US-backed Syrian forces edged closer to an Islamic State stronghold on the border with Turkey on Saturday while Russia&#39;s defence minister visited President Bashar al Assad to discuss military operations. 
 
The visit came only hours after the Syrian army and its Iranian-backed militias, which have been supported by Russian air power, lost several villages to Islamist rebels as they made significant advances in the countryside south of Aleppo. 
 
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the rebel capture of three villages from government control - Zeitan, Khalsa and Barna - had caused significant losses among government forces and their allies. 
 
The villages lie in an strategic area near a main highway that links Aleppo with the capital Damascus. Government forces captured the area at the end of last year in a major offensive, assisted by Iranian-backed militias and Russian jets. 
 
State media said Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu visited an airbase in the coastal Latakia province on Saturday after his talks with Assad in Damascus. 
 
Russia&#39;s military intervention in Syria in September helped turn the tide in Assad&#39;s favour after months of gains in western Syria by rebel fighters, who were aided by foreign military supplies, including US-made anti-tank missiles. 
 
Russia, which has been bombing opposition-held areas, is blamed by the opposition and rights activists for causing hundreds of civilian deaths and targeting hospitals, schools and infrastructure in what they say are indiscriminate attacks. 
 
An escalation in Russian and Syrian air and artillery strikes in recent weeks around a highway to rebel held parts of the northern city of Aleppo has made the road virtually impassable, putting hundreds of thousands of people under siege and worsening their humanitarian plight. 
 
A 48-hour ceasefire in Aleppo announced by Russia on Thursday has had little impact on fighting, and air strikes and shelling have continued in and around the city. 
 
At least seven people died in rebel shelling of a neighbourhood of Aleppo held by the Kurdish YPG militia at dawn on Saturday, the Observatory said. 
 
Syrian helicopters also threw barrel bombs on several residential areas in opposition-held quarters. 
 
CLOSE TO MANBIJ 
 
Hundreds of people have been killed in Aleppo since peace talks broke off in April, as President Assad seeks to regain control of what was Syria&#39;s largest pre-war city, now split between rebel and government sectors. 
 
Washington and some other Western countries that have called on Assad to step down accuse Russia of focusing mostly on strikes against the moderate so-called Free Syrian Army (FSA), and less on attacking hardline Islamic State militants. 
 
On the border with Turkey, US-backed Syrian forces fought to the western entrance of Manbij city for the first time since a major offensive to seize the last territory held by Islamic State militants on the frontier, a source in the Syrian group said on Saturday. 
 
The source from the Syria Democratic Forces (SDF) alliance - which includes the powerful KurdishYek?ney?n Parastina Gel&lrm; (YPG) militia, Arab fighters and is being helped by scores of US special forces - told Reuters its troops were now almost two km from the city centre. 
 
Since the start of the offensive on May 31, the SDF has taken dozens of villages and farms around Manbij but has held back from entering the city with many thousands of people still trapped there. 
 
The SDF is one of a number of sides fighting in Syria&#39;s complex civil war which has pitted rebels against Assad and is now in its sixth year. 
 
The Observatory, which tracks violence across Syria, confirmed heavy fighting broke out for the first time on the edge of the city, adding that the militants had rammed a suicide vehicle into an SDF outpost but gave no details. 
 
Syrian government forces and some rebel groups are also fighting separate battles against Islamic State. The SDF has largely avoided fighting government forces and focuses on battling the hardline militants. 
(Reuters)

Syrian forces lost three villages to IS near a highway that links Aleppo to Damascus

US-backed Syrian forces edged closer to an Islamic State stronghold on the border with Turkey on Saturday while Russia's defence minister visited President Bashar al Assad to discuss military operations. The visit came only hours after the Syrian army and its Iranian-backed militias, which have been supported by Russian air power, lost several villages to Islamist rebels as they made significant advances in the countryside south of Aleppo. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the rebel capture of three villages from government control - Zeitan, Khalsa and Barna - had caused significant losses among government forces and their allies. The villages lie in an strategic area near a main highway that links Aleppo with the capital Damascus. Government forces captured the area at the end of last year in a major offensive, assisted by Iranian-backed militias and Russian jets. State media said Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu visited an airbase in the coastal Latakia province on Saturday after his talks with Assad in Damascus. Russia's military intervention in Syria in September helped turn the tide in Assad's favour after months of gains in western Syria by rebel fighters, who were aided by foreign military supplies, including US-made anti-tank missiles. Russia, which has been bombing opposition-held areas, is blamed by the opposition and rights activists for causing hundreds of civilian deaths and targeting hospitals, schools and infrastructure in what they say are indiscriminate attacks. An escalation in Russian and Syrian air and artillery strikes in recent weeks around a highway to rebel held parts of the northern city of Aleppo has made the road virtually impassable, putting hundreds of thousands of people under siege and worsening their humanitarian plight. A 48-hour ceasefire in Aleppo announced by Russia on Thursday has had little impact on fighting, and air strikes and shelling have continued in and around the city. At least seven people died in rebel shelling of a neighbourhood of Aleppo held by the Kurdish YPG militia at dawn on Saturday, the Observatory said. Syrian helicopters also threw barrel bombs on several residential areas in opposition-held quarters. CLOSE TO MANBIJ Hundreds of people have been killed in Aleppo since peace talks broke off in April, as President Assad seeks to regain control of what was Syria's largest pre-war city, now split between rebel and government sectors. Washington and some other Western countries that have called on Assad to step down accuse Russia of focusing mostly on strikes against the moderate so-called Free Syrian Army (FSA), and less on attacking hardline Islamic State militants. On the border with Turkey, US-backed Syrian forces fought to the western entrance of Manbij city for the first time since a major offensive to seize the last territory held by Islamic State militants on the frontier, a source in the Syrian group said on Saturday. The source from the Syria Democratic Forces (SDF) alliance - which includes the powerful KurdishYek?ney?n Parastina Gel‎ (YPG) militia, Arab fighters and is being helped by scores of US special forces - told Reuters its troops were now almost two km from the city centre. Since the start of the offensive on May 31, the SDF has taken dozens of villages and farms around Manbij but has held back from entering the city with many thousands of people still trapped there. The SDF is one of a number of sides fighting in Syria's complex civil war which has pitted rebels against Assad and is now in its sixth year. The Observatory, which tracks violence across Syria, confirmed heavy fighting broke out for the first time on the edge of the city, adding that the militants had rammed a suicide vehicle into an SDF outpost but gave no details. Syrian government forces and some rebel groups are also fighting separate battles against Islamic State. The SDF has largely avoided fighting government forces and focuses on battling the hardline militants. (Reuters)

