Germany vowed Monday to prosecute German IS fighters but warned that it would be "extremely difficult" to organise the repatriation of European nationals from Syria after US President Donald Trump called on allies to take back alleged jihadists.

Syria's US-backed Kurdish forces, which are battling Islamic State group jihadists in their last redoubt in eastern Syria, hold hundreds of suspected foreign IS fighters and the calls for their reluctant home countries to take them back have grown in urgency.

"We must be able to ensure that prosecution is possible," Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen told Bild daily.

Underlining the difficulties however of putting the ex-fighters on trial, the minister noted that there is "no government in Syria with which we have a sensible relationship".

President Bashar "Assad cannot be our counterpart, the Syrian-democratic forces are not a unity government," she added, stressing that proof and witness statements needed to be secured in Syria if the militants are to be put on trial.

Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said separately that a return could only be possible if "we can guarantee that these people can be immediately sent here to appear in court and that they will be detained".

For this, "we need judicial information, and this is not yet the case," Maas told ARD television late Sunday. Under such conditions, repatriation would be "extremely difficult to achieve".

Berlin wants to "consult with France and Britain... over how to proceed," he said.

The subject is to be raised on Monday at a meeting of European foreign ministers called to discuss among other issues "the situation in Syria, in particular, the recent developments on the ground," according to an agenda for the talks.

Trump on Sunday called on his European allies to take back alleged jihadists captured in Syria.

IS imposed a self-declared caliphate across parts of Syria and neighbouring Iraq from 2014, but has since lost all of it except a tiny patch of less than half a square kilometre near the Iraqi border.

After years of fighting IS, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) hold hundreds of foreigners accused of fighting for the group, as well as their wives and children.

Syria's Kurds have repeatedly called for their countries of origin to take them back, but these nations have been reluctant.

"The United States is asking Britain, France, Germany and other European allies to take back over 800 ISIS fighters that we captured in Syria and put them on trial," Trump said in a tweet, using another acronym for IS.

After initial reluctance, Paris appears ready to consider the return of its nationals.

In Belgium, Justice Minister Koen Geens called for a "European solution" on Sunday, calling for "calm reflection and looking at what would be the least security risks".

Germany vowed Monday to prosecute German IS fighters but warned that it would be "extremely difficult" to organise the repatriation of European nationals from Syria after US President Donald Trump called on allies to take back alleged jihadists.

Germany vowed Monday to prosecute German IS fighters but warned that it would be "extremely difficult" to organise the repatriation of European nationals from Syria after US President Donald Trump called on allies to take back alleged jihadists. Syria's US-backed Kurdish forces, which are battling Islamic State group jihadists in their last redoubt in eastern Syria, hold hundreds of suspected foreign IS fighters and the calls for their reluctant home countries to take them back have grown in urgency. "We must be able to ensure that prosecution is possible," Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen told Bild daily. Underlining the difficulties however of putting the ex-fighters on trial, the minister noted that there is "no government in Syria with which we have a sensible relationship". President Bashar "Assad cannot be our counterpart, the Syrian-democratic forces are not a unity government," she added, stressing that proof and witness statements needed to be secured in Syria if the militants are to be put on trial. Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said separately that a return could only be possible if "we can guarantee that these people can be immediately sent here to appear in court and that they will be detained". For this, "we need judicial information, and this is not yet the case," Maas told ARD television late Sunday. Under such conditions, repatriation would be "extremely difficult to achieve". Berlin wants to "consult with France and Britain... over how to proceed," he said. The subject is to be raised on Monday at a meeting of European foreign ministers called to discuss among other issues "the situation in Syria, in particular, the recent developments on the ground," according to an agenda for the talks. Trump on Sunday called on his European allies to take back alleged jihadists captured in Syria. IS imposed a self-declared caliphate across parts of Syria and neighbouring Iraq from 2014, but has since lost all of it except a tiny patch of less than half a square kilometre near the Iraqi border. After years of fighting IS, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) hold hundreds of foreigners accused of fighting for the group, as well as their wives and children. Syria's Kurds have repeatedly called for their countries of origin to take them back, but these nations have been reluctant. "The United States is asking Britain, France, Germany and other European allies to take back over 800 ISIS fighters that we captured in Syria and put them on trial," Trump said in a tweet, using another acronym for IS. After initial reluctance, Paris appears ready to consider the return of its nationals. In Belgium, Justice Minister Koen Geens called for a "European solution" on Sunday, calling for "calm reflection and looking at what would be the least security risks".

