At a football stadium in Syria's Idlib, re-purposed to shelter Syrians displaced by war, children are being offered a service that has become a sought-after commodity the world over since the coronavirus pandemic set in: a haircut.

In Syria's Idlib, traveling barbers bring children relief

Turkey intensified its <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/first-turkish-soldier-killed-during-syria-operation-defence-ministry-255146">air and artillery strikes on Kurdish militia </a>in northeast Syria on Friday, escalating an offensive that has drawn warnings of a humanitarian catastrophe and turned Republican lawmakers against US President Donald Trump.

The incursion, launched after Trump withdrew U.S. troops who had been fighting alongside Kurdish forces against Islamic State militants, has opened a new front in the eight-year-old Syrian civil war and drawn fierce international criticism.

A war monitor gave a death toll approaching 100 from the first days of the assault, including 17 civilians as well as dozens of Kurdish fighters and Turkish-backed Syrian rebels.Turkey says nine civilians have been killed on its side of the frontier by retaliatory shelling.

In Washington, Trump - fending off accusations that he abandoned the Kurds, loyal allies of the United States - suggested Washington could mediate in the conflict. He also raised the possibility of imposing sanctions on Turkey, a move demanded by Republican congressional critics of his policy.

Trump's defence secretary, Mark Esper, told his Turkish counterpart that the incursion "risks serious consequences for Turkey" and Turkey must help find a way to "de-escalate the situation before it becomes irreparable", the Pentagon said.

On Friday, Turkish warplanes and artillery struck around Syria's Ras al-Ain, one of two border towns that have been the focus of the offensive. Reuters journalists heard gunfire there from across the frontier in the Turkish town of Ceylanpinar.

Hundreds of kilometres further east along the frontier, Kurdish-led fighters reported heavy shelling in Qamishli, the biggest city in the Kurdish-controlled region of northeastern Syria. Authorities there said a car bomb had blown up in the city, killing three civilians and wounding nine. The video showed smoke rising from the wreckage.

A convoy of 20 armoured vehicles carrying Turkish-allied Syrian rebels entered Syria from Ceylanpinar. Some made victory signs, shouting "Allahu akbar" (God is greatest) and waving Syrian rebel flags as they advanced towards Ras al-Ain.

Some 120 km (75 miles) to the west, Turkish howitzers resumed shelling near the Syrian town of Tel Abyad, a witness said.

"In these moments, Tel Abyad is seeing the most intense battles in three days," Marvan Qamishlo, a spokesman for the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said.

Overnight, clashes erupted at different points along the entire stretch of border from Ain Diwar at the Iraqi frontier to Kobani, more than 400 km to the west.

"The whole border was on fire," Qamishlo said.

Turkish forces have seized nine villages near Ras al-Ain and Tel Abyad, said Rami Abdulrahman, director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the war.

At least 41 fighters with the SDF, 34 Turkey-backed Syrian rebels and 17 civilians have been killed in Syria, according to the Observatory. The SDF said 22 of its fighters were killed on Wednesday and Thursday.

Turkey says it has killed hundreds of SDF fighters and two Turkish soldiers have been killed. Turkish authorities said two people were killed and three wounded by mortar shelling in the border town of Suruc, raising the death toll to nine civilians killed on the Turkish side.

Refugees "weaponised"

Turkey says the purpose of its assault is to defeat the Kurdish YPG militia, which it sees as an enemy for its links to insurgents in Turkey. It says it aims to set up a "safe zone" inside Syria, where it can resettle many of the 3.6 million refugees it has been hosting.

Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan criticised Europe for failing to support the Turkish offensive and threatened to send refugees to Europe if the EU did not back him. That prompted a furious response from the EU.

"We will never accept that refugees are weaponised and used to blackmail us," European Council President Donald Tusk tweeted. France said sanctions against Turkey would be discussed at an EU summit next week.

The International Rescue Committee aid group says 64,000 people in Syria have fled in the first days of the campaign.

The Kurdish YPG is the main fighting element of the SDF, which has acted as the principal allies of the United States in a campaign that recaptured territory from Islamic State.

The SDF now holds most of the territory that once made up Islamic State's "caliphate" in Syria, and has been keeping thousands of fighters from the jihadist group in jail and tens of thousands of their family members in camps.

A camp sheltering more than 7,000 displaced people in northern Syria is to be evacuated and there are talks on moving a second camp for 13,000 people, including militants' families after both were shelled, Kurdish-led authorities said.

Two Turkish officials said Ankara believed there were more than 1,000 Islamic State fighters, mostly foreigners, held in the part of Syria where Turkey aims to set up its safe zone. Turkey would aim to send them to their countries of origin.

Medecins Sans Frontieres said a hospital in Tel Abyad had been forced to shut after most of its staff fled.

