Syria told the UN climate talks in Bonn on Tuesday that it would join the Paris Agreement, leaving the United States as the only nation in the world opting to stay outside the landmark treaty.

&quot;We are going to join the Paris Agreement,&quot; the Syrian delegate, speaking in Arabic, said during a plenary session at the 196-nation talks, according to Safa Al Jayoussi of the IndyAct NGO, who was monitoring the session.&nbsp;

The United States ratified the 2015 pact but US President Donald Trump announced earlier this year that he would pull out, saying the pact did not serve US interests.

&quot;It is our understanding that the government of Syria announced today their intent to join the Paris Agreement,&quot; Nick Nuttall, the spokesman for the UN climate body, told AFP.

Nuttall identified the Syrian delegate as Wadah Katmawi, the deputy minister of the ministry of local administration and environment.

Syria must submit their &quot;instruments of ratification&quot; at the UN headquarters in New York before their adherence becomes official, he added.

According to the Syrian parliament website, a bill was passed on October 22 to ratify the Paris accord, &quot;in accordance with the Syrian Constitution which stipulates the protection of the environment&quot;.

Other parties at the 12-day negotiations, tasked with elaborating and implementing the agreement, welcomed the news.

&quot;Syria joining the Paris Agreement will be a good thing,&quot; South Africa&#39;s chief negotiator Maesela Kekana told AFP.

&quot;That&#39;s great,&quot; said Chai Qimin, a climate negotiator from China&#39;s National Center for Climate Change Strategy and International Cooperation.&nbsp;

&quot;They were the last party to the UN Convention to sign the Paris Agreement,&quot; he said, referring to 1992 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the bedrock treaty for UN climate talks.

&quot;That leaves only the one who announced their withdrawal,&quot; he added, in an oblique reference to the United States.

US mocks Syria&nbsp;

War-torn Syria would be the 197th country to sign on to the climate pact, which vows to hold global warming to &quot;well below&quot; two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit).

The United States mocked Syria&#39;s arrival in the climate change agreement Tuesday, side-stepping the charge that it has isolated itself by being the world&#39;s sole hold-out.

State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert fiercely dismissed suggestions that this means that Trump&#39;s &quot;America First&quot; policy has in practice meant &quot;America Alone.&quot;

&quot;I find it ironic that the government of Syria, OK, would say that it wants to be involved and that it cares so much about climate and things like CO2 gas,&quot; she told reporters.

&quot;If the government of Syria cared so much about what was put in the air, then it wouldn&#39;t be gassing its own people,&quot; she said, referring to the Damascus regime&#39;s brutal civil war tactics.

Nauert said that the department&#39;s undersecretary for political affairs, Tom Shannon, would lead a US delegation to the Bonn talks next week but that Trump&#39;s decision would stand.

&quot;We intend to withdraw from the Paris Agreement as soon as we&#39;re eligible to do so,&quot; she said.

&nbsp;&#39;Splendid isolation&#39;&nbsp;

Openly isolated on the climate issue at G-7 and G-20 meetings earlier this year, the United States said it intended to withdraw &quot;unless the president can identify terms that are more favourable to American businesses, workers, and taxpayers.&quot;

The Trump administration has not said what those terms might be.

&quot;This means Trump is in splendid isolation -- no one wants to be in his company,&quot; said Alden Meyer, a veteran climate analyst at the Washington-based Union of Concerned Scientists.

&quot;With Syria on board, now the entire world is resolutely committed to advancing climate action -&ndash; all save one country,&quot; said Paula Caballero, director for climate change at the World Resources Institute.

&quot;This should make the Trump administration pause and reflect on their ill-advised announcement about withdrawing from the Paris Agreement.&quot;

Signed in the French capital in December 2015, the treaty entered into force on November 4, 2016.

According to the terms, no country can formally submit their intent to withdraw until three years after the date of entry into force.&nbsp;

It will then take one year to fully withdraw, meaning the earliest the United States could officially withdraw is the day after the 2020 election.

&quot;When even Syria -- with all its problems -- can see the sense of a global climate agreement, it really shows how ideologically wedded to climate denialism the US Republican Party has become,&quot; said Mohamed Adow, International Climate Lead for Christian Aid. 
&nbsp;

Syria told the UN climate talks in Bonn on Tuesday that it would join the Paris Agreement, leaving the United States as the only nation in the world opting to stay outside the landmark treaty

Syria told the UN climate talks in Bonn on Tuesday that it would join the Paris Agreement, leaving the United States as the only nation in the world opting to stay outside the landmark treaty. "We are going to join the Paris Agreement," the Syrian delegate, speaking in Arabic, said during a plenary session at the 196-nation talks, according to Safa Al Jayoussi of the IndyAct NGO, who was monitoring the session. The United States ratified the 2015 pact but US President Donald Trump announced earlier this year that he would pull out, saying the pact did not serve US interests. "It is our understanding that the government of Syria announced today their intent to join the Paris Agreement," Nick Nuttall, the spokesman for the UN climate body, told AFP. Nuttall identified the Syrian delegate as Wadah Katmawi, the deputy minister of the ministry of local administration and environment. Syria must submit their "instruments of ratification" at the UN headquarters in New York before their adherence becomes official, he added. According to the Syrian parliament website, a bill was passed on October 22 to ratify the Paris accord, "in accordance with the Syrian Constitution which stipulates the protection of the environment". Other parties at the 12-day negotiations, tasked with elaborating and implementing the agreement, welcomed the news. "Syria joining the Paris Agreement will be a good thing," South Africa's chief negotiator Maesela Kekana told AFP. "That's great," said Chai Qimin, a climate negotiator from China's National Center for Climate Change Strategy and International Cooperation. "They were the last party to the UN Convention to sign the Paris Agreement," he said, referring to 1992 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the bedrock treaty for UN climate talks. "That leaves only the one who announced their withdrawal," he added, in an oblique reference to the United States. US mocks Syria War-torn Syria would be the 197th country to sign on to the climate pact, which vows to hold global warming to "well below" two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit). The United States mocked Syria's arrival in the climate change agreement Tuesday, side-stepping the charge that it has isolated itself by being the world's sole hold-out. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert fiercely dismissed suggestions that this means that Trump's "America First" policy has in practice meant "America Alone." "I find it ironic that the government of Syria, OK, would say that it wants to be involved and that it cares so much about climate and things like CO2 gas," she told reporters. "If the government of Syria cared so much about what was put in the air, then it wouldn't be gassing its own people," she said, referring to the Damascus regime's brutal civil war tactics. Nauert said that the department's undersecretary for political affairs, Tom Shannon, would lead a US delegation to the Bonn talks next week but that Trump's decision would stand. "We intend to withdraw from the Paris Agreement as soon as we're eligible to do so," she said. 'Splendid isolation' Openly isolated on the climate issue at G-7 and G-20 meetings earlier this year, the United States said it intended to withdraw "unless the president can identify terms that are more favourable to American businesses, workers, and taxpayers." The Trump administration has not said what those terms might be. "This means Trump is in splendid isolation -- no one wants to be in his company," said Alden Meyer, a veteran climate analyst at the Washington-based Union of Concerned Scientists. "With Syria on board, now the entire world is resolutely committed to advancing climate action -– all save one country," said Paula Caballero, director for climate change at the World Resources Institute. "This should make the Trump administration pause and reflect on their ill-advised announcement about withdrawing from the Paris Agreement." Signed in the French capital in December 2015, the treaty entered into force on November 4, 2016. According to the terms, no country can formally submit their intent to withdraw until three years after the date of entry into force. It will then take one year to fully withdraw, meaning the earliest the United States could officially withdraw is the day after the 2020 election. "When even Syria -- with all its problems -- can see the sense of a global climate agreement, it really shows how ideologically wedded to climate denialism the US Republican Party has become," said Mohamed Adow, International Climate Lead for Christian Aid.

Syria to join Paris climate pact, isolating the US

Russia dismissed today a report by a UN-led panel that blamed the Syrian regime for a sarin attack on the town of Khan Sheikhun and said the use of the substance was part of a &quot;theatrical performance&quot; by rebels. 
 
A panel including diplomats and military officers presented Moscow&#39;s version of events complete with diagrams and satellite imagery, saying the Syrian regime did not carry the blame for the April attack which killed over 80 people. 
 
&quot;We believe that the report turned out to be superficial, unprofessional and amateurish,&quot; said Mikhail Ulyanov, head of the foreign ministry&#39;s security and disarmament department. 
 
&quot;The mission did their research from a distance, that in itself is a scandal.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
He said &quot;the use of sarin has been confirmed&quot; but insisted it was not delivered by an aerial bomb but rather used &quot;as a theatrical performance, a provocation&quot; by the rebels. 
 
At least 87 people died on April 4 this year when sarin nerve agent projectiles were fired into Khan Sheikhun, a town in the Idlib province of northwestern Syria. 
 
Images of dead and dying victims, including young children, in the aftermath of the attack provoked global outrage and a US cruise missile strike on a regime air base. 
 
A joint panel by the United Nations and the world&#39;s chemical watchdog Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) concluded that the Syrian regime was responsible, and that the air force had dropped a bomb on the town, releasing the deadly nerve agent. 
 
Russia and Syria have, however, presented an alternative theory that an explosive device was set off on the ground. 
 
Ulyanov today suggested the sarin gas was poured inside the crater left by the bomb. 
 
Ulyanov spoke as part of a panel of foreign ministry, air force and other Russian officials presenting slides that showed elaborate diagrams of regime war planes&#39; trajectories and satellite images in an effort to cast doubt on the UN report. 
 
The Russian officials also showed video footage of rescue personnel working in the crater wearing &quot;only respirators and cotton gloves.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
Ulyanov claimed the video had been filmed after rebels detonated the bomb on the asphalt and before the sarin gas was poured into the crater. 
 
&quot;If it were an aerial bomb, the bomb&#39;s tail would be in the crater, but there are no traces of an aerial bomb,&quot; he said. 
 
Ulyanov also said witnesses cited in the UN report were not confirmed to have been in the town on April 4 and &quot;could have been sunning themselves on a beach in the United Arab Emirates.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
&quot;The verdict against Damascus that has been issued so confidently turned out to be baseless,&quot; he said. &quot;You cannot issue a verdict against Damascus based on newspaper publications.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
Ulyanov&#39;s intervention came after US President Donald Trump&#39;s White House issued a string statement denouncing Moscow&#39;s previous attempts to undermine the work of the UN- OPCW&#39;s Joint Investigative Mechanism. 
 
&quot;This unconscionable attack marks the fourth time that the JIM has confirmed that the Assad regime used chemical weapons, underscoring the brutal and horrifying barbarism of Bashar al-Assad and making the protection provided by Russia even more egregious,&quot; Trump&#39;s spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee- Sanders said. 
 
&quot;Russia&#39;s attempts to undermine and eliminate the JIM show a callous disregard for the suffering and loss of life caused by the use of chemical weapons and an utter lack of respect for international norms,&quot; she added. 
 
Despite criticising the work of the UN-OPCW on the report, Ulyanov said Russia would present a draft resolution extending its mission in Syria, following a veto on a similar US proposal in the Security Council last week. 
 
Russia previously opposed renewing the mandate of the panel, known as the Joint Investigative Mechanism, prior to the release of the Khan Sheikhun report.

Russia dismissed today a report by a UN-led panel that blamed the Syrian regime for a sarin attack on the town of Khan Sheikhun and said the use of the substance was part of a "theatrical performance" by rebels.

Russia dismissed today a report by a UN-led panel that blamed the Syrian regime for a sarin attack on the town of Khan Sheikhun and said the use of the substance was part of a "theatrical performance" by rebels. A panel including diplomats and military officers presented Moscow's version of events complete with diagrams and satellite imagery, saying the Syrian regime did not carry the blame for the April attack which killed over 80 people. "We believe that the report turned out to be superficial, unprofessional and amateurish," said Mikhail Ulyanov, head of the foreign ministry's security and disarmament department. "The mission did their research from a distance, that in itself is a scandal." He said "the use of sarin has been confirmed" but insisted it was not delivered by an aerial bomb but rather used "as a theatrical performance, a provocation" by the rebels. At least 87 people died on April 4 this year when sarin nerve agent projectiles were fired into Khan Sheikhun, a town in the Idlib province of northwestern Syria. Images of dead and dying victims, including young children, in the aftermath of the attack provoked global outrage and a US cruise missile strike on a regime air base. A joint panel by the United Nations and the world's chemical watchdog Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) concluded that the Syrian regime was responsible, and that the air force had dropped a bomb on the town, releasing the deadly nerve agent. Russia and Syria have, however, presented an alternative theory that an explosive device was set off on the ground. Ulyanov today suggested the sarin gas was poured inside the crater left by the bomb. Ulyanov spoke as part of a panel of foreign ministry, air force and other Russian officials presenting slides that showed elaborate diagrams of regime war planes' trajectories and satellite images in an effort to cast doubt on the UN report. The Russian officials also showed video footage of rescue personnel working in the crater wearing "only respirators and cotton gloves." Ulyanov claimed the video had been filmed after rebels detonated the bomb on the asphalt and before the sarin gas was poured into the crater. "If it were an aerial bomb, the bomb's tail would be in the crater, but there are no traces of an aerial bomb," he said. Ulyanov also said witnesses cited in the UN report were not confirmed to have been in the town on April 4 and "could have been sunning themselves on a beach in the United Arab Emirates." "The verdict against Damascus that has been issued so confidently turned out to be baseless," he said. "You cannot issue a verdict against Damascus based on newspaper publications." Ulyanov's intervention came after US President Donald Trump's White House issued a string statement denouncing Moscow's previous attempts to undermine the work of the UN- OPCW's Joint Investigative Mechanism. "This unconscionable attack marks the fourth time that the JIM has confirmed that the Assad regime used chemical weapons, underscoring the brutal and horrifying barbarism of Bashar al-Assad and making the protection provided by Russia even more egregious," Trump's spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee- Sanders said. "Russia's attempts to undermine and eliminate the JIM show a callous disregard for the suffering and loss of life caused by the use of chemical weapons and an utter lack of respect for international norms," she added. Despite criticising the work of the UN-OPCW on the report, Ulyanov said Russia would present a draft resolution extending its mission in Syria, following a veto on a similar US proposal in the Security Council last week. Russia previously opposed renewing the mandate of the panel, known as the Joint Investigative Mechanism, prior to the release of the Khan Sheikhun report.

Russia dismisses UN report on Syria sarin attack

Kerala police said today that at least six&nbsp;men from Kannur have joined the Islamic State in Syria.

The men were active workers of Popular Front of India(PFI), a fundamentalist organization formed in Kerala which allegedly has links with several Islamic terrorist groups and is also involved in ransom and kidnapping.

Last year, the home ministry had informed Parliament that as many as 68 alleged IS supporters and sympathisers were arrested either by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) or the state security agencies.