Germany wants trial for Syria jihadists but warns of difficulties

An explosion at a base for Asian jihadists in northwestern Syria&#39;s Idlib city on Sunday killed 23 people including seven civilians, a monitor said.

Extremist groups fighting in Syria count thousands of Asians among their ranks, including many from central Asian states and members of the Muslim Uighur ethnic minority of China&#39;s Xinjiang province.

&quot;A large explosion on Sunday evening hit the base of the Ajnad al-Qawqaz faction in Idlib,&quot; said Syrian Observatory for Human Rights head Rami Abdel Rahman, adding that most of the non-civilian casualties were fighters from the group.

He did not specify the cause of the blast, but activists on social media said a car bomb was responsible.

Dozens of people were wounded, particularly fighters, according to Abdel Rahman who said the base was &quot;almost completely destroyed&quot; and that the nearby buildings were damaged.

The Ajnad al-Qawqaz group includes hundreds of Caucasian fighters and is battling alongside the Fateh al-Sham Front, a former Al-Qaeda affiliate, to repel a Syrian regime advance in the southeast of Idlib province.

The area has seen intense clashes following a regime offensive aimed at seizing a strategically vital highway between Damascus and second city Aleppo.

The Britain-based Observatory, which relies on a network of activists across Syria, said regime forces had seized more than 60 villages in the area since December 25.

An alliance dominated by Fateh al-Sham controls much of Idlib province where there are regular car bombings, often blamed on disputes between armed factions.&nbsp;

Some residents blame the Islamic State group for such attacks, although the group has no open presence in the province.

An explosion at a base for Asian jihadists in northwestern Syria's Idlib city on Sunday killed 23 people including seven civilians

An explosion at a base for Asian jihadists in northwestern Syria's Idlib city on Sunday killed 23 people including seven civilians, a monitor said. Extremist groups fighting in Syria count thousands of Asians among their ranks, including many from central Asian states and members of the Muslim Uighur ethnic minority of China's Xinjiang province. "A large explosion on Sunday evening hit the base of the Ajnad al-Qawqaz faction in Idlib," said Syrian Observatory for Human Rights head Rami Abdel Rahman, adding that most of the non-civilian casualties were fighters from the group. He did not specify the cause of the blast, but activists on social media said a car bomb was responsible. Dozens of people were wounded, particularly fighters, according to Abdel Rahman who said the base was "almost completely destroyed" and that the nearby buildings were damaged. The Ajnad al-Qawqaz group includes hundreds of Caucasian fighters and is battling alongside the Fateh al-Sham Front, a former Al-Qaeda affiliate, to repel a Syrian regime advance in the southeast of Idlib province. The area has seen intense clashes following a regime offensive aimed at seizing a strategically vital highway between Damascus and second city Aleppo. The Britain-based Observatory, which relies on a network of activists across Syria, said regime forces had seized more than 60 villages in the area since December 25. An alliance dominated by Fateh al-Sham controls much of Idlib province where there are regular car bombings, often blamed on disputes between armed factions. Some residents blame the Islamic State group for such attacks, although the group has no open presence in the province.

Syria: Explosion at jihadist base kills 23

A jihadist group has launched a major assault on Free Syrian Army groups in northwestern Syria as they attend peace talks in Kazakhstan, rebel officials said on Tuesday, an attempt to crush the moderate wing of the insurgency against the government.

Officials from the jihadist group, Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, could not immediately be reached for comment. Fateh al-Sham was previously known as the Nusra Front. It changed its name after announcing it was cutting ties with al Qaeda last year.

Tensions have been building between Fateh al-Sham and more moderate rebel groups since the opposition was defeated in Aleppo last month. Fateh al-Sham is not covered by a shaky truce between government forces and rebels who are meeting in the Kazakh capital Astana. The aim of the meeting, organised by Russia, Turkey and Iran, is to shore up the ceasefire.

