Israeli fighter jets launched airstrikes on suspected Islamic Jihad positions in Syria, the Israeli military said on Monday, after the militant group and Israel exchanged rockets and airstrikes around Gaza.

Israeli fighter jets launched airstrikes on suspected Islamic Jihad positions in Syria, the Israeli military said on Monday, after the militant group and Israel exchanged rockets and airstrikes around Gaza. An Israeli military statement said its forces had "struck Islamic Jihad terror targets south of Damascus" in addition to "dozens" of Islamic Jihad targets throughout the Gaza Strip. The airstrike in the Adeliyah region outside Damascus targeted what the Israeli military called "a hub of Islamic Jihad's activity in Syria," including the research and development of weapons. [ Iron Dome anti-missile system fires interception missiles as rockets are launched from Gaza towards Israel (Courtesy: Reuters) ] Also Read: Israeli warplanes hit Hamas in Gaza after border fire The Israeli announcement came shortly after Syrian state media said its air defences had intercepted "hostile targets" over the Syrian capital, Damascus. The strike escalated the latest round of hostilities, which began around dawn on Sunday, when, Israel said, its troops killed an Islamic Jihad member who was trying to plant explosives near Israel's border fence with the Gaza Strip. Watch: Benjamin Netanyahu rushed offstage as rocket fired from Gaza into Israel Islamic Jihad fired a barrage of rockets from Gaza into Israel, setting off air-raid sirens in communities such as Ashkelon. Israel hit back with a series of airstrikes in Gaza. The rockets sent residents of southern Israel running for shelters. Some of the rocket fire was intercepted by Israeli aerial missile defences, and there were no reports of any Israelis injured. The Israeli military said that among the "dozens" of targets struck in Gaza were underground infrastructure and compounds in Rafah that had been used to store raw material used for manufacturing rockets. Also Read: Israel strikes Hamas targets after new Gaza rocket fire [ Aftermath of Israeli airstrikes (Courtesy: Reuters) ] Shortly before midnight on Sunday, the Syrian state news agency SANA quoted a military source saying that Israeli planes had entered Syrian airspace and targeted areas around Damascus with a wave of guided missiles. Syrian state-run al-Ikhbariya TV aired footage of what it said were explosions set off in the Damascus night sky by the air defence system shooting down missiles. The Syrian military source said most missiles were destroyed before reaching their targets and that the aftermath of the strike was being examined. Israel says it has carried out hundreds of strikes against targets in Syria in recent years. In November, Islamic Jihad said Israel had targeted the house of one of its officials in Damascus, killing one of his sons.

Israeli strike in Damascus killed 2 Islamic Jihad members: Group

Syrian regime and Russian <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/thirty-killed-across-syria-as-violence-rages-265808">air strikes </a>on Saturday killed 19 civilians, eight of them children, in the country's last major opposition bastion, a war monitor said.

The air raids in the jihadist-run northwestern region of Idlib also wounded several others, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Air strikes by regime ally Russia killed four civilians including a child in the village of Al-Bara in the south of the region, the Observatory said.

An AFP correspondent at the scene saw rescue workers pick through the rubble of a two-storey home whose concrete roof had collapsed.

Rescuers carried away the body of a victim wrapped in a blanket on a stretcher.

Russian raids also killed nine civilians including three children in the nearby village of Balyun, the Observatory said.

Crude barrel bombs dropped by government helicopters killed five civilians including three children in the village of Abadeeta, also in the same area.

In the southeast of the embattled region, a raid by a regime aircraft killed another child in the village of Bajghas, the Observatory said.&nbsp;

The Britain-based monitor, which relies on a network of sources inside Syria, says it determines the provenance of an air strike by looking at flight patterns and the aircraft and munitions involved.

The Idlib region, which is home to some three million people including many displaced by Syria's civil war, is controlled by the country's former Al-Qaeda affiliate.

The Damascus regime has repeatedly vowed to take back control of Idlib.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces launched a blistering military campaign against the region in April, killing around 1,000 civilians and displacing more than 400,000 people from their homes.

A ceasefire announced by Moscow has largely held since late August.

But the Observatory says deadly bombardment and skirmishes have persisted, with more than 200 civilians killed in the region since the deal.

Syria's war has killed over 370,000 people and displaced millions from their homes since beginning in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-Assad protests.

Syrian regime and Russian air strikes on Saturday killed 19 civilians, eight of them children, in the country's last major opposition bastion, a war monitor said.

Syrian regime and Russian air strikes on Saturday killed 19 civilians, eight of them children, in the country's last major opposition bastion, a war monitor said. The air raids in the jihadist-run northwestern region of Idlib also wounded several others, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Air strikes by regime ally Russia killed four civilians including a child in the village of Al-Bara in the south of the region, the Observatory said. An AFP correspondent at the scene saw rescue workers pick through the rubble of a two-storey home whose concrete roof had collapsed. Rescuers carried away the body of a victim wrapped in a blanket on a stretcher. Russian raids also killed nine civilians including three children in the nearby village of Balyun, the Observatory said. Crude barrel bombs dropped by government helicopters killed five civilians including three children in the village of Abadeeta, also in the same area. In the southeast of the embattled region, a raid by a regime aircraft killed another child in the village of Bajghas, the Observatory said. The Britain-based monitor, which relies on a network of sources inside Syria, says it determines the provenance of an air strike by looking at flight patterns and the aircraft and munitions involved. The Idlib region, which is home to some three million people including many displaced by Syria's civil war, is controlled by the country's former Al-Qaeda affiliate. The Damascus regime has repeatedly vowed to take back control of Idlib. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces launched a blistering military campaign against the region in April, killing around 1,000 civilians and displacing more than 400,000 people from their homes. A ceasefire announced by Moscow has largely held since late August. But the Observatory says deadly bombardment and skirmishes have persisted, with more than 200 civilians killed in the region since the deal. Syria's war has killed over 370,000 people and displaced millions from their homes since beginning in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-Assad protests.

Air strikes kill 19 civilians in northwest Syria: Monitor

After Syria's state news agency reported the country's <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/rockets-fired-from-syria-intercepted-israel-army-263080">air defences destroyed missiles</a> fired from Israel, the Israeli army confirmed it&nbsp;was aimed at Syrian and Iranian "terror targets" near Damascus on Wednesday morning.

"We just carried out wide-scale strikes of Iranian Quds Force &amp; Syrian Armed Forces targets in Syria in response to the rockets fired at Israel by an Iranian force in Syria last night," the Israel Defense Forces tweeted.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BREAKING?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BREAKING</a>: We just carried out wide-scale strikes of Iranian Quds Force &amp; Syrian Armed Forces targets in Syria in response to the rockets fired at Israel by an Iranian force in Syria last night.
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"During our strike of Iranian &amp; Syrian terror targets, a Syrian air defence missile was fired despite clear warnings to refrain from such fire. As a result, a number of Syrian aerial defence batteries were destroyed," it said in its tweet, adding, "We hold the Syrian regime responsible for the actions that take place in Syrian territory and warn them against allowing further attacks against Israel."

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During our strike of Iranian &amp; Syrian terror targets, a Syrian air defense missile was fired despite clear warnings to refrain from such fire. As a result, a number of Syrian aerial defense batteries were destroyed.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) <a href="https://twitter.com/IDF/status/1196973334963138560?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 20, 2019</a></blockquote>
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"We will continue operating firmly and for as long as necessary against the Iranian entrenchment in Syria," Israel's Army added.

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We hold the Syrian regime responsible for the actions that take place in Syrian territory and warn them against allowing further attacks against Israel. 
 
We will continue operating firmly and for as long as necessary against the Iranian entrenchment in Syria.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) <a href="https://twitter.com/IDF/status/1196973337492230144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 20, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Israel's military had said on Tuesday&nbsp;its missile defence system had shot down four rockets fired from Syria.

"Four launches were identified from Syria towards Israeli territory which were intercepted by the Israeli air defence systems," the army had said. "No hits on Israeli communities were identified."

The Israeli strikes come as tensions have increased after in Gaza after the Israeli defence force killed an &nbsp;Islamic Jihad leader a fortnight ago. The Islamic Jihad fired several hundred rockets at Israel as Netayanhu's government retaliated with airstrikes and missiles aimed at Gaza militants.

After Syria's state news agency reported the country's air defences destroyed missiles fired from Israel, the Israeli army confirmed it was aimed at Syrian and Iranian "terror targets" near Damascus on Wednesday morning.

After Syria's state news agency reported the country's air defences destroyed missiles fired from Israel, the Israeli army confirmed it was aimed at Syrian and Iranian "terror targets" near Damascus on Wednesday morning. "We just carried out wide-scale strikes of Iranian Quds Force & Syrian Armed Forces targets in Syria in response to the rockets fired at Israel by an Iranian force in Syria last night," the Israel Defense Forces tweeted. #BREAKING: We just carried out wide-scale strikes of Iranian Quds Force & Syrian Armed Forces targets in Syria in response to the rockets fired at Israel by an Iranian force in Syria last night. — Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) November 20, 2019 × "During our strike of Iranian & Syrian terror targets, a Syrian air defence missile was fired despite clear warnings to refrain from such fire. As a result, a number of Syrian aerial defence batteries were destroyed," it said in its tweet, adding, "We hold the Syrian regime responsible for the actions that take place in Syrian territory and warn them against allowing further attacks against Israel." During our strike of Iranian & Syrian terror targets, a Syrian air defense missile was fired despite clear warnings to refrain from such fire. As a result, a number of Syrian aerial defense batteries were destroyed. — Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) November 20, 2019 × "We will continue operating firmly and for as long as necessary against the Iranian entrenchment in Syria," Israel's Army added. We hold the Syrian regime responsible for the actions that take place in Syrian territory and warn them against allowing further attacks against Israel. We will continue operating firmly and for as long as necessary against the Iranian entrenchment in Syria. — Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) November 20, 2019 × Israel's military had said on Tuesday its missile defence system had shot down four rockets fired from Syria. "Four launches were identified from Syria towards Israeli territory which were intercepted by the Israeli air defence systems," the army had said. "No hits on Israeli communities were identified." The Israeli strikes come as tensions have increased after in Gaza after the Israeli defence force killed an Islamic Jihad leader a fortnight ago. The Islamic Jihad fired several hundred rockets at Israel as Netayanhu's government retaliated with airstrikes and missiles aimed at Gaza militants.

We carried out strikes on Iran's Quds Force, Syrian targets: Israel army

Airstrikes by the Syrian government and its allies on schools, hospitals, markets, and bakeries have killed at least 103 civilians in the past 10 days, including 26 children, U.N. human rights chief Michelle Bachelet said in a statement on Friday (July 26) read out by one of her spokesman. "These are civilian objects, and it seems highly unlikely, given the persistent pattern of such attacks, that they are all being hit by accident," OHCHR spokesman Rupert Colville told a news briefing in Geneva, adding that the rising toll had been met with "apparent international indifference." The government began its offensive against the rebel enclave in northwest Syria, the last area of active insurgent opposition to President Bashar al-Assad, at the end of April, saying it was responding to violations of a truce.