While informing the Parliament about the arrests, the home ministry had said while some persons have been reported missing from some parts of Kerala and are suspected to have joined terrorist outfits like the IS, their links with IS have not yet been established conclusively. The Kerala police, though, had registered as many as nine cases in this connection.

At least six men were picked up by security agency from Kerala last year.

The men were active workers of Popular Front of India, police said.

Kerala police said today that at least six men from Kannur have joined the Islamic State in Syria. The men were active workers of Popular Front of India(PFI), a fundamentalist organization formed in Kerala which allegedly has links with several Islamic terrorist groups and is also involved in ransom and kidnapping. Last year, the home ministry had informed Parliament that as many as 68 alleged IS supporters and sympathisers were arrested either by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) or the state security agencies. While informing the Parliament about the arrests, the home ministry had said while some persons have been reported missing from some parts of Kerala and are suspected to have joined terrorist outfits like the IS, their links with IS have not yet been established conclusively. The Kerala police, though, had registered as many as nine cases in this connection. At least six men were picked up by security agency from Kerala last year.

6 men from Kerala have joined Islamic State in Syria: Police

A 19-year-old Syrian suspected of planning an Islamist-motivated bomb attack in Germany was transferred to the Federal Court of Justice in Karlsruhe on Wednesday.

No official confirmation of his arrival was given to media.

Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said security officials had averted a &ldquo;major terrorist attack&rdquo;.

Yamen A. was arrested in the early hours on Tuesday in the north-eastern town of Schwerin.

Police searched his home and also those of other people not suspected of being directly involved.

He had ordered online chemicals used to make the explosive TATP, short for triacetone triperoxide, the spokeswoman for the prosecutor&#39;s office later added.

He had also acquired two radios, batteries and a cellphone battery, suggesting he had been planning a remote-controlled explosion by radio or mobile telephone.

There were no indications that he was a member of a terrorist organisation, the federal prosecutor&#39;s office said.

Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said security officials had averted a 'major terrorist attack'

A 19-year-old Syrian suspected of planning an Islamist-motivated bomb attack in Germany was transferred to the Federal Court of Justice in Karlsruhe on Wednesday. No official confirmation of his arrival was given to media. Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said security officials had averted a “major terrorist attack”. Yamen A. was arrested in the early hours on Tuesday in the north-eastern town of Schwerin. Police searched his home and also those of other people not suspected of being directly involved. He had ordered online chemicals used to make the explosive TATP, short for triacetone triperoxide, the spokeswoman for the prosecutor's office later added. He had also acquired two radios, batteries and a cellphone battery, suggesting he had been planning a remote-controlled explosion by radio or mobile telephone. There were no indications that he was a member of a terrorist organisation, the federal prosecutor's office said.

German police arrest Syrian suspected of planning bomb attack

A suicide bomber killed at least three people on Saturday at the funeral of an anti-jihadist Sunni fighter in Iraq, security and medical sources said.

The bomber struck as condolences were being given at the funeral of the fighter from tribal paramilitaries battling the Islamic State group.

He detonated an explosive belt outside a mosque in Al-Mashahada some 40 kilometres (25 miles) north of Baghdad, the security source said.

The military command in the capital said the attack killed a guard and two civilians, while a medical source said that another 12 people were wounded.

Despite being under increasing pressure in both Syria and Iraq, IS cells remain active north of Baghdad.

The jihadist group has carried out bloody attacks both in the capital and across the country.

The bomber struck as condolences were being given at the funeral of the fighter from tribal paramilitaries battling the Islamic State group

A suicide bomber killed at least three people on Saturday at the funeral of an anti-jihadist Sunni fighter in Iraq, security and medical sources said. The bomber struck as condolences were being given at the funeral of the fighter from tribal paramilitaries battling the Islamic State group. He detonated an explosive belt outside a mosque in Al-Mashahada some 40 kilometres (25 miles) north of Baghdad, the security source said. The military command in the capital said the attack killed a guard and two civilians, while a medical source said that another 12 people were wounded. Despite being under increasing pressure in both Syria and Iraq, IS cells remain active north of Baghdad. The jihadist group has carried out bloody attacks both in the capital and across the country.

Suicide bomber kills 3 at Iraq funeral

The&nbsp;Syrian&nbsp;government&nbsp;of Bashar al-Assad is to&nbsp;blame&nbsp;for a chemical attack on the opposition-held town of Khan Sheikhoun&nbsp;that killed dozens of people last April, according to a&nbsp;report&nbsp;sent to the&nbsp;United Nations Security Council on Thursday.

&quot;The&nbsp;Syrian&nbsp;Arab Republic is responsible for the release of&nbsp;sarin&nbsp;at Khan Sheikhoun&nbsp;on 4&nbsp;April 2017,&quot; the&nbsp;report&nbsp;from the UN&nbsp;and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons&#39; Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM) said.

The attack prompted a US&nbsp;missile strike against a&nbsp;Syrian&nbsp;air base which Washington said was used to launch the strike.

&quot;Time and again, we see independent confirmation of chemical weapons use by the Assad regime,&quot; Nikki Haley, the&nbsp;United States&#39; UN&nbsp;ambassador, said in a statement.

&quot;The Security Council must send a clear message that the use of chemical weapons by anyone will not be tolerated, and must fully support the work of the impartial investigators.&quot;

The&nbsp;report&nbsp;also said ISIS was to&nbsp;blame&nbsp;for the use of sulphur mustard in the&nbsp;Syrian&nbsp;town of Umm Hawsh on Sept. 15 and 16, 2016.

The JIM was&nbsp;unanimously created by the 15-member UN&nbsp;Security Council in 2015 and renewed in 2016 for another year. Its mandate is due to expire in mid-November, and Russia on Tuesday vetoed a proposal to further extend its mandate.

Russian ambassador to the UN&nbsp;Vassily Nebenzia said earlier this week Russia would consider revisiting the mandate extension after Thursday&#39;s&nbsp;report&nbsp;is discussed.

Speaking in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said China hopes that the conclusions of any investigation have a basis inconclusive proof and are professional, objective and fair.

&quot;The continuing use of chemical weapons, including by non-State actors, is deeply disturbing,&quot; said the&nbsp;report.

&quot;If such use, in spite of the prohibition by the international community, is not stopped now, a lack of consequences will surely encourage others to follow.&quot;

The JIM has already found&nbsp;Syrian&nbsp;government&nbsp;forces were responsible for three chlorine gas attacks in 2014 and 2015.

Syria agreed to destroy its chemical weapons in 2013&nbsp;under a deal brokered by Russia and the United States. The&nbsp;Syrian&nbsp;government&nbsp;has repeatedly denied using chemical weapons during the country&#39;s more than six-year civil war.

The?Syrian?government?of Bashar al-Assad is to?blame?for a chemical attack on the opposition-held town of Khan Sheikhoun?that killed dozens of people, the UN report said

The Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad is to blame for a chemical attack on the opposition-held town of Khan Sheikhoun that killed dozens of people last April, according to a report sent to the United Nations Security Council on Thursday. "The Syrian Arab Republic is responsible for the release of sarin at Khan Sheikhoun on 4 April 2017," the report from the UN and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons' Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM) said. The attack prompted a US missile strike against a Syrian air base which Washington said was used to launch the strike. "Time and again, we see independent confirmation of chemical weapons use by the Assad regime," Nikki Haley, the United States' UN ambassador, said in a statement. "The Security Council must send a clear message that the use of chemical weapons by anyone will not be tolerated, and must fully support the work of the impartial investigators." The report also said ISIS was to blame for the use of sulphur mustard in the Syrian town of Umm Hawsh on Sept. 15 and 16, 2016. The JIM was unanimously created by the 15-member UN Security Council in 2015 and renewed in 2016 for another year. Its mandate is due to expire in mid-November, and Russia on Tuesday vetoed a proposal to further extend its mandate. Russian ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia said earlier this week Russia would consider revisiting the mandate extension after Thursday's report is discussed. Speaking in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said China hopes that the conclusions of any investigation have a basis inconclusive proof and are professional, objective and fair. "The continuing use of chemical weapons, including by non-State actors, is deeply disturbing," said the report. "If such use, in spite of the prohibition by the international community, is not stopped now, a lack of consequences will surely encourage others to follow." The JIM has already found Syrian government forces were responsible for three chlorine gas attacks in 2014 and 2015. Syria agreed to destroy its chemical weapons in 2013 under a deal brokered by Russia and the United States. The Syrian government has repeatedly denied using chemical weapons during the country's more than six-year civil war.

Syrian government to blame for April Sarin attack: UN report

The&nbsp;Israeli air force on Monday attacked a&nbsp;Syrian&nbsp;anti-aircraft battery that&nbsp;Israel&nbsp;said had&nbsp;fired&nbsp;a missile at&nbsp;its&nbsp;planes&nbsp;as they were on a reconnaissance mission&nbsp;over neighbouring&nbsp;Lebanon.

No&nbsp;Israeli&nbsp;planes&nbsp;were hit in the&nbsp;Syrian&nbsp;launch,&nbsp;Israeli military spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Jonathan Conricus said, adding that the counter-strike took place two hours later and &quot;incapacitated&quot; the anti-aircraft&nbsp;unit&nbsp;located 50 km (30 miles) east of Damascus.

&quot;We know according to our intelligence it was a battery controlled by the&nbsp;Syrian&nbsp;regime and we hold the&nbsp;Syrian&nbsp;regime responsible for the fire,&quot; Conricus said.

There was no immediate comment from Syria which, while an old enemy of&nbsp;Israel, has rarely traded blows with it directly since a 1974 ceasefire ended their last conventional war.

Monday&#39;s incident was additionally unusual given&nbsp;its&nbsp;publication by&nbsp;Israel, which rarely gives details on&nbsp;its&nbsp;air force activities&nbsp;over&nbsp;Lebanon&nbsp;and Syria to foil suspected arms transfers to Iranian-backed Hezbollah guerrillas.

Such missions in Syria have increased dramatically during the country&#39;s civil war,&nbsp;Israeli official says, adding that all efforts are made to avoid accidental clashes with Russian forces helping Damascus beat back rebels.

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu was due to begin a visit to&nbsp;Israel&nbsp;later on Monday. Conricus said the&nbsp;Israeli military informed Russia of&nbsp;its&nbsp;Syria strike &quot;in real time or immediately before&quot; it took place and would brief Shoigu.

Conricus said a&nbsp;Syrian&nbsp;attack on&nbsp;Israeli air force&nbsp;planes&nbsp;over&nbsp;Lebanon&nbsp;was unprecedented.&nbsp;Syrian anti-aircraft missiles were launched at&nbsp;Israeli warplanes&nbsp;over&nbsp;Syria in March. They were unscathed but one of the missiles, on&nbsp;its&nbsp;descent, was intercepted by&nbsp;Israel&#39;s Arrow air defence system.

According to Conricus, the&nbsp;Syrian&nbsp;battery struck on Monday had carried out the launch against the&nbsp;Israeli&nbsp;planes&nbsp;in March.

No?Israeli?planes?were hit in the?Syrian?launch,?Israeli military spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Jonathan Conricus said, adding that the counter-strike took place two hours later and "incapacitated" the anti-aircraft?unit?located 50 km (30 miles) east of Damascus

The Israeli air force on Monday attacked a Syrian anti-aircraft battery that Israel said had fired a missile at its planes as they were on a reconnaissance mission over neighbouring Lebanon. No Israeli planes were hit in the Syrian launch, Israeli military spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Jonathan Conricus said, adding that the counter-strike took place two hours later and "incapacitated" the anti-aircraft unit located 50 km (30 miles) east of Damascus. "We know according to our intelligence it was a battery controlled by the Syrian regime and we hold the Syrian regime responsible for the fire," Conricus said. There was no immediate comment from Syria which, while an old enemy of Israel, has rarely traded blows with it directly since a 1974 ceasefire ended their last conventional war. Monday's incident was additionally unusual given its publication by Israel, which rarely gives details on its air force activities over Lebanon and Syria to foil suspected arms transfers to Iranian-backed Hezbollah guerrillas. Such missions in Syria have increased dramatically during the country's civil war, Israeli official says, adding that all efforts are made to avoid accidental clashes with Russian forces helping Damascus beat back rebels. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu was due to begin a visit to Israel later on Monday. Conricus said the Israeli military informed Russia of its Syria strike "in real time or immediately before" it took place and would brief Shoigu. Conricus said a Syrian attack on Israeli air force planes over Lebanon was unprecedented. Syrian anti-aircraft missiles were launched at Israeli warplanes over Syria in March. They were unscathed but one of the missiles, on its descent, was intercepted by Israel's Arrow air defence system. According to Conricus, the Syrian battery struck on Monday had carried out the launch against the Israeli planes in March.

Israel attacks Syrian?anti-aircraft unit

Three suicide bombers blew themselves up near the main police headquarters building in<a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/turkey-deploys-tanks-near-syria-border-5823" target="_blank"> Syria</a>&#39;s capital Damascus on Wednesday, killing at least two people and leaving 10 wounded, the interior ministry said.

Two of the suicide bombers detonated their explosives in front of the police headquarters on Khaled Bin al-Walid street in central Damascus, the interior ministry said in a statement carried by state media.

&quot;The terrorist suicide attackers tried to storm the police command headquarters... The guards opened fire on them, forcing them to blow themselves up before they entered the building and achieved their goals,&quot; it added.

Police surrounded the third attacker behind the building who also blew himself up, the statement said.

The interior ministry said one person had been killed and six injured in the attack.

It was the second time this month that suicide attackers targeted the police in Syria&#39;s capital after at least 17 people were killed in an October 2 attack on a police station in the southern district of Midan.

That attack was claimed by the Islamic State group, which said three of its fighters armed with guns, grenades, and explosives had targeted the station.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Wednesday&#39;s attack.

More than 330,000 people have been killed in <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/syrias-government-detention-centre-survivor-recalls-torture-beating-12251" target="_blank">Syria since the country&#39;s conflict began in March 2011</a>, with anti-government protests.

The interior ministry said one person had been killed and six injured in the attack

Three suicide bombers blew themselves up near the main police headquarters building in Syria's capital Damascus on Wednesday, killing at least two people and leaving 10 wounded, the interior ministry said. Two of the suicide bombers detonated their explosives in front of the police headquarters on Khaled Bin al-Walid street in central Damascus, the interior ministry said in a statement carried by state media. "The terrorist suicide attackers tried to storm the police command headquarters... The guards opened fire on them, forcing them to blow themselves up before they entered the building and achieved their goals," it added. Police surrounded the third attacker behind the building who also blew himself up, the statement said. The interior ministry said one person had been killed and six injured in the attack. It was the second time this month that suicide attackers targeted the police in Syria's capital after at least 17 people were killed in an October 2 attack on a police station in the southern district of Midan. That attack was claimed by the Islamic State group, which said three of its fighters armed with guns, grenades, and explosives had targeted the station. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Wednesday's attack. More than 330,000 people have been killed in Syria since the country's conflict began in March 2011, with anti-government protests.

