (Reuters)

Eight killed in twin car bombings in Iraq

Islamic State militants have &quot;re-entered&quot; the ancient city of Palmyra on Saturday in eastern Syria, almost 10 months after the city was captured from them by the Syrian government backed by Russia, a war monitor said according to Reuters.

The jihadist group had advanced to its&nbsp;outskirts for the first time since losing the city earlier this year, it added.&nbsp;

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human rights said the militants had entered Palmyra after they had taken strategic heights near the city and captured the northern part of the city and mountains around it. The group&#39;s news agency Amaq said that it had taken the strategic Jabal al Tar and Jabal Antara mountains, Reuters reported.

The group had launched an offensive on the city earlier this week.

The Syrian army earlier said it had sent reinforcements to Palmyra. However, some rebels said the forces deployed were from&nbsp;Aleppo which was&nbsp;forcing the Syrian government to divert troops from the city which is already under carnage due to fight between IS rebels and government.

The militants were pushing towards the T4 airbase, one of Syria&#39;s major military bases, near Palmyra city and which Russian forces have been using to support the Syrian army.

The assault, which began late on Thursday, had killed dozens of Syrian soldiers, monitoring group the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

&nbsp;(WION with inputs from Reuters)

The militants had entered Palmyra after taking strategic heights near the city and capturing its northern part earlier this week

Islamic State militants have "re-entered" the ancient city of Palmyra on Saturday in eastern Syria, almost 10 months after the city was captured from them by the Syrian government backed by Russia, a war monitor said according to Reuters. The jihadist group had advanced to its outskirts for the first time since losing the city earlier this year, it added. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human rights said the militants had entered Palmyra after they had taken strategic heights near the city and captured the northern part of the city and mountains around it. The group's news agency Amaq said that it had taken the strategic Jabal al Tar and Jabal Antara mountains, Reuters reported. The group had launched an offensive on the city earlier this week. The Syrian army earlier said it had sent reinforcements to Palmyra. However, some rebels said the forces deployed were from Aleppo which was forcing the Syrian government to divert troops from the city which is already under carnage due to fight between IS rebels and government. The militants were pushing towards the T4 airbase, one of Syria's major military bases, near Palmyra city and which Russian forces have been using to support the Syrian army. The assault, which began late on Thursday, had killed dozens of Syrian soldiers, monitoring group the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Islamic State fighters 're-enter' ancient Palmyra in Syria after heavy fighting

A 28-year-old man from Maharashtra who was allegedly working for Islamic State in Libya has been apprehended by enforcement agencies there, officials of Maharashtra&#39;s anti-terrorism squad (ATS) said.

They said it was his brother who tipped them off. &nbsp;

Originally a resident of Thane, Tabrez Mohammad Tambe was caught in Libya earlier this week, a senior ATS officer said on condition of anonymity.&nbsp;

He had left earlier this year for Egypt where he had got a job but ended up in Libya, the officer claimed.

The officer claimed that Tabrez actively participated in IS operations and had joined the jihadist organisation with his friend Ali.

It was Ali who prompted Tabrez to join the IS, the officer claimed.

&quot;We are collecting information about Ali. We are not sure whether Ali is Indian or not. As per our information, he has visited India before,&quot; Mumbai ATS chief Atulchandra Kulkarni told PTI.

Tabrez was in touch with his family over cellphone and social media, the officer claimed. And that he had told his wife, brother and mother what he did for the terro organisation.

The officer claimed Tabrez&#39;s family had been asking him to return but he refused, and&nbsp;instead asked his family to join him .

It was then that Tabrez&#39;s brother tipped off the ATS.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from PTI)

The anti-terrorism squad said it was his brother who tipped them off

A 28-year-old man from Maharashtra who was allegedly working for Islamic State in Libya has been apprehended by enforcement agencies there, officials of Maharashtra's anti-terrorism squad (ATS) said. They said it was his brother who tipped them off. Originally a resident of Thane, Tabrez Mohammad Tambe was caught in Libya earlier this week, a senior ATS officer said on condition of anonymity. He had left earlier this year for Egypt where he had got a job but ended up in Libya, the officer claimed. The officer claimed that Tabrez actively participated in IS operations and had joined the jihadist organisation with his friend Ali. It was Ali who prompted Tabrez to join the IS, the officer claimed. "We are collecting information about Ali. We are not sure whether Ali is Indian or not. As per our information, he has visited India before," Mumbai ATS chief Atulchandra Kulkarni told PTI. Tabrez was in touch with his family over cellphone and social media, the officer claimed. And that he had told his wife, brother and mother what he did for the terro organisation. The officer claimed Tabrez's family had been asking him to return but he refused, and instead asked his family to join him . It was then that Tabrez's brother tipped off the ATS. (WION with inputs from PTI)

India: Maharashtra youth allegedly working for IS in Libya apprehended

Even as Russia-backed Syrian forces pummelled rebel-held Aleppo with air strikes on Saturday, US called the &quot;indiscriminate bombing&quot; crimes against humanity, AFP reported.

