Reports claimed that 1,500 Islamic State prisoners had escapeda prison in the town of Shaddadeh, around 50 kilometres (31 miles) from Syria’s border to Iraq, while the Syrian ministry reported the number to be about 120 detainees. This comes amid the tensions between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Syrian government forces. Despite reaching a ceasefire on Monday, brief clashes erupted on Monday evening in Raqa city, with heavy bombardment reported.The SDF said government forces shelled the Al-Aqtan prison, “which holds ISIS members and leaders, in an attempt to storm it.” A defence ministry source later told AFP that clashes had halted.While Syria’s Interior Ministry said that about 120 IS militants had escaped the prison in Shaddadi, Kurdish website Rudaw reported, citing Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, that around 1,500 Islamic State detainees had escaped.Government forces and the SDF have accused each other of the prison break. While the army claimed that the SDF, which controlled the facility, deliberately released the detainees, the Kurdish-led SDF stated it lost control of the prison after government forces attacked.The Syrian army denied any attack on the jail, stating that its forces will work to secure the facility and re-arrest the escapees.Following the prison breakout, government forces imposed a curfew in Shaddadeh. The SDF oversees more than a dozen prisons in northeastern Syria, where about 9,000 IS prisoners have been held for years. Many of these detainees are believed to have committed atrocities in Syria and Iraq after IS declared a caliphate in June 2014 across large parts of both countries.On Monday (Jan 19), Syria said that President Ahmed al-Sharaa held a phone call with US President Donald Trump to discuss Kurdish rights guarantees, a day after Damascus reached a deal with Kurdish forces, including a truce. Sharaa also met with Mazloum Abdi, head of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, to discuss the agreement, which includes integrating the Kurds' administration into the state. However, AFP reported, citing a Kurdish source familiar with the talks, that the discussions were not positive.

Despite reaching a ceasefire on Monday, brief clashes erupted on Monday evening in Raqa city, with heavy bombardment reported.

Reports claimed that 1,500 Islamic State prisoners had escapeda prison in the town of Shaddadeh, around 50 kilometres (31 miles) from Syria’s border to Iraq, while the Syrian ministry reported the number to be about 120 detainees. This comes amid the tensions between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Syrian government forces. Despite reaching a ceasefire on Monday, brief clashes erupted on Monday evening in Raqa city, with heavy bombardment reported. The SDF said government forces shelled the Al-Aqtan prison, “which holds ISIS members and leaders, in an attempt to storm it.” A defence ministry source later told AFP that clashes had halted. While Syria’s Interior Ministry said that about 120 IS militants had escaped the prison in Shaddadi, Kurdish website Rudaw reported, citing Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, that around 1,500 Islamic State detainees had escaped. Government forces and the SDF have accused each other of the prison break. While the army claimed that the SDF, which controlled the facility, deliberately released the detainees, the Kurdish-led SDF stated it lost control of the prison after government forces attacked. The Syrian army denied any attack on the jail, stating that its forces will work to secure the facility and re-arrest the escapees. Following the prison breakout, government forces imposed a curfew in Shaddadeh. The SDF oversees more than a dozen prisons in northeastern Syria, where about 9,000 IS prisoners have been held for years. Many of these detainees are believed to have committed atrocities in Syria and Iraq after IS declared a caliphate in June 2014 across large parts of both countries. On Monday (Jan 19), Syria said that President Ahmed al-Sharaa held a phone call with US President Donald Trump to discuss Kurdish rights guarantees, a day after Damascus reached a deal with Kurdish forces, including a truce. Sharaa also met with Mazloum Abdi, head of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, to discuss the agreement, which includes integrating the Kurds' administration into the state. However, AFP reported, citing a Kurdish source familiar with the talks, that the discussions were not positive.

Despite reaching a ceasefire on Monday, brief clashes erupted on Monday evening in Raqa city, with heavy bombardment reported.

About 1,500 Islamic State prisoners escape amid clashes between Syrian army and SDF