Triple suicide attack near Damascus police HQ: Ministry

Syria&nbsp;coach&nbsp;Ayman Hakeem has backed his heavily&nbsp;depleted&nbsp;squad&nbsp;to continue&nbsp;the war-ravaged nation&#39;s unlikely march towards a maiden World Cup finals appearance when they take on Australia in the second leg of the Asian qualifying playoff on Tuesday.

Hakeem believes the fairytale&nbsp;run&nbsp;towards a place in Russia has illustrated the underlying unity of a nation bitterly divided by civil war and trusts his players to take another step towards the goal against at Sydney&#39;s Olympic stadium.

The odds were stacked against the&nbsp;Syrians throughout the third round of Asian qualifying but, despite having to play their &#39;home&#39;&nbsp;matches in Malaysia because of security concerns in&nbsp;Syria, they managed to battle into the playoff.

A penalty five minutes from the end of the first leg last week earned them a 1-1 draw and a high-scoring draw or a win on Tuesday would secure an intercontinental playoff against the fourth-placed team in North and Central American qualifying.

Already without key centre-backs&nbsp;Ahmad Al Salih and Omar Midani because of injury, though, Hakeem has now lost defender Hadi Al Masri, midfielder Khaled Mobayed and striker Omar Khribin to suspension for the second leg.

His defence has been particularly badly hit but Hakeem believes the never-say-die attitude his team have shown throughout qualifying will enable them to hold out the Asian champions.

&quot;We&#39;ve faced many obstacles from the start,&quot; he told reporters on Monday.

&quot;Five key players is a big loss for us but we trust the players we have. The players have had to fight all the way through qualifying and they believe in themselves. We&#39;re looking forward to tomorrow.&quot;

Hakeem said he had not decided yet whether to give an international debut to Swedish-born defender Gabriel Somi in the match and expects another tough tussle with the Socceroos.

&quot;The game in Malaysia was the first half and tomorrow will be the second half,&quot; he added. &quot;Both teams know each other well and there will be no surprises.&quot;

The visitors are expecting support from as many as 15,000 of Australia&#39;s&nbsp;Syrian and wider Arab community at the Olympic stadium and Hakeem said they had the backing of the entire nation back home.

&quot;All&nbsp;Syrians are behind the national team,&quot; he said. &quot;The&nbsp;Syrian national team has shown to all nations that&nbsp;Syria&nbsp;is one and there is no divide among any groups. And that&#39;s the message being sent through the&nbsp;Syrian national team.&quot;

Syria coach Ayman Hakeem believes the fairytale?run?towards a place in Russia has illustrated the underlying unity of a nation bitterly divided by civil war and trusts his players to take another step towards the goal against at Sydney's Olympic stadium

Syria coach Ayman Hakeem has backed his heavily depleted squad to continue the war-ravaged nation's unlikely march towards a maiden World Cup finals appearance when they take on Australia in the second leg of the Asian qualifying playoff on Tuesday. Hakeem believes the fairytale run towards a place in Russia has illustrated the underlying unity of a nation bitterly divided by civil war and trusts his players to take another step towards the goal against at Sydney's Olympic stadium. The odds were stacked against the Syrians throughout the third round of Asian qualifying but, despite having to play their 'home' matches in Malaysia because of security concerns in Syria, they managed to battle into the playoff. A penalty five minutes from the end of the first leg last week earned them a 1-1 draw and a high-scoring draw or a win on Tuesday would secure an intercontinental playoff against the fourth-placed team in North and Central American qualifying. Already without key centre-backs Ahmad Al Salih and Omar Midani because of injury, though, Hakeem has now lost defender Hadi Al Masri, midfielder Khaled Mobayed and striker Omar Khribin to suspension for the second leg. His defence has been particularly badly hit but Hakeem believes the never-say-die attitude his team have shown throughout qualifying will enable them to hold out the Asian champions. "We've faced many obstacles from the start," he told reporters on Monday. "Five key players is a big loss for us but we trust the players we have. The players have had to fight all the way through qualifying and they believe in themselves. We're looking forward to tomorrow." Hakeem said he had not decided yet whether to give an international debut to Swedish-born defender Gabriel Somi in the match and expects another tough tussle with the Socceroos. "The game in Malaysia was the first half and tomorrow will be the second half," he added. "Both teams know each other well and there will be no surprises." The visitors are expecting support from as many as 15,000 of Australia's Syrian and wider Arab community at the Olympic stadium and Hakeem said they had the backing of the entire nation back home. "All Syrians are behind the national team," he said. "The Syrian national team has shown to all nations that Syria is one and there is no divide among any groups. And that's the message being sent through the Syrian national team."

World Cup qualifier: Syrian coach backs depleted squad against Australia

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/russian-strikes-in-syrias-idlib-kill-27-civilians-monitor-20644" target="_blank">A double suicide bomb attack hit a police station in Syria&#39;s</a> capital Damascus on Monday, state media said, with a monitor saying at least 16 people were killed.

Damascus has been largely insulated from the worst of the violence during the country&#39;s brutal six-year war, but <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/air-strike-kills-19-civilians-near-syrias-deir-ezzor-city-syrian-army-reinforcements-arrives-20096" target="_blank">several bomb attacks have shaken the city</a>.

Syria&#39;s interior ministry said two suicide bombers had blown themselves up at the police station in the southern district of Midan, leading to the &quot;deaths of a number of civilians and a number of policemen&quot;.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitoring group, said at least 16 people were killed in the attack, among them eight police officers, revising an earlier death toll of 11.

The monitor also reported that a car bomb had been detonated during the attack, but state media made no mention of a third blast.

Interior Minister Mohammed Shaar told reporters that one of the attackers had managed to enter the police station and reach the first floor of the building.

State television showed images of damage from inside the building, with a black police uniform shirt covered in dust lying in the rubble of partially collapsed walls.

The entire front of one room on the first floor had been blown out by the explosion, and inside what remained, twisted bits of metal were scattered across the rubble.

Policemen carried one body away from the scene wrapped in a white tarpaulin.

Manal, a 28-year-old teacher living in Midan, said she heard at least two blasts on Monday afternoon.

&quot;I was coming back from work when I heard the sound of an explosion, it was around 2:30 pm, I didn&#39;t know what it was, and then there was another explosion a few minutes later and buildings shook,&quot; she told AFP.

&quot;Afterwards I heard gunfire, which usually happens to get people to move out of the way and clear the road so ambulances can get through to retrieve the injured,&quot; she added.

Damascus has also been rocked by occasional bomb blasts throughout the Syrian conflict, including previous attacks on Midan, a middle-class residential and shopping district.

In December 2016, three police officers were wounded when a seven-year-old girl walked into the neighbourhood&#39;s police station wearing an explosive belt that was remotely detonated.

Rebel groups have been gradually expelled from territory in the capital they once held, though they maintain a presence in a handful of positions, including the Jobar neighbourhood.

They also hold territory in the Eastern Ghouta region outside the capital and have regularly launched rockets into the city.

More than 330,000 people have been killed in Syria since its conflict began with protests that were met with a harsh government crackdown.

A wide array of international players have been drawn in on both sides, with the government relying on allies including Iran, Russia and the powerful Hezbollah militia from neighbouring Lebanon.

Ten Hezbollah members were killed on Monday in a suspected drone strike in the Badiya desert region in the central province of Homs, the Observatory reported, revising an earlier toll of at least eight.

The unidentified strike came near the town of Sukhna in a region where Syria&#39;s government and allied fighters are battling the Islamic State jihadist group.

16 people killed in the suicide attack among them were eight police officers said a Britain-based monitoring group, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights

A double suicide bomb attack hit a police station in Syria's capital Damascus on Monday, state media said, with a monitor saying at least 16 people were killed. Damascus has been largely insulated from the worst of the violence during the country's brutal six-year war, but several bomb attacks have shaken the city. Syria's interior ministry said two suicide bombers had blown themselves up at the police station in the southern district of Midan, leading to the "deaths of a number of civilians and a number of policemen". The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitoring group, said at least 16 people were killed in the attack, among them eight police officers, revising an earlier death toll of 11. The monitor also reported that a car bomb had been detonated during the attack, but state media made no mention of a third blast. Interior Minister Mohammed Shaar told reporters that one of the attackers had managed to enter the police station and reach the first floor of the building. State television showed images of damage from inside the building, with a black police uniform shirt covered in dust lying in the rubble of partially collapsed walls. The entire front of one room on the first floor had been blown out by the explosion, and inside what remained, twisted bits of metal were scattered across the rubble. Policemen carried one body away from the scene wrapped in a white tarpaulin. Manal, a 28-year-old teacher living in Midan, said she heard at least two blasts on Monday afternoon. "I was coming back from work when I heard the sound of an explosion, it was around 2:30 pm, I didn't know what it was, and then there was another explosion a few minutes later and buildings shook," she told AFP. "Afterwards I heard gunfire, which usually happens to get people to move out of the way and clear the road so ambulances can get through to retrieve the injured," she added. Damascus has also been rocked by occasional bomb blasts throughout the Syrian conflict, including previous attacks on Midan, a middle-class residential and shopping district. In December 2016, three police officers were wounded when a seven-year-old girl walked into the neighbourhood's police station wearing an explosive belt that was remotely detonated. Rebel groups have been gradually expelled from territory in the capital they once held, though they maintain a presence in a handful of positions, including the Jobar neighbourhood. They also hold territory in the Eastern Ghouta region outside the capital and have regularly launched rockets into the city. More than 330,000 people have been killed in Syria since its conflict began with protests that were met with a harsh government crackdown. A wide array of international players have been drawn in on both sides, with the government relying on allies including Iran, Russia and the powerful Hezbollah militia from neighbouring Lebanon. Ten Hezbollah members were killed on Monday in a suspected drone strike in the Badiya desert region in the central province of Homs, the Observatory reported, revising an earlier toll of at least eight. The unidentified strike came near the town of Sukhna in a region where Syria's government and allied fighters are battling the Islamic State jihadist group.

Suicide bombings in Damascus, at least 16 dead

The UK has claimed that it has succeeded in crippling the Islamic State (ISIS) terrorist network with over 1,600 air strikes in Iraq and Syria in the past three years.

The country&#39;s Ministry of Defence (MoD) marked the third anniversary since the British Parliament voted to begin air strikes on the terror group in September 2014, by releasing details of successes as part of the US-led anti-ISIS coalition.

The UK has carried out 1,340 <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/russian-strikes-in-syrias-idlib-kill-27-civilians-monitor-20644" target="_blank">airstrikes</a> in Iraq and 262 in Syria in the last three years.

It also revealed that Royal Air Force (RAF) aircraft destroyed 17 targets in Syria in a single day last week as the air campaign intensifies, forcing ISIS to &quot;splinter and retreat&quot; from areas it once ruled.

The MoD claimed that the &quot;barbaric cult&quot; are being pinned down by the RAF in their former stronghold of Raqqa and have lost territory, finances, leaders and fighters over the three-year-long campaign.

&quot;Britain has made a major contribution to the campaign that has crippled Daesh (ISIS) since 2014, forcing this miserable cult from the gates of Baghdad to the brink of defeat in Raqqa.

&quot;By air, land and sea, UK personnel have played a tireless role in striking targets and training allies,&quot; UK defence secretary Michael Fallon said.

The UK is the second-largest contributor to the global coalition&#39;s military campaign and has flown more than 8,000 sorties with Tornado and Typhoon jets and Reaper drones, providing strikes, surveillance and reconnaissance, refuelling and transport support, he noted.

Since 2014, the UK has been bombarding targets, including heavy machine-gun positions, truck-bombs, mortar teams, snipers and weapons stores from Raqqa and

Dayr az Zawr in Syria to Qayyarah and Al Qaim in Iraq.

&quot;This has been an immense effort by RAF airmen and airwomen over the last three years of continued operations, countering Daesh (ISIS) in Iraq and Syria,&quot; UK Air Chief Marshal Stephen Hillier said.

As part of the details of the war against ISIS, the MoD highlighted that three years ago the network demanding a so-called Islamic Caliphate was barely an hour from the gates of Baghdad in Iraq.

&quot;But today, it has lost more than 73 per cent of the territory it occupied in Iraq and 65 per cent of its former territory in Syria,&quot; the MoD said.

The RAF&#39;s role has included helping Syrian Democratic Forces engaged in ground close combat and the Iraqi Security Forces who continue their advance having liberated Mosul and Ninewah province.

More than 5.5 million people have reportedly been freed from ISIS rule and over 2 million displaced Iraqi civilians have returned to their homes.

In the Iraqi city of Mosul, it is estimated that over 265,000 people have returned.

On the ground, around 600 British soldiers remain in Iraq to train the country&#39;s forces.

UK troops have so far helped train over 58,000 Iraqi Security Forces in battle winning infantry, counter improvised explosive device (IED), engineering and combat medical skills, the MoD states.

The UK said its involvement from all three services, the Army, Air Force and Navy, to the fight against ISIS across the region now numbers just over 1,400 military personnel.&nbsp;

The UK has carried out 1,340 air strikes in Iraq and 262 in Syria in the last three years

The UK has claimed that it has succeeded in crippling the Islamic State (ISIS) terrorist network with over 1,600 air strikes in Iraq and Syria in the past three years. The country's Ministry of Defence (MoD) marked the third anniversary since the British Parliament voted to begin air strikes on the terror group in September 2014, by releasing details of successes as part of the US-led anti-ISIS coalition. The UK has carried out 1,340 airstrikes in Iraq and 262 in Syria in the last three years. It also revealed that Royal Air Force (RAF) aircraft destroyed 17 targets in Syria in a single day last week as the air campaign intensifies, forcing ISIS to "splinter and retreat" from areas it once ruled. The MoD claimed that the "barbaric cult" are being pinned down by the RAF in their former stronghold of Raqqa and have lost territory, finances, leaders and fighters over the three-year-long campaign. "Britain has made a major contribution to the campaign that has crippled Daesh (ISIS) since 2014, forcing this miserable cult from the gates of Baghdad to the brink of defeat in Raqqa. "By air, land and sea, UK personnel have played a tireless role in striking targets and training allies," UK defence secretary Michael Fallon said. The UK is the second-largest contributor to the global coalition's military campaign and has flown more than 8,000 sorties with Tornado and Typhoon jets and Reaper drones, providing strikes, surveillance and reconnaissance, refuelling and transport support, he noted. Since 2014, the UK has been bombarding targets, including heavy machine-gun positions, truck-bombs, mortar teams, snipers and weapons stores from Raqqa and Dayr az Zawr in Syria to Qayyarah and Al Qaim in Iraq. "This has been an immense effort by RAF airmen and airwomen over the last three years of continued operations, countering Daesh (ISIS) in Iraq and Syria," UK Air Chief Marshal Stephen Hillier said. As part of the details of the war against ISIS, the MoD highlighted that three years ago the network demanding a so-called Islamic Caliphate was barely an hour from the gates of Baghdad in Iraq. "But today, it has lost more than 73 per cent of the territory it occupied in Iraq and 65 per cent of its former territory in Syria," the MoD said. The RAF's role has included helping Syrian Democratic Forces engaged in ground close combat and the Iraqi Security Forces who continue their advance having liberated Mosul and Ninewah province. More than 5.5 million people have reportedly been freed from ISIS rule and over 2 million displaced Iraqi civilians have returned to their homes. In the Iraqi city of Mosul, it is estimated that over 265,000 people have returned. On the ground, around 600 British soldiers remain in Iraq to train the country's forces. UK troops have so far helped train over 58,000 Iraqi Security Forces in battle winning infantry, counter improvised explosive device (IED), engineering and combat medical skills, the MoD states. The UK said its involvement from all three services, the Army, Air Force and Navy, to the fight against ISIS across the region now numbers just over 1,400 military personnel.

