Syrian regime forces took control of six rebel-held districts in eastern Aleppo over the weekend as they advanced their offensive to recapture Syria&#39;s second city.

Their wins included Masaken Hanano, the largest rebel-held district in eastern Aleppo.

Syrian forces also took control of Jabal Badra and Baadeeen and took three other districts on Sunday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The monitor said that Inzarat, Al-Sakan al-Shaabi and Ain al-Tall have been taken over by government forces and the army has made large forays into Sakhur and nearby Haidariya.

It said government forces are &quot;in control of most of the northern part&quot; of Aleppo. The Observatory also reported that more than 4,000 civilians had fled east Aleppo overnight Saturday

&quot;The rebels have lost at least 30 per cent of the territory they once controlled in Aleppo,&quot; Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said, news agency AFP reported. &quot;It is the first exodus of this kind from east Aleppo since 2012.&quot;

Masaken Hanano was the first district to be taken by the rebels in 2012.

The regime has focussed its attention on the Sakhur as they pound rebel positions in the district.

Civilinas were taken &quot;by the army to safe areas&quot;, official media said, AFP reported.

Syrian state television broadcast images of a crowd gathered around green buses that it said had come to pick them up in Masaken Hanano, AFP said.

&quot;We are strengthening our positions to defend the city and residents, but the aircraft are destroying everything methodically, area by area,&quot; Yasser al-Youssef, from the rebel group Nureddin al-Zinki, said of a regime campaign of air strikes, AFP reported.

The Syrian army had advanced in Aleppo on Friday, pounding rebel-held eastern neighbourhoods with air strikes and shelling.

Eight civilians were killed during regime shelling and air strikes in eastern Aleppo on Friday, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The regime bombardment has killed 225 civilians, including at least 27 children, in east Aleppo since November 15.

More than 250,000 civilians have been trapped under siege for months in rebel-held eastern Aleppo, with dwindling food and fuel supplies.

(With inputs from AFP)

Their wins included Masaken Hanano, the largest rebel-held district in eastern Aleppo

Syrian regime forces took control of six rebel-held districts in eastern Aleppo over the weekend as they advanced their offensive to recapture Syria's second city. Their wins included Masaken Hanano, the largest rebel-held district in eastern Aleppo. Syrian forces also took control of Jabal Badra and Baadeeen and took three other districts on Sunday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The monitor said that Inzarat, Al-Sakan al-Shaabi and Ain al-Tall have been taken over by government forces and the army has made large forays into Sakhur and nearby Haidariya. It said government forces are "in control of most of the northern part" of Aleppo. The Observatory also reported that more than 4,000 civilians had fled east Aleppo overnight Saturday "The rebels have lost at least 30 per cent of the territory they once controlled in Aleppo," Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said, news agency AFP reported. "It is the first exodus of this kind from east Aleppo since 2012." Masaken Hanano was the first district to be taken by the rebels in 2012. The regime has focussed its attention on the Sakhur as they pound rebel positions in the district. Civilinas were taken "by the army to safe areas", official media said, AFP reported. Syrian state television broadcast images of a crowd gathered around green buses that it said had come to pick them up in Masaken Hanano, AFP said. "We are strengthening our positions to defend the city and residents, but the aircraft are destroying everything methodically, area by area," Yasser al-Youssef, from the rebel group Nureddin al-Zinki, said of a regime campaign of air strikes, AFP reported. The Syrian army had advanced in Aleppo on Friday, pounding rebel-held eastern neighbourhoods with air strikes and shelling. Eight civilians were killed during regime shelling and air strikes in eastern Aleppo on Friday, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The regime bombardment has killed 225 civilians, including at least 27 children, in east Aleppo since November 15. More than 250,000 civilians have been trapped under siege for months in rebel-held eastern Aleppo, with dwindling food and fuel supplies. (With inputs from AFP)

Syria forces retake 6 Aleppo rebel areas, civilians flee

Syrian state media reported on Saturday that the Syrian government forces have recaptured the largest rebel district in the east of battlefield city Aleppo.

State television said &quot;the armed forces retook full control&quot; of Masaken Hanano district. Operations were under way to clear it of mines and bombs, official news agency SANA said, AFP reported.

&quot;The armed forces retook full control of Masaken Hanano after having put an end to the presence of terrorists there,&quot; the state broadcaster said, referring to the rebels fighting the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, reported AFP.

The area around the district was also recaptured and &quot;army engineers are clearing it of bombs and explosives planted by the terrorists in the streets and squares&quot;, SANA reported.

The capture of Masaken Hanano in the northeast of Aleppo could give the army line-of-fire control over several other parts of the city&#39;s rebel-held east, AFP said.

The Syrian army had advanced in Aleppo on Friday, pounding rebel-held eastern neighbourhoods with air strikes and shelling.

The offensive to retake Aleppo, Syria&#39;s second city, is in its 12th day. The city was the economic capital before the war broke out in March 2011.

The regime bombardment has killed 212 civilians, including at least 27 children, in east Aleppo since November 15, a monitoring group said.

Eight civilians were killed during regime shelling and air strikes in eastern Aleppo on Friday, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

&quot;I&#39;m terrified by the army&#39;s advance and the increasing bombardment,&quot; Abu Raed, a father-of-four from the Fardos neighbourhood, told AFP. &quot;There&#39;s no safe place for me and my family.&quot;

Observatory head rami Abdel Rahman told AFP on Saturday that the government forces were in control of 80 per cent of Masaken Hanano and had the rest in their line of fire.

&quot;They just hundreds of metres (yards) away from isolating the northern districts of east Aleppo from the southern ones,&quot; he said.

More than 250,000 civilians have been trapped under siege for months in rebel-held eastern Aleppo, with dwindling food and fuel supplies, AFP said.

(With inputs from AFP)

The capture of Masaken Hanano district could give the army line-of-fire control over several other parts of the city's rebel-held east

Syrian state media reported on Saturday that the Syrian government forces have recaptured the largest rebel district in the east of battlefield city Aleppo. State television said "the armed forces retook full control" of Masaken Hanano district. Operations were under way to clear it of mines and bombs, official news agency SANA said, AFP reported. "The armed forces retook full control of Masaken Hanano after having put an end to the presence of terrorists there," the state broadcaster said, referring to the rebels fighting the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, reported AFP. The area around the district was also recaptured and "army engineers are clearing it of bombs and explosives planted by the terrorists in the streets and squares", SANA reported. The capture of Masaken Hanano in the northeast of Aleppo could give the army line-of-fire control over several other parts of the city's rebel-held east, AFP said. The Syrian army had advanced in Aleppo on Friday, pounding rebel-held eastern neighbourhoods with air strikes and shelling. The offensive to retake Aleppo, Syria's second city, is in its 12th day. The city was the economic capital before the war broke out in March 2011. The regime bombardment has killed 212 civilians, including at least 27 children, in east Aleppo since November 15, a monitoring group said. Eight civilians were killed during regime shelling and air strikes in eastern Aleppo on Friday, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. "I'm terrified by the army's advance and the increasing bombardment," Abu Raed, a father-of-four from the Fardos neighbourhood, told AFP. "There's no safe place for me and my family." Observatory head rami Abdel Rahman told AFP on Saturday that the government forces were in control of 80 per cent of Masaken Hanano and had the rest in their line of fire. "They just hundreds of metres (yards) away from isolating the northern districts of east Aleppo from the southern ones," he said. More than 250,000 civilians have been trapped under siege for months in rebel-held eastern Aleppo, with dwindling food and fuel supplies, AFP said. (With inputs from AFP)

Largest Aleppo rebel area retaken: Syrian state media

At least 27 civilians were killed as the Syrian regime pounded the rebel-held side of eastern Aleppo with airstrikes, barrell bombs and artillery fire, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.&nbsp;

The deaths brought the civilian toll in the last five days of regime bombardment to at least 92, AFP reported.

Schools in east Aleppo announced in a statement they would close on Saturday and Sunday &quot;for the safety of students and teachers, after the barbarous aerial strikes&quot;.

&quot;People went to sleep to the sound of bombardment and awoke to the sound of bombardment,&quot; Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, told AFP. &quot;There&#39;s barely a neighbourhood that has been spared in the east.&quot;

The renewed bombardment, which comes after weeks of ceasefire, has also damaged multiple hospitals and damaged rescue facilities.

On Friday, regime shelling of the Maadi neighbourhood partially destroyed one of the last hospitals in east Aleppo, forcing it to close. The last pediatric hospital in the east was also forced to close after being damaged in a barrel bomb attack earlier in the week.

Aleppo has been divided since mid-2012 between rebel control in the east and government control in the west. The rebels have been besieged by Russian-backed regime forces since the last four months.&nbsp;

UN, White House condemn bombings

The UN said it was &quot;appalled&quot; by escalating violence in Syria, and urged immediate access to Aleppo.&nbsp;

US National Security Advisor Susan Rice condemned &quot;heinous&quot; bombings of hospitals.

&quot;The United States condemns in the strongest terms these horrific attacks against medical infrastructure and humanitarian aid workers. There is no excuse for these heinous actions,&quot; Rice said in a statement.

&quot;The Syrian regime and its allies, Russia in particular, bears responsibly for the immediate and long term consequences these actions have caused in Syria and beyond.&quot;

(WION with inputs from AFP)

The deaths brought the civilian toll in five days of regime bombardment of eastern Aleppo to at least 92

At least 27 civilians were killed as the Syrian regime pounded the rebel-held side of eastern Aleppo with airstrikes, barrell bombs and artillery fire, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The deaths brought the civilian toll in the last five days of regime bombardment to at least 92, AFP reported. Schools in east Aleppo announced in a statement they would close on Saturday and Sunday "for the safety of students and teachers, after the barbarous aerial strikes". "People went to sleep to the sound of bombardment and awoke to the sound of bombardment," Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, told AFP. "There's barely a neighbourhood that has been spared in the east." The renewed bombardment, which comes after weeks of ceasefire, has also damaged multiple hospitals and damaged rescue facilities. On Friday, regime shelling of the Maadi neighbourhood partially destroyed one of the last hospitals in east Aleppo, forcing it to close. The last pediatric hospital in the east was also forced to close after being damaged in a barrel bomb attack earlier in the week. Aleppo has been divided since mid-2012 between rebel control in the east and government control in the west. The rebels have been besieged by Russian-backed regime forces since the last four months. UN, White House condemn bombings The UN said it was "appalled" by escalating violence in Syria, and urged immediate access to Aleppo. US National Security Advisor Susan Rice condemned "heinous" bombings of hospitals. "The United States condemns in the strongest terms these horrific attacks against medical infrastructure and humanitarian aid workers. There is no excuse for these heinous actions," Rice said in a statement. "The Syrian regime and its allies, Russia in particular, bears responsibly for the immediate and long term consequences these actions have caused in Syria and beyond." (WION with inputs from AFP)

Syria: At least 27 killed in air strikes in rebel-held Aleppo

US President Barack Obama hopes President-elect Donald Trump will stand up against Russia when needed and cooperate when &quot;values and interests align&quot;.&nbsp; 
&quot;In order for us to solve many big problems around the world, it is in our interest to work with Russia,&quot; he told reporters in Berlin.&nbsp;

The President who is on his last leg of the Europe tour before he leaves office addressed a joint news conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin.&nbsp;

&quot;My hope is that the president-elect coming in takes a similarly constructive approach, finding areas where we can cooperate with Russia where our values and interests align, but that the president-elect also is willing to stand up to Russia when they are deviating from our values and international norms,&quot; he continued.&nbsp;

&quot;My hope is that he does not simply take a realpolitik approach and suggest that we just cut some deals with Russia even if it hurts people, even if it violates international norms or even if it leaves smaller countries vulnerable or creates long term problems in countries like Syria,&quot; Obama said.