U.N. says Syria air strikes killed at least 100 civilians in past 10 days

Global chemical weapons inspectors finally reached the Syrian town on Tuesday where a suspected poison gas attack took place, days after the United States, Britain and France launched missile strikes to punish Damascus for it.

Syrian state television reported that the experts from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons(OPCW) had entered Douma, where Western countries say scores of civilians sheltering from bombs were gassed to death on April 7.

France said it was very likely that evidence of the poison gas attack was disappearing before the inspectors could reach the site. Syria and its ally Russia deny that any chemical attack took place.

Douma is now in the hands of government forces after the last rebels withdrew just hours after US, French and British forces fired more than 100 missiles to hit three suspected chemical weapons development or storage sites.

Saturday's air strikes were the first coordinated Western strikes against Assad's government in a seven-year war that has killed more than 500,000 people and drawn in global powers and neighbouring states.

The intervention threatened to escalate confrontation between the West and Russia but has had no significant impact on the ground, where President Bashar al-Assad is now in his strongest position since the war's early days and shows no sign of slowing down his campaign to crush the rebellion.

The Syrian army began preparatory shelling on Tuesday for an assault on the last area outside its control near Damascus, a commander in the pro-government alliance said.

Recovering the Yarmouk camp and neighbouring areas south of the city would give Assad complete control over Syria's capital. Yarmouk, Syria's biggest camp for Palestinian refugees, has been under the control of Islamic State fighters for years. Although most residents have fled, the United Nations says several thousand remain.

Assad has benefited from Russian air power since 2015 to regain large swathes of Syria. The suspected poison gas attack creates a conundrum for Western powers, who are determined to punish Assad for using chemical weapons but have no strategy for the sort of sustained intervention that might damage him.

Damascus and Moscow have broadcast statements from hospital workers in Douma - which medical aid groups operating in rebel areas have dismissed as propaganda - saying that no chemical attack took place.

Syrian state media reported that missiles had again targeted an airbase overnight, but the commander in the regional military alliance backing the government, speaking on condition of anonymity, later told Reuters it was a false alarm.

The commander said the new offensive would target Islamic State and Nusra Front militants in Yarmouk camp and al-Hajar al-Aswad district. Rebels in the adjoining Beit Sahm area had agreed to withdraw on buses, he said.

A government media tour on Monday of Douma, the biggest town in the former rebel enclave of eastern Ghouta just outside Damascus, revealed severe destruction and the plight of residents who had survived years of siege.

The assault on eastern Ghouta began in February and ended in government victory on Saturday when rebels withdrew from the town. All the rebel groups controlling areas of eastern Ghouta eventually agreed to surrender deals that involved withdrawal to opposition-held areas of northwestern Syria.

After the recapture of eastern Ghouta, Assad still has several smaller pockets of ground to recover from rebels, as well as two major areas they hold in the northwest and southwest.

Besides the pocket south of Damascus, rebels still hold besieged enclaves in the town of Dumayr northeast of Damascus, in the Eastern Qalamoun mountains nearby, and around Rastan north of Homs.

The pro-government commander said the army had prepared for military action in the Eastern Qalamoun, but that Russia was working on securing the rebels' withdrawal without a battle. State television said on Tuesday that rebels in Dumayr had also agreed to withdraw.

In Idlib in northwest Syria, the largest area still held by rebels, a government assault could bring Damascus into a confrontation with Turkey, which has set up a string of military observation posts in the area.

Ali Akbar Velayati, a top Iranian official, said during a visit to Damascus last week that he hoped the army would soon regain Idlib and areas of eastern Syria now held by an alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias backed by Washington.

A government media tour on Monday of Douma revealed severe destruction and the plight of residents who had survived years of siege.

Global chemical weapons inspectors finally reached the Syrian town on Tuesday where a suspected poison gas attack took place, days after the United States, Britain and France launched missile strikes to punish Damascus for it. Syrian state television reported that the experts from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons(OPCW) had entered Douma, where Western countries say scores of civilians sheltering from bombs were gassed to death on April 7. France said it was very likely that evidence of the poison gas attack was disappearing before the inspectors could reach the site. Syria and its ally Russia deny that any chemical attack took place. Douma is now in the hands of government forces after the last rebels withdrew just hours after US, French and British forces fired more than 100 missiles to hit three suspected chemical weapons development or storage sites. Saturday's air strikes were the first coordinated Western strikes against Assad's government in a seven-year war that has killed more than 500,000 people and drawn in global powers and neighbouring states. The intervention threatened to escalate confrontation between the West and Russia but has had no significant impact on the ground, where President Bashar al-Assad is now in his strongest position since the war's early days and shows no sign of slowing down his campaign to crush the rebellion. The Syrian army began preparatory shelling on Tuesday for an assault on the last area outside its control near Damascus, a commander in the pro-government alliance said. Recovering the Yarmouk camp and neighbouring areas south of the city would give Assad complete control over Syria's capital. Yarmouk, Syria's biggest camp for Palestinian refugees, has been under the control of Islamic State fighters for years. Although most residents have fled, the United Nations says several thousand remain. Assad has benefited from Russian air power since 2015 to regain large swathes of Syria. The suspected poison gas attack creates a conundrum for Western powers, who are determined to punish Assad for using chemical weapons but have no strategy for the sort of sustained intervention that might damage him. Damascus and Moscow have broadcast statements from hospital workers in Douma - which medical aid groups operating in rebel areas have dismissed as propaganda - saying that no chemical attack took place. Syrian state media reported that missiles had again targeted an airbase overnight, but the commander in the regional military alliance backing the government, speaking on condition of anonymity, later told Reuters it was a false alarm. The commander said the new offensive would target Islamic State and Nusra Front militants in Yarmouk camp and al-Hajar al-Aswad district. Rebels in the adjoining Beit Sahm area had agreed to withdraw on buses, he said. A government media tour on Monday of Douma, the biggest town in the former rebel enclave of eastern Ghouta just outside Damascus, revealed severe destruction and the plight of residents who had survived years of siege. The assault on eastern Ghouta began in February and ended in government victory on Saturday when rebels withdrew from the town. All the rebel groups controlling areas of eastern Ghouta eventually agreed to surrender deals that involved withdrawal to opposition-held areas of northwestern Syria. After the recapture of eastern Ghouta, Assad still has several smaller pockets of ground to recover from rebels, as well as two major areas they hold in the northwest and southwest. Besides the pocket south of Damascus, rebels still hold besieged enclaves in the town of Dumayr northeast of Damascus, in the Eastern Qalamoun mountains nearby, and around Rastan north of Homs. The pro-government commander said the army had prepared for military action in the Eastern Qalamoun, but that Russia was working on securing the rebels' withdrawal without a battle. State television said on Tuesday that rebels in Dumayr had also agreed to withdraw. In Idlib in northwest Syria, the largest area still held by rebels, a government assault could bring Damascus into a confrontation with Turkey, which has set up a string of military observation posts in the area. Ali Akbar Velayati, a top Iranian official, said during a visit to Damascus last week that he hoped the army would soon regain Idlib and areas of eastern Syria now held by an alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias backed by Washington.

Chemical weapons experts enter Douma to probe suspected poison gas attack

A series of explosions were heard in Syria's capital Damascus early Saturday even as US President Donald Trump <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-uk-and-france-launch-combined-strikes-on-syria-chemical-sites-130326">announced strikes</a> on the country were underway.

At least six loud explosions were heard and smoke was seen rising over the Syrian capital, a witness told Reuters.

A second witness said the Barzah district of Damascus, the location of a major Syrian scientific research centre, had been hit in the strikes.&nbsp;

&nbsp;The strikes have hit Syria bases and chemical research centres around Damascus, a war monitor said.

They included an air base west of Damascus near the Lebanese border, a commander in the regional military alliance that backs President Bashar al-Assad said.

The targeted al-Shirai air base is located in al-Dimas, the commander told Reuters.

The attack hit a site in Masyaf, about 170 km (100 miles) north of Damascus, army depots in the eastern Qalamoun region northeast of the capital, the Kisweh area south of Damascus, and a site in the Qasyoun hills overlooking the capital.

The strikes also hit a military research centre and warehouses in Syria's central Homs province.

Three blasts were heard from Homs city after a military research centre and depots were hit, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. 
 
The army's air defences were confronting an attack by the United States, France and Britain,&nbsp;Syrian state TV said. 
&nbsp;

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Video: Syrian air defences launching from Damascus to repel US strike <a href="https://t.co/DshQS7AtJA">pic.twitter.com/DshQS7AtJA</a>
— Syrian Guy ?? (@SyrianGuy8) <a href="https://twitter.com/SyrianGuy8/status/984963218681581568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 14, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

"Our respected viewers, the Syrian air defences have resisted the US-French-British aggression against Syria that was announced by (US&nbsp;President Donald) Trump a short time ago. Our respected viewers, in these moments, the Syrian air defence resist the US-French-British aggression," Syrian state TV announced.

US President Donald Trump on Friday ordered precision strikes targeting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's chemical weapons capabilities after a weekend poison gas attack that killed at least 60 people on April 7.

Trump said a combined operation with France and Britain was underway.

"A short time ago, I ordered the United States Armed Forces to launch precision strikes on targets associated with the chemical weapons capabilities of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad," Trump said in a televised address from the White House.

(With inputs from Reuters)

US President Donald Trump on Friday ordered precision strikes targeting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's chemical weapons capabilities after a weekend poison gas attack that killed at least 60 people on April 7

A series of explosions were heard in Syria's capital Damascus early Saturday even as US President Donald Trump announced strikes on the country were underway. At least six loud explosions were heard and smoke was seen rising over the Syrian capital, a witness told Reuters. A second witness said the Barzah district of Damascus, the location of a major Syrian scientific research centre, had been hit in the strikes. The strikes have hit Syria bases and chemical research centres around Damascus, a war monitor said. They included an air base west of Damascus near the Lebanese border, a commander in the regional military alliance that backs President Bashar al-Assad said. The targeted al-Shirai air base is located in al-Dimas, the commander told Reuters. The attack hit a site in Masyaf, about 170 km (100 miles) north of Damascus, army depots in the eastern Qalamoun region northeast of the capital, the Kisweh area south of Damascus, and a site in the Qasyoun hills overlooking the capital. The strikes also hit a military research centre and warehouses in Syria's central Homs province. Three blasts were heard from Homs city after a military research centre and depots were hit, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The army's air defences were confronting an attack by the United States, France and Britain, Syrian state TV said. Video: Syrian air defences launching from Damascus to repel US strike pic.twitter.com/DshQS7AtJA — Syrian Guy ?? (@SyrianGuy8) April 14, 2018 × "Our respected viewers, the Syrian air defences have resisted the US-French-British aggression against Syria that was announced by (US President Donald) Trump a short time ago. Our respected viewers, in these moments, the Syrian air defence resist the US-French-British aggression," Syrian state TV announced. US President Donald Trump on Friday ordered precision strikes targeting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's chemical weapons capabilities after a weekend poison gas attack that killed at least 60 people on April 7. Trump said a combined operation with France and Britain was underway. "A short time ago, I ordered the United States Armed Forces to launch precision strikes on targets associated with the chemical weapons capabilities of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad," Trump said in a televised address from the White House. (With inputs from Reuters)

US strikes on Syria: Several explosions heard in Damascus

Russia's UN ambassador Vassily Nebenzia has warned that if the US launches air strikes in response to the alleged chemical attack in Syria it could lead to a war between the two countries.