Rare Republican criticism of Trump

In the United States, Trump's decision to withhold protection from the Kurds has been one of the few issues to prompt criticism from his fellow Republicans, including leading allies on Capitol Hill such as Senator Lindsey Graham.

Trump said in a Twitter post on Thursday: "We have one of three choices: Send in thousands of troops and win Militarily, hit Turkey very hard Financially and with Sanctions, or mediate a deal between Turkey and the Kurds!".

"I hope we can mediate," Trump said when asked about the options by reporters at the White House.

Without elaborating, he said the United States was "going to possibly do something very, very tough with respect to sanctions and other financial things" against Turkey.

Western countries' rejection of the Turkish offensive creates a rift within the NATO alliance, in which Turkey is the main Muslim member. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said after talks with Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in Istanbul that he expected Turkey to act with restraint. Cavusoglu said Ankara expected "strong solidarity" from the alliance.

Turkey intensified its air and artillery strikes on Kurdish militia in northeast Syria on Friday, escalating an offensive that has drawn warnings of a humanitarian catastrophe and turned Republican lawmakers against US President Donald Trump.

Turkey intensified its air and artillery strikes on Kurdish militia in northeast Syria on Friday, escalating an offensive that has drawn warnings of a humanitarian catastrophe and turned Republican lawmakers against US President Donald Trump. The incursion, launched after Trump withdrew U.S. troops who had been fighting alongside Kurdish forces against Islamic State militants, has opened a new front in the eight-year-old Syrian civil war and drawn fierce international criticism. A war monitor gave a death toll approaching 100 from the first days of the assault, including 17 civilians as well as dozens of Kurdish fighters and Turkish-backed Syrian rebels.Turkey says nine civilians have been killed on its side of the frontier by retaliatory shelling. In Washington, Trump - fending off accusations that he abandoned the Kurds, loyal allies of the United States - suggested Washington could mediate in the conflict. He also raised the possibility of imposing sanctions on Turkey, a move demanded by Republican congressional critics of his policy. Trump's defence secretary, Mark Esper, told his Turkish counterpart that the incursion "risks serious consequences for Turkey" and Turkey must help find a way to "de-escalate the situation before it becomes irreparable", the Pentagon said. On Friday, Turkish warplanes and artillery struck around Syria's Ras al-Ain, one of two border towns that have been the focus of the offensive. Reuters journalists heard gunfire there from across the frontier in the Turkish town of Ceylanpinar. Hundreds of kilometres further east along the frontier, Kurdish-led fighters reported heavy shelling in Qamishli, the biggest city in the Kurdish-controlled region of northeastern Syria. Authorities there said a car bomb had blown up in the city, killing three civilians and wounding nine. The video showed smoke rising from the wreckage. A convoy of 20 armoured vehicles carrying Turkish-allied Syrian rebels entered Syria from Ceylanpinar. Some made victory signs, shouting "Allahu akbar" (God is greatest) and waving Syrian rebel flags as they advanced towards Ras al-Ain. Some 120 km (75 miles) to the west, Turkish howitzers resumed shelling near the Syrian town of Tel Abyad, a witness said. "In these moments, Tel Abyad is seeing the most intense battles in three days," Marvan Qamishlo, a spokesman for the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said. Overnight, clashes erupted at different points along the entire stretch of border from Ain Diwar at the Iraqi frontier to Kobani, more than 400 km to the west. "The whole border was on fire," Qamishlo said. Turkish forces have seized nine villages near Ras al-Ain and Tel Abyad, said Rami Abdulrahman, director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the war. At least 41 fighters with the SDF, 34 Turkey-backed Syrian rebels and 17 civilians have been killed in Syria, according to the Observatory. The SDF said 22 of its fighters were killed on Wednesday and Thursday. Turkey says it has killed hundreds of SDF fighters and two Turkish soldiers have been killed. Turkish authorities said two people were killed and three wounded by mortar shelling in the border town of Suruc, raising the death toll to nine civilians killed on the Turkish side. Refugees "weaponised" Turkey says the purpose of its assault is to defeat the Kurdish YPG militia, which it sees as an enemy for its links to insurgents in Turkey. It says it aims to set up a "safe zone" inside Syria, where it can resettle many of the 3.6 million refugees it has been hosting. Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan criticised Europe for failing to support the Turkish offensive and threatened to send refugees to Europe if the EU did not back him. That prompted a furious response from the EU. "We will never accept that refugees are weaponised and used to blackmail us," European Council President Donald Tusk tweeted. France said sanctions against Turkey would be discussed at an EU summit next week. The International Rescue Committee aid group says 64,000 people in Syria have fled in the first days of the campaign. The Kurdish YPG is the main fighting element of the SDF, which has acted as the principal allies of the United States in a campaign that recaptured territory from Islamic State. The SDF now holds most of the territory that once made up Islamic State's "caliphate" in Syria, and has been keeping thousands of fighters from the jihadist group in jail and tens of thousands of their family members in camps. A camp sheltering more than 7,000 displaced people in northern Syria is to be evacuated and there are talks on moving a second camp for 13,000 people, including militants' families after both were shelled, Kurdish-led authorities said. Two Turkish officials said Ankara believed there were more than 1,000 Islamic State fighters, mostly foreigners, held in the part of Syria where Turkey aims to set up its safe zone. Turkey would aim to send them to their countries of origin. Medecins Sans Frontieres said a hospital in Tel Abyad had been forced to shut after most of its staff fled. Rare Republican criticism of Trump In the United States, Trump's decision to withhold protection from the Kurds has been one of the few issues to prompt criticism from his fellow Republicans, including leading allies on Capitol Hill such as Senator Lindsey Graham. Trump said in a Twitter post on Thursday: "We have one of three choices: Send in thousands of troops and win Militarily, hit Turkey very hard Financially and with Sanctions, or mediate a deal between Turkey and the Kurds!". "I hope we can mediate," Trump said when asked about the options by reporters at the White House. Without elaborating, he said the United States was "going to possibly do something very, very tough with respect to sanctions and other financial things" against Turkey. Western countries' rejection of the Turkish offensive creates a rift within the NATO alliance, in which Turkey is the main Muslim member. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said after talks with Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in Istanbul that he expected Turkey to act with restraint. Cavusoglu said Ankara expected "strong solidarity" from the alliance.