Syria's Kurdish fighters said Sunday that they agreed under a ceasefire to withdraw from Aleppo after days of fighting government forces in the city. Hours earlier, Syria's military said it had finished operations in the Kurdish-held Sheikh Maqsud neighbourhood with state television reporting that Kurdish fighters who surrendered were being bused to the north. The military had already announced its seizure of Aleppo's other Kurdish-held neighbourhood, Ashrafiyeh. Kurdish forces had controlled pockets of Syria's second city Aleppo and operate a de facto autonomous administration across swathes of the north and northeast, much of it captured during the 14-year civil war.&nbsp;The latest clashes erupted after negotiations to integrate the Kurds into the country's new government stalled."We reached an understanding that led to a ceasefire and secured the evacuation of the martyrs, the wounded, the trapped civilians and the fighters from Ashrafiyeh and Sheikh Maqsud neighbourhoods to northern and eastern Syria," the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) wrote in a statement.&nbsp;Syria's official SANA news agency reported that "buses carrying the last batch of members of the SDF organisation have left the Sheikh Maqsud neighbourhood in Aleppo, heading towards northeastern Syria". The SDF initially denied its fighters were leaving, describing the bus transfers as forced displacement of civilians. An AFP correspondent saw at least five buses on Saturday carrying men out of Sheikh Maqsud, but could not independently verify their identities.&nbsp;According to the SDF statement, the ceasefire was reached "through the mediation of international parties to stop the attacks and violations against our people in Aleppo". The United States and European Union both called for the Syrian government and Kurdish authorities to return to political dialogue. The fighting, some of the most intense since the ousting of long-time ruler Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, has killed at least 21 civilians, according to figures from both sides, while Aleppo's governor said 155,000 people fled their homes.Both sides blamed the other for starting the clashes on Tuesday.&nbsp;&nbsp;On the outskirts of Sheikh Maqsud, families who had been trapped by the fighting were leaving, accompanied by Syrian security forces. An AFP correspondent saw men carrying children on their backs board buses headed to shelters.Dozens of young men in civilian clothing were separated from the crowd, with security forces making them sit on the ground before transporting them to an unknown destination, according to the correspondent. A Syrian security official told AFP on condition of anonymity that the young men were "fighters" being "transferred to Syrian detention centres". At the entrance to the district, 60-year-old Imad al-Ahmad was heading in the opposite direction, trying to seek permission to return home.&nbsp;"I left four days ago...I took refuge at my sister's house," he told AFP.&nbsp;"I don't know if we'll be able to return today."Nahed Mohammad Qassab, a 40-year-old widow also waiting to return, said she left before the fighting to attend a funeral."My three children are still inside, at my neighbour's house. I want to get them out," she said.A flight suspension at Aleppo airport was extended until further notice.&nbsp;&nbsp;US envoy Tom Barrack met Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on Saturday, and afterwards called for a "return to dialogue" with the Kurds in accordance with the integration framework agreed in March. The deal was meant to be implemented last year, but differences, including Kurdish demands for decentralised rule, stymied progress as Damascus repeatedly rejected the idea.The fighting in Aleppo raised fears of a regional escalation, with neighbouring Turkey, a close ally of Syria's new Islamist authorities, saying it was ready to intervene. Israel has sided with the Kurdish forces.&nbsp;The clashes have also tested the Syrian authorities' ability to reunify the country after the brutal civil war and commitment to protecting minorities, after sectarian bloodshed rocked the country's Alawite and Druze communities last year.

The latest clashes erupted after negotiations to integrate the Kurds into the country's new government stalled.

Syria's Kurdish fighters said Sunday that they agreed under a ceasefire to withdraw from Aleppo after days of fighting government forces in the city. Hours earlier, Syria's military said it had finished operations in the Kurdish-held Sheikh Maqsud neighbourhood with state television reporting that Kurdish fighters who surrendered were being bused to the north. The military had already announced its seizure of Aleppo's other Kurdish-held neighbourhood, Ashrafiyeh. Kurdish forces had controlled pockets of Syria's second city Aleppo and operate a de facto autonomous administration across swathes of the north and northeast, much of it captured during the 14-year civil war. The latest clashes erupted after negotiations to integrate the Kurds into the country's new government stalled. "We reached an understanding that led to a ceasefire and secured the evacuation of the martyrs, the wounded, the trapped civilians and the fighters from Ashrafiyeh and Sheikh Maqsud neighbourhoods to northern and eastern Syria," the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) wrote in a statement. Syria's official SANA news agency reported that "buses carrying the last batch of members of the SDF organisation have left the Sheikh Maqsud neighbourhood in Aleppo, heading towards northeastern Syria". The SDF initially denied its fighters were leaving, describing the bus transfers as forced displacement of civilians. An AFP correspondent saw at least five buses on Saturday carrying men out of Sheikh Maqsud, but could not independently verify their identities. According to the SDF statement, the ceasefire was reached "through the mediation of international parties to stop the attacks and violations against our people in Aleppo". The United States and European Union both called for the Syrian government and Kurdish authorities to return to political dialogue. The fighting, some of the most intense since the ousting of long-time ruler Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, has killed at least 21 civilians, according to figures from both sides, while Aleppo's governor said 155,000 people fled their homes. Both sides blamed the other for starting the clashes on Tuesday. On the outskirts of Sheikh Maqsud, families who had been trapped by the fighting were leaving, accompanied by Syrian security forces. An AFP correspondent saw men carrying children on their backs board buses headed to shelters. Dozens of young men in civilian clothing were separated from the crowd, with security forces making them sit on the ground before transporting them to an unknown destination, according to the correspondent. A Syrian security official told AFP on condition of anonymity that the young men were "fighters" being "transferred to Syrian detention centres". At the entrance to the district, 60-year-old Imad al-Ahmad was heading in the opposite direction, trying to seek permission to return home. "I left four days ago...I took refuge at my sister's house," he told AFP. "I don't know if we'll be able to return today." Nahed Mohammad Qassab, a 40-year-old widow also waiting to return, said she left before the fighting to attend a funeral. "My three children are still inside, at my neighbour's house. I want to get them out," she said. A flight suspension at Aleppo airport was extended until further notice. US envoy Tom Barrack met Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on Saturday, and afterwards called for a "return to dialogue" with the Kurds in accordance with the integration framework agreed in March. The deal was meant to be implemented last year, but differences, including Kurdish demands for decentralised rule, stymied progress as Damascus repeatedly rejected the idea. The fighting in Aleppo raised fears of a regional escalation, with neighbouring Turkey, a close ally of Syria's new Islamist authorities, saying it was ready to intervene. Israel has sided with the Kurdish forces. The clashes have also tested the Syrian authorities' ability to reunify the country after the brutal civil war and commitment to protecting minorities, after sectarian bloodshed rocked the country's Alawite and Druze communities last year.

The latest clashes erupted after negotiations to integrate the Kurds into the country's new government stalled.