The President also warned that the sanctions imposed on Russia must remain until Moscow abided the Minsk peace agreement.&nbsp;

Democracy will break down

Obama warned Americans &quot;If we can&#39;t discriminate between serious arguments and propaganda, then we have problems.&quot;

&quot;If people - whether they are conservative or liberal, left or right - are unwilling to compromise and engage in the democratic process and are taking absolutist views and demonising opponents, then democracy will break down,&quot; he added.

Work in Syria to continue

&quot;We are going to continue to work as we have over the last five, six years to push towards a political transition and settlement. It would be naive of me to suggest that with Russia committed militarily as it is to supporting what, in many cases, are barbarous tactics by the Assad regime to crush the opposition,&quot; Obama said in reference to Russia&nbsp;backing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad&#39;s regime.

He added that he would continue to try to &quot;obtain cessations of hostilities that lessen the human tragedy and the migration that&#39;s taking place&quot;&nbsp;

&quot;You cannot purchase people&#39;s consent through killing them. They haven&#39;t made that transition yet but we are going to keep on trying,&quot; he added.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

He urged Trump to follow US long standing policy towards Russia, adding there must be cooperation where 'values and interests align'

US President Barack Obama hopes President-elect Donald Trump will stand up against Russia when needed and cooperate when "values and interests align". "In order for us to solve many big problems around the world, it is in our interest to work with Russia," he told reporters in Berlin. The President who is on his last leg of the Europe tour before he leaves office addressed a joint news conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin. "My hope is that the president-elect coming in takes a similarly constructive approach, finding areas where we can cooperate with Russia where our values and interests align, but that the president-elect also is willing to stand up to Russia when they are deviating from our values and international norms," he continued. "My hope is that he does not simply take a realpolitik approach and suggest that we just cut some deals with Russia even if it hurts people, even if it violates international norms or even if it leaves smaller countries vulnerable or creates long term problems in countries like Syria," Obama said. The President also warned that the sanctions imposed on Russia must remain until Moscow abided the Minsk peace agreement. Democracy will break down Obama warned Americans "If we can't discriminate between serious arguments and propaganda, then we have problems." "If people - whether they are conservative or liberal, left or right - are unwilling to compromise and engage in the democratic process and are taking absolutist views and demonising opponents, then democracy will break down," he added. Work in Syria to continue "We are going to continue to work as we have over the last five, six years to push towards a political transition and settlement. It would be naive of me to suggest that with Russia committed militarily as it is to supporting what, in many cases, are barbarous tactics by the Assad regime to crush the opposition," Obama said in reference to Russia backing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime. He added that he would continue to try to "obtain cessations of hostilities that lessen the human tragedy and the migration that's taking place" "You cannot purchase people's consent through killing them. They haven't made that transition yet but we are going to keep on trying," he added. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Obama hopes Trump will stand up against Russia

Iraqi Brigadier General Saad Maan stated on November 15 that the country&rsquo;s army has now secured a large area of&nbsp;eastern Mosul, the de facto capital city of the Islamic State in Iraq. During a press conference in the Qayyarah base, the main hub for the operations to reconquer the city, he said&nbsp;&quot;more than a third of this (eastern) side has been liberated&rdquo;.

US Navy Captain&nbsp;Jeff Davis told reporters at the Pentagon that despite the undeniable success in the &nbsp;operations, the battle is nowhere near over. &quot;It may be one-third cleared in terms of acreage, but it&#39;s not one-third clear in terms of challenge and task ahead,&quot; he said. &quot;As they get closer to the centre of the city, it&#39;s going to get more dense and more fierce in the fighting.&quot;

The Tigris river flows within the city, serving as the dividing line between the city&#39;s&nbsp;eastern&nbsp;and western side, the first being slightly bigger. In order to gain control over Mosul, it is primarily important to first defeat the Islamic State on the eastern side of the city and control the main five bridges crossing the river in order to isolate the remaining terrorists.

The Mosul offensive began on October 17 and succeeded in clearing the majority of the villages surrounding the city from Islamic State presence. Peshmergas, the Kurdistan regional&rsquo;s army, contributed significantly to the operations, attacking and defeating the Islamic State in their northern and northeastern territories.

After the last offensive against the town of Bashiqa, Peshmergas are likely to stop their operation. According to the agreement done with the Iraqi government, they were not supposed to enter the city of Mosul, their part of the war has now come to an end and they will secure and patrol all the reconquered areas.

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&nbsp;

According to Iraq&#39;s&nbsp;military establishment&nbsp;the battle will proceed&nbsp;as scheduled, but they make no mystery about the many difficulties they&nbsp;face. The Islamic State is organising a strategic&nbsp;resistance,&nbsp;using the city&rsquo;s geography in their favour. Mosul, like many&nbsp;Arab towns, has&nbsp;congested neighbourhoods and many small lanes;&nbsp;it is easy to end up caught in ambushes. It is also difficult to enter the city with tanks.&nbsp;The only way to advance is in limited convoys of armoured vehicles slowly driving in the streets under heavy gunfire, mortar&nbsp;fire, suicide attacks and Improvised Explosive Devices. The Islamic State has also built a sophisticated and wide network of underground tunnels which allows them to move unseen all around the neighbourhood they control.

Brigadier General Saad Maan said that, so far, 955 IS terrorists have been killed and 108 arrested during the last phase of the offensive. There are no official figures about the casualties among the soldiers. Hospitals close to the city are receiving dozens of patients with gunfire injuries everyday, but there is no official figure regarding civilians killed during the operations.&nbsp;

The many civilians still within the city slow&nbsp;the offensive, especially airstrikes. The Islamic State often choose normal civilian houses as its bases and it is therefore difficult to understand how to proceed without killing innocent people.&nbsp;

It is very difficult to gather intelligence insights from Mosul since IS heavily controls&nbsp;all&nbsp;communications,&nbsp;and punishes with cruel death&nbsp;whoever is found guilty of any suspicious activity. This is the fate that befell&nbsp;the more than hundred persons found in a mass grave in the city of Hamam al-Alil, who were mostly policemen and people who provided useful information to the Iraqi army about IS movements in the area.

Many civilians are leaving the reconquered neighbourhood of the cities to reach the camps set up by the many international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) active in the country. According to data released by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), the number of individuals who fled Mosul alone is 48,750. More than 56,000 are believed to have left their houses since the beginning of the operations, men, women and children.&nbsp;

(WION)

The Islamic State is?using Mosul's geography in their favour: congested neighbourhoods and small laneways make ambushing easy

Iraqi Brigadier General Saad Maan stated on November 15 that the country’s army has now secured a large area of eastern Mosul, the de facto capital city of the Islamic State in Iraq. During a press conference in the Qayyarah base, the main hub for the operations to reconquer the city, he said "more than a third of this (eastern) side has been liberated”. US Navy Captain Jeff Davis told reporters at the Pentagon that despite the undeniable success in the operations, the battle is nowhere near over. "It may be one-third cleared in terms of acreage, but it's not one-third clear in terms of challenge and task ahead," he said. "As they get closer to the centre of the city, it's going to get more dense and more fierce in the fighting." The Tigris river flows within the city, serving as the dividing line between the city's eastern and western side, the first being slightly bigger. In order to gain control over Mosul, it is primarily important to first defeat the Islamic State on the eastern side of the city and control the main five bridges crossing the river in order to isolate the remaining terrorists. The Mosul offensive began on October 17 and succeeded in clearing the majority of the villages surrounding the city from Islamic State presence. Peshmergas, the Kurdistan regional’s army, contributed significantly to the operations, attacking and defeating the Islamic State in their northern and northeastern territories. After the last offensive against the town of Bashiqa, Peshmergas are likely to stop their operation. According to the agreement done with the Iraqi government, they were not supposed to enter the city of Mosul, their part of the war has now come to an end and they will secure and patrol all the reconquered areas. The many civilians still within the city slow the offensive, especially airstrikes. The Islamic State often choose normal civilian houses as its bases, and it is therefore difficult to understand how to proceed without killing innocent people. × According to Iraq's military establishment the battle will proceed as scheduled, but they make no mystery about the many difficulties they face. The Islamic State is organising a strategic resistance, using the city’s geography in their favour. Mosul, like many Arab towns, has congested neighbourhoods and many small lanes; it is easy to end up caught in ambushes. It is also difficult to enter the city with tanks. The only way to advance is in limited convoys of armoured vehicles slowly driving in the streets under heavy gunfire, mortar fire, suicide attacks and Improvised Explosive Devices. The Islamic State has also built a sophisticated and wide network of underground tunnels which allows them to move unseen all around the neighbourhood they control. Brigadier General Saad Maan said that, so far, 955 IS terrorists have been killed and 108 arrested during the last phase of the offensive. There are no official figures about the casualties among the soldiers. Hospitals close to the city are receiving dozens of patients with gunfire injuries everyday, but there is no official figure regarding civilians killed during the operations. The many civilians still within the city slow the offensive, especially airstrikes. The Islamic State often choose normal civilian houses as its bases and it is therefore difficult to understand how to proceed without killing innocent people. It is very difficult to gather intelligence insights from Mosul since IS heavily controls all communications, and punishes with cruel death whoever is found guilty of any suspicious activity. This is the fate that befell the more than hundred persons found in a mass grave in the city of Hamam al-Alil, who were mostly policemen and people who provided useful information to the Iraqi army about IS movements in the area. Many civilians are leaving the reconquered neighbourhood of the cities to reach the camps set up by the many international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) active in the country. According to data released by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), the number of individuals who fled Mosul alone is 48,750. More than 56,000 are believed to have left their houses since the beginning of the operations, men, women and children. (WION)

Fighting IS: The state of the Mosul offensive

Syrian President Bashar al Assad said on Tuesday that he hopes to see&nbsp;an ally in US President-elect Donald Trump if he &quot;lives up to his promise&quot; of fighting terrorists.&nbsp;

&quot;What about the countervailing forces within the (US) administration?&quot; Assad told a Portuguese television channel in reference to lobbies&nbsp;within the administration which influence the president.&nbsp;

Unlike Obama&#39;s policy,&nbsp;Trump has questioned the idea of&nbsp;backing the rebels instead of Assad, noting that he didn&#39;t like him but &quot;Assad is killing ISIS&quot;.

&quot;That&#39;s why for us it&#39;s still dubious whether he (Trump) can do or live up to his promises or not,&quot; Assad said. &quot;That is why we are very cautious in judging him...but let&#39;s say if he is going to fight the terrorists, of course we are going to be ally, natural ally with the Russians, with the Iranians,&quot; he added.

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

Trump has questioned the idea of?backing the rebels instead of Assad, noting that, while he didn't like him, 'Assad is killing ISIS'

Syrian President Bashar al Assad said on Tuesday that he hopes to see an ally in US President-elect Donald Trump if he "lives up to his promise" of fighting terrorists. "What about the countervailing forces within the (US) administration?" Assad told a Portuguese television channel in reference to lobbies within the administration which influence the president. Unlike Obama's policy, Trump has questioned the idea of backing the rebels instead of Assad, noting that he didn't like him but "Assad is killing ISIS". "That's why for us it's still dubious whether he (Trump) can do or live up to his promises or not," Assad said. "That is why we are very cautious in judging him...but let's say if he is going to fight the terrorists, of course we are going to be ally, natural ally with the Russians, with the Iranians," he added. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Syrian President hopes for 'natural ally' in Trump

The Russian army on Monday denied any children were present in a school in Syria&#39;s Idlib province where 28 people were killed in an October airstrike blamed on Moscow.

Russia has denied having any role in air strikes that the UN children&#39;s agency UNICEF said killed 22 students and six teachers at the school in the village of Hass in northwest Syria on October 26.

&quot;No proof, even indirect, that children were present in the building,&quot; army spokesman Igor Konashenkov said in a statement.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said at the time that the attack on the school in the rebel-held province could amount to a war crime and urged a thorough investigation.