"The immediate priority is to avert the danger of war," the Russian envoy was quoted as saying by the BBC.

"We cannot exclude any possibilities, unfortunately."

The remarks were made after a private meeting of the UN Security Council in New York.

Vassily Nebenzia also said that UN Security Council must meet again on Friday to discuss the possibility of Western military action.

Top Russian officials, including the head of the military, have warned that US missiles will be shot down and their launch sites targeted if Russian personnel come under threat.

Dozens of people died in a suspected chemical attack on the rebel-held town of Douma on Saturday.

US President Donald Trump amended on Thursday an earlier warning of a swift military strike against Syria in retaliation for a suspected chemical weapons attack on civilians, saying it "could be very soon or not so soon at all".

&nbsp;

Russia's UN ambassador Vassily Nebenzia has warned that if the US launches air strikes in response to the alleged chemical attack in Syria it could lead to a war between the two countries

Russia's UN ambassador Vassily Nebenzia has warned that if the US launches air strikes in response to the alleged chemical attack in Syria it could lead to a war between the two countries. "The immediate priority is to avert the danger of war," the Russian envoy was quoted as saying by the BBC. "We cannot exclude any possibilities, unfortunately." The remarks were made after a private meeting of the UN Security Council in New York. Vassily Nebenzia also said that UN Security Council must meet again on Friday to discuss the possibility of Western military action. Top Russian officials, including the head of the military, have warned that US missiles will be shot down and their launch sites targeted if Russian personnel come under threat. Dozens of people died in a suspected chemical attack on the rebel-held town of Douma on Saturday. US President Donald Trump amended on Thursday an earlier warning of a swift military strike against Syria in retaliation for a suspected chemical weapons attack on civilians, saying it "could be very soon or not so soon at all".

Russia warns US of war over Syria air strikes

Deadly air strikes slammed into the last opposition-held town in Syria's Eastern Ghouta on Friday, killing 32 civilians in the first bombardment since talks sputtered over a rebel withdrawal.

Backed by Russia, Syrian troops had captured nearly all of the one-time opposition stronghold of Ghouta with a combination of ferocious bombing raids and negotiated withdrawals.

All that remained was its largest town of Douma, held by the Jaish al-Islam Islamist faction and home to tens of thousands of people.

Moscow announced a deal with Jaish al-Islam last Sunday, ushering in three consecutive days of evacuations from Douma that saw nearly 3,000 fighters and civilians bussed to northern Syria.

But the evacuations stalled this week amid reports Jaish al-Islam remained divided over a withdrawal, and heavy bombing hit Douma on Friday afternoon for the first time in around 10 days.&nbsp

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said dozens of air strikes hit various parts of Douma, including some suspected to have been carried out by Russian warplanes.&nbsp

"At least 32 civilians died, including seven children," said Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman, adding that around 50 people were wounded.

A medic inside Douma described to AFP a state of chaos at the local hospital as wounded and dead were being brought in.&nbsp

"The hospital is in a state of panic," the medic said.

"Dentists are carrying out emergency surgeries. Dead bodies are being brought in pieces and are unrecognisable."&nbsp

State news agency SANA said Syrian air strikes hit the town on Friday in response to deadly rebel mortar fire from Douma.

It said mortar shells hit several suburbs of the capital and killed at least one person and wounded more than a dozen. &nbsp

The regime and its ally Russia launched a blistering air and ground offensive on Eastern Ghouta in mid-February, killing more than 1,600 civilians and causing an international outcry.

The enclave on the eastern edge of Damascus had escaped government control since 2012 and, although it had shrunk over the years, it still covered sizeable territory two months ago.

The daily air raids kept residents cowering in basements for weeks and a ground assault soon sliced the area into three isolated pockets, each held by different rebel factions.

Deal dead?

The first two were evacuated under Russian-brokered deals last month that saw more than 46,000 rebels and civilians bussed to the northwestern province of Idlib, which the regime does not control.

Tens of thousands of people also fled through humanitarian corridors opened by Russia and Syrian troops.&nbsp

Some have already returned to their devastated neighbourhoods, while others are staying in crowded shelters.

As talks over the third and final pocket of Douma dragged on, Russia and Syria's regime threatened Jaish al-Islam with a renewed military assault if they did not agree to withdraw.

Those still trapped in Douma had been nervous that any attempt to renege on an evacuation would only prompt Russia and regime warplanes to resume deadly strikes.

The nature of the ongoing discussions over Douma is unclear and Jaish al-Islam itself has not stated its position since this week's first evacuation.

"It's very tense and there's a lot of confusion. We don't know where we're going, and rumours are flying in the town," said a resident reached by phone who gave his name as Mohammed.

"Waiting for the unknown, with rumours as your only source of information, is worse than the bombardment," said the young man, hours before Friday's fresh strikes.

Jaish al-Islam had been angling for a reconciliation deal that would allow them to stay in Douma as a police force.

The group appears to have little leverage, however, to face the regime's recovered might, and the latest strikes raised fears of a brutal end to the five-year-old siege of Eastern Ghouta.

"These air strikes are paving the way for a ground operation. Forces are already amassing and there is massive pressure on Jaish al-Islam," said Nawar Oliver, an analyst at the Omran Institute.

"The negotiations failed and the regime wants its conditions -- the air strikes are a taste of what could happen if its conditions are not implemented," he said.

Deadly air strikes slammed into the last opposition-held town in Syria's Eastern Ghouta on Friday, killing 32 civilians in the first bombardment since talks sputtered over a rebel withdrawal

Deadly air strikes slammed into the last opposition-held town in Syria's Eastern Ghouta on Friday, killing 32 civilians in the first bombardment since talks sputtered over a rebel withdrawal. Backed by Russia, Syrian troops had captured nearly all of the one-time opposition stronghold of Ghouta with a combination of ferocious bombing raids and negotiated withdrawals. All that remained was its largest town of Douma, held by the Jaish al-Islam Islamist faction and home to tens of thousands of people. Moscow announced a deal with Jaish al-Islam last Sunday, ushering in three consecutive days of evacuations from Douma that saw nearly 3,000 fighters and civilians bussed to northern Syria. But the evacuations stalled this week amid reports Jaish al-Islam remained divided over a withdrawal, and heavy bombing hit Douma on Friday afternoon for the first time in around 10 days. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said dozens of air strikes hit various parts of Douma, including some suspected to have been carried out by Russian warplanes. "At least 32 civilians died, including seven children," said Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman, adding that around 50 people were wounded. A medic inside Douma described to AFP a state of chaos at the local hospital as wounded and dead were being brought in. "The hospital is in a state of panic," the medic said. "Dentists are carrying out emergency surgeries. Dead bodies are being brought in pieces and are unrecognisable." State news agency SANA said Syrian air strikes hit the town on Friday in response to deadly rebel mortar fire from Douma. It said mortar shells hit several suburbs of the capital and killed at least one person and wounded more than a dozen. The regime and its ally Russia launched a blistering air and ground offensive on Eastern Ghouta in mid-February, killing more than 1,600 civilians and causing an international outcry. The enclave on the eastern edge of Damascus had escaped government control since 2012 and, although it had shrunk over the years, it still covered sizeable territory two months ago. The daily air raids kept residents cowering in basements for weeks and a ground assault soon sliced the area into three isolated pockets, each held by different rebel factions. Deal dead? The first two were evacuated under Russian-brokered deals last month that saw more than 46,000 rebels and civilians bussed to the northwestern province of Idlib, which the regime does not control. Tens of thousands of people also fled through humanitarian corridors opened by Russia and Syrian troops. Some have already returned to their devastated neighbourhoods, while others are staying in crowded shelters. As talks over the third and final pocket of Douma dragged on, Russia and Syria's regime threatened Jaish al-Islam with a renewed military assault if they did not agree to withdraw. Those still trapped in Douma had been nervous that any attempt to renege on an evacuation would only prompt Russia and regime warplanes to resume deadly strikes. The nature of the ongoing discussions over Douma is unclear and Jaish al-Islam itself has not stated its position since this week's first evacuation. "It's very tense and there's a lot of confusion. We don't know where we're going, and rumours are flying in the town," said a resident reached by phone who gave his name as Mohammed. "Waiting for the unknown, with rumours as your only source of information, is worse than the bombardment," said the young man, hours before Friday's fresh strikes. Jaish al-Islam had been angling for a reconciliation deal that would allow them to stay in Douma as a police force. The group appears to have little leverage, however, to face the regime's recovered might, and the latest strikes raised fears of a brutal end to the five-year-old siege of Eastern Ghouta. "These air strikes are paving the way for a ground operation. Forces are already amassing and there is massive pressure on Jaish al-Islam," said Nawar Oliver, an analyst at the Omran Institute. "The negotiations failed and the regime wants its conditions -- the air strikes are a taste of what could happen if its conditions are not implemented," he said.

Air strikes return to Syria's Ghouta killing 32 as talks sputter

Thirty-seven civilians died in the the shrinking rebel enclave of Eastern Ghouta&#39;s Arbin area near Damascus overnight, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Friday.

The war monitor said the civilians had died of burning or suffocation.

&quot;Russian air strikes and incendiary weapons killed the civilians in a basement from burning or suffocation&quot; late on Thursday before a ceasefire came into effect in the area, Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said.

Russia has denied being directly involved in air strikes on Eastern Ghouta.

The Britain-based Observatory says it relies on flight patterns, aircraft involved and ammunition used to determine who carries out the air strikes.

Meanwhile, hundreds of fighters evacuated by the Syrian regime from Eastern Ghouta bastion arrived in rebel-held Idlib province on Friday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Buses carrying the fighters and their families entered the northwestern province after their evacuation from the rebel-held town of Harasta in Eastern Ghouta on Thursday, the war monitor said.