ISIS 'crippled' in Iraq, Syria with 1,600 air strikes: UK

&nbsp;

Russian air strikes in Syria&#39;s Idlib on Monday killed&nbsp;27 civilians, said a United Kingdom-based monitor.&nbsp;

The air strike was in northwest Syria&#39;s mainly jihadist-controlled province of Idlib, marking the highest civilian death toll ever since the region was designated in May as one of Syria&#39;s de-escalated zones, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.&nbsp;

Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman told news agency, AFP, &quot;The air raids struck several locations and villages in the Jisr al-Shughur area of the province bordering Turkey, leaving 27 dead among civilians, 10 of them children&quot;.&nbsp;

Idlib province has been the target of heavy air strikes for the past two weeks by the regime and Russian allies after several months of calm.&nbsp;

The neighbouring Hama province in Syria, following a jihadist assault, has also been covered by the de-escalation accord for Syria&#39;s war costing more than 330,000 lives since 2011.&nbsp;

The region was marked as one of Syria's de-escalated zone in May

Russian air strikes in Syria's Idlib on Monday killed 27 civilians, said a United Kingdom-based monitor. The air strike was in northwest Syria's mainly jihadist-controlled province of Idlib, marking the highest civilian death toll ever since the region was designated in May as one of Syria's de-escalated zones, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman told news agency, AFP, "The air raids struck several locations and villages in the Jisr al-Shughur area of the province bordering Turkey, leaving 27 dead among civilians, 10 of them children". Idlib province has been the target of heavy air strikes for the past two weeks by the regime and Russian allies after several months of calm. The neighbouring Hama province in Syria, following a jihadist assault, has also been covered by the de-escalation accord for Syria's war costing more than 330,000 lives since 2011.

27 civilians dead in Russian strikes in Syria's Idlib: UK-based monitor

Iraq&#39;s parliament voted on Tuesday to reject an Iraqi Kurdish independence referendum planned for Sept. 25, authorising the prime minister to take all measures to preserve Iraq&#39;s unity, a lawmaker said.

&quot;Kurdish lawmakers walked out of the session but the decision to reject the referendum was passed by a majority,&quot; Mohammed al-Karbouli said.

Kurdish lawmaker Majid Shingali said Kurds would reject the decision.

&quot;This decision has no value and we will not implement it,&quot; he told Reuters.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi&rsquo;s government had previously rejected the referendum as unilateral and unconstitutional.

The United States and other Western nations fear the September vote in Iraqi Kurdistan could ignite a new conflict with Baghdad and possibly neighboring countries, diverting attention from the war against Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria.

Turkey, along with Iraq, Iran and Syria, also opposes the idea of Iraqi Kurdish independence, fearing separatism could spread to their own Kurdish populations.

Kurds have sought an independent state since at least the end of World War I, when colonial powers divided up the Middle East and left Kurdish-populated territory split between modern-day Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Syria.

"Kurdish lawmakers walked out of the session but the decision to reject the referendum was passed by a majority," Mohammed al-Karbouli said.

Iraq's parliament voted on Tuesday to reject an Iraqi Kurdish independence referendum planned for Sept. 25, authorising the prime minister to take all measures to preserve Iraq's unity, a lawmaker said. "Kurdish lawmakers walked out of the session but the decision to reject the referendum was passed by a majority," Mohammed al-Karbouli said. Kurdish lawmaker Majid Shingali said Kurds would reject the decision. "This decision has no value and we will not implement it," he told Reuters. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi’s government had previously rejected the referendum as unilateral and unconstitutional. The United States and other Western nations fear the September vote in Iraqi Kurdistan could ignite a new conflict with Baghdad and possibly neighboring countries, diverting attention from the war against Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria. Turkey, along with Iraq, Iran and Syria, also opposes the idea of Iraqi Kurdish independence, fearing separatism could spread to their own Kurdish populations. Kurds have sought an independent state since at least the end of World War I, when colonial powers divided up the Middle East and left Kurdish-populated territory split between modern-day Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Syria.

Iraqi parliament rejects Iraqi Kurdish referendum

Syrian army reinforcements arrived in Deir Ezzor Monday for a new push against the Islamic State group, as the second day of suspected Russian strikes killed 19 civilians in the area.

Deir Ezzor city is the capital of the oil-rich eastern province of Deir Ezzor, regarded as a strategic prize by both Russian-backed Syrian troops and US-backed fighters.

Regime forces have scored major advances in recent days, breaking a pair of IS sieges on the city and capturing territory around it.

The advances have been accompanied by deadly air strikes, with a monitor saying 19 civilians were killed Monday in suspected Russian air raids northwest of the city.

The strikes come a day after the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Russian strikes killed 34 civilians southeast of the city, as they fled across the Euphrates River.

The latest air raids hit the IS-held village of Al-Khrayta, 14 kilometres (nine miles) outside Deir Ezzor city.

Two sets of strikes 30 minutes apart hit civilians sheltering in tents along the Euphrates and boats on the river, the monitor said.

They come as the Syrian army prepares to push into the eastern IS-held part of Deir Ezzor city, according to the Observatory.

&quot;Huge military reinforcements, including equipment, vehicles and fighters have arrived in Deir Ezzor ahead of an attack to push Daesh from the city&#39;s eastern neighbourhoods,&quot; said Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman, using an Arabic acronym for IS.

&quot;Russian and Syrian regime warplanes are striking IS positions in the city and its outskirts,&quot; he added.&nbsp;

Since 2014, IS has controlled most of Deir Ezzor city and the surrounding province, which borders territory the jihadists hold in Iraq.

The remaining 40 percent of the city still held by the government -- and home to around 100,000 civilians -- was under crippling IS siege.

Backed by Russian air power, government troops have breached IS&#39;s sieges captured the strategic Jabal Thardah region and expanded their control to half of Deir Ezzor city.

Moscow intervened in Syria in September 2015 in support of its ally President Bashar al-Assad.

Fighters from the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces on Saturday announced a separate offensive to capture IS territory east of the Euphrates river, which slices diagonally across Deir Ezzor province.

By Monday, the SDF&#39;s Deir Ezzor Military Council (DEMC) had seized much of the province&#39;s northeast and were just a few kilometres (miles) away from the river.

Abdel Rahman said they had advanced to six kilometres (four miles) from its eastern banks, at a point across the river from Deir Ezzor city.

Colonel Ryan Dillon, the spokesman for the US-led coalition backing the SDF, said the militia had made &quot;significant gains&quot;, capturing around 250 square kilometres (96 square miles) since the operation began.

The SDF, an alliance of Arab and Kurdish fighters, is also battling IS in the jihadists&#39; de facto capital Raqa with backing from the US-led air coalition.

Although the SDF has yet to reach Deir Ezzor city itself, tribal figures affiliated with the alliance said they were laying the groundwork for governing the city after IS&#39;s defeat.

The statement, published by the SDF&#39;s media council, announced the establishment of &quot;a preparatory committee that will discuss the basis and starting points for a civil Council for Deir Ezzor&quot;.

According to the statement, consultations would aim to reach a &quot;formulation that will express the aspirations of all our people in Deir Ezzor&quot;.

The Deir Ezzor Civil Council &quot;will be responsible for running the city immediately after its liberation&quot;.

It made no mention of regime forces and did not say whether the civil council would coordinate with, or rival, government authorities.

The SDF has said its assault in Deir Ezzor province is not in coordination with Russian or regime forces.

But the coalition, the SDF, Syria&#39;s government and Russia have agreed on a &quot;de-confliction line&quot; in northeastern Syria to prevent the two offensives from clashing.

Aaron Stein, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council&#39;s Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East, said he did not expect the SDF to enter Deir Ezzor city.

But, he added, &quot;the SDF is now racing. The SDF is in a race with the regime.&quot;

&quot;The regime forced everyone&#39;s hand. They moved faster than expected up the river, so things started to move.&quot;

Syria&#39;s conflict erupted in 2011 with protests calling for Assad&#39;s ouster, but it has since evolved into a complex war drawing in world powers.

More than 330,000 people have been killed and millions have been forced to flee their homes.

Strikes comes after a day when Russian strikes killed 34 civilians southeast of the city

Syrian army reinforcements arrived in Deir Ezzor Monday for a new push against the Islamic State group, as the second day of suspected Russian strikes killed 19 civilians in the area. Deir Ezzor city is the capital of the oil-rich eastern province of Deir Ezzor, regarded as a strategic prize by both Russian-backed Syrian troops and US-backed fighters. Regime forces have scored major advances in recent days, breaking a pair of IS sieges on the city and capturing territory around it. The advances have been accompanied by deadly air strikes, with a monitor saying 19 civilians were killed Monday in suspected Russian air raids northwest of the city. The strikes come a day after the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Russian strikes killed 34 civilians southeast of the city, as they fled across the Euphrates River. The latest air raids hit the IS-held village of Al-Khrayta, 14 kilometres (nine miles) outside Deir Ezzor city. Two sets of strikes 30 minutes apart hit civilians sheltering in tents along the Euphrates and boats on the river, the monitor said. They come as the Syrian army prepares to push into the eastern IS-held part of Deir Ezzor city, according to the Observatory. "Huge military reinforcements, including equipment, vehicles and fighters have arrived in Deir Ezzor ahead of an attack to push Daesh from the city's eastern neighbourhoods," said Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman, using an Arabic acronym for IS. "Russian and Syrian regime warplanes are striking IS positions in the city and its outskirts," he added. Since 2014, IS has controlled most of Deir Ezzor city and the surrounding province, which borders territory the jihadists hold in Iraq. The remaining 40 percent of the city still held by the government -- and home to around 100,000 civilians -- was under crippling IS siege. Backed by Russian air power, government troops have breached IS's sieges captured the strategic Jabal Thardah region and expanded their control to half of Deir Ezzor city. Moscow intervened in Syria in September 2015 in support of its ally President Bashar al-Assad. Fighters from the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces on Saturday announced a separate offensive to capture IS territory east of the Euphrates river, which slices diagonally across Deir Ezzor province. By Monday, the SDF's Deir Ezzor Military Council (DEMC) had seized much of the province's northeast and were just a few kilometres (miles) away from the river. Abdel Rahman said they had advanced to six kilometres (four miles) from its eastern banks, at a point across the river from Deir Ezzor city. Colonel Ryan Dillon, the spokesman for the US-led coalition backing the SDF, said the militia had made "significant gains", capturing around 250 square kilometres (96 square miles) since the operation began. The SDF, an alliance of Arab and Kurdish fighters, is also battling IS in the jihadists' de facto capital Raqa with backing from the US-led air coalition. Although the SDF has yet to reach Deir Ezzor city itself, tribal figures affiliated with the alliance said they were laying the groundwork for governing the city after IS's defeat. The statement, published by the SDF's media council, announced the establishment of "a preparatory committee that will discuss the basis and starting points for a civil Council for Deir Ezzor". According to the statement, consultations would aim to reach a "formulation that will express the aspirations of all our people in Deir Ezzor". The Deir Ezzor Civil Council "will be responsible for running the city immediately after its liberation". It made no mention of regime forces and did not say whether the civil council would coordinate with, or rival, government authorities. The SDF has said its assault in Deir Ezzor province is not in coordination with Russian or regime forces. But the coalition, the SDF, Syria's government and Russia have agreed on a "de-confliction line" in northeastern Syria to prevent the two offensives from clashing. Aaron Stein, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council's Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East, said he did not expect the SDF to enter Deir Ezzor city. But, he added, "the SDF is now racing. The SDF is in a race with the regime." "The regime forced everyone's hand. They moved faster than expected up the river, so things started to move." Syria's conflict erupted in 2011 with protests calling for Assad's ouster, but it has since evolved into a complex war drawing in world powers. More than 330,000 people have been killed and millions have been forced to flee their homes.

Air strike kills 19 civilians near Syria's Deir Ezzor city

The Syrian Army said Thursday that Israeli warplanes had hit a military site in Hama province in the country&#39;s west.&nbsp;

The Syrian Army said two soldiers had died in the attack and that the strike had done damage near the town of Masyaf.&nbsp;

&quot;Israeli warplanes at 2:42am today fired a number of missiles from Lebanese air space, targeting one of our military positions near Masyaf, which led to material damage and the deaths of two members of the site,&quot; AFP reported the Syrian Army as saying in a statement.&nbsp;

Reuters reported the war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights as saying the strike hit a Scientific Studies and Research Centre facility, an agency which the United States describes as Syria&#39;s chemical weapons manufacturer.

Reuters added that the strike took place the morning after UN investigators said the Syrian government was responsible for a sarin poison gas attack in April.

Reuters said an Israeli army spokeswoman refused to discuss the reported strike.&nbsp;

But that Israeli officials have in the past admitted to Israel hitting weapons shipments believed to be bound for Hezbollah, an ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Reuters added that in an interview to Haaretz last month, former Israeli air force chief Amir Eshel said Israel had struck Syrian and Hezbollah arms convoys nearly 100 times in the past five years.

It added that Israel sees a red line in the shipment to Hezbollah of anti-aircraft missiles, precision ground-ground missiles and non-conventional (chemical) weapons.

The Syrian Army said Thursday that Israeli warplanes had hit a military site in Hama province in the country's west. The Syrian Army said two soldiers had died in the attack and that the strike had done damage near the town of Masyaf. "Israeli warplanes at 2:42am today fired a number of missiles from Lebanese air space, targeting one of our military positions near Masyaf, which led to material damage and the deaths of two members of the site," AFP reported the Syrian Army as saying in a statement. Reuters reported the war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights as saying the strike hit a Scientific Studies and Research Centre facility, an agency which the United States describes as Syria's chemical weapons manufacturer. Reuters added that the strike took place the morning after UN investigators said the Syrian government was responsible for a sarin poison gas attack in April. Reuters said an Israeli army spokeswoman refused to discuss the reported strike. But that Israeli officials have in the past admitted to Israel hitting weapons shipments believed to be bound for Hezbollah, an ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Reuters added that in an interview to Haaretz last month, former Israeli air force chief Amir Eshel said Israel had struck Syrian and Hezbollah arms convoys nearly 100 times in the past five years. It added that Israel sees a red line in the shipment to Hezbollah of anti-aircraft missiles, precision ground-ground missiles and non-conventional (chemical) weapons.