US-backed forces advance against Islamic State in Syria

At least seven people died in rebel shelling of a neighbourhood of the Syrian city of Aleppo held by the Kurdish YPG militia at dawn on Saturday, a monitoring group said, as rebels took territory to the south. 
 
More than 40 people were also wounded in the attack on the Sheikh Maqsood area, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, a district next to the only way in and out of rebel-held parts of the northern city, the Castello road. 
 
An escalation in air and artillery strikes in recent weeks around the road has made it virtually impassable, putting hundreds of thousands of people in Aleppo under effective siege. 
 
Hundreds of people have been killed in Aleppo since peace talks broke off in April, as Syria&#39;s President Bashar al-Assad seeks to regain control of what was Syria&#39;s largest pre-war city, now split between rebel and government sectors. 
 
Rebels have said in the past their attacks on Sheikh Maqsood were in response to YPG&#39;s attempts to cut the Castello road. 
 
The YPG controls nearly all of Syria&#39;s northern frontier with Turkey and has been a close ally of the United States in the campaign against Islamic State in Syria. Many rebels in western Syria do not trust the YPG because they say it cooperates with Damascus rather than fighting it, an accusation the YPG has denied. 
 
Heavy Bombardment 
 
Sheikh Maqsood has been under intense bombardment since mid-February which has killed more than 132 civilians and injured around 900 more, the Observatory said. 
 
A 48-hour ceasefire in Aleppo announced by Russia on Thursday has had little impact on fighting and air strikes and shelling have continued in and around the city since then. 
 
Three people, two of them children, died and more than nine people were injured by barrel bombs dropped from helicopters in the city, the Observatory said on Saturday. 
 
The White Helmets, a group of civil defence emergency workers operating in rebel-held areas, said on Twitter one of their buildings in Haritan, in the north Aleppo countryside, was hit by an air strike on Saturday. There were no injuries. 
 
The Observatory also said on Saturday that rebels had captured three villages south of Aleppo from government control - Zeitan, Khalsa and Barna - causing significant losses among government forces and their allies. 
 
The villages are near a main highway within rebel territory linking Aleppo with the capital Damascus to the south. They lie in an area captured by government forces at the end of last year in a large offensive assisted by Iranian-backed militias and Russian air power. 
 
But the Syrian Observatory said there has been a lack of Russian air support during this week&#39;s battle for these villages. 
 
At least 86 members of Syrian government forces and its allies - who include members of the Lebanese group Hezbollah and other Iranian-backed militias - were killed in fighting in the south Aleppo area in the past four days, the Observatory said. 
 
The numbers could not be independently confirmed. 
 
The rebels are fighting alongside the al Qaeda-affiliated Nusra Front which, like Islamic State, was excluded from a February ceasefire and from the Geneva peace talks. 
(Reuters)

More than 40 were also wounded, in an escalation of air and artillery attacks that have put hundreds of thousands effectively under siege