(With inputs from AFP)

Russia has denied being directly involved in air strikes on Eastern Ghouta

Thirty-seven civilians died in the the shrinking rebel enclave of Eastern Ghouta's Arbin area near Damascus overnight, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Friday. The war monitor said the civilians had died of burning or suffocation. "Russian air strikes and incendiary weapons killed the civilians in a basement from burning or suffocation" late on Thursday before a ceasefire came into effect in the area, Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said. Russia has denied being directly involved in air strikes on Eastern Ghouta. The Britain-based Observatory says it relies on flight patterns, aircraft involved and ammunition used to determine who carries out the air strikes. Meanwhile, hundreds of fighters evacuated by the Syrian regime from Eastern Ghouta bastion arrived in rebel-held Idlib province on Friday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Buses carrying the fighters and their families entered the northwestern province after their evacuation from the rebel-held town of Harasta in Eastern Ghouta on Thursday, the war monitor said. (With inputs from AFP)

Russian strikes kill 37 civilians in Eastern Ghouta: Monitor

Syrian regime air strikes and artillery fire hit the rebel-held enclave of Eastern Ghouta for a sixth straight day Friday killing 32 civilians, as the world struggled to reach a deal to stop the carnage.

More than 450 civilians, including over 100 children, have been killed in nearly a week of bombardment that has been one of the seven-year Syrian conflict&#39;s bloodiest episodes -- and rescuers were searching for more bodies buried in the rubble.

The leaders of France and Germany urged Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose airforce is also striking Eastern Ghouta near Damascus, to back a 30-day truce at a UN Security Council vote.

The council delayed the crunch vote by over three hours to 1930 GMT, as negotiations went into high gear to avoid a veto from Syrian regime ally Moscow, which has been calling for &quot;guarantees&quot; that the ceasefire would be respected by rebel fighters.

Few of Eastern Ghouta&#39;s nearly 400,000 residents -- mostly living in a scattering of towns across the semi-rural area east of the capital -- ventured out on Friday.

An AFP correspondent in Douma, the enclave&#39;s main town, saw a handful of people stealthily crossing rubble-strewn streets to assess damage to their property or look for food and water.

He said rescuers carried a young boy wounded in the eye, blood trickling down his face, to one of the town&#39;s hospitals. &quot;Will I see again?,&quot; he asked a doctor.

Death has fallen from the sky relentlessly since government and allied forces intensified their bombardment on Sunday and rocket fire soon forced everybody to run for cover.

Exhausted and famished families cowered in cramped and damp basements, exchanging information on the latest casualties of the government&#39;s blitz.

Some of the only people braving the threat of more bombardment were medical staff in those hospitals still standing and rescuers sifting through the wreckage of levelled buildings.

Trapped bodies 
 
Fresh strikes on Friday, by the Syria regime and its Russian ally, killed at least 32 civilians, including six children, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Britain-based war monitor, said the strikes targeted different areas of Eastern Ghouta.

The latest deaths brought to 462 the number of people killed -- including 103 children -- since the regime and Russia intensified their bombardment of the besieged area on February 18.&nbsp;

More than 2,000 people have been wounded.

Rebels have been firing back into the capital Damascus, where on Friday a hospital was hit, the official Syrian news agency SANA said.

Diplomats at the United Nations failed to clinch Russian approval late Thursday on a resolution calling for a 30-day truce to allow for humanitarian aid and medical evacuations.

They then announced that a vote would take place on Friday, but it was delayed twice amid staunch Russian resistance.

Negotiations were continuing to avoid a Russia veto of the text that would establish a truce to allow humanitarian aid deliveries and medical evacuations.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron wrote to Putin to ask him to back the ceasefire.

The latest text softens language in a key provision to say that the council &quot;demands&quot; a ceasefire instead of &quot;decides&quot;.

It also specifies that the ceasefire will not apply to &quot;individuals, groups, undertakings and entities associated&quot; with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group. A previous version simply mentioned the two groups.

World leaders have expressed outrage at the plight of civilians in Eastern Ghouta, which UN chief Antonio Guterres called &quot;hell on earth&quot;, but have so far been powerless to halt the bloodshed.

&quot;The UN says it is concerned and calls for a ceasefire, France condemns, but they have given us nothing,&quot; said Abu Mustafa, one of the few civilians on the streets of Douma Friday morning.

&quot;Every day we have strikes, destruction. This would draw tears from a rock,&quot; said the 50-year-old, who was escorting a wounded person to hospital.

Toothless response

The enclave has been controlled by Islamist and jihadist groups since 2012.&nbsp;

The main rebel groups in Eastern Ghouta rejected in a statement released Friday any deal that would see them or other residents relocated.

&quot;We categorically reject any initiative providing for inhabitants to leave their homes and be transferred towards any other location,&quot; they said in a letter addressed to Guterres.

The area is completely surrounded by government-controlled territory and residents are unwilling or unable to flee the deadly siege.

The dire images of civilian victims bleeding to death in understaffed hospitals and the scope of the urban destruction have shocked the world and drawn comparisons with the devastating 2016 battle for Aleppo.

The aid community has voiced its frustration at being prevented from assisting civilians in Eastern Ghouta, which has been under government siege since 2013.

&quot;The blocking of this resolution is another failure to end human suffering in Syria, with the UN Security Council rendered impotent as this senseless war rages on,&quot; Thomas White, Syria director at the Norwegian Refugee Council told AFP.

Government forces have this month reinforced their deployment around the enclave in preparation for a ground offensive that White said would spark an even worse humanitarian crisis.

&quot;If aid agencies are unable to meet urgent needs now, how can we possibly be prepared to tackle what is yet to come,&quot; White said.

 
&nbsp;

Syrian regime air strikes and artillery fire hit the rebel-held enclave of Eastern Ghouta for a sixth straight day Friday killing 32 civilians, as the world struggled to reach a deal to stop the carnage

Syrian regime air strikes and artillery fire hit the rebel-held enclave of Eastern Ghouta for a sixth straight day Friday killing 32 civilians, as the world struggled to reach a deal to stop the carnage. More than 450 civilians, including over 100 children, have been killed in nearly a week of bombardment that has been one of the seven-year Syrian conflict's bloodiest episodes -- and rescuers were searching for more bodies buried in the rubble. The leaders of France and Germany urged Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose airforce is also striking Eastern Ghouta near Damascus, to back a 30-day truce at a UN Security Council vote. The council delayed the crunch vote by over three hours to 1930 GMT, as negotiations went into high gear to avoid a veto from Syrian regime ally Moscow, which has been calling for "guarantees" that the ceasefire would be respected by rebel fighters. Few of Eastern Ghouta's nearly 400,000 residents -- mostly living in a scattering of towns across the semi-rural area east of the capital -- ventured out on Friday. An AFP correspondent in Douma, the enclave's main town, saw a handful of people stealthily crossing rubble-strewn streets to assess damage to their property or look for food and water. He said rescuers carried a young boy wounded in the eye, blood trickling down his face, to one of the town's hospitals. "Will I see again?," he asked a doctor. Death has fallen from the sky relentlessly since government and allied forces intensified their bombardment on Sunday and rocket fire soon forced everybody to run for cover. Exhausted and famished families cowered in cramped and damp basements, exchanging information on the latest casualties of the government's blitz. Some of the only people braving the threat of more bombardment were medical staff in those hospitals still standing and rescuers sifting through the wreckage of levelled buildings. Trapped bodies Fresh strikes on Friday, by the Syria regime and its Russian ally, killed at least 32 civilians, including six children, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Britain-based war monitor, said the strikes targeted different areas of Eastern Ghouta. The latest deaths brought to 462 the number of people killed -- including 103 children -- since the regime and Russia intensified their bombardment of the besieged area on February 18. More than 2,000 people have been wounded. Rebels have been firing back into the capital Damascus, where on Friday a hospital was hit, the official Syrian news agency SANA said. Diplomats at the United Nations failed to clinch Russian approval late Thursday on a resolution calling for a 30-day truce to allow for humanitarian aid and medical evacuations. They then announced that a vote would take place on Friday, but it was delayed twice amid staunch Russian resistance. Negotiations were continuing to avoid a Russia veto of the text that would establish a truce to allow humanitarian aid deliveries and medical evacuations. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron wrote to Putin to ask him to back the ceasefire. The latest text softens language in a key provision to say that the council "demands" a ceasefire instead of "decides". It also specifies that the ceasefire will not apply to "individuals, groups, undertakings and entities associated" with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group. A previous version simply mentioned the two groups. World leaders have expressed outrage at the plight of civilians in Eastern Ghouta, which UN chief Antonio Guterres called "hell on earth", but have so far been powerless to halt the bloodshed. "The UN says it is concerned and calls for a ceasefire, France condemns, but they have given us nothing," said Abu Mustafa, one of the few civilians on the streets of Douma Friday morning. "Every day we have strikes, destruction. This would draw tears from a rock," said the 50-year-old, who was escorting a wounded person to hospital. Toothless response The enclave has been controlled by Islamist and jihadist groups since 2012. The main rebel groups in Eastern Ghouta rejected in a statement released Friday any deal that would see them or other residents relocated. "We categorically reject any initiative providing for inhabitants to leave their homes and be transferred towards any other location," they said in a letter addressed to Guterres. The area is completely surrounded by government-controlled territory and residents are unwilling or unable to flee the deadly siege. The dire images of civilian victims bleeding to death in understaffed hospitals and the scope of the urban destruction have shocked the world and drawn comparisons with the devastating 2016 battle for Aleppo. The aid community has voiced its frustration at being prevented from assisting civilians in Eastern Ghouta, which has been under government siege since 2013. "The blocking of this resolution is another failure to end human suffering in Syria, with the UN Security Council rendered impotent as this senseless war rages on," Thomas White, Syria director at the Norwegian Refugee Council told AFP. Government forces have this month reinforced their deployment around the enclave in preparation for a ground offensive that White said would spark an even worse humanitarian crisis. "If aid agencies are unable to meet urgent needs now, how can we possibly be prepared to tackle what is yet to come," White said.

Strikes pound Syria's Eastern Ghouta as world fumbles for response

Five people were treated for &quot;suffocation&quot; Sunday after Syrian regime air strikes on the northwestern town of Saraqeb, a monitor said, adding that 10 civilians were killed in southern Idlib province.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported a &quot;foul smell after regime helicopters struck several areas of the town in Idlib province, causing five civilians to suffer from suffocation&quot;.

It quoted residents and medical sources as saying &quot;toxic gas&quot; was used in the attack, without elaborating.

Syrian regime air strikes also killed six civilians in the town of Kafr Nabi, near Maaret al Numan in the southern countryside of Idlib province, the Observatory said.

Four other civilians were killed in regime bombing on Maaret al Numan and Maasarin.

The Observatory also said that &quot;airplanes believed to be Russian hit the main hospital in Maaret al Numan causing damage&quot;.

The facility shut down until repairs could be carried out, the war monitor said.

The latest developments come as the United States this week accused the Syrian regime of using chemical weapons on opposition forces near the capital Damascus.

The Syrian foreign ministry denied the accusations as &quot;lies&quot;.

US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis told reporters on Friday his government was concerned sarin gas may have been recently used in Syria, citing reports from NGOs and rebel groups.

These reports said toxic gas has been used.

Mattis however said the United States has no proof to support these accusations.