Last Kurdish fighters leave Aleppo after deadly clashes

The Syrian Army declared on Friday (January 9) that it would start attacking again a neighborhood in Aleppo controlled by the Kurds, since the Kurdish fighters did not comply with the retreat order. This operation shattered the already weak ceasefire agreement that was intended to bring about the end of the battle that had lasted for several days. The government and Kurdish forces seemed to have a mutual accusation to blame each other for the flare-ups in the second-largest city of Syria during the past week.&nbsp;&nbsp;The fighting highlights the challenges the regime and the Kurds have in making an agreement that would dissolve the latter's political and military entities and integrate the Kurds into the new central government of the country. A year has passed since that time when the Islamist-led authorities replaced the longtime dictator Bashar al-Assad, and the country has hardly managed to get rid of the war; Aleppo fighting has become another critical test. It is estimated that at least 21 people died and thousands of people lost their homes during the chaos that had gripped Aleppo, which is the worst unrest the city has seen in years.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pakistan-s-defence-minister-khawaja-asif-wants-us-to-kidnap-netanyahu-after-maduro-capture-watch-1767982088543">Pakistan’s defence minister Khawaja Asif wants US to ‘kidnap’ Netanyahu after Maduro capture | Watch</a>&nbsp;On the morning of Friday, the Syrian government officials announced that they had concluded a cease-fire with the Kurdish fighters affiliated with the US-supported Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), suggesting that the fighters will be moved eastward along with their light weapons. However, Kurdish leaders would not accept what they termed a forced surrender and insisted that they would stay in their areas.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/india-set-to-lift-curbs-on-chinese-firms-1767980189763/embed">https://www.wionews.com/videos/india-set-to-lift-curbs-on-chinese-firms-1767980189763/embed</a>&nbsp;On the same day, the Syrian army issued a warning that it was going to conduct airstrikes again on the Sheikh Maqsud area, which is mainly inhabited by Kurds, and also asked the residents to leave. The government produced some maps where it had pinpointed what it believed were military objectives and demanded that the Kurds give up their arms. People were observed departing with various items before the closing of the short-lived humanitarian passage at around early evening.

Syria threatens with fresh strikes on Kurdish district in Aleppo as ceasefire collapses

The Syrian Army declared on Friday (January 9) that it would start attacking again a neighborhood in Aleppo controlled by the Kurds, since the Kurdish fighters did not comply with the retreat order. This operation shattered the already weak ceasefire agreement that was intended to bring about the end of the battle that had lasted for several days. The government and Kurdish forces seemed to have a mutual accusation to blame each other for the flare-ups in the second-largest city of Syria during the past week. The fighting highlights the challenges the regime and the Kurds have in making an agreement that would dissolve the latter's political and military entities and integrate the Kurds into the new central government of the country. A year has passed since that time when the Islamist-led authorities replaced the longtime dictator Bashar al-Assad, and the country has hardly managed to get rid of the war; Aleppo fighting has become another critical test. It is estimated that at least 21 people died and thousands of people lost their homes during the chaos that had gripped Aleppo, which is the worst unrest the city has seen in years. Also Read: Pakistan’s defence minister Khawaja Asif wants US to ‘kidnap’ Netanyahu after Maduro capture | Watch On the morning of Friday, the Syrian government officials announced that they had concluded a cease-fire with the Kurdish fighters affiliated with the US-supported Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), suggesting that the fighters will be moved eastward along with their light weapons. However, Kurdish leaders would not accept what they termed a forced surrender and insisted that they would stay in their areas. https://www.wionews.com/videos/india-set-to-lift-curbs-on-chinese-firms-1767980189763/embed On the same day, the Syrian army issued a warning that it was going to conduct airstrikes again on the Sheikh Maqsud area, which is mainly inhabited by Kurds, and also asked the residents to leave. The government produced some maps where it had pinpointed what it believed were military objectives and demanded that the Kurds give up their arms. People were observed departing with various items before the closing of the short-lived humanitarian passage at around early evening.

Syria warns of fresh strikes on Aleppo’s Kurdish district after fighters refuse to withdraw, threatening a fragile ceasefire as thousands flee

The Syrian army took control of the strategic northwestern crossroads town of Saraqeb on Saturday in the latest gain of a weeks-long offensive against the country’s last major rebel bastion of Idlib.

Syrian army advances into Idlib, set to retake rebel bastion

The Syrian war has inflicted all kinds of hardships on Najwa Abdelaziz but she still manages to make light of one of them.&nbsp;

"The uprising ruined my teeth," she jokes while getting dental care for the first time in years in the back of a truck.

The 33-year-old could not find help for her toothache even after she fled Islamic State rule and took refuge in northwest Syria. But a dentist in a mobile clinic has now arrived at the Rayyan camp where she lives with her husband and four children in a tent among the trees.&nbsp;

"We kept getting uprooted, so we were cut off from doctors," said Abdelaziz, whose family was smuggled out of Raqqa city some three years ago.

They wound up in Syria`s northwest corner, the country`s last major rebel stronghold. The camps are overflowing, the doctors are too few, and many hospitals have collapsed under government bombing.&nbsp;
<img alt="Syrian refugees" data-align="center" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="cf50046d-d829-42b1-99c2-ef56064fc54c" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/2019-06-23T130524Z_1_LYNXNPEF5M0DY_RTROPTP_4_SYRIA-SECURITY-NORTHWEST-HEALTH.JPG" />
In the camps along the Turkish border, often the only healthcare for people like Abdelaziz comes from mobile doctors and makeshift clinics in tents.&nbsp; 
"Many just take pills and stay silent about the pain," said Bassel Maarawi, 57, the dentist who goes around seven camps in the border strip held by Turkey-backed rebels.&nbsp;

The dental mobile clinic stays at each camp a few months at a time, treating dozens of patients every day who can not go into town to see a doctor.&nbsp;