At least seven people died in rebel shelling of a neighbourhood of the Syrian city of Aleppo held by the Kurdish YPG militia at dawn on Saturday, a monitoring group said, as rebels took territory to the south. More than 40 people were also wounded in the attack on the Sheikh Maqsood area, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, a district next to the only way in and out of rebel-held parts of the northern city, the Castello road. An escalation in air and artillery strikes in recent weeks around the road has made it virtually impassable, putting hundreds of thousands of people in Aleppo under effective siege. Hundreds of people have been killed in Aleppo since peace talks broke off in April, as Syria's President Bashar al-Assad seeks to regain control of what was Syria's largest pre-war city, now split between rebel and government sectors. Rebels have said in the past their attacks on Sheikh Maqsood were in response to YPG's attempts to cut the Castello road. The YPG controls nearly all of Syria's northern frontier with Turkey and has been a close ally of the United States in the campaign against Islamic State in Syria. Many rebels in western Syria do not trust the YPG because they say it cooperates with Damascus rather than fighting it, an accusation the YPG has denied. Heavy Bombardment Sheikh Maqsood has been under intense bombardment since mid-February which has killed more than 132 civilians and injured around 900 more, the Observatory said. A 48-hour ceasefire in Aleppo announced by Russia on Thursday has had little impact on fighting and air strikes and shelling have continued in and around the city since then. Three people, two of them children, died and more than nine people were injured by barrel bombs dropped from helicopters in the city, the Observatory said on Saturday. The White Helmets, a group of civil defence emergency workers operating in rebel-held areas, said on Twitter one of their buildings in Haritan, in the north Aleppo countryside, was hit by an air strike on Saturday. There were no injuries. The Observatory also said on Saturday that rebels had captured three villages south of Aleppo from government control - Zeitan, Khalsa and Barna - causing significant losses among government forces and their allies. The villages are near a main highway within rebel territory linking Aleppo with the capital Damascus to the south. They lie in an area captured by government forces at the end of last year in a large offensive assisted by Iranian-backed militias and Russian air power. But the Syrian Observatory said there has been a lack of Russian air support during this week's battle for these villages. At least 86 members of Syrian government forces and its allies - who include members of the Lebanese group Hezbollah and other Iranian-backed militias - were killed in fighting in the south Aleppo area in the past four days, the Observatory said. The numbers could not be independently confirmed. The rebels are fighting alongside the al Qaeda-affiliated Nusra Front which, like Islamic State, was excluded from a February ceasefire and from the Geneva peace talks. (Reuters)

Syria rebels kill 7 in Aleppo assault, capture 3 villages

<div style="text-align: justify;">US&nbsp;President Barack Obama will meet with Saudi Arabia&#39;s powerful deputy crown prince on Friday and the two are expected to discuss conflicts in the Middle East including the campaign against Islamic State, a White House spokesman said on Thursday. 
 
Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the son of King Salman, is on a visit to the United States aimed at restoring frayed relations with Washington and to promote a plan to slash the kingdom&#39;s dependence on oil revenues. Friday&#39;s meeting will take place at the White House. 
 
White House spokesman Eric Schultz said the meeting would provide an opportunity to discuss issues including the conflicts in Syria and Yemen and &quot;our cooperation with the Saudis in the campaign against ISIL,&quot; as Islamic State is also known. 
 
U.S. officials have expressed unease about the Saudi-led campaign against Houthi rebels in Yemen, which has resulted in large-scale civilian casualties, according to the United Nations and human rights groups. 
 
Reuters reported last week that the UN&nbsp;had removed the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen from a child rights blacklist after intense pressure by Riyadh. 
 
Prince Mohammed, whose influence in Saudi governing counsels appears to be growing rapidly, is being given wide access to Obama&#39;s administration. 
 
He will visit the White House on Thursday afternoon to meet with Obama&#39;s National Economic Council to discuss the plan the prince is championing to transform the Saudi economy by 2030. US&nbsp;treasury secretary Jack Lew and Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz will be present. 
 
&quot;A lot of our economic officials this afternoon will be meeting with him about how to move that programme forward and adopt best practices,&quot; Schultz said 
 
Prince Mohammed, who is also the Saudi defence minister, also is due to meet US&nbsp;defence secretary Ash Carter at the Pentagon on Thursday. 
(Reuters)</div>

Deputy crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, the son of King Salman, is on a visit to the US aimed at restoring frayed relations with Washington

US President Barack Obama will meet with Saudi Arabia's powerful deputy crown prince on Friday and the two are expected to discuss conflicts in the Middle East including the campaign against Islamic State, a White House spokesman said on Thursday. Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the son of King Salman, is on a visit to the United States aimed at restoring frayed relations with Washington and to promote a plan to slash the kingdom's dependence on oil revenues. Friday's meeting will take place at the White House. White House spokesman Eric Schultz said the meeting would provide an opportunity to discuss issues including the conflicts in Syria and Yemen and "our cooperation with the Saudis in the campaign against ISIL," as Islamic State is also known. U.S. officials have expressed unease about the Saudi-led campaign against Houthi rebels in Yemen, which has resulted in large-scale civilian casualties, according to the United Nations and human rights groups. Reuters reported last week that the UN had removed the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen from a child rights blacklist after intense pressure by Riyadh. Prince Mohammed, whose influence in Saudi governing counsels appears to be growing rapidly, is being given wide access to Obama's administration. He will visit the White House on Thursday afternoon to meet with Obama's National Economic Council to discuss the plan the prince is championing to transform the Saudi economy by 2030. US treasury secretary Jack Lew and Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz will be present. "A lot of our economic officials this afternoon will be meeting with him about how to move that programme forward and adopt best practices," Schultz said Prince Mohammed, who is also the Saudi defence minister, also is due to meet US defence secretary Ash Carter at the Pentagon on Thursday. (Reuters)