Last month, 21 people were treated for respiratory problems after rockets were fired on the rebel bastion of Eastern Ghouta outside Damascus. 
&nbsp;

Five people were treated for 'suffocation' Sunday after Syrian regime air strikes on the northwestern town of Saraqeb, a monitor said, adding that 10 civilians were killed in southern Idlib province

Five people were treated for "suffocation" Sunday after Syrian regime air strikes on the northwestern town of Saraqeb, a monitor said, adding that 10 civilians were killed in southern Idlib province. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported a "foul smell after regime helicopters struck several areas of the town in Idlib province, causing five civilians to suffer from suffocation". It quoted residents and medical sources as saying "toxic gas" was used in the attack, without elaborating. Syrian regime air strikes also killed six civilians in the town of Kafr Nabi, near Maaret al Numan in the southern countryside of Idlib province, the Observatory said. Four other civilians were killed in regime bombing on Maaret al Numan and Maasarin. The Observatory also said that "airplanes believed to be Russian hit the main hospital in Maaret al Numan causing damage". The facility shut down until repairs could be carried out, the war monitor said. The latest developments come as the United States this week accused the Syrian regime of using chemical weapons on opposition forces near the capital Damascus. The Syrian foreign ministry denied the accusations as "lies". US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis told reporters on Friday his government was concerned sarin gas may have been recently used in Syria, citing reports from NGOs and rebel groups. These reports said toxic gas has been used. Mattis however said the United States has no proof to support these accusations. Last month, 21 people were treated for respiratory problems after rockets were fired on the rebel bastion of Eastern Ghouta outside Damascus.

Syrians suffer breathing difficulties after regime air strikes

Regime and Russian air strikes on a rebel-held enclave near Damascus killed at least 17 civilians on Saturday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. 
 
The deadliest of the raids on the Eastern Ghouta region hit the Hammuriyeh district, leaving 12 civilians dead including two children, the British-based war monitor said. 
 
Eastern Ghouta is the target of near-daily regime air raids.

Regime and Russian air strikes on a rebel-held enclave near Damascus killed at least 17 civilians on Saturday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said

Regime and Russian air strikes on a rebel-held enclave near Damascus killed at least 17 civilians on Saturday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The deadliest of the raids on the Eastern Ghouta region hit the Hammuriyeh district, leaving 12 civilians dead including two children, the British-based war monitor said. Eastern Ghouta is the target of near-daily regime air raids.

Air strikes kill at least 17 civilians in Syria rebel enclave: Monitor

At least 16 civilians were killed and dozens wounded on Saturday in an air strike on a rebel-held area outside Syria&#39;s capital Damascus, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said.

At least 16 people were also killed overnight in air strikes on a prison in the rebel-held city of Idlib in northwest Syria, the monitor said earlier.

It said the dead included prisoners and prison guards, but did not have an immediate breakdown of the toll.

The strikes were believed to have been carried out by Russian warplanes, which have been flying sorties in support of President Bashar al-Assad&#39;s government since Moscow began a military intervention in September 2015.

It said it was not immediately clear who was responsible for the strike on the town Hammuriyeh in the opposition bastion of Eastern Ghouta.

&quot;Sixteen civilians, including a child, were killed and around 50 others wounded in an air strike on the main street in the town of Hammuriyeh,&quot; Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman said.

It was not immediately clear if all the wounded were civilians or if some were rebel fighters, he said, adding that the death toll could rise further because a number of the injured were in serious condition.

The Eastern Ghouta region outside Damascus has been under a devastating government siege since 2012, and is also the regular target of regime air strikes and artillery fire.&nbsp;

It is the last remaining opposition stronghold near Damascus, where a string of local &quot;reconciliation deals&quot; have seen villages and towns brought back under the control of President Bashar al-Assad&#39;s government.&nbsp;

More than 320,000 people have been killed in Syria since the conflict began in March 2011 with anti-government protests.

Government ally Russia and rebel backer Turkey brokered a nationwide truce in December, but violence has continued across the country.

(AFP) 
&nbsp;

At least 16 civilians were killed in an air strike outside Damascus. At least 16 people died in air strikes on a prison in rebel-held Idlib

At least 16 civilians were killed and dozens wounded on Saturday in an air strike on a rebel-held area outside Syria's capital Damascus, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said. At least 16 people were also killed overnight in air strikes on a prison in the rebel-held city of Idlib in northwest Syria, the monitor said earlier. It said the dead included prisoners and prison guards, but did not have an immediate breakdown of the toll. The strikes were believed to have been carried out by Russian warplanes, which have been flying sorties in support of President Bashar al-Assad's government since Moscow began a military intervention in September 2015. It said it was not immediately clear who was responsible for the strike on the town Hammuriyeh in the opposition bastion of Eastern Ghouta. "Sixteen civilians, including a child, were killed and around 50 others wounded in an air strike on the main street in the town of Hammuriyeh," Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman said. It was not immediately clear if all the wounded were civilians or if some were rebel fighters, he said, adding that the death toll could rise further because a number of the injured were in serious condition. The Eastern Ghouta region outside Damascus has been under a devastating government siege since 2012, and is also the regular target of regime air strikes and artillery fire. It is the last remaining opposition stronghold near Damascus, where a string of local "reconciliation deals" have seen villages and towns brought back under the control of President Bashar al-Assad's government. More than 320,000 people have been killed in Syria since the conflict began in March 2011 with anti-government protests. Government ally Russia and rebel backer Turkey brokered a nationwide truce in December, but violence has continued across the country. (AFP)

At least 32 dead in separate air strikes in rebel-held Syrian cities

Heavy clashes rocked eastern districts of the Syrian capital on Sunday as rebels and jihadists tried to fight their way into the city centre in a surprise assault on government forces.

Steady shelling and sniper fire could be heard across Damascus on Sunday as rebel factions allied with former Al-Qaeda affiliate Fateh al-Sham Front launched an attack on regime positions in the city&#39;s east.&nbsp;

The attack began early Sunday &quot;with two car bombs and several suicide attackers&quot; on the Jobar district, said Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group.

Rebels then advanced into the nearby Abbasid Square area, seizing several buildings and firing a barrage of rockets into multiple Damascus neighbourhoods, Abdel Rahman said.&nbsp;

Government forces responded with nearly a dozen air strikes on Jobar, he added.&nbsp;

Syrian state television reported that the army was &quot;thwarting an attack by terrorists&quot; with artillery fire and had ordered residents to stay inside.&nbsp;

It aired footage from Abbasid Square, typically buzzing with activity but now empty except for the sound of shelling. &nbsp;

AFP correspondents in Damascus said army units had sealed off the routes into the square, where a thick column of smoke was rising into the cloudy sky.

Several schools announced they would close through Monday, and many civilians cowered inside in fear of stray bullets and shelling.

The attack on Damascus comes just days before a fresh round of UN-brokered peace talks in Geneva aiming to put an end to Syria&#39;s six-year war.

Rebels and government troops agreed to a nationwide cessation of hostilities in December, but fighting has continued across much of the country, including in the capital.

Rebels have shifted from defensive to offensive: Observatory

Control of Jobar -- which has been a battleground for more than two years -- is divided between rebels and allied jihadists and government forces.&nbsp;

According to the Observatory, the Islamist Faylaq al-Rahman rebel group and the Fateh al-Sham Front -- known as Al-Nusra Front before it broke ties with Al-Qaeda -- are present in Jobar.&nbsp;

Government forces have long sought to push the rebels out of the district because of its proximity to the city centre in Damascus.&nbsp;

But with Sunday&#39;s attack, Abdel Rahman said, &quot;rebels have shifted from a defensive position in Jobar into an offensive one&quot;.

&quot;These are not intermittent clashes -- these are ongoing attempts to advance,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

The Observatory said rebels had launched the attack as a way to relieve allied fighters in the nearby districts of Barzeh, Tishreen and Qabun from government attacks.&nbsp;

&quot;Nine regime forces and at least 12 Islamist rebels were killed&quot; in those districts over the last 24 hours, the Observatory said.

More than 320,000 people have been killed since Syria&#39;s conflict erupted six years ago with protests against Assad&#39;s rule.&nbsp;

After a government crackdown, the uprising turned into an all-out war that has drawn in world powers on nearly all sides.&nbsp;

On Sunday, Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman threatened to destroy Syria&#39;s air defence systems after they fired ground-to-air missiles at Israeli warplanes on Friday.&nbsp;

Syria&#39;s army said it shot down an Israeli jet and hit another as they were carrying out early morning strikes near the famed desert city of Palmyra.&nbsp;

Israel denied any planes were hit and said it was targeting weapons bound for Lebanon&#39;s Hezbollah movement, which is backing Assad in Syria.&nbsp;

The United Nations has sponsored peace talks to end the conflict since 2012, to no avail.&nbsp;

Government representatives and opposition figures are set to meet for a fourth round of negotiations on March 23 in Switzerland.&nbsp;

(AFP)

 
&nbsp;

Rebel factions allied with former Al-Qaeda affiliate Fateh al-Sham Front launched an attack on regime positions in the city's east

Heavy clashes rocked eastern districts of the Syrian capital on Sunday as rebels and jihadists tried to fight their way into the city centre in a surprise assault on government forces. Steady shelling and sniper fire could be heard across Damascus on Sunday as rebel factions allied with former Al-Qaeda affiliate Fateh al-Sham Front launched an attack on regime positions in the city's east. The attack began early Sunday "with two car bombs and several suicide attackers" on the Jobar district, said Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group. Rebels then advanced into the nearby Abbasid Square area, seizing several buildings and firing a barrage of rockets into multiple Damascus neighbourhoods, Abdel Rahman said. Government forces responded with nearly a dozen air strikes on Jobar, he added. Syrian state television reported that the army was "thwarting an attack by terrorists" with artillery fire and had ordered residents to stay inside. It aired footage from Abbasid Square, typically buzzing with activity but now empty except for the sound of shelling. AFP correspondents in Damascus said army units had sealed off the routes into the square, where a thick column of smoke was rising into the cloudy sky. Several schools announced they would close through Monday, and many civilians cowered inside in fear of stray bullets and shelling. The attack on Damascus comes just days before a fresh round of UN-brokered peace talks in Geneva aiming to put an end to Syria's six-year war. Rebels and government troops agreed to a nationwide cessation of hostilities in December, but fighting has continued across much of the country, including in the capital. Rebels have shifted from defensive to offensive: Observatory Control of Jobar -- which has been a battleground for more than two years -- is divided between rebels and allied jihadists and government forces. According to the Observatory, the Islamist Faylaq al-Rahman rebel group and the Fateh al-Sham Front -- known as Al-Nusra Front before it broke ties with Al-Qaeda -- are present in Jobar. Government forces have long sought to push the rebels out of the district because of its proximity to the city centre in Damascus. But with Sunday's attack, Abdel Rahman said, "rebels have shifted from a defensive position in Jobar into an offensive one". "These are not intermittent clashes -- these are ongoing attempts to advance," he said. The Observatory said rebels had launched the attack as a way to relieve allied fighters in the nearby districts of Barzeh, Tishreen and Qabun from government attacks. "Nine regime forces and at least 12 Islamist rebels were killed" in those districts over the last 24 hours, the Observatory said. More than 320,000 people have been killed since Syria's conflict erupted six years ago with protests against Assad's rule. After a government crackdown, the uprising turned into an all-out war that has drawn in world powers on nearly all sides. On Sunday, Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman threatened to destroy Syria's air defence systems after they fired ground-to-air missiles at Israeli warplanes on Friday. Syria's army said it shot down an Israeli jet and hit another as they were carrying out early morning strikes near the famed desert city of Palmyra. Israel denied any planes were hit and said it was targeting weapons bound for Lebanon's Hezbollah movement, which is backing Assad in Syria. The United Nations has sponsored peace talks to end the conflict since 2012, to no avail. Government representatives and opposition figures are set to meet for a fourth round of negotiations on March 23 in Switzerland. (AFP)

Clashes in Syria capital after rebels, jihadists launch attack on city

At least 11 civilians were killed and dozens more wounded on Saturday in air strikes on a central Syrian village that a monitor said were likely carried out by Russia.