Israeli warplanes hit military facility, says Syrian Army

Israeli <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-led-strikes-on-raqqa-killed-42-civilians-monitor-19304">warplanes targeted a Syria</a>n military position in Hama province early on Thursday from Lebanese airspace, killing two people and causing material damage, the Syrian army general command said in a statement.

The army statement said it took place near the town of Masyaf and warned against the &quot;dangerous repercussions of this aggressive action to the security and stability of the region&quot;.

An Israeli army spokeswoman earlier declined to discuss reports of a strike in <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/enough-evidence-to-convict-syrias-assad-of-war-crimes-un-commission-18940">Syria</a>, saying the army does not comment on operational matters.

Israeli officials have in the past admitted that Israel has attacked weapons shipments bound for Lebanon&#39;s Iran-backed Hezbollah group, an ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, without specifying which ones.

Amos Yadlin, a former head of Israeli military intelligence, tweeted that the reported attack was not routine and targeted a Syrian military scientific centre.

&quot;The facility at Masyaf also produces chemical weapons and explosive barrels that have killed thousands of Syrian civilians,&quot; Yadlin said in the tweet.

There was no independent confirmation that this was the target but the United Nations has said in the past that the Syrian government has carried out chemical weapons attacks, which Damascus denies.

Israeli officials have also previously said that Israel and Russia, another Assad ally, maintain regular contacts to coordinate military action in Syria.

Jets flying over Lebanon overnight broke the sound barrier and Lebanese media reported that some Israeli jets had breached Lebanese airspace.

The air strike has killed two people and caused material damage, the Syrian army general command said

Israeli warplanes targeted a Syrian military position in Hama province early on Thursday from Lebanese airspace, killing two people and causing material damage, the Syrian army general command said in a statement. The army statement said it took place near the town of Masyaf and warned against the "dangerous repercussions of this aggressive action to the security and stability of the region". An Israeli army spokeswoman earlier declined to discuss reports of a strike in Syria, saying the army does not comment on operational matters. Israeli officials have in the past admitted that Israel has attacked weapons shipments bound for Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah group, an ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, without specifying which ones. Amos Yadlin, a former head of Israeli military intelligence, tweeted that the reported attack was not routine and targeted a Syrian military scientific centre. "The facility at Masyaf also produces chemical weapons and explosive barrels that have killed thousands of Syrian civilians," Yadlin said in the tweet. There was no independent confirmation that this was the target but the United Nations has said in the past that the Syrian government has carried out chemical weapons attacks, which Damascus denies. Israeli officials have also previously said that Israel and Russia, another Assad ally, maintain regular contacts to coordinate military action in Syria. Jets flying over Lebanon overnight broke the sound barrier and Lebanese media reported that some Israeli jets had breached Lebanese airspace.

Israeli planes strike Syria's Hama province

The United States-led coalition carried out an air-strikes on Wednesday to block Islamic State group fighters evacuated from&nbsp;Lebanon&nbsp;from reaching eastern Syria, its spokesman told AFP.

Hundreds of IS fighters and civilians were evacuated on Monday from the border region between&nbsp;Lebanon&nbsp;and Syria under a ceasefire deal and were headed to an IS-held town near Syria&#39;s eastern frontier with Iraq.&nbsp;

&quot;To prevent the convoy from moving further east, we cratered the road and destroyed a small bridge,&quot; said coalition spokesman Colonel Ryan Dillon, without providing further details on the exact location.

&quot;IS is a global threat; relocating terrorists from one place to another for someone else to deal with is not a lasting solution,&quot; he added.

The evacuation deal was negotiated between IS and powerful Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah, which has intervened in the war in neighbouring Syria to prop up the Damascus government.

Hezbollah had fought a week-long offensive against IS on the Syrian side of the border with&nbsp;Lebanon, coinciding with a simultaneous assault by Lebanese troops on their side of the frontier.&nbsp;

The battles ended Sunday with the announcement of a deal that would see IS forces bussed hundreds of kilometres (miles) from Syria&#39;s western border with&nbsp;Lebanon&nbsp;to its eastern frontier with Iraq.

Jihadists and civilians, including children, left the border region two days ago, but on Wednesday their buses were still held up at the entrance to Deir Ezzor province.&nbsp;

&quot;We know and understand that there are civilians&quot; aboard the buses, Dillon said.

&quot;If we are able to strike them without harming civilians, then we will do so,&quot; he said, adding that the coalition was monitoring the convoy&#39;s movement in real time.

Asked whether the presence of civilians had prompted the coalition to bomb the road instead of the convoy itself, Dillon said that would be &#39;consistent&#39; with the protocol.

&#39;Killed on the battlefield&#39;

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed that there was a delay in the buses reaching Deir Ezzor province but did not specify why.&nbsp;

Syrian military sources reached by AFP declined to comment.

The evacuation agreement had sparked a furious reaction from the United States, which considers Hezbollah to be a &quot;terrorist&quot; organisation.&nbsp;

&quot;Irreconcilable ISIS terrorists should be killed on the battlefield, not bused across Syria to the Iraqi border without Iraq&#39;s consent,&quot; US presidential envoy to the anti-IS coalition Brett McGurk said Wednesday.&nbsp;

&quot;Our coalition will help ensure that these terrorists can never enter Iraq or escape from what remains of their dwindling &#39;caliphate&#39;,&quot; he wrote on Twitter.

It was also met with outrage in Iraq, with Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi describing it as &quot;unacceptable&quot; and an &quot;insult to the Iraqi people&quot;.&nbsp;

Iraqi forces, who reseized the second city Mosul from IS in July after a nine-month battle, are fighting the last pocket of jihadists in the northern province of Nineveh.

The deal was even controversial in&nbsp;Lebanon, where opponents were angry that IS fighters were travelling &quot;on air-conditioned buses&quot; after having been suspected of killing Lebanese troops.

On Wednesday,&nbsp;Lebanon&#39;s president and the chief of the army hailed the &quot;victory&quot; scored against IS in the campaign.

&quot;Today, we are announcing&nbsp;Lebanon&#39;s victory against terrorism. I dedicate this victory to all Lebanese, who can be proud of their army,&quot; President Michel Aoun said at the presidential palace in Baabda, east of Beirut.

After Sunday&#39;s deal, IS fighters who had surrendered led Lebanese authorities to human remains believed to belong to Lebanese soldiers kidnapped by IS in 2014.

The Lebanese army had called the fate of the soldiers a &quot;top concern&quot; in its weeklong offensive against IS.

IS fighters and civilians evacuated on Monday from the border region between?Lebanon?and Syria

The United States-led coalition carried out an air-strikes on Wednesday to block Islamic State group fighters evacuated from Lebanon from reaching eastern Syria, its spokesman told AFP. Hundreds of IS fighters and civilians were evacuated on Monday from the border region between Lebanon and Syria under a ceasefire deal and were headed to an IS-held town near Syria's eastern frontier with Iraq. "To prevent the convoy from moving further east, we cratered the road and destroyed a small bridge," said coalition spokesman Colonel Ryan Dillon, without providing further details on the exact location. "IS is a global threat; relocating terrorists from one place to another for someone else to deal with is not a lasting solution," he added. The evacuation deal was negotiated between IS and powerful Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah, which has intervened in the war in neighbouring Syria to prop up the Damascus government. Hezbollah had fought a week-long offensive against IS on the Syrian side of the border with Lebanon, coinciding with a simultaneous assault by Lebanese troops on their side of the frontier. The battles ended Sunday with the announcement of a deal that would see IS forces bussed hundreds of kilometres (miles) from Syria's western border with Lebanon to its eastern frontier with Iraq. Jihadists and civilians, including children, left the border region two days ago, but on Wednesday their buses were still held up at the entrance to Deir Ezzor province. "We know and understand that there are civilians" aboard the buses, Dillon said. "If we are able to strike them without harming civilians, then we will do so," he said, adding that the coalition was monitoring the convoy's movement in real time. Asked whether the presence of civilians had prompted the coalition to bomb the road instead of the convoy itself, Dillon said that would be 'consistent' with the protocol. 'Killed on the battlefield' The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed that there was a delay in the buses reaching Deir Ezzor province but did not specify why. Syrian military sources reached by AFP declined to comment. The evacuation agreement had sparked a furious reaction from the United States, which considers Hezbollah to be a "terrorist" organisation. "Irreconcilable ISIS terrorists should be killed on the battlefield, not bused across Syria to the Iraqi border without Iraq's consent," US presidential envoy to the anti-IS coalition Brett McGurk said Wednesday. "Our coalition will help ensure that these terrorists can never enter Iraq or escape from what remains of their dwindling 'caliphate'," he wrote on Twitter. It was also met with outrage in Iraq, with Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi describing it as "unacceptable" and an "insult to the Iraqi people". Iraqi forces, who reseized the second city Mosul from IS in July after a nine-month battle, are fighting the last pocket of jihadists in the northern province of Nineveh. The deal was even controversial in Lebanon, where opponents were angry that IS fighters were travelling "on air-conditioned buses" after having been suspected of killing Lebanese troops. On Wednesday, Lebanon's president and the chief of the army hailed the "victory" scored against IS in the campaign. "Today, we are announcing Lebanon's victory against terrorism. I dedicate this victory to all Lebanese, who can be proud of their army," President Michel Aoun said at the presidential palace in Baabda, east of Beirut. After Sunday's deal, IS fighters who had surrendered led Lebanese authorities to human remains believed to belong to Lebanese soldiers kidnapped by IS in 2014. The Lebanese army had called the fate of the soldiers a "top concern" in its weeklong offensive against IS.

Lebanon: US-led coalition carry out air-strikes to block Islamic State fighters

&nbsp;Terrorists attacked Russian embassy in Syria&#39;s capital Damascus, media reports said.

Russia&#39;s foreign ministry said that its embassy compound in Damascus came under mortar fire from &quot;terrorist groups of fighters&quot;, causing no casualties.

&quot;Two shells fell on the grounds of the Russian diplomatic mission and two more exploded just outside the perimeter,&quot; Moscow said, causing slight damage but not injuring anyone.

The ministry said that &quot;we decisively condemn terrorist attacks against the Russian diplomatic mission in Damascus,&quot; following a number of recent incidents.

Russia also said the embassy had come under mortar fire on two separate days in February. Russia is aligned with the Assad regime in Syria.

&nbsp;

Russian media reported the embassy in Damascus was being attacked by mortar fire

Terrorists attacked Russian embassy in Syria's capital Damascus, media reports said. Russia's foreign ministry said that its embassy compound in Damascus came under mortar fire from "terrorist groups of fighters", causing no casualties. "Two shells fell on the grounds of the Russian diplomatic mission and two more exploded just outside the perimeter," Moscow said, causing slight damage but not injuring anyone. The ministry said that "we decisively condemn terrorist attacks against the Russian diplomatic mission in Damascus," following a number of recent incidents. Russia also said the embassy had come under mortar fire on two separate days in February. Russia is aligned with the Assad regime in Syria.

Terrorists attack Russian embassy in Damascus, no casualties: Reports

&quot;In the ancient world, anyone entering Palmyra from the western Damascus door would have looked around and said: &#39;This is the gate to the East&#39;. On the other hand, anyone entering the city from the eastern Temple of Bel would have said: &#39;This is the gate to the West&#39;. This was Palmyra, a crossroad of cultures, a place where religious tolerance, peaceful co-existence and cultural exchange existed for centuries. It was a blend of Western and Eastern culture.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Professor Maria Teresa Grassi teaches classical archaeology at the university of Milano. She directed the university&#39;s excavations in Palmyra since 2007 and her team was the last mission to abandon the site due to&nbsp;security reasons in late 2010. &nbsp;

&quot;Palmyra was a major commercial hub in ancient times. Even goods coming from India and reaching the Persian Gulf were mainly managed by Palmyrenes.&quot;&nbsp;

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The oriental features of some funerary steles in Palmyra are a testimony of the city&#39;s mixture of culture. (Others)
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&nbsp;

The site is part of the UNESCO world heritage site&nbsp;and is perhaps the most beautiful among the many Syrian archaeological gems. It was a major tourist attraction and visitors came from all over the world.&nbsp;

&quot;Palmyra was, and still is, a pillar of our national and cultural pride,&quot; says Fouad Roueiha, a Syrian journalist based in Italy. &nbsp;

The Islamic State invaded Palmyra for the first time in May 2015, destroying ancient statues and blowing up the Temple of Bel and the Temple of Baalshamin.&nbsp;

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Palmyra&#39;s Temple of Bel. (Photo courtesy: Bernard Gagnon). (Others)
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&nbsp;&quot;The Temple of Bel was original, it was standing since 32 AD. It survived history because it was part of the daily village life: it became a Christian church and then it hosted the village mosque,&quot; says professor Grassi. &quot;Palmyra was a place where religious tolerance, peaceful co-existence and cultural exchange existed for centuries. It was a blend of Western and Eastern culture.&quot;&nbsp;

The Syrian army retook Palmyra in March 2016, but lost it again to the Islamic State in <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/islamic-state-fighters-re-enter-ancient-palmyra-in-syria-after-heavy-fighting-9991">December</a>. The Russian army recently released <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/russia-releases-drone-footage-showing-destruction-in-syrias-palmyra-12352">drone footage</a>&nbsp;showing the destruction of part of the Roman theatre and the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/islamic-state-destroys-famous-monument-in-syrias-palmyra-11504">Tetrapylon</a>.&nbsp;

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The Islamic state partially damaged Palmyra&#39;s Roman theatre. (Photo courtesy: James Gordon) (Others)
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The first thought in professor Grassi&#39;s mind when Palmyra fell was &quot;front page news for IS&quot;, she explains:&quot;I thought that they (the IS) had chosen the perfect place to get on all newspaper&nbsp;front pages. There are many archaeological sites in Syria, but Palmyra is the most famous and was well preserved. It perfectly served their propaganda operation.&quot;&nbsp;

There is also little hope of the damaged buildings ever being repaired. Professor Grassi said, &quot;Had it been an earthquake we could have tried to identify the blocs and recomposed the structures. In this case we are facing explosions and given the friable nature of Palmyra&#39;s ancient stones, temples and buildings, it is probably pulverised completely.&quot;

&quot;There are advanced technologies which could allow us to rebuild what we have lost in a perfect way, using exactly the same materials. There is an ongoing debate within the scientific community and many do not agree to the reconstruction. There is also the option of leaving the rubbles there as a testimony of what happened.&quot;&nbsp;