Obama to meet Saudi deputy crown prince on Friday:  White House

Ten Islamic State militants were killed in northern Syria by coalition air strikes and cross-border artillery fire from Turkey, military sources said today. 
A total of 17 targets, including mortar positions, were hit in the operations which were carried out on militants thought to have been preparing for an attack on Turkey, the sources said. 
(Reuters)

The strikes targeted 17 targets of the Islamic State fighters who, military sources say, were preparing to attack Turkey

Ten Islamic State militants were killed in northern Syria by coalition air strikes and cross-border artillery fire from Turkey, military sources said today. A total of 17 targets, including mortar positions, were hit in the operations which were carried out on militants thought to have been preparing for an attack on Turkey, the sources said. (Reuters)

Coalition airstrikes, Turkish shelling kill 10 IS militants in Syria

Moroccan authorities have arrested an Italian national who was planning to carry out attacks on targets in the kingdom, said the interior ministry in a statement on Monday. 
 
Morocco, a Western ally against Islamist militancy, announced that it has broken up militant cells accused of plotting attacks inside and outside the kingdom. 
 
The suspected Italian national, who lives in Belgium, was arrested on June 8 when he landed in the eastern city of Oujda, based on intelligence report showing his alleged ties to the Islamic State group and involved in a plan to attack targets in Morocco, said the statement 
 
In 2014, he tried to travel to Syria or Iraq but failed, despite guidance from an Islamic State member, and returned to Belgium 
 
Authorities said the suspect has already visited Morocco in 2015, sent by Islamic State, and identified targets in Casablanca, Morocco&#39;s biggest city. 
 
Moroccan security officials provided information that helped their European counterparts in fighting militancy, especially during the recent Paris attacks. 
 
Thousands of fighters from Morocco and other Maghreb nations, such as Tunisia, have joined Islamist militant forces that is in conflict in Iraq and Syria, and also in Libya. Some are threatening to return home to carry out attacks and recruit more jihadis, says&nbsp;security experts . 
 
Moroccan officials estimate that 2,000 Moroccan fighters have joined armed groups in Syria and Iraq, including Islamic State and the al-Qaeda linked Nusra Front, and about 200 have been jailed on their return home. 
 
The North African state has suffered bomb attacks by suspected Islamist fighters, most recently in 2011 in Marrakesh.

According to authorities, the suspect had visited Morocco in 2015, backed by IS, and identified targets in Casablanca

Moroccan authorities have arrested an Italian national who was planning to carry out attacks on targets in the kingdom, said the interior ministry in a statement on Monday. Morocco, a Western ally against Islamist militancy, announced that it has broken up militant cells accused of plotting attacks inside and outside the kingdom. The suspected Italian national, who lives in Belgium, was arrested on June 8 when he landed in the eastern city of Oujda, based on intelligence report showing his alleged ties to the Islamic State group and involved in a plan to attack targets in Morocco, said the statement In 2014, he tried to travel to Syria or Iraq but failed, despite guidance from an Islamic State member, and returned to Belgium Authorities said the suspect has already visited Morocco in 2015, sent by Islamic State, and identified targets in Casablanca, Morocco's biggest city. Moroccan security officials provided information that helped their European counterparts in fighting militancy, especially during the recent Paris attacks. Thousands of fighters from Morocco and other Maghreb nations, such as Tunisia, have joined Islamist militant forces that is in conflict in Iraq and Syria, and also in Libya. Some are threatening to return home to carry out attacks and recruit more jihadis, says security experts . Moroccan officials estimate that 2,000 Moroccan fighters have joined armed groups in Syria and Iraq, including Islamic State and the al-Qaeda linked Nusra Front, and about 200 have been jailed on their return home. The North African state has suffered bomb attacks by suspected Islamist fighters, most recently in 2011 in Marrakesh.

Morocco arrests Italian suspected of Islamic State ties

Pope Francis today condemned the use of hunger as a &quot;weapon of war&quot; and lamented the fact that it was easier to move weapons across borders than the aid needed to keep civilians alive. 
 
Days after aid agencies were allowed to deliver food to the besieged Syrian town of Daraya for the first time since 2012, Francis said preventing supplies from reaching war zones was a violation of international law. 
 
On a visit to the headquarters of the World Food Programme (WFP), the pope said the world faced a &quot;strange paradox&quot;. 
 
&quot;Whereas forms of aid and development projects are obstructed by involved and incomprehensible political decisions, skewed ideological visions and impenetrable customs barriers, weaponry is not.&quot; 
 
&quot;In some cases, hunger itself is used as a weapon of war,&quot; he said in an address to the WFP, the Rome-based UN agency which is the largest provider of food aid worldwide. 
 
&quot;(Weapons) circulate with brazen and virtually absolute freedom in many parts of the world. As a result, wars are fed, not people,&quot; said Francis, who has often condemned arms manufacturing and trafficking. 
 
In January, UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon accused both the Syrian government and rebels of using starvation as a weapon, calling the practice a war crime.. 
 