The Fateh al-Sham assault was focused in rebel-held areas to the west of Aleppo, and adjoining areas of Idlib province, which is almost entirely in insurgent hands.

An official in one of the rebel groups, Jabha Shamiya, told Reuters the attack began overnight, describing it as a large assault in several areas. The official said it was the first time Fateh al-Sham had attacked the FSA groups in that area.

&quot;What they are doing serves Iran and the regime - so there is no FSA left in the north - particularly with the factions&#39; delegation now in Astana where the regime offered nothing with regards to the ceasefire,&quot; said the Jabha Shamiya official.

The FSA groups now needed to coordinate their efforts to repel the attack, he said.

The commander of a second FSA rebel group, Jaish al-Mujahideen, told Reuters the &quot;extremely fierce&quot; Fateh al-Sham attack aimed to &quot;eliminate the revolution and turn it black&quot;, a reference to the black flag flown by the jihadists in Syria.

He said the group had seized &quot;some positions&quot;, though these were far from its headquarters.

Fateh al-Sham has a history of attacking and defeating FSA groups throughout the conflict that began in 2011, typically factions backed by President Bashar al-Assad&#39;s foreign enemies.

One of the single biggest groups in the insurgency, Fateh al-Sham has been targeted in a spate of US&nbsp;airstrikes in northwestern Syria since the new year. One of these killed dozens of its fighters at a training camp in Idlib last week.

The Pentagon said that attack was carried out by a B-52 bomber and killed more than 100 al Qaeda fighters.

(Reuters)

An official in one of the rebel groups told Reuters the attack began overnight, describing it as a large assault in several areas

A jihadist group has launched a major assault on Free Syrian Army groups in northwestern Syria as they attend peace talks in Kazakhstan, rebel officials said on Tuesday, an attempt to crush the moderate wing of the insurgency against the government. Officials from the jihadist group, Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, could not immediately be reached for comment. Fateh al-Sham was previously known as the Nusra Front. It changed its name after announcing it was cutting ties with al Qaeda last year. Tensions have been building between Fateh al-Sham and more moderate rebel groups since the opposition was defeated in Aleppo last month. Fateh al-Sham is not covered by a shaky truce between government forces and rebels who are meeting in the Kazakh capital Astana. The aim of the meeting, organised by Russia, Turkey and Iran, is to shore up the ceasefire. The Fateh al-Sham assault was focused in rebel-held areas to the west of Aleppo, and adjoining areas of Idlib province, which is almost entirely in insurgent hands. An official in one of the rebel groups, Jabha Shamiya, told Reuters the attack began overnight, describing it as a large assault in several areas. The official said it was the first time Fateh al-Sham had attacked the FSA groups in that area. "What they are doing serves Iran and the regime - so there is no FSA left in the north - particularly with the factions' delegation now in Astana where the regime offered nothing with regards to the ceasefire," said the Jabha Shamiya official. The FSA groups now needed to coordinate their efforts to repel the attack, he said. The commander of a second FSA rebel group, Jaish al-Mujahideen, told Reuters the "extremely fierce" Fateh al-Sham attack aimed to "eliminate the revolution and turn it black", a reference to the black flag flown by the jihadists in Syria. He said the group had seized "some positions", though these were far from its headquarters. Fateh al-Sham has a history of attacking and defeating FSA groups throughout the conflict that began in 2011, typically factions backed by President Bashar al-Assad's foreign enemies. One of the single biggest groups in the insurgency, Fateh al-Sham has been targeted in a spate of US airstrikes in northwestern Syria since the new year. One of these killed dozens of its fighters at a training camp in Idlib last week. The Pentagon said that attack was carried out by a B-52 bomber and killed more than 100 al Qaeda fighters. (Reuters)

Jihadists in Syria launch assault on rebels attending peace talks

syria-jihadists

Syria Jihadists, News on Syria Jihadists, stories on Syria Jihadists, articles on Syria Jihadists, Syria Jihadists stories at Wion, Syria Jihadists news, Syria Jihadists latest news

syria jihadists

Germany wants trial for Syria jihadists but warns of difficulties

Syria: Explosion at jihadist base kills 23

Jihadists in Syria launch assault on rebels attending peace talks