&quot;The raids targeted a livestock market in the village of Oqayrabat, held by the Islamic State group in Hama province,&quot; said Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

&quot;They are probably Russian air strikes,&quot; he said, adding that 45 people were also wounded.

Oqayrabat lies northwest of Palmyra, the ancient desert city that was recaptured by Russian-backed government forces from IS on Wednesday.&nbsp;

The road between the two had been often used by jihadists to travel between the provinces of Hama and Homs, where Palmyra lies.&nbsp;

Abdel Rahman said the raids on the village were part of &quot;new military operations by the Syrian regime and its Russian ally targeting jihadist positions in Hama province&quot;.

Syrian and Russian warplanes on Saturday were heavily bombing IS jihadists north and east of Palmyra, which has changed hands several times in Syria`s nearly six-year war.

IS overran the city for the second time on December 11.

A day later, 53 civilians were killed in a barrage of raids on Oqayrabat and other nearby villages, according to the Observatory.&nbsp; 
The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) also raised fears at the time that chemical weapons may have been used in air strikes on Oqayrabat.&nbsp;

The Observatory, which relies on a network of sources inside Syria for its information, says it determines whose planes carry out raids according to type, location, flight patterns and munitions used.

Tens of thousands of Syrian civilians have fled ferocious fighting between Russian-backed regime forces and Islamic State group jihadists over the past week in the country&#39;s ravaged north.

Supported by Russian air power and artillery, Syrian government forces have waged a fierce offensive against IS, seizing around 90 villages since mid-January.

(AFP)

Tens of thousands of Syrian civilians have fled fighting between Russian-backed regime forces and IS

At least 11 civilians were killed and dozens more wounded on Saturday in air strikes on a central Syrian village that a monitor said were likely carried out by Russia. "The raids targeted a livestock market in the village of Oqayrabat, held by the Islamic State group in Hama province," said Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. "They are probably Russian air strikes," he said, adding that 45 people were also wounded. Oqayrabat lies northwest of Palmyra, the ancient desert city that was recaptured by Russian-backed government forces from IS on Wednesday. The road between the two had been often used by jihadists to travel between the provinces of Hama and Homs, where Palmyra lies. Abdel Rahman said the raids on the village were part of "new military operations by the Syrian regime and its Russian ally targeting jihadist positions in Hama province". Syrian and Russian warplanes on Saturday were heavily bombing IS jihadists north and east of Palmyra, which has changed hands several times in Syria`s nearly six-year war. IS overran the city for the second time on December 11. A day later, 53 civilians were killed in a barrage of raids on Oqayrabat and other nearby villages, according to the Observatory. The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) also raised fears at the time that chemical weapons may have been used in air strikes on Oqayrabat. The Observatory, which relies on a network of sources inside Syria for its information, says it determines whose planes carry out raids according to type, location, flight patterns and munitions used. Tens of thousands of Syrian civilians have fled ferocious fighting between Russian-backed regime forces and Islamic State group jihadists over the past week in the country's ravaged north. Supported by Russian air power and artillery, Syrian government forces have waged a fierce offensive against IS, seizing around 90 villages since mid-January. (AFP)

At least 11 civilians killed in Russia-backed air strikes in Syria

A barrel bomb killed a family of six in rebel-held eastern Aleppo early on Sunday and rebel shelling killed eight children at a school in the government-held sector almost a week into one of the heaviest government bombardments of Syria&#39;s civil war.

Two medics said the al-Baytounji family had suffocated to death because the barrel bomb, which fell in the Sakhour district at about midnight, had been laced with chlorine gas.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the war, confirmed the bombing but could not confirm that chlorine gas was used. Damascus has denied use of the gas, which would contravene the international Chemical Weapons Convention.

Rebel shelling killed at least eight children, aged from six to 12 years, among 10 deaths in the Saria Hasoun school in al-Farqan district, the Observatory and Syrian state television reported.

Hundreds of people have been killed since Tuesday as the government and its allies attempt to quash resistance in Aleppo&#39;s rebel-held eastern zone.

Syria&#39;s military and Russia&#39;s air force had paused their bombardment of eastern Aleppo, except for on the frontlines, for two weeks after a month-long offensive from late September to late October, but recommenced strikes on Tuesday.

The plight of civilians in eastern Aleppo was underscored on Saturday when the World Health Organisation reported that bombing had put all the hospitals in the besieged district out of operation. An official with a rebel group based in east Aleppo said there were still no working hospitals there on Sunday.

The army and its allies began some ground attacks on Friday. The Observatory reported intense clashes in Sheikh Saeed in southeast Aleppo and in Baeedain and Bustan al-Basha in northeast Aleppo.

Lebanon&#39;s Hezbollah militia, one of the army&#39;s main allies in the fighting, said on Sunday that clashes were taking place in the Hanano district of northeast Aleppo and that pro-government forces were bringing big reinforcements to the city.

&nbsp;

Talks

An inquiry by the United Nations and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons has said Syrian government forces have used chlorine gas in barrel bombs at least three times during the war. Damascus denies it.

Syria also denies using barrel bombs - improvised ordnance made by oil drums filled with high explosive and shrapnel and dropped from helicopters. Their use has been condemned by the United Nations for causing unnecessary suffering.

Air strikes continued to hit several districts of eastern Aleppo early on Sunday, the Observatory said, after at least 54 people were killed in bombing on Saturday.

So far, around 240 people have been killed in bombing in eastern Aleppo and the rebel-held countryside to the west of the city since Tuesday, it added.

Staffan De Mistura, the envoy of the United Nations secretary general, arrived in Damascus for talks with Syrian Foreign Ministry officials on Sunday.

Foreign Minister Walid al-Moalem said in a televised news conference that De Mistura had discussed the possibility of an autonomous admnistration being set up in eastern Aleppo, but that Damascus completely rejected this. An elected city council oversees services in the rebel-held eastern districts.

Moalem said that the arrangement was intended by rebel groups to control distribution of food and that they were holding the civilians of eastern Aleppo hostage.

Asked in a televised news conference about Damascus&#39; expectations from US&nbsp;President-elect Donald Trump, he said it wanted him to stop arming rebel groups and to curb regional powers who also did so.

The two medics identified the family they said was killed by chlorine in a film distributed online. It showed the corpses of four children stretched out on a floor, their lips blue and dark marks around their open eyes.

One of the medics, Abu al-Abbas, has a colleague who lives on the same street, he said. Another was the manager of a hospital and said doctors had confirmed the cause of their death as gas poisoning. A rebel official, Zakaria al-Malahifji, from the Fastaqim group, also said they had been killed by gas.

Medics and residents in rebel-held areas have often accused the Syrian military of using chlorine in barrel bomb attacks on their areas, but the difficulty of reaching besieged districts makes it hard for international agencies to verify this.

Syria and Russia have also accused the rebels of using toxic gas in shells, including during a major assault on the western fringe of the government-held zone in Aleppo early this month.

The civil war pits President Bashar al-Assad backed by Russia&#39;s air force, Iran and Shi&#39;ite militias against mostly Sunni rebels including groups supported by the United States, Turkey and Gulf monarchies.

Aleppo has become the focal point for fighting, as the army and its allies attempt to end insurgent resistance there, alternating intense bombardment and ground attacks with offers to rebels to quit the city during periods of reduced bombing.

The use of siege and bombardment tactics has previously forced rebels to surrender other encircled areas such as the large town of Daraya southeast of Damascus, seen for years as a stronghold of the rising against Assad. 
 
(Reuters)

A family of six suffocated to death because the barrell bomb was laced with chlorine gas, medics told Reuters

A barrel bomb killed a family of six in rebel-held eastern Aleppo early on Sunday and rebel shelling killed eight children at a school in the government-held sector almost a week into one of the heaviest government bombardments of Syria's civil war. Two medics said the al-Baytounji family had suffocated to death because the barrel bomb, which fell in the Sakhour district at about midnight, had been laced with chlorine gas. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the war, confirmed the bombing but could not confirm that chlorine gas was used. Damascus has denied use of the gas, which would contravene the international Chemical Weapons Convention. Rebel shelling killed at least eight children, aged from six to 12 years, among 10 deaths in the Saria Hasoun school in al-Farqan district, the Observatory and Syrian state television reported. Hundreds of people have been killed since Tuesday as the government and its allies attempt to quash resistance in Aleppo's rebel-held eastern zone. Syria's military and Russia's air force had paused their bombardment of eastern Aleppo, except for on the frontlines, for two weeks after a month-long offensive from late September to late October, but recommenced strikes on Tuesday. The plight of civilians in eastern Aleppo was underscored on Saturday when the World Health Organisation reported that bombing had put all the hospitals in the besieged district out of operation. An official with a rebel group based in east Aleppo said there were still no working hospitals there on Sunday. The army and its allies began some ground attacks on Friday. The Observatory reported intense clashes in Sheikh Saeed in southeast Aleppo and in Baeedain and Bustan al-Basha in northeast Aleppo. Lebanon's Hezbollah militia, one of the army's main allies in the fighting, said on Sunday that clashes were taking place in the Hanano district of northeast Aleppo and that pro-government forces were bringing big reinforcements to the city. Talks An inquiry by the United Nations and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons has said Syrian government forces have used chlorine gas in barrel bombs at least three times during the war. Damascus denies it. Syria also denies using barrel bombs - improvised ordnance made by oil drums filled with high explosive and shrapnel and dropped from helicopters. Their use has been condemned by the United Nations for causing unnecessary suffering. Air strikes continued to hit several districts of eastern Aleppo early on Sunday, the Observatory said, after at least 54 people were killed in bombing on Saturday. So far, around 240 people have been killed in bombing in eastern Aleppo and the rebel-held countryside to the west of the city since Tuesday, it added. Staffan De Mistura, the envoy of the United Nations secretary general, arrived in Damascus for talks with Syrian Foreign Ministry officials on Sunday. Foreign Minister Walid al-Moalem said in a televised news conference that De Mistura had discussed the possibility of an autonomous admnistration being set up in eastern Aleppo, but that Damascus completely rejected this. An elected city council oversees services in the rebel-held eastern districts. Moalem said that the arrangement was intended by rebel groups to control distribution of food and that they were holding the civilians of eastern Aleppo hostage. Asked in a televised news conference about Damascus' expectations from US President-elect Donald Trump, he said it wanted him to stop arming rebel groups and to curb regional powers who also did so. The two medics identified the family they said was killed by chlorine in a film distributed online. It showed the corpses of four children stretched out on a floor, their lips blue and dark marks around their open eyes. One of the medics, Abu al-Abbas, has a colleague who lives on the same street, he said. Another was the manager of a hospital and said doctors had confirmed the cause of their death as gas poisoning. A rebel official, Zakaria al-Malahifji, from the Fastaqim group, also said they had been killed by gas. Medics and residents in rebel-held areas have often accused the Syrian military of using chlorine in barrel bomb attacks on their areas, but the difficulty of reaching besieged districts makes it hard for international agencies to verify this. Syria and Russia have also accused the rebels of using toxic gas in shells, including during a major assault on the western fringe of the government-held zone in Aleppo early this month. The civil war pits President Bashar al-Assad backed by Russia's air force, Iran and Shi'ite militias against mostly Sunni rebels including groups supported by the United States, Turkey and Gulf monarchies. Aleppo has become the focal point for fighting, as the army and its allies attempt to end insurgent resistance there, alternating intense bombardment and ground attacks with offers to rebels to quit the city during periods of reduced bombing. The use of siege and bombardment tactics has previously forced rebels to surrender other encircled areas such as the large town of Daraya southeast of Damascus, seen for years as a stronghold of the rising against Assad. (Reuters)