It belongs to the Independent Doctors Association, a Turkey-based Syrian group also running a free camp facility including a clinic for women, children, and internal medicine as well as a pharmacy.&nbsp;

Maarawi himself was uprooted in late 2016 from his city of Aleppo, where the army crushed rebels with Russia and Iran`s help after a bitter siege.&nbsp;

The children he treats now, living in the dirt and drinking filthy water, often suffer from malnutrition. "Many people were displaced recently which really affected them mentally, you can see it when they come in," he said.
<img alt="Syrian refugees" data-align="center" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a0fa4dbf-27b2-4508-b576-a4194f66db65" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/2019-06-23T130524Z_1_LYNXNPEF5M0EB_RTROPTP_4_SYRIA-SECURITY-NORTHWEST-HEALTH.JPG" />
A new wave of fighting has sparked yet another exodus, with hundreds of thousands of people fleeing an army offensive in northwest Syria since April.

At a camp for some 14,000 people in the border village of Shamarin, Ammar al-Omar runs a physiotherapy clinic inside a large tent.&nbsp;

The staff - a medical professional and three volunteers he trained - made most of the equipment themselves and get by on just a few donations. They treat everything from back pain to battle wounds for patients including rebel fighters and paralyzed children.&nbsp;

"There are many injuries because of the fierce bombing," Omar said. "The patients can`t afford food let alone transportation."&nbsp;

Um Mhamad, 29, has carried her son from another camp nearby and walked to the tent clinic for more than two years. An injury at birth had crippled the six-year-old boy, whose family was shuttled out of Aleppo in 2016.

"He used to not move at all," she said. "Today, he can crawl and turn on both sides and stand up."&nbsp;

The Syrian war has inflicted all kinds of hardships on Najwa Abdelaziz but she still manages to make light of one of them. "The uprising ruined my teeth," she jokes while getting dental care for the first time in years in the back of a truck.

The Syrian war has inflicted all kinds of hardships on Najwa Abdelaziz but she still manages to make light of one of them. "The uprising ruined my teeth," she jokes while getting dental care for the first time in years in the back of a truck. The 33-year-old could not find help for her toothache even after she fled Islamic State rule and took refuge in northwest Syria. But a dentist in a mobile clinic has now arrived at the Rayyan camp where she lives with her husband and four children in a tent among the trees. "We kept getting uprooted, so we were cut off from doctors," said Abdelaziz, whose family was smuggled out of Raqqa city some three years ago. They wound up in Syria`s northwest corner, the country`s last major rebel stronghold. The camps are overflowing, the doctors are too few, and many hospitals have collapsed under government bombing. In the camps along the Turkish border, often the only healthcare for people like Abdelaziz comes from mobile doctors and makeshift clinics in tents. "Many just take pills and stay silent about the pain," said Bassel Maarawi, 57, the dentist who goes around seven camps in the border strip held by Turkey-backed rebels. The dental mobile clinic stays at each camp a few months at a time, treating dozens of patients every day who can not go into town to see a doctor. It belongs to the Independent Doctors Association, a Turkey-based Syrian group also running a free camp facility including a clinic for women, children, and internal medicine as well as a pharmacy. Maarawi himself was uprooted in late 2016 from his city of Aleppo, where the army crushed rebels with Russia and Iran`s help after a bitter siege. The children he treats now, living in the dirt and drinking filthy water, often suffer from malnutrition. "Many people were displaced recently which really affected them mentally, you can see it when they come in," he said. A new wave of fighting has sparked yet another exodus, with hundreds of thousands of people fleeing an army offensive in northwest Syria since April. At a camp for some 14,000 people in the border village of Shamarin, Ammar al-Omar runs a physiotherapy clinic inside a large tent. The staff - a medical professional and three volunteers he trained - made most of the equipment themselves and get by on just a few donations. They treat everything from back pain to battle wounds for patients including rebel fighters and paralyzed children. "There are many injuries because of the fierce bombing," Omar said. "The patients can`t afford food let alone transportation." Um Mhamad, 29, has carried her son from another camp nearby and walked to the tent clinic for more than two years. An injury at birth had crippled the six-year-old boy, whose family was shuttled out of Aleppo in 2016. "He used to not move at all," she said. "Today, he can crawl and turn on both sides and stand up."

In border camps, Syrians rely on doctors in trucks and tents

The Syrian army on Sunday seized a string of villages from US aided army, Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), near the border with Iraq.

The villages have been captured from US-backed SDF east of the Euphrates river near the border.

The US-backed proxy forces are campaigning in the area since 2017 to drive out the Islamic State.

The SDF are promoted by Kurdish YPG militia.&nbspThe forces have taken much of the territory east of the Euphrates in Deir al-Zor province.

The Russian-backed Syrian army avoids clashes with SDF in its fight against Islamist State. It also distances itself from the east of Euphrates.&nbsp

An elaborate " deconfliction lines" separates the US-led forces from Russian and Iranian backed forces.&nbsp

The SDF had claimed earlier that they were engaged in heavy clashes with Syrian army troops on the outskirts of the village near the Euphrates.&nbsp

&nbsp

The US-backed proxy forces are campaigning in the area since 2017 to drive out the Islamic State

The Syrian army on Sunday seized a string of villages from US aided army, Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), near the border with Iraq. The villages have been captured from US-backed SDF east of the Euphrates river near the border. The US-backed proxy forces are campaigning in the area since 2017 to drive out the Islamic State. The SDF are promoted by Kurdish YPG militia.&nbspThe forces have taken much of the territory east of the Euphrates in Deir al-Zor province. The Russian-backed Syrian army avoids clashes with SDF in its fight against Islamist State. It also distances itself from the east of Euphrates. An elaborate " deconfliction lines" separates the US-led forces from Russian and Iranian backed forces. The SDF had claimed earlier that they were engaged in heavy clashes with Syrian army troops on the outskirts of the village near the Euphrates.