The Islamic State knows how much Palmyra plays in their favour when it comes to negotiations. They threaten to destroy more if their requests are not accepted. The IS is militarily suffering in both in Iraq and Syria and could become more aggressive and destroy more buildings. They tend&nbsp;to create as much damage as possible while retreating.&nbsp;

They also consider the destruction of all forms of art&nbsp;as part of their mandate.&nbsp;

The ancient Assyrian city of Nimrud, close to the Iraqi city of Mosul, bares the brunt of the IS fury and is a frightening example of what could happen to Palmyra. When they reached Nimrud, IS terrorists sold many archaeological finds on the black market, then they surrounded the site with explosive-filled barrels and blew it up. The effect was devastating.&nbsp;

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WION&#39;s Daniele Pagani reports that the buyers came from Turkey &amp; Syria, purchasing what Islamic State believed had to be destroyed (WION)
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&quot;The destruction&nbsp;in Palmyra is&nbsp;so grave that they go well beyond the destroyers&#39; intentions. They probably do not even know what they have destroyed,&quot; says Professor Grassi. &nbsp;

A small part of Palmyra&#39;s finds were sold on the black market, but unfortunately too few. &quot;If we really must choose between theft or destruction, theft is definitely a better option. There is, at least, the possibility that some assets will survive and, sooner or later, will be found,&quot; says Professor Grassi. &quot;A similar thing happened during World War II. Many pieces of art were stolen during the conflict and then slowly recovered. History teaches us that something stolen, often comes back.&quot;&nbsp;

Several Syrians were&nbsp;also part of her team, she says, &quot;Yes, it was a very fruitful cooperation. We learnt from them and they learnt from us. It was very different from the classic archaeological mission where there is a top archaeologist directing all the work. It was more of an exchange.&quot;

&quot;We cooperated&nbsp;with many labourers who helped us during the mission. We were usually the only mission during that period of the year and people were eager to work with us,&quot;&nbsp;she adds&nbsp;

&quot;Some of them tried to get in touch with us, but we do not know anything about the majority of them. We also do not know if it is safe to call them or to respond to their messages,&quot; she ruefully adds. &nbsp;

Her concerns are not baseless: It has been widely reported that the Islamic State controls and monitors all communications in their territory. If someone&#39;s phone is found with calls or messages coming from abroad, he or she could face execution.&nbsp;

&quot;I hope they managed to escape. Their life was surely at risk,&nbsp;I am afraid that their constant vicinity to us, Western foreigners, must have definitely played a negative role,&quot; says Professor Grassi.&nbsp;

(WION)&nbsp;

Professor Maria Teresa Grassi and her team were the last mission to abandon Palmyra due to?security reasons in late 2010 ?

"In the ancient world, anyone entering Palmyra from the western Damascus door would have looked around and said: 'This is the gate to the East'. On the other hand, anyone entering the city from the eastern Temple of Bel would have said: 'This is the gate to the West'. This was Palmyra, a crossroad of cultures, a place where religious tolerance, peaceful co-existence and cultural exchange existed for centuries. It was a blend of Western and Eastern culture. Professor Maria Teresa Grassi teaches classical archaeology at the university of Milano. She directed the university's excavations in Palmyra since 2007 and her team was the last mission to abandon the site due to security reasons in late 2010. "Palmyra was a major commercial hub in ancient times. Even goods coming from India and reaching the Persian Gulf were mainly managed by Palmyrenes." The oriental features of some funerary steles in Palmyra are a testimony of the city's mixture of culture. (Others) × The site is part of the UNESCO world heritage site and is perhaps the most beautiful among the many Syrian archaeological gems. It was a major tourist attraction and visitors came from all over the world. "Palmyra was, and still is, a pillar of our national and cultural pride," says Fouad Roueiha, a Syrian journalist based in Italy. The Islamic State invaded Palmyra for the first time in May 2015, destroying ancient statues and blowing up the Temple of Bel and the Temple of Baalshamin. Palmyra's Temple of Bel. (Photo courtesy: Bernard Gagnon). (Others) × "The Temple of Bel was original, it was standing since 32 AD. It survived history because it was part of the daily village life: it became a Christian church and then it hosted the village mosque," says professor Grassi. "Palmyra was a place where religious tolerance, peaceful co-existence and cultural exchange existed for centuries. It was a blend of Western and Eastern culture." The Syrian army retook Palmyra in March 2016, but lost it again to the Islamic State in December. The Russian army recently released drone footage showing the destruction of part of the Roman theatre and the Tetrapylon. The Islamic state partially damaged Palmyra's Roman theatre. (Photo courtesy: James Gordon) (Others) × The first thought in professor Grassi's mind when Palmyra fell was "front page news for IS", she explains:"I thought that they (the IS) had chosen the perfect place to get on all newspaper front pages. There are many archaeological sites in Syria, but Palmyra is the most famous and was well preserved. It perfectly served their propaganda operation." There is also little hope of the damaged buildings ever being repaired. Professor Grassi said, "Had it been an earthquake we could have tried to identify the blocs and recomposed the structures. In this case we are facing explosions and given the friable nature of Palmyra's ancient stones, temples and buildings, it is probably pulverised completely." "There are advanced technologies which could allow us to rebuild what we have lost in a perfect way, using exactly the same materials. There is an ongoing debate within the scientific community and many do not agree to the reconstruction. There is also the option of leaving the rubbles there as a testimony of what happened." The Islamic State knows how much Palmyra plays in their favour when it comes to negotiations. They threaten to destroy more if their requests are not accepted. The IS is militarily suffering in both in Iraq and Syria and could become more aggressive and destroy more buildings. They tend to create as much damage as possible while retreating. They also consider the destruction of all forms of art as part of their mandate. The ancient Assyrian city of Nimrud, close to the Iraqi city of Mosul, bares the brunt of the IS fury and is a frightening example of what could happen to Palmyra. When they reached Nimrud, IS terrorists sold many archaeological finds on the black market, then they surrounded the site with explosive-filled barrels and blew it up. The effect was devastating. WION's Daniele Pagani reports that the buyers came from Turkey & Syria, purchasing what Islamic State believed had to be destroyed (WION) × "The destruction in Palmyra is so grave that they go well beyond the destroyers' intentions. They probably do not even know what they have destroyed," says Professor Grassi. A small part of Palmyra's finds were sold on the black market, but unfortunately too few. "If we really must choose between theft or destruction, theft is definitely a better option. There is, at least, the possibility that some assets will survive and, sooner or later, will be found," says Professor Grassi. "A similar thing happened during World War II. Many pieces of art were stolen during the conflict and then slowly recovered. History teaches us that something stolen, often comes back." Several Syrians were also part of her team, she says, "Yes, it was a very fruitful cooperation. We learnt from them and they learnt from us. It was very different from the classic archaeological mission where there is a top archaeologist directing all the work. It was more of an exchange." "We cooperated with many labourers who helped us during the mission. We were usually the only mission during that period of the year and people were eager to work with us," she adds "Some of them tried to get in touch with us, but we do not know anything about the majority of them. We also do not know if it is safe to call them or to respond to their messages," she ruefully adds. Her concerns are not baseless: It has been widely reported that the Islamic State controls and monitors all communications in their territory. If someone's phone is found with calls or messages coming from abroad, he or she could face execution. "I hope they managed to escape. Their life was surely at risk, I am afraid that their constant vicinity to us, Western foreigners, must have definitely played a negative role," says Professor Grassi. (WION)

Destruction of Syria's Palmyra: An insider's view

The Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has been killed, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights told Reuters.

&quot;(We have) confirmed information from leaders, including one of the first rank, in the Islamic State in the eastern countryside of Deir al-Zor,&quot; the director of the British-based war monitoring group Rami Abdulrahman told Reuters. 
&nbsp; 
The news of Baghdadi&#39;s death has been floating for quite some time. In June, the Russian defence ministry had said that the Islamic State leader was killed in one of its air strikes.

The Syrian Observatory, which keeps a track of the ongoing war in Syria, said that Islamic State sources in the Syrian town of Deir al-Zor confirmed that Baghdadi has been killed.

The news of his death has not been verified by Islamic State&#39;s official news agency Amaq. &nbsp;&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

In June, the Russian defence ministry had said that the Islamic State leader was killed in one of its air strikes

The Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has been killed, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights told Reuters. "(We have) confirmed information from leaders, including one of the first rank, in the Islamic State in the eastern countryside of Deir al-Zor," the director of the British-based war monitoring group Rami Abdulrahman told Reuters. The news of Baghdadi's death has been floating for quite some time. In June, the Russian defence ministry had said that the Islamic State leader was killed in one of its air strikes. The Syrian Observatory, which keeps a track of the ongoing war in Syria, said that Islamic State sources in the Syrian town of Deir al-Zor confirmed that Baghdadi has been killed. The news of his death has not been verified by Islamic State's official news agency Amaq.

Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi dead: Syrian Observatory

The United States, Russia and Jordan have reached a crucial ceasefire and &quot;de-escalation agreement&quot;&nbsp;in southwestern Syria, US secretary of state Rex Tillerson said on Friday.

Tillerson announced the deal after a meeting&nbsp;between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Hamburg.&nbsp;

The ceasefire&nbsp;goes into effect on Sunday,&nbsp;Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, who was also present at the meeting, said.&nbsp;

Tillerson said the area covered by the ceasefire affects Jordan&rsquo;s security and is a &ldquo;very complicated part of the Syrian battlefield&rdquo;.

&ldquo;It is (a) well-defined agreement on who will secure this area,&rdquo; he told the media,&nbsp;

Prior to leaving for the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, Tillerson had said the US was prepared to discuss joint&nbsp;efforts with Russia in order to stabilise the situation in Syria,&nbsp;

(with inputs from Reuters)

&nbsp;

The United States, Russia and Jordan have brokered a crucial ceasefire deal in southwest Syria that goes into effect on Sunday

The United States, Russia and Jordan have reached a crucial ceasefire and "de-escalation agreement" in southwestern Syria, US secretary of state Rex Tillerson said on Friday. Tillerson announced the deal after a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Hamburg. The ceasefire goes into effect on Sunday, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, who was also present at the meeting, said. Tillerson said the area covered by the ceasefire affects Jordan’s security and is a “very complicated part of the Syrian battlefield”. “It is (a) well-defined agreement on who will secure this area,” he told the media, Prior to leaving for the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, Tillerson had said the US was prepared to discuss joint efforts with Russia in order to stabilise the situation in Syria, (with inputs from Reuters)

US, Russia and Jordan reach ceasefire deal for southwest Syria

Turkish military preparations in northwest Syria are legitimate measures against a threat from Kurdish forces in the Afrin region, and Turkey will retaliate against any hostile move, Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus told Reuters on Wednesday.

Kurtulmus was responding to the head of the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia, who told Reuters that Turkish military deployments near Kurdish-held areas of northwestern Syria were a declaration of war which could trigger clashes within days.

The YPG forms a major part of the US-backed campaign to capture Islamic State&#39;s stronghold of Raqqa. It also controls a pocket of territory in Afrin, about 200 kilometres (125 miles) west of Raqqa. Tensions between Turkish forces and the YPG have been mounting in the Afrin region in recent weeks.

&quot;This is not a declaration of war. We are making preparations against potential threats,&quot; Kurtulmus said in an interview. &quot;It&#39;s...a legitimate measure so that we can protect our independence. We cannot remain silent against those sending missiles from Afrin.&quot;

Turkey&#39;s military, which launched an incursion last August into part of northern Syria which lies between Afrin and a larger Kurdish-controlled area further east, has said that it has returned fire against members of YPG militia near Afrin several times in the last few weeks.

&quot;Their (YPG) primary goal is a threat to Turkey, and if Turkey sees a YPG movement in northern Syria that is a threat to it, it will retaliate in kind,&quot; Kurtulmus said. &quot;This isn&#39;t a fantasy for us...it is an indispensible approach to protect Turkey&#39;s border security.&quot;

Ankara considers the YPG an extension of the outlawed Kurdish PKK group which has waged an insurgency in southeast Turkey since the 1980s. Turkey was angered by a US&nbsp;decision to arm the YPG as it marched with its allies on Raqqa.

The Turkish defence ministry said last month the Pentagon had sought to give assurances that Washington would retrieve weapons provided to the YPG after Islamic State fighters were defeated. Turkey says that is not credible.

&quot;There has never been an incident where a group in the Middle East has been armed, and they returned the weapons,&quot; Kurtulmus said. The United States &quot;have formed more than a terrorist organisation there, they formed a small-scale army.&quot;

He also warned the YPG not to try to drive out Arab or Turkmen residents from the town of Tel Rifaat, which is close to Afrin and controlled by YPG and Arab allies in the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces.

&quot;The majority of Tel Rifaat is Arab and Turkmen, and if the PYD says it will capitalise on (its control), then this means ethnic cleansing, and this will not benefit Syria,&quot; he said.

Turkish military deployments near Kurdish-held areas of northwestern Syria were a declaration of war, said the head of Syrian Kurdish YPG militia

Turkish military preparations in northwest Syria are legitimate measures against a threat from Kurdish forces in the Afrin region, and Turkey will retaliate against any hostile move, Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus told Reuters on Wednesday. Kurtulmus was responding to the head of the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia, who told Reuters that Turkish military deployments near Kurdish-held areas of northwestern Syria were a declaration of war which could trigger clashes within days. The YPG forms a major part of the US-backed campaign to capture Islamic State's stronghold of Raqqa. It also controls a pocket of territory in Afrin, about 200 kilometres (125 miles) west of Raqqa. Tensions between Turkish forces and the YPG have been mounting in the Afrin region in recent weeks. "This is not a declaration of war. We are making preparations against potential threats," Kurtulmus said in an interview. "It's...a legitimate measure so that we can protect our independence. We cannot remain silent against those sending missiles from Afrin." Turkey's military, which launched an incursion last August into part of northern Syria which lies between Afrin and a larger Kurdish-controlled area further east, has said that it has returned fire against members of YPG militia near Afrin several times in the last few weeks. "Their (YPG) primary goal is a threat to Turkey, and if Turkey sees a YPG movement in northern Syria that is a threat to it, it will retaliate in kind," Kurtulmus said. "This isn't a fantasy for us...it is an indispensible approach to protect Turkey's border security." Ankara considers the YPG an extension of the outlawed Kurdish PKK group which has waged an insurgency in southeast Turkey since the 1980s. Turkey was angered by a US decision to arm the YPG as it marched with its allies on Raqqa. The Turkish defence ministry said last month the Pentagon had sought to give assurances that Washington would retrieve weapons provided to the YPG after Islamic State fighters were defeated. Turkey says that is not credible. "There has never been an incident where a group in the Middle East has been armed, and they returned the weapons," Kurtulmus said. The United States "have formed more than a terrorist organisation there, they formed a small-scale army." He also warned the YPG not to try to drive out Arab or Turkmen residents from the town of Tel Rifaat, which is close to Afrin and controlled by YPG and Arab allies in the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces. "The majority of Tel Rifaat is Arab and Turkmen, and if the PYD says it will capitalise on (its control), then this means ethnic cleansing, and this will not benefit Syria," he said.