Turkey intensifies Syria campaign; Washington warns of 'serious consequences'

Sitting in a wheelchair beside a metal fence in a camp in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/united-states-says-128000-syrians-subject-to-arbitrary-detention-252917">northern Syria</a>, nine-year-old Ruqaya Mohammad raises a scarf over her face to hide from journalists.

The Egyptian girl lost her left eye, her legs and both her parents during battles against the Islamic State group in their last Syria redoubt in March.

She now lives in a large tent along with 23 other orphaned children of foreign IS fighters in a camp for the displaced in Ain Issa, under the care of older camp residents.

Aged 18 months to 13-years-old, the children were born to parents from Russia, Uzbekistan, Indonesia, Tajikistan, Egypt and Iraq.

"Among the children, Ruqaya moves me the most," said Sara al-Abdullah, a 37-year-old who helps look after the orphans.

"She always looks withdrawn, shy, and sad," said the widowed mother of three, one of nine women residents of the Ain Issa camp paid a small fee to help look after the children.

Outside the tent, tiny children's tops and trousers have been slung across the metal fence to dry.

Inside, young boys dip flatbread into bowls of soft aubergine stewed in tomatoes.

A volunteer tries to coax a young child into opening his mouth, while another woman feeds an infant with a milk bottle.

A small boy dashes across the tent and throws himself excitedly into a pile of bedding.

Marred childhood

The volunteers say some of the children are still visibly scarred after living with their late parents under IS.

"They play at shooting each other or planting mines in the earth," Abdallah said.

Clutching bits of wood they pretend are guns, she says they throw themselves into imaginary battles, emulating the cries of IS jihadists.

"All that is ingrained in their heads. There's nothing to help them forget," said Abdallah.

"They don't study, or go and play with the little ones. It's been taken away from them."&nbsp;

IS overran large parts of Syria and neighbouring Iraq in 2014, declaring a "caliphate" and imposing their brutal interpretation of Islam on millions.

US-backed Syrian fighters in March expelled them from their last patch of territory in the eastern Syrian village of Baghouz.

After years of leading the fight against the jihadists, Syria's Kurds hold thousands of suspected foreign IS members in detention and camps: men and women, but also some 8,000 children — more than half of whom are under the age of five.

The United Nations says <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/in-syrias-aleppo-reconstruction-makes-slow-start-252744">hundreds of them are unaccompanied</a>.

The 24 orphans in Ain Issa were among the tens of thousands of people to stream out of Baghouz in the last weeks of the battle, after months of food shortages and heavy bombardment.

"They were in a pitiful state. They went to hospital and got better," said Ain Issa camp manager Jalal Iyyaf.

But the camp has received no aid for the orphans and is struggling to provide for them, he said in his office.

"We ask for clothes, food, drink as well as help to rehabilitate them, rid them of IS ideology," he said.

Reading and writing?

Back in the tent, Suad Mohammed Ameen, 20, pulls a T-shirt over a toddler's head.

The children she helps need food and clothes — but also psychological support, she said.

"The toughest part is when they tell me their fathers and mothers were killed in front of them, or how they lost their siblings," she said, a fuchsia pink headscarf framing her face.

To help ease the pain, she has vowed to tell the children stories, and even teach the girls to crochet.