Seized villages from US-backed forces: Syrian army

Syrian troops Saturday broke the Islamic State group&#39;s siege of the eastern Deir Ezzor military airport, state media reported, days after ending another siege on residential districts of the city.&nbsp;

State news agency SANA said the breach came &quot;after the forces advancing from the cemetery southwest of the city linked up with the forces holding the airbase&quot;.&nbsp;

The troops had launched a new push on Friday towards the besieged &nbsp;military airport, as part of its multi-pronged offensive to retake the whole eastern city from the jihadists.

Since 2014, IS has held swathes of Deir Ezzor province, which borders Iraq, and about 60 percent of the provincial capital.

Jihadists had encircled two regime-held enclaves in the western half of Deir Ezzor city, and the army on Tuesday broke through one of the besieged pockets.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also confirmed troops had breached the siege.&nbsp;

&quot;By breaking the siege on the military airport regime forces have been able to link up all the neighbourhoods they hold in western parts of Deir Ezzor city,&quot; the Britain-based monitor said. 
&nbsp;

Since 2014, IS has held swathes of Deir Ezzor province, which borders Iraq, and about 60% of the provincial capital

Syrian troops Saturday broke the Islamic State group's siege of the eastern Deir Ezzor military airport, state media reported, days after ending another siege on residential districts of the city. State news agency SANA said the breach came "after the forces advancing from the cemetery southwest of the city linked up with the forces holding the airbase". The troops had launched a new push on Friday towards the besieged military airport, as part of its multi-pronged offensive to retake the whole eastern city from the jihadists. Since 2014, IS has held swathes of Deir Ezzor province, which borders Iraq, and about 60 percent of the provincial capital. Jihadists had encircled two regime-held enclaves in the western half of Deir Ezzor city, and the army on Tuesday broke through one of the besieged pockets. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also confirmed troops had breached the siege. "By breaking the siege on the military airport regime forces have been able to link up all the neighbourhoods they hold in western parts of Deir Ezzor city," the Britain-based monitor said.

Syria army breaks IS siege on Deir Ezzor air base: State media

Syria&#39;s government has reached a deal with rebels in the Qabun neighbourhood of Damascus for the evacuation of opposition fighters, Syrian state media and a monitor said on Saturday.

The deal comes after similar evacuations from neighbouring rebel-held Damascus districts and a government advance in Qabun.

&quot;Military operations halted in Qabun district this afternoon after the terrorist organisations announced their acceptance of a deal and the departure of their remaining members from the neighbourhood,&quot; state news agency SANA reported on Saturday.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor also reported that rebels in the district had agreed a deal to evacuate, but said it was not yet clear where the fighters would go.

Earlier talks on a deal to allow the regime to retake the neighbourhood in exchange for safe passage of opposition fighters faltered over the rebels` destination.

Some had wanted to go to Eastern Ghouta, an opposition stronghold outside Damascus city, instead of Idlib province, a rebel-held area in northwest Syria.

Earlier Saturday, government forces had advanced inside Qabun, expanding their control to 80 percent of the district, the Britain-based Observatory said.

The Qabun agreement comes after similar deals to evacuate neighbouring Barzeh and Tishrin districts.

On Friday, upwards of 1,200 people, more than half of them rebels, left Barzeh and Tishrin for Idlib.

The evacuation of Barzeh began on Monday and continued Friday, when departures from Tishrin began after an agreement was reached.

The evacuations are the latest in a string of similar deals between the government and rebels under which opposition fighters are granted safe passage in exchange for surrendering. 
The government touts the deals as the best way to end the six-year war, but rebels say they are forced into the agreements by regime fire and siege.

More than 320,000 people have been killed in Syria since the conflict began in March 2011 with anti-government protests.

(AFP)

Syria's government has reached a deal with rebels in the Qabun neighbourhood of Damascus for the evacuation of opposition fighters

Syria's government has reached a deal with rebels in the Qabun neighbourhood of Damascus for the evacuation of opposition fighters, Syrian state media and a monitor said on Saturday. The deal comes after similar evacuations from neighbouring rebel-held Damascus districts and a government advance in Qabun. "Military operations halted in Qabun district this afternoon after the terrorist organisations announced their acceptance of a deal and the departure of their remaining members from the neighbourhood," state news agency SANA reported on Saturday. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor also reported that rebels in the district had agreed a deal to evacuate, but said it was not yet clear where the fighters would go. Earlier talks on a deal to allow the regime to retake the neighbourhood in exchange for safe passage of opposition fighters faltered over the rebels` destination. Some had wanted to go to Eastern Ghouta, an opposition stronghold outside Damascus city, instead of Idlib province, a rebel-held area in northwest Syria. Earlier Saturday, government forces had advanced inside Qabun, expanding their control to 80 percent of the district, the Britain-based Observatory said. The Qabun agreement comes after similar deals to evacuate neighbouring Barzeh and Tishrin districts. On Friday, upwards of 1,200 people, more than half of them rebels, left Barzeh and Tishrin for Idlib. The evacuation of Barzeh began on Monday and continued Friday, when departures from Tishrin began after an agreement was reached. The evacuations are the latest in a string of similar deals between the government and rebels under which opposition fighters are granted safe passage in exchange for surrendering. The government touts the deals as the best way to end the six-year war, but rebels say they are forced into the agreements by regime fire and siege. More than 320,000 people have been killed in Syria since the conflict began in March 2011 with anti-government protests. (AFP)

Deal reached to evacuate rebel-held Damascus district: State media

Syria&#39;s army on Tuesday urged the last remaining rebels and civilians to leave the besieged opposition enclave in Aleppo as it prepares to take full control of the devastated city.