On Sunday, Human Rights Watch repeated the war crime accusation, provoking Monday&#39;s angry response from the spokesman who said the group&#39;s statement &quot;does not hold water&quot;.

Moscow has been conducting a bombing campaign in Syria in support of long-time ally Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad since September 2015.

More than 300,000 people have been killed since Syria&#39;s war devolved from a widespread protest movement against Assad&#39;s rule in March 2011 to a multi-front war between rebels, jihadists, Kurds and regime forces.

(AFP)

An air strike blamed on Russia had killed 22 schoolchildren and six teachers in October

The Russian army on Monday denied any children were present in a school in Syria's Idlib province where 28 people were killed in an October airstrike blamed on Moscow. Russia has denied having any role in air strikes that the UN children's agency UNICEF said killed 22 students and six teachers at the school in the village of Hass in northwest Syria on October 26. "No proof, even indirect, that children were present in the building," army spokesman Igor Konashenkov said in a statement. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said at the time that the attack on the school in the rebel-held province could amount to a war crime and urged a thorough investigation. On Sunday, Human Rights Watch repeated the war crime accusation, provoking Monday's angry response from the spokesman who said the group's statement "does not hold water". Moscow has been conducting a bombing campaign in Syria in support of long-time ally Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad since September 2015. More than 300,000 people have been killed since Syria's war devolved from a widespread protest movement against Assad's rule in March 2011 to a multi-front war between rebels, jihadists, Kurds and regime forces. (AFP)

Russia again denies any children killed in Syria school strike

A US-backed Kurdish-Arab alliance launched an offensive Sunday on the Islamic State group&#39;s de facto Syrian capital Raqa, upping pressure on the jihadists after Iraqi forces entered their Iraqi bastion Mosul.

&quot;The major battle to liberate Raqa and its surroundings has begun,&quot; Jihan Sheikh Ahmed, a spokeswoman for the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), said at a press conference in Ain Issa, some 50 kilometres (30 miles) north of the jihadist bastion.

The operation, dubbed &quot;The Wrath of the Euphrates,&quot; involves some 30,000 fighters and had begun on Saturday night, Ahmed said.

SDF spokesman Talal Sello told AFP it would proceed in two phases, first seizing areas around Raqa and isolating the city, then &quot;taking control of the city&quot; itself.

&quot;The fight will not be easy, and will require accurate and careful operations because IS will defend its bastion knowing that the loss of Raqa will mean it is finished in Syria,&quot; he said.

An AFP correspondent in Ain Issa saw dozens of armed SDF fighters heading on vehicles towards the frontline.

The long-awaited operation comes two years after IS seized control of large parts of Syria and Iraq and declared its cross-border &quot;caliphate&quot;.

The jihadists have suffered a string of territorial defeats in recent months and are under pressure on multiple fronts.

After launching an offensive on Mosul on October 17, Iraqi special forces pushed into the city on Friday and have been facing stiff resistance from the jihadists.

Complicated battlefield

The loss of Mosul and Raqa would deprive IS of its largest population centres, undermining the group&#39;s claim to a self-declared &quot;state&quot;.

But capturing the two cities, both still home to large civilian populations, is expected to be a lengthy, and likely bloody, process.

Driving the jihadists from their urban strongholds has been the end-game since a US-led coalition launched air strikes against IS in the summer of 2014.&nbsp;

The coalition has also provided training and deployed hundreds of advisors to work with Iraqi forces and select Syrian fighters, including the SDF.

Sello said the alliance had received new weapons from the coalition for the Raqa battle, including anti-tank missiles.

Shortly after visiting Iraq last month to check on the Mosul offensive, US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter said that an assault on Raqa would take place &quot;within weeks&quot;.

The idea of simultaneous operations against Mosul and Raqa &quot;has been part of our planning for quite a while,&quot; he said.

But in Raqa the battlefront is far more complicated.

After five years of civil war, Syria is divided into a patchwork of fiefdoms, with President Bashar al-Assad&#39;s regime, IS and a range of opposition forces all holding territory.

Carter singled out the SDF as the coalition&#39;s potential ground partner in the Raqa offensive and last week the alliance said it would be leading the assault.

Dominated by the powerful Kurdish People&#39;s Protection Units (YPG), the SDF has in recent months flushed IS out of swathes of territory in northern Syria, including the flashpoint town of Manbij in August.

Scene of worst atrocities

Washington has promoted the SDF as a key ally in the fight against IS, but the alliance is complicated by Turkey&#39;s fierce opposition to the YPG.

Ankara considers the militia a &quot;terrorist&quot; group, and in August launched its own operation inside northern Syria, targeting both IS and the YPG.

Sello said on Sunday that the SDF had &quot;agreed definitively&quot; with the United States &quot;that there will be no role for Turkey or the armed factions allied with it in the operation&quot; to capture Raqa.&nbsp;

In northern Syria on the Euphrates River, Raqa was home to some 240,000 residents before 2011 and more than 80,000 people have fled there from other parts of the war-torn country.

It was the first provincial capital to fall from government control when rebels captured it in March 2013, two years after an uprising against Assad began.

IS drove out the rebels in January 2014 and five months later declared its self-styled Islamic &quot;caliphate&quot; in Syria and Iraq.

Raqa became the scene of some of IS&#39;s worst atrocities, from stonings and beheadings to the trading of sex slaves.&nbsp;

Thousands of foreign fighters flocked to Raqa to join IS and US officials have described it as the nerve centre for the group&#39;s attacks abroad.

(AFP)

Syrian forces' spokesman said it would proceed in two phases, first seizing areas around Raqa , then 'taking control of the city' itself

A US-backed Kurdish-Arab alliance launched an offensive Sunday on the Islamic State group's de facto Syrian capital Raqa, upping pressure on the jihadists after Iraqi forces entered their Iraqi bastion Mosul. "The major battle to liberate Raqa and its surroundings has begun," Jihan Sheikh Ahmed, a spokeswoman for the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), said at a press conference in Ain Issa, some 50 kilometres (30 miles) north of the jihadist bastion. The operation, dubbed "The Wrath of the Euphrates," involves some 30,000 fighters and had begun on Saturday night, Ahmed said. SDF spokesman Talal Sello told AFP it would proceed in two phases, first seizing areas around Raqa and isolating the city, then "taking control of the city" itself. "The fight will not be easy, and will require accurate and careful operations because IS will defend its bastion knowing that the loss of Raqa will mean it is finished in Syria," he said. An AFP correspondent in Ain Issa saw dozens of armed SDF fighters heading on vehicles towards the frontline. The long-awaited operation comes two years after IS seized control of large parts of Syria and Iraq and declared its cross-border "caliphate". The jihadists have suffered a string of territorial defeats in recent months and are under pressure on multiple fronts. After launching an offensive on Mosul on October 17, Iraqi special forces pushed into the city on Friday and have been facing stiff resistance from the jihadists. Complicated battlefield The loss of Mosul and Raqa would deprive IS of its largest population centres, undermining the group's claim to a self-declared "state". But capturing the two cities, both still home to large civilian populations, is expected to be a lengthy, and likely bloody, process. Driving the jihadists from their urban strongholds has been the end-game since a US-led coalition launched air strikes against IS in the summer of 2014. The coalition has also provided training and deployed hundreds of advisors to work with Iraqi forces and select Syrian fighters, including the SDF. Sello said the alliance had received new weapons from the coalition for the Raqa battle, including anti-tank missiles. Shortly after visiting Iraq last month to check on the Mosul offensive, US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter said that an assault on Raqa would take place "within weeks". The idea of simultaneous operations against Mosul and Raqa "has been part of our planning for quite a while," he said. But in Raqa the battlefront is far more complicated. After five years of civil war, Syria is divided into a patchwork of fiefdoms, with President Bashar al-Assad's regime, IS and a range of opposition forces all holding territory. Carter singled out the SDF as the coalition's potential ground partner in the Raqa offensive and last week the alliance said it would be leading the assault. Dominated by the powerful Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), the SDF has in recent months flushed IS out of swathes of territory in northern Syria, including the flashpoint town of Manbij in August. Scene of worst atrocities Washington has promoted the SDF as a key ally in the fight against IS, but the alliance is complicated by Turkey's fierce opposition to the YPG. Ankara considers the militia a "terrorist" group, and in August launched its own operation inside northern Syria, targeting both IS and the YPG. Sello said on Sunday that the SDF had "agreed definitively" with the United States "that there will be no role for Turkey or the armed factions allied with it in the operation" to capture Raqa. In northern Syria on the Euphrates River, Raqa was home to some 240,000 residents before 2011 and more than 80,000 people have fled there from other parts of the war-torn country. It was the first provincial capital to fall from government control when rebels captured it in March 2013, two years after an uprising against Assad began. IS drove out the rebels in January 2014 and five months later declared its self-styled Islamic "caliphate" in Syria and Iraq. Raqa became the scene of some of IS's worst atrocities, from stonings and beheadings to the trading of sex slaves. Thousands of foreign fighters flocked to Raqa to join IS and US officials have described it as the nerve centre for the group's attacks abroad. (AFP)

Syria: US-backed forces launch offensive to capture Islamic State's 'capital'

The Russian Foreign Ministry dismissed as absurd suggestions from the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) that a Russian carrier battle group (CBG)&nbsp;in the Mediterranean would join the bombardment of Syria&#39;s Aleppo, the RIA Novosti&nbsp;reported on Thursday.

RIA cited the Rusian ministry as saying NATO had no reason to worry about the CBG&nbsp;and that the Russian air force had not flown any bombing runs in Aleppo for nine days.

NATO secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg warned on Tuesday that the ships, headed for Syria, could be used to target civilians in the besieged city of Aleppo and to launch more air strikes.

Andrei Kelin, a senior Russian Foreign Ministry official, told RIA Stoltenberg&#39;s statement was unhelpful.

&quot;The concerns are not based on anything as our planes have not come near Aleppo for nine days. Our battle group is in the Mediterranean. Our ships have always had a presence there,&quot; said Kelin.

&quot;Why make some spurious suggestions and then make some political recommendations based on them? It is of course absurd.&quot;

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has questioned Russia&#39;s statements about a moratorium on bombing Aleppo, saying the city has been hit by strikes since a lull in fighting ended on Saturday.

&nbsp;

NATO&#39;s military response

NATO&#39;s secretary-general announced on Wednesday, October 26, that the alliance would strengthen its presence in the Black Sea, as several nations confirmed they would contribute to a Romanian-led multinational brigade there.

Britain said it would send fighter jets to Romania next year and the United States promised troops, tanks and artillery to Poland in the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation&#39;s biggest military build-up on Russia&#39;s borders since the Cold War.

Germany, Canada and other NATO allies also pledged forces at a defence ministers&#39;&nbsp;meeting in Brussels on the same day as two Russian warships armed with cruise missiles entered the Baltic Sea between Sweden and Denmark, underscoring East-West tensions.