Syrian forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad have overrun around 85 per cent of rebel-held east Aleppo in the last month, displacing tens of thousands of civilians and triggering international outrage.

Western powers met in Paris on Saturday, calling for the resumption of peace talks and for civilians to be allowed to leave Aleppo, AFP reported.&nbsp;

&quot;The indiscriminate bombing by the regime violates rules of law, or in many cases, crimes against humanity, and war crimes,&quot; Kerry said in Paris, urging Russia to do its &quot;utmost to bring it to a close&quot;.

The UN&#39;s Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura said the world is watching &quot;the last steps&quot; in the Aleppo battle and evacuating civilians must be a priority.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault called for a diplomatic solution to the nearly six-year-old conflict.

&quot;We need to tie down the conditions for a genuine political transition, and negotiations must resume on a clear basis within the framework of the UN resolution 2254,&quot; he said.

Both Moscow and Damascus have rejected talk of a ceasefire without a rebel withdrawal from the city -- a demand that opposition groups have refused.

US and Russian officials will gather in Geneva on Sunday for what Kerry described as a bid to stop the city from &quot;being absolutely, completely, destroyed.&quot;

Kerry was not upbeat about the chances of success ahead of the meetings in Paris and Geneva, AFP reported.

&quot;I know people are tired of these meetings, I&#39;m tired of these meetings,&quot; he 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;

Aleppo, once a thriving commercial city, has witnessed some of the most brutal violence in the country&#39;s nearly six-year war.

The diplomatic flurry came even as a US-backed alliance announced it would launch the second phase of its assault against the Islamic State in the de facto Syrian capital Raqa.

Nine civilians were killed on Saturday in a barrage of rebel rocket fire on government-controlled neighbourhoods, AFP said citing the Syrian Observatory For Human Rights.

The fresh attacks brought to 129 people, including 39 children, the number of people killed by rebel fire on regime-held west Aleppo since November 15.&nbsp;

Another 413 civilians, among them 45 children, have been killed in east Aleppo in the same period.&nbsp; 
 
(WION with inputs from AFP)

Western powers meeting in Paris called for the resumption of peace talks and for civilians to be allowed to leave Aleppo

Even as Russia-backed Syrian forces pummelled rebel-held Aleppo with air strikes on Saturday, US called the "indiscriminate bombing" crimes against humanity, AFP reported. Syrian forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad have overrun around 85 per cent of rebel-held east Aleppo in the last month, displacing tens of thousands of civilians and triggering international outrage. Western powers met in Paris on Saturday, calling for the resumption of peace talks and for civilians to be allowed to leave Aleppo, AFP reported. "The indiscriminate bombing by the regime violates rules of law, or in many cases, crimes against humanity, and war crimes," Kerry said in Paris, urging Russia to do its "utmost to bring it to a close". The UN's Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura said the world is watching "the last steps" in the Aleppo battle and evacuating civilians must be a priority. French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault called for a diplomatic solution to the nearly six-year-old conflict. "We need to tie down the conditions for a genuine political transition, and negotiations must resume on a clear basis within the framework of the UN resolution 2254," he said. Both Moscow and Damascus have rejected talk of a ceasefire without a rebel withdrawal from the city -- a demand that opposition groups have refused. US and Russian officials will gather in Geneva on Sunday for what Kerry described as a bid to stop the city from "being absolutely, completely, destroyed." Kerry was not upbeat about the chances of success ahead of the meetings in Paris and Geneva, AFP reported. "I know people are tired of these meetings, I'm tired of these meetings," he 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?" Aleppo, once a thriving commercial city, has witnessed some of the most brutal violence in the country's nearly six-year war. The diplomatic flurry came even as a US-backed alliance announced it would launch the second phase of its assault against the Islamic State in the de facto Syrian capital Raqa. Nine civilians were killed on Saturday in a barrage of rebel rocket fire on government-controlled neighbourhoods, AFP said citing the Syrian Observatory For Human Rights. The fresh attacks brought to 129 people, including 39 children, the number of people killed by rebel fire on regime-held west Aleppo since November 15. Another 413 civilians, among them 45 children, have been killed in east Aleppo in the same period. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Syria's 'indiscriminate' bombing of Aleppo is crime against humanity: Kerry

The US-led coalition has killed at least 50,000 Islamic State fighters since it began operation&nbsp;in Iraq and Syria in 2014,a senior military official said on Thursday.

The operation by a dozen or so members of the anti-IS coalition has used planes and drones, conducting about 16,000 strikes against jihadists in&nbsp;Iraq and Syria,news agency &nbsp;AFP reported. Two-thirds of these strikes have been in Iraq.

The coalition has also provided training and weapons to local forces fighting the IS.