"I promised them that, after everything they'd missed out on, I'd help them catch up on reading and writing," she said.

But Iyyaf, the camp manager, said <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/aleppo-filmmaker-vows-to-continue-showing-reality-of-syria-252170">the best solution would be for their home countries</a> to take them back.

The Kurdish authorities in northeast Syria have repeatedly called for the foreigners they hold to be repatriated, a request that has largely been met with resistance — except in rare cases, including several orphans.

Alaa Suleiman al-Saleh, 19, another one of the caregivers, also hoped the children would be able to go home.

"The situation in this tent is really difficult," said the young woman, who has been teaching some of the girls to crochet.

"I hope these children will return to their countries so they can catch up on their education and childhood," she said.

Sitting in a wheelchair beside a metal fence in a camp in northern Syria, nine-year-old Ruqaya Mohammad raises a scarf over her face to hide from journalists. The Egyptian girl lost her left eye, her legs and both her parents during battles against the Islamic State group in their last Syria redoubt in March.

Sitting in a wheelchair beside a metal fence in a camp in northern Syria, nine-year-old Ruqaya Mohammad raises a scarf over her face to hide from journalists. The Egyptian girl lost her left eye, her legs and both her parents during battles against the Islamic State group in their last Syria redoubt in March. She now lives in a large tent along with 23 other orphaned children of foreign IS fighters in a camp for the displaced in Ain Issa, under the care of older camp residents. Aged 18 months to 13-years-old, the children were born to parents from Russia, Uzbekistan, Indonesia, Tajikistan, Egypt and Iraq. "Among the children, Ruqaya moves me the most," said Sara al-Abdullah, a 37-year-old who helps look after the orphans. "She always looks withdrawn, shy, and sad," said the widowed mother of three, one of nine women residents of the Ain Issa camp paid a small fee to help look after the children. Outside the tent, tiny children's tops and trousers have been slung across the metal fence to dry. Inside, young boys dip flatbread into bowls of soft aubergine stewed in tomatoes. A volunteer tries to coax a young child into opening his mouth, while another woman feeds an infant with a milk bottle. A small boy dashes across the tent and throws himself excitedly into a pile of bedding. Marred childhood The volunteers say some of the children are still visibly scarred after living with their late parents under IS. "They play at shooting each other or planting mines in the earth," Abdallah said. Clutching bits of wood they pretend are guns, she says they throw themselves into imaginary battles, emulating the cries of IS jihadists. "All that is ingrained in their heads. There's nothing to help them forget," said Abdallah. "They don't study, or go and play with the little ones. It's been taken away from them." IS overran large parts of Syria and neighbouring Iraq in 2014, declaring a "caliphate" and imposing their brutal interpretation of Islam on millions. US-backed Syrian fighters in March expelled them from their last patch of territory in the eastern Syrian village of Baghouz. After years of leading the fight against the jihadists, Syria's Kurds hold thousands of suspected foreign IS members in detention and camps: men and women, but also some 8,000 children — more than half of whom are under the age of five. The United Nations says hundreds of them are unaccompanied. The 24 orphans in Ain Issa were among the tens of thousands of people to stream out of Baghouz in the last weeks of the battle, after months of food shortages and heavy bombardment. "They were in a pitiful state. They went to hospital and got better," said Ain Issa camp manager Jalal Iyyaf. But the camp has received no aid for the orphans and is struggling to provide for them, he said in his office. "We ask for clothes, food, drink as well as help to rehabilitate them, rid them of IS ideology," he said. Reading and writing? Back in the tent, Suad Mohammed Ameen, 20, pulls a T-shirt over a toddler's head. The children she helps need food and clothes — but also psychological support, she said. "The toughest part is when they tell me their fathers and mothers were killed in front of them, or how they lost their siblings," she said, a fuchsia pink headscarf framing her face. To help ease the pain, she has vowed to tell the children stories, and even teach the girls to crochet. "I promised them that, after everything they'd missed out on, I'd help them catch up on reading and writing," she said. But Iyyaf, the camp manager, said the best solution would be for their home countries to take them back. The Kurdish authorities in northeast Syria have repeatedly called for the foreigners they hold to be repatriated, a request that has largely been met with resistance — except in rare cases, including several orphans. Alaa Suleiman al-Saleh, 19, another one of the caregivers, also hoped the children would be able to go home. "The situation in this tent is really difficult," said the young woman, who has been teaching some of the girls to crochet. "I hope these children will return to their countries so they can catch up on their education and childhood," she said.

In Syria camp, uncertain future for foreign Islamic State orphans

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) 
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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

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In Syria's Idlib, traveling barbers bring children relief

Turkey intensifies Syria campaign; Washington warns of 'serious consequences'

In Syria camp, uncertain future for foreign Islamic State orphans

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