The evacuation of Aleppo&#39;s rebel sector is seen as a pivotal moment in the nearly-six-year war that has killed more than 310,000 people and triggered a major humanitarian and refugee crisis.

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<h5>In east Aleppo on Tuesday, soldiers using megaphones called on the remaining fighters and civilians to exit the opposition districts, a military source said</h5>
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Following a flurry of diplomatic activity, key regime allies Russia and Iran as well as rebel supporter Turkey agreed to act as guarantors in Syria peace talks, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said.

They also backed expanding a ceasefire, according to Lavrov, who said the evacuation of east Aleppo should finish within &quot;one or two days&quot;.

At least 25,000 people have left rebel districts of east Aleppo since the operation began last week, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross, which is overseeing the operation.

Thousands more were still waiting to be bused out, spokeswoman Ingy Sedky said.

She said that 750 people had been evacuated in parallel from Fuaa and Kafraya, two Shiite-majority villages in north-west Syria besieged by rebels, as part of the deal.

In east Aleppo on Tuesday, soldiers using megaphones called on the remaining fighters and civilians to exit the opposition districts, a military source told AFP.

&quot;The army is expected to enter (Aleppo) to clean the area after the fighters leave,&quot; the source said.

Buses and ambulances have been bringing rebels and civilians on a tense journey from Aleppo&#39;s battered east into government-held neighbourhoods, and back into rebel-held territory west of the city.&nbsp;

Thousands of people -- mostly women and children -- squeezed onto buses with whatever belongings they could carry, many in tears and others shivering in the cold, according to AFP correspondents who made the trip.

Evacuees must pass several checkpoints manned by either Syrian army soldiers, Russian officers or Iranian and Iraqi fighters.

&quot;Everyone was so cold,&quot; Bashar Babbour, who works with the medical charity UOSSM, told AFP from the staging ground of Khan al-Assal.

He said he saw a shivering old man struggling to get off one of the buses.

&quot;When people are going to the medical assessment teams, most of them ask for food and water, in addition to blankets, especially if they&#39;re arriving at night,&quot; Babbour said.

He said many other evacuees were also asking if there was internet access there so they could contact friends or relatives.

In an area nearby, an AFP correspondent saw hundreds of people aboard eight buses that came from Fuaa and Kafraya.

A rebel fighter who did not want to be named said the buses would be allowed to continue on to regime-controlled territory in Aleppo once a new convoy of evacuees left the city&#39;s rebel enclave.

Sick and wounded

The World Health Organization said the Aleppo evacuees included around 300 needing medical treatment, among them dozens of children.

&quot;The huge majority of these patients have trauma injuries,&quot; spokesman Tarik Jasarevic said, adding that 93 people in critical condition had been referred to hospitals in Turkey.

Aleppo was once Syria&#39;s commercial and industrial hub, but it has been divided since 2012 between government forces in the west and rebel control in the east.

Government forces launched an offensive in mid-November to capture the whole city&nbsp;and had seized more than 90 percent of the eastern half when the evacuation deal was struck.

In a regime-held neighbourhood on the southern edges of Aleppo, an AFP correspondent saw Syrian troops strolling through the area on Tuesday while others gathered around burning tyres to stay warm.

&quot;I hope today is the last day of rebels leaving&nbsp;because we&#39;ve been promised we can go on vacation and rest if the operation ends today,&quot; said Akram, a soldier.

Diplomatic efforts -- including several rounds of peace talks in Geneva -- have failed to make progress in resolving the conflict, which reached a turning point last year when Russia launched an air war in support of Assad.

In a rare show of international unity, the UN Security Council on Monday unanimously adopted a French-drafted resolution with the backing of Russia to monitor the evacuations from Aleppo.

UN envoy Staffan de Mistura also said he hoped to convene new peace talks in Geneva in February.

In a boost to the troubled peace process, the foreign ministers of Russia, Iran and Turkey agreed Tuesday on &quot;the importance of widening the ceasefire, of free access for humanitarian aid and movement of civilians onto Syrian territories&quot;.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan meanwhile said he had agreed with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in a phone call that the assassination of Moscow&#39;s ambassador in Ankara on Monday would not harm cooperation including on Syria.

(AFP)

The evacuation of Aleppo's rebel sector is seen as a pivotal moment in the nearly-six-year war that has killed more than 310,000 people