(Reuters)

Several NATO nations confirmed they would contribute to a Romanian-led multinational brigade near the Black Sea

The Russian Foreign Ministry dismissed as absurd suggestions from the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) that a Russian carrier battle group (CBG) in the Mediterranean would join the bombardment of Syria's Aleppo, the RIA Novosti reported on Thursday. RIA cited the Rusian ministry as saying NATO had no reason to worry about the CBG and that the Russian air force had not flown any bombing runs in Aleppo for nine days. NATO secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg warned on Tuesday that the ships, headed for Syria, could be used to target civilians in the besieged city of Aleppo and to launch more air strikes. Andrei Kelin, a senior Russian Foreign Ministry official, told RIA Stoltenberg's statement was unhelpful. "The concerns are not based on anything as our planes have not come near Aleppo for nine days. Our battle group is in the Mediterranean. Our ships have always had a presence there," said Kelin. "Why make some spurious suggestions and then make some political recommendations based on them? It is of course absurd." The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has questioned Russia's statements about a moratorium on bombing Aleppo, saying the city has been hit by strikes since a lull in fighting ended on Saturday. NATO's military response NATO's secretary-general announced on Wednesday, October 26, that the alliance would strengthen its presence in the Black Sea, as several nations confirmed they would contribute to a Romanian-led multinational brigade there. Britain said it would send fighter jets to Romania next year and the United States promised troops, tanks and artillery to Poland in the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation's biggest military build-up on Russia's borders since the Cold War. Germany, Canada and other NATO allies also pledged forces at a defence ministers' meeting in Brussels on the same day as two Russian warships armed with cruise missiles entered the Baltic Sea between Sweden and Denmark, underscoring East-West tensions. (Reuters)

Russia sends battle group to Mediterranean, NATO beefs up military deployment on Russian border

Russia on Tuesday announced the&nbsp;extension of a moratorium on air strikes by Russian and Syrian planes on the city of Aleppo.&nbsp;

Defence ministry spokesman Major-General Igor Konashenkov said Russian and Syrian planes had not even approached, let alone bombed, the devastated city since last Tuesday when Russia suspended air strikes ahead of a pause in hostilities.

&quot;All flights by Russian and Syrian air forces have been completely halted in a 10-kilometre zone around Aleppo since October 18,&quot; senior military official Sergei Rudskoi said at a briefing.&nbsp;

Moscow said it will uphold the moratorium on bombings that has been in effect for the last eight days, but did not specify a timeframe.&nbsp;

Dismissing Russia&#39;s claims, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that rebel-held parts of the divided city had been struck in recent days, although there had been no civilian deaths from air strikes inside eastern Aleppo.&nbsp; 
The monitor told that air strikes had resumed since the lull in fighting ended on Saturday, focusing on major front lines, including in the city&#39;s southwest.&nbsp;

Washington said it would prefer a long-term ceasefire to ensure delivery of aid, and urged Russia to use the newly announced pause to ensure support to besieged civilians.

&quot;We obviously welcome any reduction in the violence, but it has to be met with a commitment and an actual delivery of humanitarian assistance, which was the purpose in the first place,&quot; the state department spokesman John Kirby told a briefing.

Earlier, Russia said that six passages for civilians to leave rebel-held eastern Aleppo were still functioning and that 48 women and children left late Monday.&nbsp;

But it had ruled out early moves to renew its total ceasefire in Aleppo after the brief truce ended. It said that few people had used humanitarian passages to leave the city, blaming the US-led coalition of failure to ensure security.&nbsp;

For its part, the UN on Monday criticised all the warring sides, the Syrian forces and the rebel groups for failing to organise evacuations during the ceasefire window.

(WION with inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

Russian and Syrian planes have agreed to extend the halt in Aleppo bombings, that has been in place for the last eight days

Russia on Tuesday announced the extension of a moratorium on air strikes by Russian and Syrian planes on the city of Aleppo. Defence ministry spokesman Major-General Igor Konashenkov said Russian and Syrian planes had not even approached, let alone bombed, the devastated city since last Tuesday when Russia suspended air strikes ahead of a pause in hostilities. "All flights by Russian and Syrian air forces have been completely halted in a 10-kilometre zone around Aleppo since October 18," senior military official Sergei Rudskoi said at a briefing. Moscow said it will uphold the moratorium on bombings that has been in effect for the last eight days, but did not specify a timeframe. Dismissing Russia's claims, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that rebel-held parts of the divided city had been struck in recent days, although there had been no civilian deaths from air strikes inside eastern Aleppo. The monitor told that air strikes had resumed since the lull in fighting ended on Saturday, focusing on major front lines, including in the city's southwest. Washington said it would prefer a long-term ceasefire to ensure delivery of aid, and urged Russia to use the newly announced pause to ensure support to besieged civilians. "We obviously welcome any reduction in the violence, but it has to be met with a commitment and an actual delivery of humanitarian assistance, which was the purpose in the first place," the state department spokesman John Kirby told a briefing. Earlier, Russia said that six passages for civilians to leave rebel-held eastern Aleppo were still functioning and that 48 women and children left late Monday. But it had ruled out early moves to renew its total ceasefire in Aleppo after the brief truce ended. It said that few people had used humanitarian passages to leave the city, blaming the US-led coalition of failure to ensure security. For its part, the UN on Monday criticised all the warring sides, the Syrian forces and the rebel groups for failing to organise evacuations during the ceasefire window. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Russia extends moratorium on Aleppo air strikes

Human rights and aid organisations on Monday appealed to United Nations member states to oust Russia from the Human Rights Council over its participation in bombing Syria.&nbsp;

More than 80 rights and aid agencies; including Human Rights Watch, CARE International and Refugees International were among the groups appealing for removing Russia from the council.

The organisations asked the 47 member states to &quot;question seriously whether Russia&#39;s role in Syria -- which includes supporting and undertaking military actions which have routinely targeted civilians and civilian objects -- renders it fit to serve on the UN&#39;s premier inter-governmental human rights institution,&quot; AFP reported.&nbsp;

The agencies appeal comes ahead of elections to fill up the 14 seats in the council.

On Friday, the UN General Assembly will be voting members for the 2017 term. Russia, Hungary and Croatia will be running for the Eastern European group&#39;s seats.&nbsp;

China and Saudi Arabia are also likely to win seats as according to their regional area, four countries will be vying for four seats. Iraq and Japan are the other two countries.&nbsp;

While Brazil, Cuba and Guatemala will be competing for two seats designated for Latin America.&nbsp;

Egypt, Rwanda, South Africa and Tunisia are also set to win seats for Africa. The US and Britain want the two seats for Western Europe.&nbsp;

The call for Russia&#39;s removal comes in after Moscow&#39;s continuous onslaught on the besieged Syrian city of Aleppo despite global condemnation.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from AFP)

 
&nbsp;

More than 80 rights and aid agencies; including Human Rights Watch, CARE International and Refugees International signed for Russia's removal

Human rights and aid organisations on Monday appealed to United Nations member states to oust Russia from the Human Rights Council over its participation in bombing Syria. More than 80 rights and aid agencies; including Human Rights Watch, CARE International and Refugees International were among the groups appealing for removing Russia from the council. The organisations asked the 47 member states to "question seriously whether Russia's role in Syria -- which includes supporting and undertaking military actions which have routinely targeted civilians and civilian objects -- renders it fit to serve on the UN's premier inter-governmental human rights institution," AFP reported. The agencies appeal comes ahead of elections to fill up the 14 seats in the council. On Friday, the UN General Assembly will be voting members for the 2017 term. Russia, Hungary and Croatia will be running for the Eastern European group's seats. China and Saudi Arabia are also likely to win seats as according to their regional area, four countries will be vying for four seats. Iraq and Japan are the other two countries. While Brazil, Cuba and Guatemala will be competing for two seats designated for Latin America. Egypt, Rwanda, South Africa and Tunisia are also set to win seats for Africa. The US and Britain want the two seats for Western Europe. The call for Russia's removal comes in after Moscow's continuous onslaught on the besieged Syrian city of Aleppo despite global condemnation. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Rights organisations seek to oust Russia from Human Rights Council

Heavy artillery fire and clashes erupted once again in the Syrian city of Aleppo as a unilateral ceasefire called by Russia came to an end late on Saturday.&nbsp;

The eastern districts reported sounds of fighting and artillery fire as the rebels clashed with the Syrian government forces. The first air strike since the end of the truce hit the opposition-controlled district of Sheikh Saeed, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported.&nbsp;

Neither residents nor rebels had heeded calls from the Syrian army and Moscow to leave during the ceasefire. Moscow announced a temporary halt to the Syrian army&#39;s campaign to recapture the divided city on Thursday and had extended the &quot;humanitarian pause&quot; into a third day until 1600 GMT Saturday.&nbsp;

The army opened eight corridors for evacuations, but few people managed to cross through a single passage. Despite a request by the United Nations for more time to evacuate wounded civilians, Moscow did not announce any further renewal of the truce.&nbsp;

The United Nations said no medical and aid deliveries took place due to lack of requisite security guarantees. &quot;You have various parties to the conflict and those with influence and they all have to be on the same page on this and they are not,&quot; said David Swanson, a spokesman for the UN humanitarian office.

The war-stricken city has received no aid since July 7 and food rations will run out by the end of the month, the UN chief Ban Ki-moon warned on Thursday.&nbsp;

Russia has accused the rebels of preventing civilians from leaving and using them as &quot;human shields&quot;. The Observatory said earlier both rebels and regime forces appeared to be reinforcing their positions, raising fears of a massive military operation if the ceasefire fails.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from AFP) 
&nbsp;

Fighting resumed in Aleppo after the Russian called truce came to an end, but medical evacuations and aid deliveries are yet to take place

Heavy artillery fire and clashes erupted once again in the Syrian city of Aleppo as a unilateral ceasefire called by Russia came to an end late on Saturday. The eastern districts reported sounds of fighting and artillery fire as the rebels clashed with the Syrian government forces. The first air strike since the end of the truce hit the opposition-controlled district of Sheikh Saeed, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported. Neither residents nor rebels had heeded calls from the Syrian army and Moscow to leave during the ceasefire. Moscow announced a temporary halt to the Syrian army's campaign to recapture the divided city on Thursday and had extended the "humanitarian pause" into a third day until 1600 GMT Saturday. The army opened eight corridors for evacuations, but few people managed to cross through a single passage. Despite a request by the United Nations for more time to evacuate wounded civilians, Moscow did not announce any further renewal of the truce. The United Nations said no medical and aid deliveries took place due to lack of requisite security guarantees. "You have various parties to the conflict and those with influence and they all have to be on the same page on this and they are not," said David Swanson, a spokesman for the UN humanitarian office. The war-stricken city has received no aid since July 7 and food rations will run out by the end of the month, the UN chief Ban Ki-moon warned on Thursday. Russia has accused the rebels of preventing civilians from leaving and using them as "human shields". The Observatory said earlier both rebels and regime forces appeared to be reinforcing their positions, raising fears of a massive military operation if the ceasefire fails. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Clashes erupt in Syrian city of Aleppo after truce expires

EU leaders on Friday backed down from imposing sanctions against Russia for bombing Aleppo, but warned that &quot;all available options&quot; will be considered if Moscow continues bombing Syria.&nbsp;

The European Union leaders had&nbsp;gathered in Brussels to discuss the situation in Syria and&nbsp;Russian &quot;airspace violations, disinformation campaigns, cyber-attacks, interference in political processes in the Balkans and beyond&quot; among other issues, Reuters reported.&nbsp;

After the two-day summit in Brussels, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi demanded&nbsp;the removal of sanctions against Russia from a statement issued after the summit.&nbsp;EU president Donald Tusk said&nbsp;EU leaders wished to &quot;keep the unity of the EU&quot; over Russia.&nbsp;

The altered statement said the EU &quot;strongly condemns the attacks by the Syrian regime and its allies, notably Russia, on civilians in Aleppo&quot; and called for an &quot;immediate cessation of hostilities&quot;.

The statement also read that the EU will &quot;consider all available options, should the current atrocities continue&quot;, AFP reported.&nbsp;

Russia on the same day announced it would stop its onslaught on Aleppo, and the ceasefire was called in for 24 hours.&nbsp;

However, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Holland called for sanctions to remain after their meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday.&nbsp;

Merkel said the EU &quot;cannot accept these inhuman bombardments&quot;,&nbsp;adding that &quot;if this kind of violation continues, of course, we will envisage all available measures in order to react to this,&quot; she told reporters.&nbsp;

While Hollande said, &quot;all options are open&nbsp;for as long as there is not a ceasefire that is respected and for as long as there is an intention to destroy this town, Aleppo, a town of martyrs&quot;.&nbsp;

Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said the priority was to &quot;make all possible efforts to find a peace deal in Syria&quot;.