The Argentine pope said the rich world was increasingly desensitised, &quot;growing immune to other people&rsquo;s tragedies, seeing them as something &#39;natural&#39; ... all those human lives turn into one more news story.&quot; 
 
Francis, who in the past has condemned speculation in food commodities as undermining the fight against poverty and hunger, also condemned rich countries&#39; wasteful use of food. 
 
&quot;We have made the fruits of the earth &ndash; a gift to humanity &ndash; commodities for a few, thus engendering exclusion. The consumerism in which our societies are immersed has made us grow accustomed to excess and to the daily waste of food,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;We need to be reminded that food discarded is, in a certain sense, stolen from the table of poor and the starving.&quot; 
 
&nbsp;

After four years aid agencies were allowed to deliver food to the besieged town of Daraya

Pope Francis today condemned the use of hunger as a "weapon of war" and lamented the fact that it was easier to move weapons across borders than the aid needed to keep civilians alive. Days after aid agencies were allowed to deliver food to the besieged Syrian town of Daraya for the first time since 2012, Francis said preventing supplies from reaching war zones was a violation of international law. On a visit to the headquarters of the World Food Programme (WFP), the pope said the world faced a "strange paradox". "Whereas forms of aid and development projects are obstructed by involved and incomprehensible political decisions, skewed ideological visions and impenetrable customs barriers, weaponry is not." "In some cases, hunger itself is used as a weapon of war," he said in an address to the WFP, the Rome-based UN agency which is the largest provider of food aid worldwide. "(Weapons) circulate with brazen and virtually absolute freedom in many parts of the world. As a result, wars are fed, not people," said Francis, who has often condemned arms manufacturing and trafficking. In January, UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon accused both the Syrian government and rebels of using starvation as a weapon, calling the practice a war crime.. The Argentine pope said the rich world was increasingly desensitised, "growing immune to other people’s tragedies, seeing them as something 'natural' ... all those human lives turn into one more news story." Francis, who in the past has condemned speculation in food commodities as undermining the fight against poverty and hunger, also condemned rich countries' wasteful use of food. "We have made the fruits of the earth – a gift to humanity – commodities for a few, thus engendering exclusion. The consumerism in which our societies are immersed has made us grow accustomed to excess and to the daily waste of food," he said. "We need to be reminded that food discarded is, in a certain sense, stolen from the table of poor and the starving."

"Feed people,not wars," pope says in address to UN food agency

Islamic State militants claimed responsibility for car and suicide bomb blasts that killed at least eight people and injured scores in a suburb of the Syrian capital Damascus today, the IS-affiliated Amaq news agency said. 
 
The Sayeda Zeinab suburb contains Syria&#39;s holiest Shiite shrine and is a base for Shiite militant groups from Lebanon and Iraq who are on the side of President Bashar al-Assad in the country&#39;s five-year-old civil war.

Amaq news agency said that in today&#39;s attack, militants detonated an explosives-laden car in Sayeda Zeinab while two suicide bombers blew themselves up nearby. Syrian state media showed footage of wide-scale damage in a busy marketplace.

A Shiite religious cleric said on the state-run Ikhbariyah TV channel that the car bomb blast was not far from the shrine area in the main al-Taen street.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, however, said the death toll was at least nine. The heavily garrisoned area is a well known stronghold of Lebanon&#39;s powerful Shiite Hezbollah group, a major backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Thousands of Iraqi and Afghan Shiite militia recruits, who volunteer to fight against the Sunni rebel groups trying to bring down Assad&#39;s government, normally come to the area before being sent to frontlines across Syria.

They say they come to Syria to defend the Sayeda Zeinab shrine from radical Sunni extremists.

The Sayeda Zeinab suburb contains Syria's holiest Shiite shrine and is a base for Shiite militant groups from Lebanon and Iraq

Islamic State militants claimed responsibility for car and suicide bomb blasts that killed at least eight people and injured scores in a suburb of the Syrian capital Damascus today, the IS-affiliated Amaq news agency said. The Sayeda Zeinab suburb contains Syria's holiest Shiite shrine and is a base for Shiite militant groups from Lebanon and Iraq who are on the side of President Bashar al-Assad in the country's five-year-old civil war. Amaq news agency said that in today's attack, militants detonated an explosives-laden car in Sayeda Zeinab while two suicide bombers blew themselves up nearby. Syrian state media showed footage of wide-scale damage in a busy marketplace. A Shiite religious cleric said on the state-run Ikhbariyah TV channel that the car bomb blast was not far from the shrine area in the main al-Taen street. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, however, said the death toll was at least nine. The heavily garrisoned area is a well known stronghold of Lebanon's powerful Shiite Hezbollah group, a major backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Thousands of Iraqi and Afghan Shiite militia recruits, who volunteer to fight against the Sunni rebel groups trying to bring down Assad's government, normally come to the area before being sent to frontlines across Syria. They say they come to Syria to defend the Sayeda Zeinab shrine from radical Sunni extremists.

Islamic State claims responsibility for bombings near Damascus Shiite shrine

At least eight people were killed and scores wounded in twin suicide and car bomb blasts today in a Damascus suburb that contains Syria&#39;s holiest Shiite Muslim shrine, state television said. 
 