Syria's army on Tuesday urged the last remaining rebels and civilians to leave the besieged opposition enclave in Aleppo as it prepares to take full control of the devastated city. The evacuation of Aleppo's rebel sector is seen as a pivotal moment in the nearly-six-year war that has killed more than 310,000 people and triggered a major humanitarian and refugee crisis. In east Aleppo on Tuesday, soldiers using megaphones called on the remaining fighters and civilians to exit the opposition districts, a military source said × Following a flurry of diplomatic activity, key regime allies Russia and Iran as well as rebel supporter Turkey agreed to act as guarantors in Syria peace talks, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said. They also backed expanding a ceasefire, according to Lavrov, who said the evacuation of east Aleppo should finish within "one or two days". At least 25,000 people have left rebel districts of east Aleppo since the operation began last week, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross, which is overseeing the operation. Thousands more were still waiting to be bused out, spokeswoman Ingy Sedky said. She said that 750 people had been evacuated in parallel from Fuaa and Kafraya, two Shiite-majority villages in north-west Syria besieged by rebels, as part of the deal. In east Aleppo on Tuesday, soldiers using megaphones called on the remaining fighters and civilians to exit the opposition districts, a military source told AFP. "The army is expected to enter (Aleppo) to clean the area after the fighters leave," the source said. Buses and ambulances have been bringing rebels and civilians on a tense journey from Aleppo's battered east into government-held neighbourhoods, and back into rebel-held territory west of the city. Thousands of people -- mostly women and children -- squeezed onto buses with whatever belongings they could carry, many in tears and others shivering in the cold, according to AFP correspondents who made the trip. Evacuees must pass several checkpoints manned by either Syrian army soldiers, Russian officers or Iranian and Iraqi fighters. "Everyone was so cold," Bashar Babbour, who works with the medical charity UOSSM, told AFP from the staging ground of Khan al-Assal. He said he saw a shivering old man struggling to get off one of the buses. "When people are going to the medical assessment teams, most of them ask for food and water, in addition to blankets, especially if they're arriving at night," Babbour said. He said many other evacuees were also asking if there was internet access there so they could contact friends or relatives. In an area nearby, an AFP correspondent saw hundreds of people aboard eight buses that came from Fuaa and Kafraya. A rebel fighter who did not want to be named said the buses would be allowed to continue on to regime-controlled territory in Aleppo once a new convoy of evacuees left the city's rebel enclave. Sick and wounded The World Health Organization said the Aleppo evacuees included around 300 needing medical treatment, among them dozens of children. "The huge majority of these patients have trauma injuries," spokesman Tarik Jasarevic said, adding that 93 people in critical condition had been referred to hospitals in Turkey. Aleppo was once Syria's commercial and industrial hub, but it has been divided since 2012 between government forces in the west and rebel control in the east. Government forces launched an offensive in mid-November to capture the whole city and had seized more than 90 percent of the eastern half when the evacuation deal was struck. In a regime-held neighbourhood on the southern edges of Aleppo, an AFP correspondent saw Syrian troops strolling through the area on Tuesday while others gathered around burning tyres to stay warm. "I hope today is the last day of rebels leaving because we've been promised we can go on vacation and rest if the operation ends today," said Akram, a soldier. Diplomatic efforts -- including several rounds of peace talks in Geneva -- have failed to make progress in resolving the conflict, which reached a turning point last year when Russia launched an air war in support of Assad. In a rare show of international unity, the UN Security Council on Monday unanimously adopted a French-drafted resolution with the backing of Russia to monitor the evacuations from Aleppo. UN envoy Staffan de Mistura also said he hoped to convene new peace talks in Geneva in February. In a boost to the troubled peace process, the foreign ministers of Russia, Iran and Turkey agreed Tuesday on "the importance of widening the ceasefire, of free access for humanitarian aid and movement of civilians onto Syrian territories". Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan meanwhile said he had agreed with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in a phone call that the assassination of Moscow's ambassador in Ankara on Monday would not harm cooperation including on Syria. (AFP)

Syrian army urges remaining rebels, civilians to leave Aleppo

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

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

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

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

Syrian army units advanced in Aleppo on Friday and pounded rebel-held eastern neighbourhoods with air strikes and shelling, causing new deaths among besieged civilians and adding to their despair.

The US military, meanwhile, announced its first combat loss in Syria, saying a service member had been killed by a bomb during an offensive against the Islamic State group.

Ten days into the offensive to recapture all of Syria&#39;s battered second city, regime bombardment has killed 196 civilians, including at least 27 children, in east Aleppo, a monitoring group said.

On Friday, regime forces pounded several eastern districts with air strikes and shelling that killed eight civilians, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Clashes also rocked Masaken Hanano, east Aleppo&#39;s largest district, more than 60 per cent of which is now under the control of regime forces, the monitor added.

State television said the army was advancing into Masaken Hanano &quot;from three axes&quot;, calling it the &quot;largest front&quot; in the battle for Aleppo, the capture of which could deal a decisive blow to rebels.

More than 250,000 civilians have been besieged in eastern Aleppo since July, with food and fuel supplies dwindling and international aid exhausted.

The Observatory said four children fled Friday to Sheikh Maqsud, a Kurdish-controlled enclave between the government-held west of Aleppo and the east.

But rebels prevented &quot;dozens of families&quot; from Bustan al-Basha from leaving, it said.

And regime raids on two villages west of Aleppo killed at least 15 civilians on Friday, four of them children, said the Observatory.

No safe place

Damascus says east Aleppo residents and surrendering fighters are free to leave but accuses the rebels of using civilians as &quot;human shields&quot;.

Residents endured a brutal night Thursday of bombardment during which 32 civilians, including five children, were killed.

&quot;I&#39;m terrified by the army&#39;s advance and the increasing bombardment,&quot; said Abu Raed, a father-of-four from the Fardos neighbourhood.

&quot;There&#39;s no safe place for me and my family.&quot;

Rescue workers in several parts of the east battled to extricate civilians trapped under the rubble of bombed buildings.

In Bab al-Nayrab, an AFP cameraman saw them struggle for more than an hour to pull out a boy who was stuck from the waist down in the rubble, with the back of his head badly gashed.

&quot;Living under these circumstances is unbearable,&quot; said 43-year-old Mohammed Haj Hussein, in Tariq al-Bab district.