British Prime Minister Theresa May called for a &quot;robust and united&quot; move by the EU against the &quot;sickening atrocities&quot; taking place in Syria. This is May&#39;s first EU summit after Brexit.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from AFP)

The new statement called for 'immediate cessation of hostilities' and 'will consider all available options should the atrocities continue'

EU leaders on Friday backed down from imposing sanctions against Russia for bombing Aleppo, but warned that "all available options" will be considered if Moscow continues bombing Syria. The European Union leaders had gathered in Brussels to discuss the situation in Syria and Russian "airspace violations, disinformation campaigns, cyber-attacks, interference in political processes in the Balkans and beyond" among other issues, Reuters reported. After the two-day summit in Brussels, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi demanded the removal of sanctions against Russia from a statement issued after the summit. EU president Donald Tusk said EU leaders wished to "keep the unity of the EU" over Russia. The altered statement said the EU "strongly condemns the attacks by the Syrian regime and its allies, notably Russia, on civilians in Aleppo" and called for an "immediate cessation of hostilities". The statement also read that the EU will "consider all available options, should the current atrocities continue", AFP reported. Russia on the same day announced it would stop its onslaught on Aleppo, and the ceasefire was called in for 24 hours. However, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Holland called for sanctions to remain after their meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday. Merkel said the EU "cannot accept these inhuman bombardments", adding that "if this kind of violation continues, of course, we will envisage all available measures in order to react to this," she told reporters. While Hollande said, "all options are open for as long as there is not a ceasefire that is respected and for as long as there is an intention to destroy this town, Aleppo, a town of martyrs". Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said the priority was to "make all possible efforts to find a peace deal in Syria". British Prime Minister Theresa May called for a "robust and united" move by the EU against the "sickening atrocities" taking place in Syria. This is May's first EU summit after Brexit. (WION with inputs from AFP)

EU backs down on sanctions against Russia over Aleppo bombing

After taking over the Syrian town of Manbij in early 2014, ISIS began imposing its own harsh version of Islamic law. In particular, they began shutting down schools, denying thousands of children a chance at formal education.

However, over the past two years, as the jihadist group has suffered losses. Following that, out of 390 schools in Manbij and the neighbouring villages, 192 schools have reopened.&nbsp;

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SWq8Ez71HJw?list=PLmWa9ZZLlCjt0Jlg7kN3JBNX4LH1sRsGh" width="970"></iframe>

Unfortunately, a number of schools in the region continue to remain closed, with ISIS still controlling those areas.

78,000 kids were left without formal education after ISIS closed down hundreds of schools in 2014

After taking over the Syrian town of Manbij in early 2014, ISIS began imposing its own harsh version of Islamic law. In particular, they began shutting down schools, denying thousands of children a chance at formal education. However, over the past two years, as the jihadist group has suffered losses. Following that, out of 390 schools in Manbij and the neighbouring villages, 192 schools have reopened. Unfortunately, a number of schools in the region continue to remain closed, with ISIS still controlling those areas.

Video: Syrian children return to school after two long years

A &quot;humanitarian pause&quot;, &#39;backed&#39; &nbsp;by Russia, went into effect today morning in eastern Aleppo, the Syria military was quoted as saying by Reuters.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The ceasefire was to allow people to leave besieged eastern Aleppo, a move that the rebels have said was part of a psychological campaign to get them to surrender, Reuters reported.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

However, as the army announced it was opening eight corridors to provide safe passage for those leaving, the unilateral ceasefire suffered an &quot;early blow&quot;&nbsp;when clashes broke out at one of them, an AFP correspondent said.

&nbsp;

Artillery exchanges were reported around the crossing point on the front line in the city centre, the AFP photographer said. The state SANA news agency blamed &quot;terrorist groups&quot;.

&nbsp;

Around 250,000 civilians are trapped in the rebel-held east of the city under near-continuous siege since mid-July amid devastating bombardment by Russian and Syrian government aircraft, AFP reported.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Russia has said the pause in a Syrian army offensive launched on September 22 will continue until at least 1600 GMT and could be extended. The Syrian army has said it will last three days.&nbsp;

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<h5>Rights group Amnesty International said that the UN General Assembly (UNGA) &quot;must step in to fill the void left by the Security Council members&rsquo; catastrophic failure to end relentless attacks targeting the civilian population in eastern Aleppo city.&quot; &nbsp;</h5>
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<div class="share-blockquote"><a by="" class="twitter popup" council="" fill="" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Rights group Amnesty International said that the UN General Assembly (UNGA) " in="" left="" members="" must="" security="" step="" the="" to="" void="">&nbsp;</a></div>
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Syrian and Russian warplanes already halted strikes on rebel districts from 0700 GMT on Tuesday.

 
Planned truce enough to rescue injured: UN

The pause in the fighting will be long enough to safely evacuate 200 wounded from the devastated east of the Syrian city, UN envoy Staffan de Mistura was quoted as saying by AFP.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&quot;It is enough (time), if we work quickly, for a medical evacuation&quot; of 200 injured people who need urgent medical attention, de Mistura said in an interview with Swiss RTS television.

&nbsp;

He didn&#39;t say whether the pause in fighting would be sufficient to bring in humanitarian aid to the tens of thousands of people trapped in the city.

&nbsp;

Meanwhile, the UN General Assembly is set to address the Aleppo violence after the Security Council failed to adopt a resolution demanding an end to the bombing of the besieged Syrian city, officials said.

&nbsp;

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and de Mistura will address a special informal session of the assembly at the initiative of Canada and 69 other countries over the Russian and Syrian government shelling of the northern city.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

However, rights group Amnesty International said that the UN General Assembly (UNGA) &quot;must step in to fill the void left by the Security Council members&rsquo; catastrophic failure to end relentless attacks targeting the civilian population in eastern Aleppo city.&quot; &nbsp;

&nbsp;

&ldquo;The world&rsquo;s inaction in the face of the continuing carnage and blatant violations in Aleppo city must end. The UN General Assembly must show it can act where the Security Council has so catastrophically failed &ndash; the credibility of the UN is at stake,&rdquo; said Lynn Maalouf, deputy director for research at Amnesty International&rsquo;s Beirut regional office, ahead of a UNGA meeting later today.

&nbsp;

&ldquo;The scale of the bloodshed and destruction wrought on eastern Aleppo city over the past month is harrowing. Syrian government forces, with the support of Russia, have launched relentless attacks that have flagrantly disregarded fundamental rules of international humanitarian law.&quot;&nbsp;

 
(WION with inputs from AFP)&nbsp;

The temporary pause in the fighting is to allow people to leave besieged eastern Aleppo

A "humanitarian pause", 'backed' by Russia, went into effect today morning in eastern Aleppo, the Syria military was quoted as saying by Reuters. The ceasefire was to allow people to leave besieged eastern Aleppo, a move that the rebels have said was part of a psychological campaign to get them to surrender, Reuters reported. However, as the army announced it was opening eight corridors to provide safe passage for those leaving, the unilateral ceasefire suffered an "early blow" when clashes broke out at one of them, an AFP correspondent said. Artillery exchanges were reported around the crossing point on the front line in the city centre, the AFP photographer said. The state SANA news agency blamed "terrorist groups". Around 250,000 civilians are trapped in the rebel-held east of the city under near-continuous siege since mid-July amid devastating bombardment by Russian and Syrian government aircraft, AFP reported. Russia has said the pause in a Syrian army offensive launched on September 22 will continue until at least 1600 GMT and could be extended. The Syrian army has said it will last three days. Rights group Amnesty International said that the UN General Assembly (UNGA) "must step in to fill the void left by the Security Council members’ catastrophic failure to end relentless attacks targeting the civilian population in eastern Aleppo city." × Syrian and Russian warplanes already halted strikes on rebel districts from 0700 GMT on Tuesday. Planned truce enough to rescue injured: UN The pause in the fighting will be long enough to safely evacuate 200 wounded from the devastated east of the Syrian city, UN envoy Staffan de Mistura was quoted as saying by AFP. "It is enough (time), if we work quickly, for a medical evacuation" of 200 injured people who need urgent medical attention, de Mistura said in an interview with Swiss RTS television. He didn't say whether the pause in fighting would be sufficient to bring in humanitarian aid to the tens of thousands of people trapped in the city. Meanwhile, the UN General Assembly is set to address the Aleppo violence after the Security Council failed to adopt a resolution demanding an end to the bombing of the besieged Syrian city, officials said. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and de Mistura will address a special informal session of the assembly at the initiative of Canada and 69 other countries over the Russian and Syrian government shelling of the northern city. However, rights group Amnesty International said that the UN General Assembly (UNGA) "must step in to fill the void left by the Security Council members’ catastrophic failure to end relentless attacks targeting the civilian population in eastern Aleppo city." “The world’s inaction in the face of the continuing carnage and blatant violations in Aleppo city must end. The UN General Assembly must show it can act where the Security Council has so catastrophically failed – the credibility of the UN is at stake,” said Lynn Maalouf, deputy director for research at Amnesty International’s Beirut regional office, ahead of a UNGA meeting later today. “The scale of the bloodshed and destruction wrought on eastern Aleppo city over the past month is harrowing. Syrian government forces, with the support of Russia, have launched relentless attacks that have flagrantly disregarded fundamental rules of international humanitarian law." (WION with inputs from AFP)

Clashes erupt as 'humanitarian pause' goes into effect in Aleppo

Moscow announced that Russian and Syrian air forces have stopped bombing Aleppo ahead of a brief truce, a move the Kremlin said showed &quot;goodwill&quot; as it faces mounting criticism for backing a brutal regime offensive.

&nbsp;

It came yesterday after Russia said there would be an eight-hour &quot;humanitarian pause&quot; in the battered city on Thursday, a move welcomed by the United Nations and the European Union which nevertheless said the ceasefire needed to be longer to allow the delivery of aid.

&nbsp;

The US State Department voiced scepticism regarding Moscow&#39;s latest initiative while welcoming a halt in the bombing.

&nbsp;

French and Russian presidents Francois Hollande and Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel will hold a &quot;working meeting&quot; on the Syrian crisis Wednesday in Berlin, the French leader&#39;s office said.

&nbsp;

The meeting will be aimed at &quot;giving the same message to Vladimir Putin on Syria: a durable ceasefire in Aleppo and humanitarian access so that the devastation of this city can end,&quot; an aide to Hollande said.

&nbsp;

The West has expressed increasing alarm at the situation in Aleppo, saying the ferocious Russian-backed onslaught on the rebel-held east could amount to a war crime.

&nbsp;

&quot;Strikes in the Aleppo region by the Russian and Syrian air forces are stopping today from 10:00 am,&quot; Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said in a televised briefing.

&quot;This guarantees the security of civilians&#39; exit through six corridors and prepares the evacuation of the sick and injured from eastern Aleppo,&quot; he said, adding that it would also guarantee safe passage for rebels to leave the area.

&nbsp;

The UN said it was waiting for safety assurances from all sides before going in with &quot;critical humanitarian assistance&quot; for Aleppo&#39;s desperate population.