&quot;I am not into morbid counts but that kind of volume matters, that kind of impact on the enemy,&quot; the official said, according to AFP, calling the 50,000 number a conservative estimate.

The official, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, said the air campaign had been the &quot;most pristine&quot; ever in terms of avoiding civilian casualties.

He said almost all the bombs dropped till now have been &nbsp;smart weapons that can be steered to a precise target.

The coalition&rsquo;s count of civilians killed in the strikes is 173. Critics, however, say the real figure is far higher.

London-based collective of journalists and researchers, Airwars,say the number of likely civilian deaths from coalition strikes is 1,957 at a bare minimum, AFP reported.

The military official said the coalition had diminished IS&rsquo;s ranks to such a level that&nbsp;simultaneous attacks being waged on Mosul in Iraq and Raqqa in Syria have been possible.

Coalition spokesman Colonel John Dorrian had earlier said that in Mosul, IS was turning to adolescent fighters as its hardcore warriors got wiped out.

&quot;As this effort goes on with each passing day, Daesh(IS) has fewer fighters and fewer resources at their disposal,&quot; Dorrian said in a videocall, AFP reported.

He also said that &nbsp;jihadists seem to have run out of armoured suicide car bombs, and estimated &quot;many hundreds&quot; of fighters had been killed in Mosul.

&quot;It doesn&rsquo;t mean that it&rsquo;s not still an extraordinarily dangerous situation. They are not going to go quietly, but they are going to go.&quot;

&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from AFP)

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

About 16,000 air strikes have been conducted by the US-led coalition against IS jihadists since late 2014

The US-led coalition has killed at least 50,000 Islamic State fighters since it began operation in Iraq and Syria in 2014,a senior military official said on Thursday. The operation by a dozen or so members of the anti-IS coalition has used planes and drones, conducting about 16,000 strikes against jihadists in Iraq and Syria,news agency AFP reported. Two-thirds of these strikes have been in Iraq. The coalition has also provided training and weapons to local forces fighting the IS. "I am not into morbid counts but that kind of volume matters, that kind of impact on the enemy," the official said, according to AFP, calling the 50,000 number a conservative estimate. The official, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, said the air campaign had been the "most pristine" ever in terms of avoiding civilian casualties. He said almost all the bombs dropped till now have been smart weapons that can be steered to a precise target. The coalition’s count of civilians killed in the strikes is 173. Critics, however, say the real figure is far higher. London-based collective of journalists and researchers, Airwars,say the number of likely civilian deaths from coalition strikes is 1,957 at a bare minimum, AFP reported. The military official said the coalition had diminished IS’s ranks to such a level that simultaneous attacks being waged on Mosul in Iraq and Raqqa in Syria have been possible. Coalition spokesman Colonel John Dorrian had earlier said that in Mosul, IS was turning to adolescent fighters as its hardcore warriors got wiped out. "As this effort goes on with each passing day, Daesh(IS) has fewer fighters and fewer resources at their disposal," Dorrian said in a videocall, AFP reported. He also said that jihadists seem to have run out of armoured suicide car bombs, and estimated "many hundreds" of fighters had been killed in Mosul. "It doesn’t mean that it’s not still an extraordinarily dangerous situation. They are not going to go quietly, but they are going to go." (WION with inputs from AFP)

At least 50,000 Islamic State fighters killed in Iraq and Syria since 2014: US official

Prosecutors say two teenagers have been arrested in Germany on suspicion that they were planning an Islamic extremist attack.

State prosecutors in Karlsruhe said the two Germans, ages 15 and 17, were arrested yesterday. Prosecutors said the two were suspected of trying to procure firearms for a possible attack on an unidentified public facility in the Aschaffenburg area, south-east of Frankfurt.

Police seized Islamic extremist propaganda, flags of the Islamic State group and cellphones. They found no firearms.

Prosecutors said today there was no evidence the suspects would have been able to carry out their plan, but they were arrested on suspicion of conspiring to commit an attack.

Police said they&#39;ll now investigate how serious the plan was and added that there are indications the two are mentally ill.

(AP)

Prosecutors said the two teens, ages 15 and 17, were suspected of trying to procure firearms for a possible attack

Prosecutors say two teenagers have been arrested in Germany on suspicion that they were planning an Islamic extremist attack. State prosecutors in Karlsruhe said the two Germans, ages 15 and 17, were arrested yesterday. Prosecutors said the two were suspected of trying to procure firearms for a possible attack on an unidentified public facility in the Aschaffenburg area, south-east of Frankfurt. Police seized Islamic extremist propaganda, flags of the Islamic State group and cellphones. They found no firearms. Prosecutors said today there was no evidence the suspects would have been able to carry out their plan, but they were arrested on suspicion of conspiring to commit an attack. Police said they'll now investigate how serious the plan was and added that there are indications the two are mentally ill. (AP)

Teens arrested in Germany over suspected extremist attack plan

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