Turkey says it's not 'declaring war' in Syria, but ready to respond

Eighteen people were killed after a suicide bombing in eastern&nbsp;Damascus, Syria, reports AFP, citing a monitor.

Three car bombs exploded, but two of them were intercepted and destroyed by security forces before they could inflict any damage, Reuters reports.&nbsp;

State TV&nbsp;

Syrian state TV said the casualty toll had been lessened by security forces, who prevented &quot;the terrorists from reaching their targets&quot;, saying they had set their sights on busy areas on the first day back to work after the Eid al-Fitr holiday, Reuters reported.

Footage of Tahrir Square on state TV showed roads filled with debris, several badly damaged cars, and another car that been turned into a pile of twisted metal. Another broadcast showed the site of the explosions, including what appeared to be a person&#39;s remains and other badly damaged vehicles outside a mosque near the Old City, Reuters reported.

Back in March, Islamic State claimed responsibility for two suicide bomb attacks in Damascus that killed several dozens of people, most of them at the Palace of Justice courthouse near the Old City.

Again&nbsp;in March, a double suicide attack in the capital killed scores of people, most of them Iraqi Shi&#39;ite pilgrims. That attack was claimed by the Tahrir al-Sham alliance of Islamist insurgents, which is spearheaded by a jihadist group formerly known as the Nusra Front.

Syrian government forces, which have defeated rebel fighters in several suburbs of&nbsp;Damascus over the last year, are currently battling insurgents in the Jobar and Ain Tarma areas on the capital&#39;s eastern outskirts.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Among the dead are soldiers and civilians, said the head of the Syrian Observatory for Human rights

Eighteen people were killed after a suicide bombing in eastern Damascus, Syria, reports AFP, citing a monitor. Three car bombs exploded, but two of them were intercepted and destroyed by security forces before they could inflict any damage, Reuters reports. State TV Syrian state TV said the casualty toll had been lessened by security forces, who prevented "the terrorists from reaching their targets", saying they had set their sights on busy areas on the first day back to work after the Eid al-Fitr holiday, Reuters reported. Footage of Tahrir Square on state TV showed roads filled with debris, several badly damaged cars, and another car that been turned into a pile of twisted metal. Another broadcast showed the site of the explosions, including what appeared to be a person's remains and other badly damaged vehicles outside a mosque near the Old City, Reuters reported. Back in March, Islamic State claimed responsibility for two suicide bomb attacks in Damascus that killed several dozens of people, most of them at the Palace of Justice courthouse near the Old City. Again in March, a double suicide attack in the capital killed scores of people, most of them Iraqi Shi'ite pilgrims. That attack was claimed by the Tahrir al-Sham alliance of Islamist insurgents, which is spearheaded by a jihadist group formerly known as the Nusra Front. Syrian government forces, which have defeated rebel fighters in several suburbs of Damascus over the last year, are currently battling insurgents in the Jobar and Ain Tarma areas on the capital's eastern outskirts.

18 killed in Damascus suicide bombing: Monitor

In an attempt to assert its own monetary policy, the Islamic State has decreed that traders use its currency, the dirham, setting its value at 1,000 Syrian pounds ($1.80) per dirham.

In an audio statement, the IS said the Syrian 1,000- and 50-pound notes would be banned in the areas under its control as of July 25, Reuters reported.&nbsp;

The exchange rate for the IS&#39;s currency will be&nbsp;declared daily, Reuters reported. 
 
The announcement comes at a time when the IS&nbsp;has found its grip on the territory under its&nbsp;control under threat.&nbsp;

&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

The IS has banned the Syrian 1,000- and 50-pound banknotes

In an attempt to assert its own monetary policy, the Islamic State has decreed that traders use its currency, the dirham, setting its value at 1,000 Syrian pounds ($1.80) per dirham. In an audio statement, the IS said the Syrian 1,000- and 50-pound notes would be banned in the areas under its control as of July 25, Reuters reported. The exchange rate for the IS's currency will be declared daily, Reuters reported. The announcement comes at a time when the IS has found its grip on the territory under its control under threat.

Islamic State orders Syrian businesses to use its currency

Israeli air strikes hit several targets in the Gaza Strip governed by Hamas overnight on Monday, AFP reported.

The incident comes after Israel targeted Syrian military installations over the weekend.

Israeli air strikes were recorded in at least three locations in Gaza, Palestinian security sources and eyewitnesses told Reuters.

The strikes were aimed at Hamas bases which struck near the southern city of Rafah and Gaza City, as well as open land southeast of Gaza City.

The Palestinian health ministry said there were no immediate reports of injuries, but an AFP photographer in Gaza saw at least one man bleeding being taken for treatment from a house near the base.

The Israeli army said the strikes were in &quot;response to projectile fire that hit near the Sha&#39;ar Hanegev Regional Council.&quot;

&quot;Two Israeli&nbsp;aircraft&#39;s targeted two military infrastructures belong to the Hamas terrorist organisation,&quot; it added.

Meanwhile, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has urged US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to prevent &quot;provocations&quot; against Syrian government forces.

Lavrov spoke to Rex Tillerson over the phone on Monday and called on &quot;Washington to take steps to prevent provocations against Syrian government forces carrying out operations against terrorists,&quot; a Russian foreign ministry statement said.

Israel had fired shells at Syria on Saturday as aerial video footage released by the military showed a machine gun and two tanks targeted and hit.&nbsp;

The Syrian military said Israeli rocket fire had hit a residential building but it could not be independently confirmed.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Israeli air strikes were recorded in at least three locations in Gaza

Israeli air strikes hit several targets in the Gaza Strip governed by Hamas overnight on Monday, AFP reported. The incident comes after Israel targeted Syrian military installations over the weekend. Israeli air strikes were recorded in at least three locations in Gaza, Palestinian security sources and eyewitnesses told Reuters. The strikes were aimed at Hamas bases which struck near the southern city of Rafah and Gaza City, as well as open land southeast of Gaza City. The Palestinian health ministry said there were no immediate reports of injuries, but an AFP photographer in Gaza saw at least one man bleeding being taken for treatment from a house near the base. The Israeli army said the strikes were in "response to projectile fire that hit near the Sha'ar Hanegev Regional Council." "Two Israeli aircraft's targeted two military infrastructures belong to the Hamas terrorist organisation," it added. Meanwhile, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has urged US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to prevent "provocations" against Syrian government forces. Lavrov spoke to Rex Tillerson over the phone on Monday and called on "Washington to take steps to prevent provocations against Syrian government forces carrying out operations against terrorists," a Russian foreign ministry statement said. Israel had fired shells at Syria on Saturday as aerial video footage released by the military showed a machine gun and two tanks targeted and hit. The Syrian military said Israeli rocket fire had hit a residential building but it could not be independently confirmed.

After hitting Syrian military installations, Israel targets Gaza Strip

A US-backed Syrian coalition of Kurdish and Arab groups advanced against Islamic State in the jihadists&#39; Syrian capital of Raqqa on Sunday, taking the al-Qadisia district, they said.

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) began its assault on Raqqa earlier this month after a long campaign to isolate Islamic State inside the city. It took Qadisia, located in the west of Raqqa, after three days of intense fighting, it said in a statement on one of its official social media feeds.

The SDF has pushed Islamic State from swathes of northern Syria over the past 18 months. Turkey-backed Syrian rebels have also taken territory from it and the Syrian army has this year advanced rapidly against it in desert areas.

The US-backed coalition has supported SDF advances against the jihadist group throughout the Raqqa campaign with artillery and air strikes, including some against Islamic State leaders.

This month, the coalition said its air strikes had killed Turki Binali, a Bahraini cleric who was the group&#39;s top religious authority and the most senior known Gulf Arab in Islamic State.

It also said last week it killed Fawaz al-Rawi, who it said was an important Islamic State financier, in an air strike in Syria.

However, coalition air raids have also caused large numbers of civilian casualties, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor.

It said on Saturday that coalition airstrikes in and around Raqqa had killed nearly 700 civilians so far this year. The coalition says it works hard to avoid killing civilians and investigates all reports that it has done so.

&nbsp;

The Syrian Democratic Forces took Qadisia, located in the west of Raqqa, after three days of intense fighting

A US-backed Syrian coalition of Kurdish and Arab groups advanced against Islamic State in the jihadists' Syrian capital of Raqqa on Sunday, taking the al-Qadisia district, they said. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) began its assault on Raqqa earlier this month after a long campaign to isolate Islamic State inside the city. It took Qadisia, located in the west of Raqqa, after three days of intense fighting, it said in a statement on one of its official social media feeds. The SDF has pushed Islamic State from swathes of northern Syria over the past 18 months. Turkey-backed Syrian rebels have also taken territory from it and the Syrian army has this year advanced rapidly against it in desert areas. The US-backed coalition has supported SDF advances against the jihadist group throughout the Raqqa campaign with artillery and air strikes, including some against Islamic State leaders. This month, the coalition said its air strikes had killed Turki Binali, a Bahraini cleric who was the group's top religious authority and the most senior known Gulf Arab in Islamic State. It also said last week it killed Fawaz al-Rawi, who it said was an important Islamic State financier, in an air strike in Syria. However, coalition air raids have also caused large numbers of civilian casualties, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor. It said on Saturday that coalition airstrikes in and around Raqqa had killed nearly 700 civilians so far this year. The coalition says it works hard to avoid killing civilians and investigates all reports that it has done so.

US-backed Syrian groups take Raqqa district from Islamic State

Coalition forces have killed a key Islamic State financier in an airstrike in Syria&#39;s Abu Kamal on June 16, according to a statement issued by the Joint Task Force.&nbsp;

Fawaz Muhammad Jubayr al-Rawi, a Syria native, owned the Hanifa Currency Exchange in Abu Kamal which he used to move millions of dollars for the terror organisation.

The United States Department of Treasury had imposed sanctions on Hanifa Currency Exchange&#39;s branch in Abu Kamal in 2016.&nbsp;

The US Department of Treasury designated al-Rawi for providing financial and material support to Islamic State. Al-Rawi pledged loyalty to Islamic State in 2014. His network was used by the terror organisation to conduct weapons deals.

Coalition forces have been targeting Islamic State&#39;s financial network which has severely impaired the terror orgainstaion&#39;s ability to move reources and export terrorism.&nbsp;

&quot;The Coalition&#39;s efforts to disrupt and attack ISIS&#39;s financial networks have restricted the terror group&#39;s ability to move resources and export terrorism,&quot; the statement released by Combined Joint Task Force said.

A number of al-Rawi&#39;s close associates have been killed including Samir Idris, a key fianancial facilitator for the Islamic State, who was killed on June 7, 2017 in Syria. 
&nbsp;

Fawaz Muhammad Jubayr al-Rawi, a Syria native, owned the Hanifa Currency Exchange in Abu Kamal which he used to move millions of dollars for the terror organisation

Coalition forces have killed a key Islamic State financier in an airstrike in Syria's Abu Kamal on June 16, according to a statement issued by the Joint Task Force. Fawaz Muhammad Jubayr al-Rawi, a Syria native, owned the Hanifa Currency Exchange in Abu Kamal which he used to move millions of dollars for the terror organisation. The United States Department of Treasury had imposed sanctions on Hanifa Currency Exchange's branch in Abu Kamal in 2016. The US Department of Treasury designated al-Rawi for providing financial and material support to Islamic State. Al-Rawi pledged loyalty to Islamic State in 2014. His network was used by the terror organisation to conduct weapons deals. Coalition forces have been targeting Islamic State's financial network which has severely impaired the terror orgainstaion's ability to move reources and export terrorism. "The Coalition's efforts to disrupt and attack ISIS's financial networks have restricted the terror group's ability to move resources and export terrorism," the statement released by Combined Joint Task Force said. A number of al-Rawi's close associates have been killed including Samir Idris, a key fianancial facilitator for the Islamic State, who was killed on June 7, 2017 in Syria.

Key Islamic State financier killed in coalition air strike in Syria

Australia Thursday lifted a suspension on military air missions over Syria imposed after the shooting down of a Syrian jet by US forces.

Canberra temporarily halted flights on Tuesday after a spike in tensions between the US and Russia, which warned it would track coalition aircraft in Syria as potential &quot;targets&quot;.

Moscow also halted a military hotline with Washington over the incident, intended to prevent confrontations in Syria&#39;s crowded air space.

Australia defence ministry said in a statement the suspension was &quot;a precautionary measure to allow the coalition to assess the operational risk&quot;.

&quot;The suspension has since been lifted,&quot; it added.

The United States moved quickly to contain an escalation of the situation after the jet was downed on Sunday evening when regime forces targeted the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, an alliance of Arab and Kurdish fighters battling IS.

A top US general said the country would work to relaunch the &quot;deconfliction&quot; hotline established in 2015, after Russia said Washington had failed to use the line -- a vital incident-prevention tool -- before targeting the plane near Raqa.

Australia is part of the coalition fighting the Islamic State group in Iraq and in late 2015 extended air operations into Syria, with a total of 780 defence personnel based in the Middle East.

The staunch US ally in September said it would widen the scope of targets in the air war against IS by allowing its pilots to strike jihadist support and logistics resources in Iraq and Syria.

Australia&#39;s Air Task Group consists of 300 personnel, six F/A-18 Hornets, an E-7A Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft, and a KC-30A Multi-Role Tanker and Transport plane.

(AFP)

Canberra temporarily halted flights on Tuesday after a spike in tensions between the US and Russia

Australia Thursday lifted a suspension on military air missions over Syria imposed after the shooting down of a Syrian jet by US forces. Canberra temporarily halted flights on Tuesday after a spike in tensions between the US and Russia, which warned it would track coalition aircraft in Syria as potential "targets". Moscow also halted a military hotline with Washington over the incident, intended to prevent confrontations in Syria's crowded air space. Australia defence ministry said in a statement the suspension was "a precautionary measure to allow the coalition to assess the operational risk". "The suspension has since been lifted," it added. The United States moved quickly to contain an escalation of the situation after the jet was downed on Sunday evening when regime forces targeted the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, an alliance of Arab and Kurdish fighters battling IS. A top US general said the country would work to relaunch the "deconfliction" hotline established in 2015, after Russia said Washington had failed to use the line -- a vital incident-prevention tool -- before targeting the plane near Raqa. Australia is part of the coalition fighting the Islamic State group in Iraq and in late 2015 extended air operations into Syria, with a total of 780 defence personnel based in the Middle East. The staunch US ally in September said it would widen the scope of targets in the air war against IS by allowing its pilots to strike jihadist support and logistics resources in Iraq and Syria. Australia's Air Task Group consists of 300 personnel, six F/A-18 Hornets, an E-7A Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft, and a KC-30A Multi-Role Tanker and Transport plane. (AFP)

Australia's military resumes air operations over Syria

&nbsp;Islamic State militants have become increasingly desperate in the face of heavy air strikes on their Syrian bastion Raqqa,&nbsp;passing themselves off as civilians to escape detection and killing anyone who tries to flee, witnesses said.