&nbsp;

(AFP)

The US State Department voiced scepticism regarding Moscow's latest initiative while welcoming a halt in the bombing

Moscow announced that Russian and Syrian air forces have stopped bombing Aleppo ahead of a brief truce, a move the Kremlin said showed "goodwill" as it faces mounting criticism for backing a brutal regime offensive. It came yesterday after Russia said there would be an eight-hour "humanitarian pause" in the battered city on Thursday, a move welcomed by the United Nations and the European Union which nevertheless said the ceasefire needed to be longer to allow the delivery of aid. The US State Department voiced scepticism regarding Moscow's latest initiative while welcoming a halt in the bombing. French and Russian presidents Francois Hollande and Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel will hold a "working meeting" on the Syrian crisis Wednesday in Berlin, the French leader's office said. The meeting will be aimed at "giving the same message to Vladimir Putin on Syria: a durable ceasefire in Aleppo and humanitarian access so that the devastation of this city can end," an aide to Hollande said. The West has expressed increasing alarm at the situation in Aleppo, saying the ferocious Russian-backed onslaught on the rebel-held east could amount to a war crime. "Strikes in the Aleppo region by the Russian and Syrian air forces are stopping today from 10:00 am," Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said in a televised briefing. "This guarantees the security of civilians' exit through six corridors and prepares the evacuation of the sick and injured from eastern Aleppo," he said, adding that it would also guarantee safe passage for rebels to leave the area. The UN said it was waiting for safety assurances from all sides before going in with "critical humanitarian assistance" for Aleppo's desperate population. (AFP)

Russia halts Aleppo strikes in 'goodwill gesture'

At least 20 Islamic State militants were killed in a United States-led coalition air strikes in the last 24 hours, the Turkish military said today.&nbsp;

As Turkey pushed on in Syria, Iraqi forces launched a US-backed attack on Islamic state militants in northern Iraq&#39;s city of Mosul.&nbsp;

Eleven air strikes hit Syria, targeting areas of Kar Kalbayn, Ghuz, Hassajik and Tiltanah. Two IS defensive positions and three vehicles were struck during the attack, the Turkish army said.&nbsp;

Turkish jets also carried out air strikes, increasing the intensity of the onslaught, Reuters quoted the army saying.&nbsp;

The Turkey-backed offense, called &#39;Euphrates Shield&#39; was started on&nbsp;August 24. Since then they have captured some 1,240 square kilometers of territory from the militants.&nbsp;

Since the Turkey-backed operation, dubbed &#39;Euphrates Shield&#39;, was launched on August 24, the rebel forces have seized control of some 1,240 square kilometers (479 square miles) territory from the jihadists, according to the statement.

Ankara says thousands of Turkey-trained forces are also participating in the assault to push IS out of Mosul, despite a row with Baghdad over the presence of Turkish forces in Iraq.

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

Turkish warplanes also destroyed several IS targets

At least 20 Islamic State militants were killed in a United States-led coalition air strikes in the last 24 hours, the Turkish military said today. As Turkey pushed on in Syria, Iraqi forces launched a US-backed attack on Islamic state militants in northern Iraq's city of Mosul. Eleven air strikes hit Syria, targeting areas of Kar Kalbayn, Ghuz, Hassajik and Tiltanah. Two IS defensive positions and three vehicles were struck during the attack, the Turkish army said. Turkish jets also carried out air strikes, increasing the intensity of the onslaught, Reuters quoted the army saying. The Turkey-backed offense, called 'Euphrates Shield' was started on August 24. Since then they have captured some 1,240 square kilometers of territory from the militants. Since the Turkey-backed operation, dubbed 'Euphrates Shield', was launched on August 24, the rebel forces have seized control of some 1,240 square kilometers (479 square miles) territory from the jihadists, according to the statement. Ankara says thousands of Turkey-trained forces are also participating in the assault to push IS out of Mosul, despite a row with Baghdad over the presence of Turkish forces in Iraq. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

US-led coalition air strikes kill 20 Islamic State militants in Syria

Syrian rebels said they captured the village of Dabiq from Islamic State on Sunday, forcing the jihadist group from a stronghold where it had promised to fight a final, apocalyptic battle with the West.

The rebels, backed by Turkish tanks and warplanes, also took neighbouring Soran, said Ahmed Osman, head of the Sultan Murad group, one of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) factions involved in the clashes on Saturday night and Sunday morning.

&quot;The Daesh myth of their great battle in Dabiq is finished,&quot; he told Reuters, using a pejorative name for Islamic State.

An Islamic prophesy names Dabiq as the site of a battle between Muslims and infidels that will presage doomsday, a message used extensively in Islamic State&#39;s propaganda. The group also named a publication after the northwest village.

However, the jihadist group has appeared to back away from Dabiq&#39;s symbolism more recently after advances by&nbsp;Turkey-backed rebels put the village at risk of capture, saying this battle was not the one described in the prophesy.

&quot;It seems like Daesh has mostly left the area,&quot; said a Turkish military source, but warning that the FSA groups still needed to clear landmines from the village.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the war, had said Islamic State brought 1,200 fighters to defend Dabiq.

Turkey&nbsp;launched the Euphrates Shield operation, bringing rebels backed by its own armour and air force into action against Islamic State, in August, aiming to clear the group from its border and stop Kurdish fighters gaining ground in that area.

Islamic State is also facing an expected offensive soon against its most important Iraqi possession, the city of Mosul, while the U.S.-backed, Kurd-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces also threaten to advance on its Syrian capital of Raqqa.

(Reuters)

Rebel fighters took the city of Dabiq after 'Islamic State members withdrew from the area'

Syrian rebels said they captured the village of Dabiq from Islamic State on Sunday, forcing the jihadist group from a stronghold where it had promised to fight a final, apocalyptic battle with the West. The rebels, backed by Turkish tanks and warplanes, also took neighbouring Soran, said Ahmed Osman, head of the Sultan Murad group, one of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) factions involved in the clashes on Saturday night and Sunday morning. "The Daesh myth of their great battle in Dabiq is finished," he told Reuters, using a pejorative name for Islamic State. An Islamic prophesy names Dabiq as the site of a battle between Muslims and infidels that will presage doomsday, a message used extensively in Islamic State's propaganda. The group also named a publication after the northwest village. However, the jihadist group has appeared to back away from Dabiq's symbolism more recently after advances by Turkey-backed rebels put the village at risk of capture, saying this battle was not the one described in the prophesy. "It seems like Daesh has mostly left the area," said a Turkish military source, but warning that the FSA groups still needed to clear landmines from the village. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the war, had said Islamic State brought 1,200 fighters to defend Dabiq. Turkey launched the Euphrates Shield operation, bringing rebels backed by its own armour and air force into action against Islamic State, in August, aiming to clear the group from its border and stop Kurdish fighters gaining ground in that area. Islamic State is also facing an expected offensive soon against its most important Iraqi possession, the city of Mosul, while the U.S.-backed, Kurd-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces also threaten to advance on its Syrian capital of Raqqa. (Reuters)

Turkey-backed rebels capture Syrian town from Islamic State

The Mosul offensive, arguably one of the most important military attacks in the past five years in Western Asia, is approaching. It is most likely only&nbsp;days before the Iraqi Prime Minister orders its forces to advance towards the de facto capital of the Islamic State in Iraq. Everything seems to be ready and coordinated except one thing: the role of Turkey.&nbsp;

Turkey&#39;s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is willing to deploy&nbsp;troops to&nbsp;attack&nbsp;Mosul, whatever the cost. Iraqi&nbsp;Prime Minister&nbsp;Haider al-Habadi, who is also the Iraqi army&#39;s commander-in-chief, does not share the same idea. Recently, he&nbsp;defined Turkish troops as an &ldquo;occupying force&rdquo;. Tones of the dispute are heated.&nbsp;Erdogan, speaking at&nbsp;the ninth Eurasian Islamic Council in Istanbul, told the Iraqi Prime Minister,&nbsp;&ldquo;know your place&rdquo; and &ldquo;you are not my interlocutor, you are not at my level&rdquo;. The two countries have withdrawn their respective ambassadors for consultation.

Ankara&rsquo;s military presence does not come out of the blue.&nbsp;Turkish forces have been located in Iraqi Kurdistan&nbsp;on the basis of an agreement with Iraqi Kurdistan President Masoud Barzani. In the past few years, Barzani&nbsp;has become&nbsp;the main interlocutor and advocate of a Turkish presence in the region, especially due to the volume of investments Ankara is undertaking in the territories he administers. 
&nbsp; 
Erdogan considers the right to participate in the battle of Mosul as the natural right of Turkey to fight against the Islamic State, but this seems&nbsp;more of a pretext for a renewed activism of the Turkish President, who aims to become a major power,&nbsp;if not the major power,&nbsp;in Western Asia.

After the failed coup, Erdogan needs&nbsp;to project an image of strength in order to stabilise his position both on the national and international stage. It is no secret that the purges against more than 100,000 workers&nbsp;have contributed in worsening Turkey&rsquo;s international reputation.

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<h5>Erdogan, speaking at&nbsp;the ninth Eurasian Islamic Council in Istanbul, told the Iraqi Prime Minister,&nbsp;&ldquo;know your place&rdquo; and &ldquo;you are not my interlocutor, you are not at my level&rdquo;.</h5>
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Repression has been particularly tough in Turkey&rsquo;s south-east&nbsp;where a majority of Kurds live.&nbsp;The iron-fist&nbsp;Erdogan is showing the Iraqi Prime Minister is part of a series of Turkish aggressive initiatives, starting&nbsp;with the purge.

A month after the coup, Turkey launched operation Euphrates Shield in order to secure the last 95 kilometres&nbsp;of Syrian border under Islamic State control, an action which was presented as a major success. Too few asked themselves what took so long to secure such a small area which was commonly known as the &ldquo;terror corridor&rdquo; and from which foreign fighters, supplies, oil and ammunitions kept going and coming from IS territories.

Erdogan&rsquo;s offensive began soon after the Kurdish militias, known as the People&rsquo;s Protection Units (YPG), crossed the western banks of the Euphrates river, the red line Ankara established for them. That very segment of border&nbsp;divides the Kurdish-controlled region of Rojava in north Syria and the Kurdish-controlled area of Afrin, in north-west Syria. Turkey wanted to&nbsp;secure&nbsp;it&nbsp;to avoid an autonomous Kurdish area right across the border, and President Erdogan made it clear then that the war will not end until every terrorist organisation, including the YPG and the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK), is defeated. Turkey&nbsp;directly links the YPG with the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK), an organisation they classify as terrorists, against&nbsp;whom they fought a three-decade guerrilla war.

Soon after the operation, Turkish forces and Turkish-backed&nbsp;rebels of the undefined Islamist assortment under the name of Free Syrian Army, started fighting against the Kurds, forcing them to retreat.

This created diplomatic problems with the Department of State, which was a direct ally of the Syrian Kurds, with whom they liberated a significant part of Northern Syria and important cities like Kobane and Manbij from the IS.

The situation paved the way for Russia that is also using the Syrian civil war to renew its presence in Western Asia. During their last meeting in Istanbul on October 10, Russia&rsquo;s President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Erdogan agreed to normalise relations, which became tense after the Turkish forces shot down a Russian jet in November 2015. They signed an agreement to build two gas pipelines&nbsp;and other trade agreements which will help Russia to overcome the EU sanctions.

Another reason for Turkey to insist on keeping their troops in Iraqi Kurdistan is the presence of the PKK in the Qandil mountains. Turkey&#39;s&nbsp;air force is constantly bombing the area behind the Iraqi city of Sulaymaniyah, close to the Iranian border, where the PKK has its headquarters. Airstrikes were registered less than three days ago.&nbsp;

The conflict between Ankara and the Kurdish Workers&#39; Party is another phenomenon the Iraqi Prime Minister wants to eradicate from his territory, and an additional reason to ask Ankara to withdraw its troops. Al-Habadi declared at the end of September that &ldquo;Iraq is not a place for the PKK and Turkey&rsquo;s struggle&rdquo;.