&quot;There&#39;s no work, there&#39;s no food, and the bombing is incessant... I want to get out of here by any means possible.&quot;

Resident Abu Hussein added: &quot;I don&#39;t know what the UN is waiting for. Why don&#39;t they at least evacuate the children and women?&quot;

Retaliatory rocket fire by the rebels has killed at least 18 civilians in the government-held west, 10 of them children, since the regime assault began on November 15, said the Observatory.

No plan B

The UN says it has a plan to deliver aid to Aleppo and evacuate the sick and wounded, which rebel factions have approved.

But Damascus has yet to agree, and additional guarantees are needed from regime ally Moscow, UN officials say.

On Thursday, the head of the UN-backed humanitarian taskforce for Syria, Jan Egeland, warned there was no plan B to help civilians in east Aleppo.

&quot;In many ways plan B is that people starve, and can we allow that to happen? No we cannot,&quot; he said.

Further east, in Raqa province, where a US-backed alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters is battling IS, Washington suffered its first combat loss in Syria, the coalition announced.

It said the service member died on Thursday from wounds caused by an improvised bomb near the town of Ain Issa.

US special forces are on the ground in the area supporting an offensive to retake the city of Raqa, the jihadists&#39; de facto Syrian capital.

Also on Friday an air strike carried out by an unidentified aircraft hit a small maternity hospital in the north of Idlib province, killing a civilian and putting the clinic out of service, said the Observatory.

Rebel-held areas in the Eastern Ghouta near Damascus were also pounded by regime forces on Friday, the monitor said, killing at least two civilians and wounding 15 in the town of Douma.

The charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) reported &quot;multiple air strikes&quot; on Eastern Ghouta, adding that the number of the wounded &quot;is still being counted.&quot;

At least 49 civilians have been killed in regime bombardment on the rebel stronghold since November 17, almost half of them children, said the Observatory.

(AFP)

Ten days into the offensive to recapture all of Syria's second city, regime bombardment has killed 196 civilians

Syrian army units advanced in Aleppo on Friday and pounded rebel-held eastern neighbourhoods with air strikes and shelling, causing new deaths among besieged civilians and adding to their despair. The US military, meanwhile, announced its first combat loss in Syria, saying a service member had been killed by a bomb during an offensive against the Islamic State group. Ten days into the offensive to recapture all of Syria's battered second city, regime bombardment has killed 196 civilians, including at least 27 children, in east Aleppo, a monitoring group said. On Friday, regime forces pounded several eastern districts with air strikes and shelling that killed eight civilians, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Clashes also rocked Masaken Hanano, east Aleppo's largest district, more than 60 per cent of which is now under the control of regime forces, the monitor added. State television said the army was advancing into Masaken Hanano "from three axes", calling it the "largest front" in the battle for Aleppo, the capture of which could deal a decisive blow to rebels. More than 250,000 civilians have been besieged in eastern Aleppo since July, with food and fuel supplies dwindling and international aid exhausted. The Observatory said four children fled Friday to Sheikh Maqsud, a Kurdish-controlled enclave between the government-held west of Aleppo and the east. But rebels prevented "dozens of families" from Bustan al-Basha from leaving, it said. And regime raids on two villages west of Aleppo killed at least 15 civilians on Friday, four of them children, said the Observatory. No safe place Damascus says east Aleppo residents and surrendering fighters are free to leave but accuses the rebels of using civilians as "human shields". Residents endured a brutal night Thursday of bombardment during which 32 civilians, including five children, were killed. "I'm terrified by the army's advance and the increasing bombardment," said Abu Raed, a father-of-four from the Fardos neighbourhood. "There's no safe place for me and my family." Rescue workers in several parts of the east battled to extricate civilians trapped under the rubble of bombed buildings. In Bab al-Nayrab, an AFP cameraman saw them struggle for more than an hour to pull out a boy who was stuck from the waist down in the rubble, with the back of his head badly gashed. "Living under these circumstances is unbearable," said 43-year-old Mohammed Haj Hussein, in Tariq al-Bab district. "There's no work, there's no food, and the bombing is incessant... I want to get out of here by any means possible." Resident Abu Hussein added: "I don't know what the UN is waiting for. Why don't they at least evacuate the children and women?" Retaliatory rocket fire by the rebels has killed at least 18 civilians in the government-held west, 10 of them children, since the regime assault began on November 15, said the Observatory. No plan B The UN says it has a plan to deliver aid to Aleppo and evacuate the sick and wounded, which rebel factions have approved. But Damascus has yet to agree, and additional guarantees are needed from regime ally Moscow, UN officials say. On Thursday, the head of the UN-backed humanitarian taskforce for Syria, Jan Egeland, warned there was no plan B to help civilians in east Aleppo. "In many ways plan B is that people starve, and can we allow that to happen? No we cannot," he said. Further east, in Raqa province, where a US-backed alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters is battling IS, Washington suffered its first combat loss in Syria, the coalition announced. It said the service member died on Thursday from wounds caused by an improvised bomb near the town of Ain Issa. US special forces are on the ground in the area supporting an offensive to retake the city of Raqa, the jihadists' de facto Syrian capital. Also on Friday an air strike carried out by an unidentified aircraft hit a small maternity hospital in the north of Idlib province, killing a civilian and putting the clinic out of service, said the Observatory. Rebel-held areas in the Eastern Ghouta near Damascus were also pounded by regime forces on Friday, the monitor said, killing at least two civilians and wounding 15 in the town of Douma. The charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) reported "multiple air strikes" on Eastern Ghouta, adding that the number of the wounded "is still being counted." At least 49 civilians have been killed in regime bombardment on the rebel stronghold since November 17, almost half of them children, said the Observatory. (AFP)

Syria army advances in rebel-held east Aleppo

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