Syria: Dozens, including 8 children, killed in Aleppo air strikes

Airstrikes killed at least 22 people in Syria&#39;s rebel-held Idlib province today, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights was quoted as saying by international news agency Reuters. Seven of them were children.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Several locations in the Haas village were hit by the warplanes, including an elementary and middle school, killing at least one teacher as well as the children, said the British-based war monitor.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

A military source told a Syrian state TV that a number of militants had been killed when their positions were targeted in Haas, however, he did not mention a school, Reuters reported.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Syria&#39;s civil war pits President Bashar al-Assad, backed by Russia, Iran and Shi&#39;ite Muslim militias from Lebanon, Iraq and Afghanistan against an array of mostly Sunni rebel groups including some backed by Turkey, Gulf monarchies and the US.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from Reuters)&nbsp;

It said warplanes struck several locations in the Haas village, including an elementary and middle school, killing a teacher and students

Airstrikes killed at least 22 people in Syria's rebel-held Idlib province today, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights was quoted as saying by international news agency Reuters. Seven of them were children. Several locations in the Haas village were hit by the warplanes, including an elementary and middle school, killing at least one teacher as well as the children, said the British-based war monitor. A military source told a Syrian state TV that a number of militants had been killed when their positions were targeted in Haas, however, he did not mention a school, Reuters reported. Syria's civil war pits President Bashar al-Assad, backed by Russia, Iran and Shi'ite Muslim militias from Lebanon, Iraq and Afghanistan against an array of mostly Sunni rebel groups including some backed by Turkey, Gulf monarchies and the US. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Students among 22 dead in Idlib strikes: Monitor

As the Russian and Syrian onslaught continued in the rebel-held eastern Aleppo on Monday air strikes flattened residential buildings in the area killing dozens of civilians.

Emergency service workers said fourteen members of the same family were killed in the strikes in Marjeh, taking the&nbsp;number of killed in the last 24 hours of bombardment over 40.&nbsp;

Among them were two six-week old babies and six other children under the age of eight or below. White Helmets rescuers were working to pull out dozens still trapped under rubble in Qaterji.

Aleppo has been ravaged by bombing raids and clashes as Syrian President Bashar al-Assad&#39;s forces intensified the fight to capture opposition-held parts of the city.

The renewed campaign has killed hundreds of people since it started last month after the collapse of a truce brokered by Russia and the United States. Syrian and Russian forces have dismissed claims by human rights activists and warnings of international sanctions, saying they only target militants. &nbsp;

Assad, supporters face further sanctions

Britain and the United States said on Sunday they were considering imposing additional sanctions on Assad and his supporters for their actions in Syria&#39;s war.

British foreign secretary Boris Johnson and US secretary of state John Kerry briefed allies in London on a new diplomatic initiative on Syria.

&quot;There&#39;s a lot of measures we&#39;re proposing to do with extra sanctions on the Syrian regime and their supporters, measures to bring those responsible for war crimes to the International Criminal Court,&quot; Johnson told reporters.

He said it was &quot;highly dubious&quot; that Syrian government forces backed by Russia were capable of retaking the city of Aleppo or winning the war, and called on Russia and Iran to show leadership by agreeing to a ceasefire.

Despite several rounds of negotiations, Russia said that the Syrian peace talks were not a complete failure, and could continue in the &quot;Lausanne format&quot;.&nbsp;

US Secretary of State John Kerry hosted Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and seven foreign ministers from the region - from Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Qatar, Jordan and Egypt - in Lausanne on Saturday.

Kerry said the Lausanne meeting produced some new ideas on reviving a Syrian truce but said high-level contacts to flesh them out would continue Monday.

(WION with inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Despite warnings of further sanctions Syria, backed by Russia, has failed to agree to a lasting ceasefire in the war-torn country

As the Russian and Syrian onslaught continued in the rebel-held eastern Aleppo on Monday air strikes flattened residential buildings in the area killing dozens of civilians. Emergency service workers said fourteen members of the same family were killed in the strikes in Marjeh, taking the number of killed in the last 24 hours of bombardment over 40. Among them were two six-week old babies and six other children under the age of eight or below. White Helmets rescuers were working to pull out dozens still trapped under rubble in Qaterji. Aleppo has been ravaged by bombing raids and clashes as Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces intensified the fight to capture opposition-held parts of the city. The renewed campaign has killed hundreds of people since it started last month after the collapse of a truce brokered by Russia and the United States. Syrian and Russian forces have dismissed claims by human rights activists and warnings of international sanctions, saying they only target militants. Assad, supporters face further sanctions Britain and the United States said on Sunday they were considering imposing additional sanctions on Assad and his supporters for their actions in Syria's war. British foreign secretary Boris Johnson and US secretary of state John Kerry briefed allies in London on a new diplomatic initiative on Syria. "There's a lot of measures we're proposing to do with extra sanctions on the Syrian regime and their supporters, measures to bring those responsible for war crimes to the International Criminal Court," Johnson told reporters. He said it was "highly dubious" that Syrian government forces backed by Russia were capable of retaking the city of Aleppo or winning the war, and called on Russia and Iran to show leadership by agreeing to a ceasefire. Despite several rounds of negotiations, Russia said that the Syrian peace talks were not a complete failure, and could continue in the "Lausanne format". US Secretary of State John Kerry hosted Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and seven foreign ministers from the region - from Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Qatar, Jordan and Egypt - in Lausanne on Saturday. Kerry said the Lausanne meeting produced some new ideas on reviving a Syrian truce but said high-level contacts to flesh them out would continue Monday. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Aleppo air strike kills 14 members of one family as Russian forces intensify Syria campaign

One Turkish soldier was killed and three slightly wounded in a clash with Islamic State fighters in Syria in which 18 militants were &quot;neutralised&quot;, the Turkish military said in a statement on Wednesday.

Separately, US-led coalition warplanes launched nine air strikes on Islamic State targets in northern Syria, &quot;neutralising&quot; five militants, the statement said in a daily round up on a Turkish-backed military operation in Syria launched in August.

(Reuters)

The Turkish military said in a statement that three Turkish soldiers were also slightly wounded in a clash with the Islamic State

One Turkish soldier was killed and three slightly wounded in a clash with Islamic State fighters in Syria in which 18 militants were "neutralised", the Turkish military said in a statement on Wednesday. Separately, US-led coalition warplanes launched nine air strikes on Islamic State targets in northern Syria, "neutralising" five militants, the statement said in a daily round up on a Turkish-backed military operation in Syria launched in August. (Reuters)

Turkish soldier killed, 18 IS fighters 'neutralised' in Syria clash

A leading figure in al-Qaeda who became a prominent member of its Syrian Nusra Front offshoot was killed in a drone attack on Monday, the group and jihadist sources said.

They said Sheikh Abu al Faraj al Masri, who spent years in prison in his native Egypt on charges of plotting with fundamentalist Islamist groups and later left for Afghanistan, died when the vehicle in which he was travelling was hit in rebel-held Idlib in Syria&#39;s northwest.

&quot;May God accept him as a martyr who was killed in a Crusader raid,&quot; said a jihadist named Abu Mohammad al Shami.

The US&nbsp;Defense Department said in a statement that Masri was the target of a US&nbsp;air strike near Idlib on Monday. &quot;We are still assessing the results of the strike,&quot; it said.

Since the US-led coalition launched operations in Syria, primarily against Islamic State militants, air strikes have also targeted Nusra Front figures, killing scores.

Syria&#39;s militant Jabhat Fateh al Sham, formerly the Nusra Front, confirmed the death of the Egyptian cleric in an air strike.

In one of Masri&#39;s last public appearances, he was alongside former Nusra leader Abu Mohamad al-Jolani when the group announced in July it was renaming itself Jabhat Fateh al Sham to deny Washington and other powers a pretext to attack it.

Washington dismissed that move as cosmetic and said it would continue to target it as a terrorist group.

Last month, Abu Hajer al Homsi, the group&#39;s top commander, was killed in an air strike in rural Aleppo province.

Masri, 60, whose real name was Sheikh Ahmad Salamah Mabrouk, had been one of the leading companions of al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri in Afghanistan in the late 1980s, according to a jihadist source.

Masri was one of the early leaders of the radical militant Egyptian Islamic Jihad movement. He was arrested after the assassination of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat in 1981 and spent seven years in prison.

Masri was also held secretly under a CIA rendition scheme after his arrest in Azerbaijan in 1998.

The source said that like some other jihadists, he came to Syria to join Nusra Front after being freed from an Egyptian prison during the rule of President Mohamed Mursi, an Islamist toppled by the military in 2013 after mass protests against his rule.