Deteriorating relations between Turkey and the Iraqi central government could result&nbsp;in the delaying of the Mosul offensive which is a symbol of the war against Islamic State in Syria in Iraq. A highly fragmented conflict, made of wars-within-the-wars where regional powers, ethnic groups and political parties use the fight against the Islamic State as a pretext to increase their military presence and areas of influence on the ground.&nbsp;

(WION)

While an international coalition prepares to attack IS's Iraqi base, Mosul, Turkey's diplomatic fight with Iraq could delay things

The Mosul offensive, arguably one of the most important military attacks in the past five years in Western Asia, is approaching. It is most likely only days before the Iraqi Prime Minister orders its forces to advance towards the de facto capital of the Islamic State in Iraq. Everything seems to be ready and coordinated except one thing: the role of Turkey. Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is willing to deploy troops to attack Mosul, whatever the cost. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Habadi, who is also the Iraqi army's commander-in-chief, does not share the same idea. Recently, he defined Turkish troops as an “occupying force”. Tones of the dispute are heated. Erdogan, speaking at the ninth Eurasian Islamic Council in Istanbul, told the Iraqi Prime Minister, “know your place” and “you are not my interlocutor, you are not at my level”. The two countries have withdrawn their respective ambassadors for consultation. Ankara’s military presence does not come out of the blue. Turkish forces have been located in Iraqi Kurdistan on the basis of an agreement with Iraqi Kurdistan President Masoud Barzani. In the past few years, Barzani has become the main interlocutor and advocate of a Turkish presence in the region, especially due to the volume of investments Ankara is undertaking in the territories he administers. Erdogan considers the right to participate in the battle of Mosul as the natural right of Turkey to fight against the Islamic State, but this seems more of a pretext for a renewed activism of the Turkish President, who aims to become a major power, if not the major power, in Western Asia. After the failed coup, Erdogan needs to project an image of strength in order to stabilise his position both on the national and international stage. It is no secret that the purges against more than 100,000 workers have contributed in worsening Turkey’s international reputation. Erdogan, speaking at the ninth Eurasian Islamic Council in Istanbul, told the Iraqi Prime Minister, “know your place” and “you are not my interlocutor, you are not at my level”. × Repression has been particularly tough in Turkey’s south-east where a majority of Kurds live. The iron-fist Erdogan is showing the Iraqi Prime Minister is part of a series of Turkish aggressive initiatives, starting with the purge. A month after the coup, Turkey launched operation Euphrates Shield in order to secure the last 95 kilometres of Syrian border under Islamic State control, an action which was presented as a major success. Too few asked themselves what took so long to secure such a small area which was commonly known as the “terror corridor” and from which foreign fighters, supplies, oil and ammunitions kept going and coming from IS territories. Erdogan’s offensive began soon after the Kurdish militias, known as the People’s Protection Units (YPG), crossed the western banks of the Euphrates river, the red line Ankara established for them. That very segment of border divides the Kurdish-controlled region of Rojava in north Syria and the Kurdish-controlled area of Afrin, in north-west Syria. Turkey wanted to secure it to avoid an autonomous Kurdish area right across the border, and President Erdogan made it clear then that the war will not end until every terrorist organisation, including the YPG and the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK), is defeated. Turkey directly links the YPG with the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK), an organisation they classify as terrorists, against whom they fought a three-decade guerrilla war. Soon after the operation, Turkish forces and Turkish-backed rebels of the undefined Islamist assortment under the name of Free Syrian Army, started fighting against the Kurds, forcing them to retreat. This created diplomatic problems with the Department of State, which was a direct ally of the Syrian Kurds, with whom they liberated a significant part of Northern Syria and important cities like Kobane and Manbij from the IS. The situation paved the way for Russia that is also using the Syrian civil war to renew its presence in Western Asia. During their last meeting in Istanbul on October 10, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Erdogan agreed to normalise relations, which became tense after the Turkish forces shot down a Russian jet in November 2015. They signed an agreement to build two gas pipelines and other trade agreements which will help Russia to overcome the EU sanctions. Another reason for Turkey to insist on keeping their troops in Iraqi Kurdistan is the presence of the PKK in the Qandil mountains. Turkey's air force is constantly bombing the area behind the Iraqi city of Sulaymaniyah, close to the Iranian border, where the PKK has its headquarters. Airstrikes were registered less than three days ago. The conflict between Ankara and the Kurdish Workers' Party is another phenomenon the Iraqi Prime Minister wants to eradicate from his territory, and an additional reason to ask Ankara to withdraw its troops. Al-Habadi declared at the end of September that “Iraq is not a place for the PKK and Turkey’s struggle”. Deteriorating relations between Turkey and the Iraqi central government could result in the delaying of the Mosul offensive which is a symbol of the war against Islamic State in Syria in Iraq. A highly fragmented conflict, made of wars-within-the-wars where regional powers, ethnic groups and political parties use the fight against the Islamic State as a pretext to increase their military presence and areas of influence on the ground. (WION)

Turkey's parallel war in Iraq and Syria

Syrian migrant&nbsp;Jaber Albakr&nbsp;suspected of planning a bomb attack on a Berlin airport has committed suicide in police custody in&nbsp;Leipzig, Germany.&nbsp;

The 22-year-old was under police surveillance for months but had managed to escape when police raided his house. He was nabbed on Monday after a two-day hunt&nbsp;with the help of three Syrians in whose flat he sought refuge, one of whom alerted the police.

&quot;Jaber Albakr took his own life in the Leipzig prison hospital,&quot; the regional government in Saxony said in a statement without elaborating, AFP reported.

&nbsp;

While Germany&rsquo;s Spiegel Online said it was not yet clear how he had killed himself, Bild daily reported he was found hanging in his cell.

Albakr had been under round-the-clock watch due to an acute risk of suicide and hunger strike, Spiegel Online said.

 
(WION with inputs from agencies)

German media reported the 22-year-old Syrian migrant Jaber Albakr was found hanging in his prison cell

Syrian migrant Jaber Albakr suspected of planning a bomb attack on a Berlin airport has committed suicide in police custody in Leipzig, Germany. The 22-year-old was under police surveillance for months but had managed to escape when police raided his house. He was nabbed on Monday after a two-day hunt with the help of three Syrians in whose flat he sought refuge, one of whom alerted the police. "Jaber Albakr took his own life in the Leipzig prison hospital," the regional government in Saxony said in a statement without elaborating, AFP reported. While Germany’s Spiegel Online said it was not yet clear how he had killed himself, Bild daily reported he was found hanging in his cell. Albakr had been under round-the-clock watch due to an acute risk of suicide and hunger strike, Spiegel Online said. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Germany: Syrian bomb suspect commits suicide

Russia launched its heaviest strikes in days on Syria&rsquo;s Aleppo on Tuesday,as a fire started by rebels killed at least five schoolchildren in the war-torn country&rsquo;s south.

The raids killed 25 civilians, a monitor said and caused massive destruction is several residential areas of Aleppo, AFP reported.

Syria&rsquo;s army announced a bid last month to re-capture the city, which has been divided since mid-2012, with rebels holding the eastern sector.

The assault began after the collapse of a short-lived truce brokered by US and Russia,and has seen the besieged east of the city come under fierce aerial assault.

The army said last Wednesday it would reduce its bombardment, after days of attacks that killed hundreds and destroyed the largest remaining hospital in the east.

But according to AFP and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights renewed heavy bombing were reported on Tuesday.

&quot;This is the heaviest Russian bombardment since the Syrian regime announced it would reduce the bombardment&quot; last week, said the monitor&#39;s head Rami Abdel Rahman, AFP reported.

The 25 dead, among them four children, were killed in raids in east Aleppo including in the districts of Bustan al-Qasr and Fardos, the Observatory told AFP.

A Footage by the Aleppo Media Centre activist group showed a toddler, blood smeared across her face, lying on a hospital bed.

An elderly man near her wailed in pain as a team of medics bent over him, calling out instructions to the nurses, AFP reported.

Backed by Russian air raids, government forces have been advancing street by street into rebel-held parts of Aleppo.

More than 300 people, mostly civilians, have been killed by government or Russian fire since the operation began, the Observatory told AFP.

Rebel forces were also firing on western government-held districts of Aleppo on Tuesday. The state news agency, SANA reported four dead and 14 wounded in rebel bombing of Hamdaniyeh district.

SANA also reported an unidentified number of injuries in a mortar shell attack near the famous Umayyad mosque in the Old City of Damascus.

 
&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from AFP

25 civilians were killed in the air raids on Tuesday, that resumed after a brief lull and were reportedly the heaviest in days

Russia launched its heaviest strikes in days on Syria’s Aleppo on Tuesday,as a fire started by rebels killed at least five schoolchildren in the war-torn country’s south. The raids killed 25 civilians, a monitor said and caused massive destruction is several residential areas of Aleppo, AFP reported. Syria’s army announced a bid last month to re-capture the city, which has been divided since mid-2012, with rebels holding the eastern sector. The assault began after the collapse of a short-lived truce brokered by US and Russia,and has seen the besieged east of the city come under fierce aerial assault. The army said last Wednesday it would reduce its bombardment, after days of attacks that killed hundreds and destroyed the largest remaining hospital in the east. But according to AFP and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights renewed heavy bombing were reported on Tuesday. "This is the heaviest Russian bombardment since the Syrian regime announced it would reduce the bombardment" last week, said the monitor's head Rami Abdel Rahman, AFP reported. The 25 dead, among them four children, were killed in raids in east Aleppo including in the districts of Bustan al-Qasr and Fardos, the Observatory told AFP. A Footage by the Aleppo Media Centre activist group showed a toddler, blood smeared across her face, lying on a hospital bed. An elderly man near her wailed in pain as a team of medics bent over him, calling out instructions to the nurses, AFP reported. Backed by Russian air raids, government forces have been advancing street by street into rebel-held parts of Aleppo. More than 300 people, mostly civilians, have been killed by government or Russian fire since the operation began, the Observatory told AFP. Rebel forces were also firing on western government-held districts of Aleppo on Tuesday. The state news agency, SANA reported four dead and 14 wounded in rebel bombing of Hamdaniyeh district. SANA also reported an unidentified number of injuries in a mortar shell attack near the famous Umayyad mosque in the Old City of Damascus. (WION with inputs from AFP

Russia launches heavy air strikes on Syria's Aleppo

France is seeking an international war crimes investigation against Syrian and Russian forces in eastern Aleppo and is working to ask the International Criminal Court&rsquo;s prosecutor to launch the investigation.

&quot;These bombings - and I said it in Moscow - are war crimes,&quot; the country&rsquo;s foreign minister Jean-Marc Ayrault told France Inter radio after a French-drafted resolution on Syria was vetoed by Russia in a UN security council meeting on Saturday.

&quot;We shall contact the International Criminal Court prosecutor to see how she can launch these investigations.&quot; he added.

Ever since the collapse of a US-Russia brokered ceasefire deal in September, Russian and Syrian forces have pounded Aleppo&rsquo;s rebel-held sectors in their biggest offensive.

US secretary of state John Kerry had also called for a war crimes investigation last week.

It is,however, unclear how the ICC proceeds with an investigation because Syria is not its member and so the court has no jurisdiction in the west Asian country.

The only way for the case to make it to ICC is through a referral from the UN security council. Moscow vetoed a French resolution in May 2014 to refer the situation in Syria to the ICC.

&quot;It is very dangerous to play with such words because war crimes also weigh on the shoulders of American officials,&quot; said Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, according to RIA news agency.

A French diplomatic source told Reuters that Paris had begun to comb through the ICC&rsquo;s articles to see what could be done. &nbsp;

&quot;It will be complicated, but we are looking for other solutions. Our jurists are trying to find other ways,&quot; the source said, adding that Paris was also not ruling out a new security council &nbsp;resolution.

Ayrault added in his interview that Paris would also seek separate sanctions on the Syrian government at the United Nations once a joint UN and Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) inquiry concludes&nbsp;on October 21.&nbsp;

&quot;We do not agree with what Russia is doing, bombarding Aleppo. France is committed as never before to saving the population of Aleppo,&quot; Ayrault said.

&quot;If the President decides (to see Putin), this will not be to trade pleasantries,&quot; he added.