State media, which flashed the news, did not give further details about the bombings in the Sayeda Zeinab area, where at least three bomb attacks claimed by Islamic State militants have killed and injured scores of people this year. 
 
A Shiite religious cleric said on the state-run Ikhbariyah TV channel that the car bomb blast was not far from the shrine area in the main al-Taen street. 
 
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, however, said the death toll was at least nine. The heavily garrisoned area is a well known stronghold of Lebanon&#39;s powerful Shiite Hezbollah group, a major backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. 
 
Thousands of Iraqi and Afghan Shiite militia recruits, who volunteer to fight against the Sunni rebel groups trying to bring down Assad&#39;s government, normally come to the area before being sent to frontlines across Syria. 
 
They say they come to Syria to defend the Sayeda Zeinab shrine from radical Sunni extremists.

A Shiite religious cleric was quoted saying that the car bomb blast was not far from the shrine area in main al-Taen street

At least eight people were killed and scores wounded in twin suicide and car bomb blasts today in a Damascus suburb that contains Syria's holiest Shiite Muslim shrine, state television said. State media, which flashed the news, did not give further details about the bombings in the Sayeda Zeinab area, where at least three bomb attacks claimed by Islamic State militants have killed and injured scores of people this year. A Shiite religious cleric said on the state-run Ikhbariyah TV channel that the car bomb blast was not far from the shrine area in the main al-Taen street. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, however, said the death toll was at least nine. The heavily garrisoned area is a well known stronghold of Lebanon's powerful Shiite Hezbollah group, a major backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Thousands of Iraqi and Afghan Shiite militia recruits, who volunteer to fight against the Sunni rebel groups trying to bring down Assad's government, normally come to the area before being sent to frontlines across Syria. They say they come to Syria to defend the Sayeda Zeinab shrine from radical Sunni extremists.

Suicide, car bomb blasts hit Damascus suburb, at least 8 dead, says Syrian state media

An international aid convoy reached the Syrian government-besieged town of Daraya overnight, delivering food supplies for the first time since 2012, said&nbsp;a UN spokesman on Friday. 
 
Trucks from the UN and Syrian Arab Red Crescent brought a month&#39;s supply of food for 2,400 people as well as health and hygiene items for the entire estimated population of 4,000 in the rebel-held town near Damascus, spokesman Jens Laerke said. 
 
&quot;It was quite a feat,&quot; Laerke told in a news briefing, adding it was &quot;the first time in years&quot; that the world body had delivered food to Daraya, where malnutrition has been reported.

Trucks from the UN and Syrian Arab Red Crescent brought a month's supply for 2,400

An international aid convoy reached the Syrian government-besieged town of Daraya overnight, delivering food supplies for the first time since 2012, said a UN spokesman on Friday. Trucks from the UN and Syrian Arab Red Crescent brought a month's supply of food for 2,400 people as well as health and hygiene items for the entire estimated population of 4,000 in the rebel-held town near Damascus, spokesman Jens Laerke said. "It was quite a feat," Laerke told in a news briefing, adding it was "the first time in years" that the world body had delivered food to Daraya, where malnutrition has been reported.

UN convoy brings food to besieged Syrian town of Daraya

Islamic State fighters withdrew from frontlines with Syrian rebel forces north of Aleppo today as they mounted a counter attack against the jihadist group near the Turkish border, an opposition source and monitoring group said. 
 
The sudden withdrawal from villages around the rebel-held town of Marea points to the pressure Islamic State is feeling from offensives being waged by other enemies further east, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said. 
 
Islamic State had managed to besiege the rebel-held town of Marea in a significant advance late last month, stranding thousands of civilians there and prompting a US-led coalition to air drop weapons to rebels, rebel sources said. 
 
Rebel fighters in Marea broke the siege today when they captured the village of Kafr Kalbin on the road linking Marea with Azaz, 20 km (12 miles) to the northwest at the border with Turkey. The advance was preceded by a rebel statement saying they were uniting their ranks. 
 
&quot;It seems they (IS) can&#39;t keep several fronts open at the same time. It is a strategic area, they were on the verge of entering Azaz,&quot; observatory director Rami Abdulrahman said. The opposition source said Islamic State had withdrawn from the area quickly, and Free Syrian Army(FSA) factions had filled the void. 
 
FSA rebels fighting Islamic State north of Aleppo have received military assistance from states opposed to President Bashar al-Assad. 
 
Their battle with Islamic State is separate to one being waged further east by a US-backed group, the Syria Democratic Forces (SDF), which includes the Kurdish Yek?ney?n Parastina Gel&lrm;(YPG) militia. The Syrian army, backed by Russian air strikes, has also advanced against Islamic State since last week. 
 
The FSA rebels are fighting separate conflicts with both the SDF and Assad, their main enemy.