(Reuters)

They said Sheikh Abu al Faraj al Masri died when the vehicle in which he was travelling was hit in rebel-held Idlib in Syria's northwest

A leading figure in al-Qaeda who became a prominent member of its Syrian Nusra Front offshoot was killed in a drone attack on Monday, the group and jihadist sources said. They said Sheikh Abu al Faraj al Masri, who spent years in prison in his native Egypt on charges of plotting with fundamentalist Islamist groups and later left for Afghanistan, died when the vehicle in which he was travelling was hit in rebel-held Idlib in Syria's northwest. "May God accept him as a martyr who was killed in a Crusader raid," said a jihadist named Abu Mohammad al Shami. The US Defense Department said in a statement that Masri was the target of a US air strike near Idlib on Monday. "We are still assessing the results of the strike," it said. Since the US-led coalition launched operations in Syria, primarily against Islamic State militants, air strikes have also targeted Nusra Front figures, killing scores. Syria's militant Jabhat Fateh al Sham, formerly the Nusra Front, confirmed the death of the Egyptian cleric in an air strike. In one of Masri's last public appearances, he was alongside former Nusra leader Abu Mohamad al-Jolani when the group announced in July it was renaming itself Jabhat Fateh al Sham to deny Washington and other powers a pretext to attack it. Washington dismissed that move as cosmetic and said it would continue to target it as a terrorist group. Last month, Abu Hajer al Homsi, the group's top commander, was killed in an air strike in rural Aleppo province. Masri, 60, whose real name was Sheikh Ahmad Salamah Mabrouk, had been one of the leading companions of al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri in Afghanistan in the late 1980s, according to a jihadist source. Masri was one of the early leaders of the radical militant Egyptian Islamic Jihad movement. He was arrested after the assassination of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat in 1981 and spent seven years in prison. Masri was also held secretly under a CIA rendition scheme after his arrest in Azerbaijan in 1998. The source said that like some other jihadists, he came to Syria to join Nusra Front after being freed from an Egyptian prison during the rule of President Mohamed Mursi, an Islamist toppled by the military in 2013 after mass protests against his rule. (Reuters)

Prominent al-Qaeda figure killed in drone attack in Syria: Jihadist sources

Heavy bombardments in rebel-held eastern Aleppo struck two major hospitals and a bakery early&nbsp;on Wednesday, as Syrian government forces backed by Russia stepped up efforts to retake the whole city.

AFP said the intensive care units and trauma facilities of two hospitals&nbsp;&mdash;&nbsp;M2 and M10&nbsp;&mdash;&nbsp;had been hit leaving only six major hospitals in the city functional.

At least six people were killed after being hit in artillery shelling on the bakery in the al-Maadi neighbourhood, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the conflict.&nbsp;

The attack on the bakery took place around&nbsp;3 am&nbsp;as people lined up to collect bread, residents told Reuters.

The attack on the two hospitals happened around 4&nbsp;am&nbsp;(0100 GMT), putting them temporarily out of service, the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS), the medical organisation that supports them, told AFP.&nbsp;

&quot;Two patients died. We are still trying to figure out if it was directly because of the attack or because treatment was cut off,&quot; said Adham Sahloul of the SAMS.&nbsp;

Three employees &mdash; an ambulance driver, a nurse and an accountant&nbsp;&mdash;&nbsp;were injured in the second hospital.

&quot;There are only six hospitals currently operational now that the M2 and M10 have been temporarily taken out of service,&quot; Sahoul said.

&quot;One warplane targeted both of them directly,&quot; he added, while describing the bombings as &quot;deliberate&quot;.

The warplane flew over us and directly started dropping its missiles on this hospital...around&nbsp;4 am,&quot; Mohammad Abu Rajab, a radiologist at M10, the largest trauma hospital in the city&#39;s rebel-held sector, told Reuters. &quot;The rubble fell in on the patients in the intensive care unit (ICU).&quot;

The strikes also hit the hospital&#39;s oxygen and power generators&nbsp;and patients were transferred to another hospital in the area, medical workers at the M10 hospital told Reuters.&nbsp;

Over 250,000 civilians are believed to be trapped in the rebel-held sector of Aleppo. Bombing by government forces and their allies has killed dozens of people after a ceasefire brokered by US and Russia collapsed last week.

(WION&nbsp;with inputs from agencies)

The wave of bombings in rebel-held east Aleppo has left only six major hospitals in the city functional

Heavy bombardments in rebel-held eastern Aleppo struck two major hospitals and a bakery early on Wednesday, as Syrian government forces backed by Russia stepped up efforts to retake the whole city. AFP said the intensive care units and trauma facilities of two hospitals — M2 and M10 — had been hit leaving only six major hospitals in the city functional. At least six people were killed after being hit in artillery shelling on the bakery in the al-Maadi neighbourhood, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the conflict. The attack on the bakery took place around 3 am as people lined up to collect bread, residents told Reuters. The attack on the two hospitals happened around 4 am (0100 GMT), putting them temporarily out of service, the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS), the medical organisation that supports them, told AFP. "Two patients died. We are still trying to figure out if it was directly because of the attack or because treatment was cut off," said Adham Sahloul of the SAMS. Three employees — an ambulance driver, a nurse and an accountant — were injured in the second hospital. "There are only six hospitals currently operational now that the M2 and M10 have been temporarily taken out of service," Sahoul said. "One warplane targeted both of them directly," he added, while describing the bombings as "deliberate". The warplane flew over us and directly started dropping its missiles on this hospital...around 4 am," Mohammad Abu Rajab, a radiologist at M10, the largest trauma hospital in the city's rebel-held sector, told Reuters. "The rubble fell in on the patients in the intensive care unit (ICU)." The strikes also hit the hospital's oxygen and power generators and patients were transferred to another hospital in the area, medical workers at the M10 hospital told Reuters. Over 250,000 civilians are believed to be trapped in the rebel-held sector of Aleppo. Bombing by government forces and their allies has killed dozens of people after a ceasefire brokered by US and Russia collapsed last week. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Bakery, hospitals hit in Russia-backed air strikes in Aleppo

There will be no talks of peace in Syria&nbsp;if Russia continues to bomb Aleppo, United States said on Wednesday.

US secretary of state John Kerry told Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov that plans to have a joint military cell to fight Islamic State have also been suspended, a US State Department official said.

&quot;He (Kerry)&nbsp;informed the foreign minister (Lavrov) that the United States is making preparations to suspend US-Russia bilateral engagement on Syria... unless Russia takes immediate steps to end the assault on Aleppo and restore the cessation of hostilities,&quot; spokesman John Kirby said.

US&#39;s tough talk comes amid Russia-backed Syrian military&#39;s continued&nbsp;bombardment of eastern half of Aleppo, a territory held by rebels supported by the US.&nbsp;

&quot;Secretary Kerry expressed grave concern over the deteriorating situation in Syria, particularly for continued&lrm; Russian and Syrian regime attacks on hospitals, the water supply network, and other civilian infrastructure in Aleppo,&quot; AFP quoted Kirby as saying.

US&#39; comments come hours after two civilian hospitals and bakery came under heavy bombardment from Russia-backed warplanes in east Aleppo.&nbsp;&nbsp;

On September 9, US and Russia had brokered a &quot;cessation of hostilities&quot; for a week but continued air strikes blew holes in the peace deal.&nbsp;US and Russia, long-time sparring partners, accused each other of breaching the ceasefire on separate occasions.

But both countries are scrambling to forge another ceasefire in the war-ravaged country. The civil war has left around 300,000 people dead since mid-2011.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from agencies)

Talks of a ceasefire will be suspended if Moscow supports air strikes on rebel-held parts of Aleppo, United States has warned

There will be no talks of peace in Syria if Russia continues to bomb Aleppo, United States said on Wednesday. US secretary of state John Kerry told Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov that plans to have a joint military cell to fight Islamic State have also been suspended, a US State Department official said. "He (Kerry) informed the foreign minister (Lavrov) that the United States is making preparations to suspend US-Russia bilateral engagement on Syria... unless Russia takes immediate steps to end the assault on Aleppo and restore the cessation of hostilities," spokesman John Kirby said. US's tough talk comes amid Russia-backed Syrian military's continued bombardment of eastern half of Aleppo, a territory held by rebels supported by the US. "Secretary Kerry expressed grave concern over the deteriorating situation in Syria, particularly for continued‎ Russian and Syrian regime attacks on hospitals, the water supply network, and other civilian infrastructure in Aleppo," AFP quoted Kirby as saying. US' comments come hours after two civilian hospitals and bakery came under heavy bombardment from Russia-backed warplanes in east Aleppo. On September 9, US and Russia had brokered a "cessation of hostilities" for a week but continued air strikes blew holes in the peace deal. US and Russia, long-time sparring partners, accused each other of breaching the ceasefire on separate occasions. But both countries are scrambling to forge another ceasefire in the war-ravaged country. The civil war has left around 300,000 people dead since mid-2011. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Heavy bombing in Aleppo blows holes in Syria peace efforts

Five employees of an international aid agency were killed today in an air strike on a medical facility near Aleppo in Syria. 
 
Two nurses of the Paris-based Union of Medical Care and Relief Organizations (UOSSM) were among those killed. 
 
Syria has been witnessing heavy raids even as the United Nations discusses the Syrian ceasefire. 
 
An aid convoy was attacked in the same region yesterday, killing 21 people.&nbsp;Russia has since denied its involvement in the attacks. 
 
At least nine rebel fighters of the Islamist group, Jaish al-Fatah, were also killed in Tuesday&rsquo;s attack, UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group informed. 
 
&ldquo;Somebody is trying to tell us humanitarian workers are not welcome in Syria, that we are a target, that we will be killed,&quot; UOSSM&#39;s Dr Zaydoun al Zoubi told the BBC. 
 
A Syrian warplane also crashed north of Damascus, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. 
 
No one has so far claimed responsibility for the attack on the medical centre in the rebel-held town of Khan Touman. 
 
Meanwhile, the US and Russia were engaged in a verbal battle over the ceasefire failure in Syria. 
 
The UN has suspended all aid convoys in Syria after Monday&rsquo;s attack. 
 
(WION)

The strike comes a day after a humanitarian aid convoy was attacked in the same region, which left 21 people dead

Five employees of an international aid agency were killed today in an air strike on a medical facility near Aleppo in Syria. Two nurses of the Paris-based Union of Medical Care and Relief Organizations (UOSSM) were among those killed. Syria has been witnessing heavy raids even as the United Nations discusses the Syrian ceasefire. An aid convoy was attacked in the same region yesterday, killing 21 people. Russia has since denied its involvement in the attacks. At least nine rebel fighters of the Islamist group, Jaish al-Fatah, were also killed in Tuesday’s attack, UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group informed. “Somebody is trying to tell us humanitarian workers are not welcome in Syria, that we are a target, that we will be killed," UOSSM's Dr Zaydoun al Zoubi told the BBC. A Syrian warplane also crashed north of Damascus, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. No one has so far claimed responsibility for the attack on the medical centre in the rebel-held town of Khan Touman. Meanwhile, the US and Russia were engaged in a verbal battle over the ceasefire failure in Syria. The UN has suspended all aid convoys in Syria after Monday’s attack. (WION)

Air strike near Syria's Aleppo kills five