&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

 
 
&nbsp;

France claims that Russian and Syrian forces have committed war crimes in Aleppo

France is seeking an international war crimes investigation against Syrian and Russian forces in eastern Aleppo and is working to ask the International Criminal Court’s prosecutor to launch the investigation. "These bombings - and I said it in Moscow - are war crimes," the country’s foreign minister Jean-Marc Ayrault told France Inter radio after a French-drafted resolution on Syria was vetoed by Russia in a UN security council meeting on Saturday. "We shall contact the International Criminal Court prosecutor to see how she can launch these investigations." he added. Ever since the collapse of a US-Russia brokered ceasefire deal in September, Russian and Syrian forces have pounded Aleppo’s rebel-held sectors in their biggest offensive. US secretary of state John Kerry had also called for a war crimes investigation last week. It is,however, unclear how the ICC proceeds with an investigation because Syria is not its member and so the court has no jurisdiction in the west Asian country. The only way for the case to make it to ICC is through a referral from the UN security council. Moscow vetoed a French resolution in May 2014 to refer the situation in Syria to the ICC. "It is very dangerous to play with such words because war crimes also weigh on the shoulders of American officials," said Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, according to RIA news agency. A French diplomatic source told Reuters that Paris had begun to comb through the ICC’s articles to see what could be done. "It will be complicated, but we are looking for other solutions. Our jurists are trying to find other ways," the source said, adding that Paris was also not ruling out a new security council resolution. Ayrault added in his interview that Paris would also seek separate sanctions on the Syrian government at the United Nations once a joint UN and Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) inquiry concludes on October 21. "We do not agree with what Russia is doing, bombarding Aleppo. France is committed as never before to saving the population of Aleppo," Ayrault said. "If the President decides (to see Putin), this will not be to trade pleasantries," he added. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

France to seek International Criminal Court options for war crimes investigation in Syria

Besieged by the Syrian government for two years, the city of Madaya has had little contact with the outside world, barely reachable by aid convoys, let alone video journalists.

So ABC News and Marvel Comics, known for its muscular superheroes, teamed up to find another way to help the world see the devastating reality of life under siege.&nbsp;

Journalists at ABC had been in contact with a woman living in Madaya, a city home to some 40,000 people near the border with Lebanon, &nbsp;who chronicled in a series of blog posts her fight to survive the harsh conditions brought on by the Syrian civil war, now in its sixth year.&nbsp;

The two Disney-owned companies created a free, digital comic based on the anonymous dispatches by the young mother of five, a way to try and demonstrate the horrors their cameras could not access.

The illustrated panels are far less bloody than they are heartbreaking. Combined with the powerful words of the mother, kept anonymous to protect her family&rsquo;s safety , they speak to the severe hardships trapped families are enduring.

Since Madaya came under total siege in mid-2015, more than 60 victims have died of famine and malnutrition.

&quot;Our bodies are no longer used to eating,&quot; reads one panel. &quot;My children are hungry but are getting sick, severe stomach pains from the food because their bodies aren&rsquo;t able to digest and absorb the food because they were hungry for so long.&quot;Artist Dalibor Talajic said he made a conscious effort to avoid straying into the sensational.

&quot;I didn&rsquo;t want to do a war comic,&quot; said the Croatian artist, who lived through Yugoslavia&rsquo;s breakup in 1991. &quot;I wanted to make a comic with a civilian point of view, where you&#39;re really powerless.&quot;

&quot;You can&#39;t do anything. You&#39;re just waiting for it to pass or for you to die.&quot;

Before now Talajic was best known for his work on Deadpool, a comic about antiheroes that were featured in a film of the same name earlier this year.

The illustrator said he is &quot;not a typical Marvel artist where everything must be larger than life,&quot; preferring instead to stay anchored in reality. &quot;I always try to keep things more familiar, more grounded, more probable.&quot;

But attempting to convey the grim daily life of besieged Syrians without sensationalizing was no easy task.

&quot;It was challenging,&quot; Talajic said, noting that he never saw photos of the young mother or the family. &quot;It&#39;s like blade running the thin line of being exploitive of someone&#39;s hardship.&quot;

The brutal story of daily life under siege is occasionally broken up with small bright moments.

&quot;It is a mother, but it is every mother,&quot; Talajic said. &quot;It is a family, but it&#39;s every family.&quot;

This is not Marvel&#39;s first foray into real life heroes: the comic book company also depicted Pope John-Paul II, St Francis of Assisi and Mother Teresa.

ABC did manage to deliver some of Talajic&rsquo;s images to the mother: &quot;she found that he really nailed the features of the people, the ambiance, the town,&quot; ABC News Producer Rym Momtaz said.

&quot;If she ever gets out,&quot; artist Talajic said, &quot;the pictures will go to her.&quot;

(AFP)

Marvel comics has announced a digital comic depicting the struggles of a Madayan family in war-torn Syria

Besieged by the Syrian government for two years, the city of Madaya has had little contact with the outside world, barely reachable by aid convoys, let alone video journalists. So ABC News and Marvel Comics, known for its muscular superheroes, teamed up to find another way to help the world see the devastating reality of life under siege. Journalists at ABC had been in contact with a woman living in Madaya, a city home to some 40,000 people near the border with Lebanon, who chronicled in a series of blog posts her fight to survive the harsh conditions brought on by the Syrian civil war, now in its sixth year. The two Disney-owned companies created a free, digital comic based on the anonymous dispatches by the young mother of five, a way to try and demonstrate the horrors their cameras could not access. The illustrated panels are far less bloody than they are heartbreaking. Combined with the powerful words of the mother, kept anonymous to protect her family’s safety , they speak to the severe hardships trapped families are enduring. Since Madaya came under total siege in mid-2015, more than 60 victims have died of famine and malnutrition. "Our bodies are no longer used to eating," reads one panel. "My children are hungry but are getting sick, severe stomach pains from the food because their bodies aren’t able to digest and absorb the food because they were hungry for so long."Artist Dalibor Talajic said he made a conscious effort to avoid straying into the sensational. "I didn’t want to do a war comic," said the Croatian artist, who lived through Yugoslavia’s breakup in 1991. "I wanted to make a comic with a civilian point of view, where you're really powerless." "You can't do anything. You're just waiting for it to pass or for you to die." Before now Talajic was best known for his work on Deadpool, a comic about antiheroes that were featured in a film of the same name earlier this year. The illustrator said he is "not a typical Marvel artist where everything must be larger than life," preferring instead to stay anchored in reality. "I always try to keep things more familiar, more grounded, more probable." But attempting to convey the grim daily life of besieged Syrians without sensationalizing was no easy task. "It was challenging," Talajic said, noting that he never saw photos of the young mother or the family. "It's like blade running the thin line of being exploitive of someone's hardship." The brutal story of daily life under siege is occasionally broken up with small bright moments. "It is a mother, but it is every mother," Talajic said. "It is a family, but it's every family." This is not Marvel's first foray into real life heroes: the comic book company also depicted Pope John-Paul II, St Francis of Assisi and Mother Teresa. ABC did manage to deliver some of Talajic’s images to the mother: "she found that he really nailed the features of the people, the ambiance, the town," ABC News Producer Rym Momtaz said. "If she ever gets out," artist Talajic said, "the pictures will go to her." (AFP)

Syrian mother who chronicled her war ordeal becomes Marvel's new superhero

The United Nations Security Council is set to vote on Saturday on rival draft resolutions on Syria - a French text requiring an end to air strikes and military flights over Aleppo city and a Russian draft that is similar but makes no mention of ending military flights over the &nbsp;battered Syrian city.

The French draft is most likely to be vetoed by Russia while Moscow&rsquo;s text is essentially the French draft with Russian amendments that brings the failed September 9 ceasefire deal between US and Russia back into focus.

&ldquo;This is a cynical attempt to divert attention away from the bombing of Aleppo,&rdquo; British UN Ambassador Matthew Rycroft said of the Russian draft, Reuters reported. 
&nbsp;

The 15-member council was negotiating on a French text for the past one week. &nbsp;A Saturday vote on that was called after French foreign minister Jean-Marc Ayrault visited Moscow on Thursday and Washington on Friday to discuss the resolution. 
&nbsp;

Following Ayrault&rsquo;s visit, Moscow proposed its own draft and said it would be put to a vote immediately after the vote on the French draft, which is likely to be blocked by Russia because it &quot;demands that all parties immediately end all aerial bombardments of and military flights over Aleppo city.&quot;

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad&rsquo;s forces, backed by Russian war planes and Iranian support, have been battling to capture eastern Aleppo, the rebel-held half of Syria&rsquo;s largest city.

&quot;This is not a draft which is right for adoption, I have this suspicion that the real motive is to cause a Russian veto,&quot; Russian UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin told Reuters on Friday of the French text. &quot;I cannot possibly see how we can let this resolution pass.&quot;

Security Council diplomats have told Reuters that while the Russian draft contained a lot of reasonable language, the lack of any references to ending air strikes on Aleppo was likely to be a problem.

In order to be adopted, a resolution needs nine votes in favour and no vetoes. The council veto powers are the United States, France, Britain, Russia and China.

The US has already suspended talks with Russia on implementing a ceasefire deal in Syria and has accused Moscow of not living up to its commitments to halt fighting.

The failed ceasefire deal is annexed to the Russian draft UN resolution, which urges Moscow and Washington to ensure the implementation of the agreement. It stresses an &quot;urgent need to achieve and verify separating moderate opposition forces from &lsquo;Jabhat Al-Nusra&rsquo; &nbsp;as a key priority.&quot;

Nearly half &nbsp;of Syria&rsquo;s 22 million people have been uprooted and more than 400,000 killed ever since the civil war started in 2011.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from Reuters and AFP)

 
 
 
 
 
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The two draft resolutions include a French text seeking end to air strikes and a Russian one that does not mention ending military flights

The United Nations Security Council is set to vote on Saturday on rival draft resolutions on Syria - a French text requiring an end to air strikes and military flights over Aleppo city and a Russian draft that is similar but makes no mention of ending military flights over the battered Syrian city. The French draft is most likely to be vetoed by Russia while Moscow’s text is essentially the French draft with Russian amendments that brings the failed September 9 ceasefire deal between US and Russia back into focus. “This is a cynical attempt to divert attention away from the bombing of Aleppo,” British UN Ambassador Matthew Rycroft said of the Russian draft, Reuters reported. The 15-member council was negotiating on a French text for the past one week. A Saturday vote on that was called after French foreign minister Jean-Marc Ayrault visited Moscow on Thursday and Washington on Friday to discuss the resolution. Following Ayrault’s visit, Moscow proposed its own draft and said it would be put to a vote immediately after the vote on the French draft, which is likely to be blocked by Russia because it "demands that all parties immediately end all aerial bombardments of and military flights over Aleppo city." Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s forces, backed by Russian war planes and Iranian support, have been battling to capture eastern Aleppo, the rebel-held half of Syria’s largest city. "This is not a draft which is right for adoption, I have this suspicion that the real motive is to cause a Russian veto," Russian UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin told Reuters on Friday of the French text. "I cannot possibly see how we can let this resolution pass." Security Council diplomats have told Reuters that while the Russian draft contained a lot of reasonable language, the lack of any references to ending air strikes on Aleppo was likely to be a problem. In order to be adopted, a resolution needs nine votes in favour and no vetoes. The council veto powers are the United States, France, Britain, Russia and China. The US has already suspended talks with Russia on implementing a ceasefire deal in Syria and has accused Moscow of not living up to its commitments to halt fighting. The failed ceasefire deal is annexed to the Russian draft UN resolution, which urges Moscow and Washington to ensure the implementation of the agreement. It stresses an "urgent need to achieve and verify separating moderate opposition forces from ‘Jabhat Al-Nusra’ as a key priority." Nearly half of Syria’s 22 million people have been uprooted and more than 400,000 killed ever since the civil war started in 2011. (WION with inputs from Reuters and AFP)

UN council to vote on rival Syria resolutions today

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