Withdrawal points to the pressure IS is feeling from offensives being waged by other enemies further east

Islamic State fighters withdrew from frontlines with Syrian rebel forces north of Aleppo today as they mounted a counter attack against the jihadist group near the Turkish border, an opposition source and monitoring group said. The sudden withdrawal from villages around the rebel-held town of Marea points to the pressure Islamic State is feeling from offensives being waged by other enemies further east, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said. Islamic State had managed to besiege the rebel-held town of Marea in a significant advance late last month, stranding thousands of civilians there and prompting a US-led coalition to air drop weapons to rebels, rebel sources said. Rebel fighters in Marea broke the siege today when they captured the village of Kafr Kalbin on the road linking Marea with Azaz, 20 km (12 miles) to the northwest at the border with Turkey. The advance was preceded by a rebel statement saying they were uniting their ranks. "It seems they (IS) can't keep several fronts open at the same time. It is a strategic area, they were on the verge of entering Azaz," observatory director Rami Abdulrahman said. The opposition source said Islamic State had withdrawn from the area quickly, and Free Syrian Army(FSA) factions had filled the void. FSA rebels fighting Islamic State north of Aleppo have received military assistance from states opposed to President Bashar al-Assad. Their battle with Islamic State is separate to one being waged further east by a US-backed group, the Syria Democratic Forces (SDF), which includes the Kurdish Yek?ney?n Parastina Gel‎(YPG) militia. The Syrian army, backed by Russian air strikes, has also advanced against Islamic State since last week. The FSA rebels are fighting separate conflicts with both the SDF and Assad, their main enemy.

Islamic State withdraws from northwest Syria frontlines

At least 23 people were killed in Russian air strikes overnight in the Syrian rebel-held city of Idlib, the heaviest bombardment there since a cessation of hostilities was agreed in February, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The Observatory said the air strikes targeted a number of positions in the city, one of them next to a hospital. Seven children were among the dead, Observatory Director Rami Abdulrahman said. The toll was likely to rise.

Idlib is a stronghold of rebel groups including the al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front.

Idlib death toll climbs after Russian airstrike

At least 23 people were killed in Russian air strikes overnight in the Syrian rebel-held city of Idlib, the heaviest bombardment there since a cessation of hostilities was agreed in February, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The Observatory said the air strikes targeted a number of positions in the city, one of them next to a hospital. Seven children were among the dead, Observatory Director Rami Abdulrahman said. The toll was likely to rise. Idlib is a stronghold of rebel groups including the al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front.

Death toll from Russian air strikes in Idlib climbs to 23

Turkey is offering to &quot;join forces&quot; with Washington for a special operation inside Syria on condition it doesn`t include a Syrian Kurdish militia blacklisted by Ankara but seen as an ally by the US, the foreign minister said. 
Washington`s support of Kurdish fighters in Syria in the fight against Islamic State jihadists has angered Ankara, especially after AFP pictures last week revealed US commandos sporting patches of the Kurdish People`s Protection Units (YPG) detested by Turkey. 
&quot;If we join forces, they (the US) have their own special forces and we have our special forces,&quot; Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told a small group of journalists in the Mediterranean resort of Antalya. 
Such a coalition could &quot;easily&quot; head to IS` de facto capital in Raqa to the south in a second front, he said. 
There was no immediate reaction to the proposal from the United States, whose strategy for fighting jihadists inside Syria is pinned on its alliance with the &nbsp;Syrian Kurds. 
The US is supporting an alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters-- the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)-- as the most effective fighting force on the ground against IS. 
But the SDF is still dominated by the YPG, which Turkey sees as the Syrian branch of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) which has fought a three decade insurgency against the Turkish state. 
Cavusoglu said Syrian Arab opposition forces opposing the regime of President Bashar al-Assad could be backed up with special forces from Turkey, the United States as well as from France, Britain and Germany. 
&quot;The subject we are discussing with the Americans is the closure of the Manbij pocket as soon as possible... and the opening of a second front,&quot; Cavusoglu said, referring to a backdoor border route favoured by IS for smuggling jihadists into and out of Syria. 
&quot;We say okay, a second front should be opened but not with the PYD,&quot; he said, referring to the Democratic Union Party, the YPG`s political wing.&nbsp;&quot;Unfortunately, both Russia and the United States see a terrorist organisation as a partner and support it,&quot; he added. 
In Ankara, government spokesman Numan Kurtulmus declined to comment on details of any operation, but said Turkey placed top priority on protecting a line stretching between Syria`s flashpoint towns of Marea and Jarablus. 
&quot;Turkey is determined whatever is needed to protect the line from terrorist groups,&quot; he said on Monday after a cabinet meeting.The dispute over the role of the YPG has proved a major bone of contention in relations between the two NATO allies. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the weekend accused the US of dishonesty. 
Cavusoglu lamented the delay in the delivery of American light multiple rocket launchers to be deployed along its border with Syria to combat IS. 
The High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) was supposed to be deployed along the Turkish border by the end of May, but Cavusoglu said it would now only happen in August. 
&quot;The United States is unfortunately not keeping its promise,&quot; he said.&nbsp;&quot;We are completely ready. Not us, but the US is responsible for the delay,&quot; he added. 
The system would allow Turkey to hit IS positions within a 90-kilometre (56-mile) range, while Turkish artillery has a more limited range of 40 kilometres. 
Yet Turkish cooperation is critical for the US-led fight against IS, with coalition war planes using the southern Turkish base of Incirlik as a hub for attacks on the group. 
Cavusoglu said US support for YPG was &quot;very dangerous&quot; for the future of Syria. 
Asked if could have implications for the US use of Incirlik, he replied: &quot;The United States is our NATO ally, model partner. To be honest, we don`t want the business to reach that stage.&quot;

With support from Turkey and the US-led coalition, rebels in the northern province of Aleppo have been fighting for months to clear the Islamic State (IS) from the Aleppo countryside.