At a camp for the displaced in the village of Ain Issa north of the city,&nbsp;people who arrived on Wednesday also said the air strikes supporting an assault by US-backed forces had inflicted widespread destruction as the battle intensified.

United Nations war crimes investigators said the air campaign had killed at least 300 civilians in the city, captured by Islamic State in 2014 in the chaos of Syria&#39;s civil war.

The escapees said the air strikes had flattened rows of apartment blocks along a main road but many of them had already been abandoned by residents fleeing Islamic State&rsquo;s reign of terror and the assault on the town, which began last week.

&quot;The coalition strikes destroyed a four-story apartment building. I saw 10 people trapped underneath,&quot; said Abu Hamoud. &quot;They used phosphorus.&quot;

Human Rights Watch expressed concern on Wednesday about the use of incendiary white phosphorous weapons by the US-led coalition, saying it endangers civilians when used in populated areas.

The coalition is backing the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a group of Kurdish and Arab militias who have been closing in on Raqqa in northern Syria for months in preparation for the assault to recapture the city.

Hassan Kirfou,&nbsp;said an airstrike hit the mosque where he works just a few hours after he closed it for the night, and two other mosques were hit.

&ldquo;I saw three dead teenagers on top of each other outside the Nour mosque,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know why they shot these areas. As far as I know there were only a few Daesh (Islamic State) snipers left there.&rdquo;

Much of the damage from air strikes was inflicted on Seif al-Dawla street, one of the main arteries of the town. &ldquo;My uncle and two cousins were killed. Their house was destroyed,&rdquo; Kirfou said.

The pressure on Islamic State, which is on the brink of losing the other centre of&nbsp;its self-proclaimed caliphate, the Iraqi city of Mosul, is taking a heavy toll on the group,&nbsp;people who arrived at Ain Issa in the last few days said.

&ldquo;They have started using microphones to tell people: &#39;Don&rsquo;t go to the infidels, stay with Islam&#39;,&rdquo; said Abdul Razak Crais, standing near rows of white tents as people lined up for food.

&ldquo;They poured gasoline on the cars of anyone who tried to escape then lit a match and burned the vehicles. I saw them haul people out of their cars and shoot them with AK-47s.&quot;

The coalition estimates that 3,000-4,000 Islamic State fighters are holed up in Raqqa, the administrative headquarters of Islamic State, which has claimed responsibility for multiple attacks on civilians across the globe.

Residents who fled say they have been laying landmines on streets, booby trapping houses and digging tunnels in preparation for battle.

&ldquo;They take over people&rsquo;s houses and create big holes in their walls so they can move back and forth during fighting,&rdquo; said Thaier Ibrahim.

Others at the camp said militants were hiding weapons and riding cars with civilians to avoid air strikes.

About 10,000 civilians have fled to the SDF-run Ain Issa camp about 60 km (40 miles) north of Raqqa with hundreds more arriving each day, Medecins Sans Frontieres has said.

Conditions have deteriorated because of the gruelling summer heat. But people like Mohamed Nahaf took the risk of getting shot to escape Islamic State and a battle for the city that could take months.

&ldquo;They cut off all roads. We had to pay a smuggler $200 to get us out,&rdquo; he said.

The coalition is backing the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a group of Kurdish and Arab militias who have been closing in on Raqqa in northern Syria for months in preparation for the assault to recapture the city

Islamic State militants have become increasingly desperate in the face of heavy air strikes on their Syrian bastion Raqqa, passing themselves off as civilians to escape detection and killing anyone who tries to flee, witnesses said. At a camp for the displaced in the village of Ain Issa north of the city, people who arrived on Wednesday also said the air strikes supporting an assault by US-backed forces had inflicted widespread destruction as the battle intensified. United Nations war crimes investigators said the air campaign had killed at least 300 civilians in the city, captured by Islamic State in 2014 in the chaos of Syria's civil war. The escapees said the air strikes had flattened rows of apartment blocks along a main road but many of them had already been abandoned by residents fleeing Islamic State’s reign of terror and the assault on the town, which began last week. "The coalition strikes destroyed a four-story apartment building. I saw 10 people trapped underneath," said Abu Hamoud. "They used phosphorus." Human Rights Watch expressed concern on Wednesday about the use of incendiary white phosphorous weapons by the US-led coalition, saying it endangers civilians when used in populated areas. The coalition is backing the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a group of Kurdish and Arab militias who have been closing in on Raqqa in northern Syria for months in preparation for the assault to recapture the city. Hassan Kirfou, said an airstrike hit the mosque where he works just a few hours after he closed it for the night, and two other mosques were hit. “I saw three dead teenagers on top of each other outside the Nour mosque,” he said. “I don’t know why they shot these areas. As far as I know there were only a few Daesh (Islamic State) snipers left there.” Much of the damage from air strikes was inflicted on Seif al-Dawla street, one of the main arteries of the town. “My uncle and two cousins were killed. Their house was destroyed,” Kirfou said. The pressure on Islamic State, which is on the brink of losing the other centre of its self-proclaimed caliphate, the Iraqi city of Mosul, is taking a heavy toll on the group, people who arrived at Ain Issa in the last few days said. “They have started using microphones to tell people: 'Don’t go to the infidels, stay with Islam',” said Abdul Razak Crais, standing near rows of white tents as people lined up for food. “They poured gasoline on the cars of anyone who tried to escape then lit a match and burned the vehicles. I saw them haul people out of their cars and shoot them with AK-47s." The coalition estimates that 3,000-4,000 Islamic State fighters are holed up in Raqqa, the administrative headquarters of Islamic State, which has claimed responsibility for multiple attacks on civilians across the globe. Residents who fled say they have been laying landmines on streets, booby trapping houses and digging tunnels in preparation for battle. “They take over people’s houses and create big holes in their walls so they can move back and forth during fighting,” said Thaier Ibrahim. Others at the camp said militants were hiding weapons and riding cars with civilians to avoid air strikes. About 10,000 civilians have fled to the SDF-run Ain Issa camp about 60 km (40 miles) north of Raqqa with hundreds more arriving each day, Medecins Sans Frontieres has said. Conditions have deteriorated because of the gruelling summer heat. But people like Mohamed Nahaf took the risk of getting shot to escape Islamic State and a battle for the city that could take months. “They cut off all roads. We had to pay a smuggler $200 to get us out,” he said.

Air strikes kill civilians as Raqqa battle intensifies, Syrians say militants shoot escapees

&nbsp;An audio message purporting to come from the spokesman of Islamic State called on followers to launch attacks in the United States, Europe, Russia, Australia, Iraq, Syria, Iran, and the Philippines during the Islamic holy month of Ramzan, which began in late May.

The audio clip was distributed on Monday on Islamic State&#39;s channel on Telegram, an encrypted messaging application. It was attributed to the militant group`s official spokesman, Abi al-Hassan al-Muhajer.&nbsp;

The authenticity of the recording could not be independently verified, but the voice was the same as a previous audio message purported to be from the spokesman.

&quot;O lions of Mosul, Raqqa, and Tal Afar, God bless those pure arms and bright faces, charge against the rejectionists and the apostates and fight them with the strength of one man,&quot; said al-Muhajer. Rejectionist is a derogatory term used to refer to Shi&#39;ite Muslims.

&quot;To the brethren of faith and belief in Europe, America, Russia, Australia, and others. Your brothers in your land have done well so take them as role models and do as they have done.&quot;

&nbsp;

An unverified audio message distributed on?Islamic State's channel on Telegram called on followers to launch?attacks in the US, Europe, Russia, Australia, Iraq, Syria, Iran, and the Philippines

An audio message purporting to come from the spokesman of Islamic State called on followers to launch attacks in the United States, Europe, Russia, Australia, Iraq, Syria, Iran, and the Philippines during the Islamic holy month of Ramzan, which began in late May. The audio clip was distributed on Monday on Islamic State's channel on Telegram, an encrypted messaging application. It was attributed to the militant group`s official spokesman, Abi al-Hassan al-Muhajer. The authenticity of the recording could not be independently verified, but the voice was the same as a previous audio message purported to be from the spokesman. "O lions of Mosul, Raqqa, and Tal Afar, God bless those pure arms and bright faces, charge against the rejectionists and the apostates and fight them with the strength of one man," said al-Muhajer. Rejectionist is a derogatory term used to refer to Shi'ite Muslims. "To the brethren of faith and belief in Europe, America, Russia, Australia, and others. Your brothers in your land have done well so take them as role models and do as they have done."

Islamic State calls for attacks in US, Europe, Middle East, Asia during Ramzan

Iran said on Thursday that five of its nationals who were killed in twin attacks in Tehran were Islamic State members who had been to the group&#39;s strongholds in Iraq and Syria.

Wednesday&#39;s attacks on Tehran&#39;s parliament complex and the shrine of revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, which also wounded more than 50 people, were the first claimed by IS in Iran.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/iran-twin-attacks-13-killed-iran-guards-claim-us-saudi-involved-16527">Also Read:&nbsp;Iran twin attacks: 13 killed, Iran Guards claim US, Saudi &#39;involved&#39;</a>

&quot;The five known terrorists... after joining the Daesh (IS) terrorist group, left the country and participated in crimes carried out by this terrorist group in Mosul and Raqa,&quot; the intelligence ministry said in a statement. It suggested there were only five attackers rather than the six originally reported.

An official said previously that those who attacked the parliament complex had been dressed as women. The ministry released their photographs and first names.

It said they were part of a network that entered Iran in July-August 2016 under the leadership of &quot;high-ranking Daesh commander&quot; Abu Aisha intending to carry out &quot;terrorist operations in religious cities&quot;.

Abu Aisha was killed and the network forced to flee the country, the statement said. It was unclear when the five men returned to Iran ahead of Wednesday&#39;s attacks. IS on Thursday released a video of the five attackers before the assault, via its Amaq propaganda agency.&nbsp;

&quot;Allah permitting, this is the first brigade that was established (in Iran) but it will not be the last,&quot; one said in the video message, as the group sat masked in a circle with their weapons. The jihadist group had earlier released footage of the attackers from inside the building, also via Amaq -- a rare claim of responsibility while an assault was still going on.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/attackers-raid-iran-parliament-twelve-killed-3635">See also: Attackers raid Iran parliament, twelve killed</a>

Following the attacks, US President Donald Trump had said the United States would &quot;grieve and pray&quot; for the victims, but added: &quot;We underscore that states that sponsor terrorism risk falling victim to the evil they promote.&quot;

The statement was condemned by foreign&nbsp;minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who tweeted: &quot;Repugnant WH (White House) statement... as Iranians counter-terror backed by US clients.&quot;

Trump was also criticised on social media by Iranians, who recalled their government&#39;s offers of support and the candlelight vigils held in Iran after the attacks of September 11, 2001 in the United States.

&quot;Iranians lit candles for you on 9/11. You kick them while they&#39;re down. Classy,&quot; tweeted Ali Ghezelbash, an Iranian business analyst.

The US president has long accused Iran of backing terrorism and has threatened to tear up a 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and major powers.&nbsp;

Even as Washington expressed its condolences on Wednesday, the US Senate advanced legislation to impose new sanctions on Iran, partly for what the bill described as the regime&#39;s &#39;support for acts of international terrorism&#39;. Iran&#39;s elite Revolutionary Guards have pointed the finger at regional rival Saudi Arabia -- a close US ally -- which Tehran accuses of funding extremism and groups including IS.

IS has threatened to step up recruitment within Iran, releasing its first Persian-language video in March in which it threatened to &quot;conquer Iran and restore it to the Sunni Muslim nation as it was before.&quot; The Sunni jihadists of IS consider Shiite Iranians to be apostates, and Tehran is deeply involved in fighting the group in both Syria and Iraq.

(AFP)

Iran said the that five nationals involved in the twin attacks in Tehran were Islamic State members who had been to the group's strongholds in Iraq and Syria

Iran said on Thursday that five of its nationals who were killed in twin attacks in Tehran were Islamic State members who had been to the group's strongholds in Iraq and Syria. Wednesday's attacks on Tehran's parliament complex and the shrine of revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, which also wounded more than 50 people, were the first claimed by IS in Iran. Also Read: Iran twin attacks: 13 killed, Iran Guards claim US, Saudi 'involved' "The five known terrorists... after joining the Daesh (IS) terrorist group, left the country and participated in crimes carried out by this terrorist group in Mosul and Raqa," the intelligence ministry said in a statement. It suggested there were only five attackers rather than the six originally reported. An official said previously that those who attacked the parliament complex had been dressed as women. The ministry released their photographs and first names. It said they were part of a network that entered Iran in July-August 2016 under the leadership of "high-ranking Daesh commander" Abu Aisha intending to carry out "terrorist operations in religious cities". Abu Aisha was killed and the network forced to flee the country, the statement said. It was unclear when the five men returned to Iran ahead of Wednesday's attacks. IS on Thursday released a video of the five attackers before the assault, via its Amaq propaganda agency. "Allah permitting, this is the first brigade that was established (in Iran) but it will not be the last," one said in the video message, as the group sat masked in a circle with their weapons. The jihadist group had earlier released footage of the attackers from inside the building, also via Amaq -- a rare claim of responsibility while an assault was still going on. See also: Attackers raid Iran parliament, twelve killed Following the attacks, US President Donald Trump had said the United States would "grieve and pray" for the victims, but added: "We underscore that states that sponsor terrorism risk falling victim to the evil they promote." The statement was condemned by foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who tweeted: "Repugnant WH (White House) statement... as Iranians counter-terror backed by US clients." Trump was also criticised on social media by Iranians, who recalled their government's offers of support and the candlelight vigils held in Iran after the attacks of September 11, 2001 in the United States. "Iranians lit candles for you on 9/11. You kick them while they're down. Classy," tweeted Ali Ghezelbash, an Iranian business analyst. The US president has long accused Iran of backing terrorism and has threatened to tear up a 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and major powers. Even as Washington expressed its condolences on Wednesday, the US Senate advanced legislation to impose new sanctions on Iran, partly for what the bill described as the regime's 'support for acts of international terrorism'. Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards have pointed the finger at regional rival Saudi Arabia -- a close US ally -- which Tehran accuses of funding extremism and groups including IS. IS has threatened to step up recruitment within Iran, releasing its first Persian-language video in March in which it threatened to "conquer Iran and restore it to the Sunni Muslim nation as it was before." The Sunni jihadists of IS consider Shiite Iranians to be apostates, and Tehran is deeply involved in fighting the group in both Syria and Iraq. (AFP)

Parliament, shrine attacks: Iran confirms own citizens linked to IS

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