Turkey is offering to "join forces" with Washington for a special operation inside Syria on condition it doesn`t include a Syrian Kurdish militia blacklisted by Ankara but seen as an ally by the US, the foreign minister said. Washington`s support of Kurdish fighters in Syria in the fight against Islamic State jihadists has angered Ankara, especially after AFP pictures last week revealed US commandos sporting patches of the Kurdish People`s Protection Units (YPG) detested by Turkey. "If we join forces, they (the US) have their own special forces and we have our special forces," Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told a small group of journalists in the Mediterranean resort of Antalya. Such a coalition could "easily" head to IS` de facto capital in Raqa to the south in a second front, he said. There was no immediate reaction to the proposal from the United States, whose strategy for fighting jihadists inside Syria is pinned on its alliance with the Syrian Kurds. The US is supporting an alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters-- the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)-- as the most effective fighting force on the ground against IS. But the SDF is still dominated by the YPG, which Turkey sees as the Syrian branch of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) which has fought a three decade insurgency against the Turkish state. Cavusoglu said Syrian Arab opposition forces opposing the regime of President Bashar al-Assad could be backed up with special forces from Turkey, the United States as well as from France, Britain and Germany. "The subject we are discussing with the Americans is the closure of the Manbij pocket as soon as possible... and the opening of a second front," Cavusoglu said, referring to a backdoor border route favoured by IS for smuggling jihadists into and out of Syria. "We say okay, a second front should be opened but not with the PYD," he said, referring to the Democratic Union Party, the YPG`s political wing. "Unfortunately, both Russia and the United States see a terrorist organisation as a partner and support it," he added. In Ankara, government spokesman Numan Kurtulmus declined to comment on details of any operation, but said Turkey placed top priority on protecting a line stretching between Syria`s flashpoint towns of Marea and Jarablus. "Turkey is determined whatever is needed to protect the line from terrorist groups," he said on Monday after a cabinet meeting.The dispute over the role of the YPG has proved a major bone of contention in relations between the two NATO allies. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the weekend accused the US of dishonesty. Cavusoglu lamented the delay in the delivery of American light multiple rocket launchers to be deployed along its border with Syria to combat IS. The High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) was supposed to be deployed along the Turkish border by the end of May, but Cavusoglu said it would now only happen in August. "The United States is unfortunately not keeping its promise," he said. "We are completely ready. Not us, but the US is responsible for the delay," he added. The system would allow Turkey to hit IS positions within a 90-kilometre (56-mile) range, while Turkish artillery has a more limited range of 40 kilometres. Yet Turkish cooperation is critical for the US-led fight against IS, with coalition war planes using the southern Turkish base of Incirlik as a hub for attacks on the group. Cavusoglu said US support for YPG was "very dangerous" for the future of Syria. Asked if could have implications for the US use of Incirlik, he replied: "The United States is our NATO ally, model partner. To be honest, we don`t want the business to reach that stage."

Turkey offers US joint Syria operation, without the Kurds

In a city whose windows have been blasted from their frames, remaining residents of Syria`s war-torn Aleppo go about their daily lives behind gaping holes covered with plastic. 
 
For inhabitants of the battle-scarred and divided city, glass windows have become more of a liability than a luxury. 
 
&quot;Every window pane we have has been shattered by shelling,&quot; said Ammar Wattar, an English teacher, as he fitted a hard plastic sheet into the window frame of his home in the government-held district of Al-Midan. 
&quot;We changed it the first time, then the second time, the third time -- until this time, we decided not to change it anymore.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
The windows are regularly blown out in the frequent rocket attacks and air strikes on Aleppo city, turning the shards into dangerous projectiles.&nbsp; 
 
Replacing them is also prohibitively expensive - so residents have been opting to cover the empty frames with sheets of plastic.&nbsp; 
In many neighbourhoods, children can be seen slipping behind white tarpaulin hanging like curtains from the doorways of their apartments.&nbsp; 
Abandoned apartment buildings are often identified by the partly-smashed glass windows protruding like jagged teeth from the metal frames. 
 
Clashes and bombardment have carried on in Aleppo despite a February 27 truce across parts of Syria and multiple attempts to secure a local freeze on fighting in the city. 
 
Asraa al-Masri, a teacher in a regime-held district of the city, said a shard of glass flew into her daughter`s leg during a rocket attack.&nbsp; 
She has since stopped replacing her windows with glass, but she now faces a new set of worries.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Bugs, dust, soot, loud noises, the burning smell of the generators, which are bad for your health and negatively affect our children while they`re studying,&quot; she listed.&nbsp; 
 
Perhaps no one has seen as much shattered glass as Mohammed Bouz, who used to sell it in a shop in Al-Midan. 
&quot;My stockpile has been destroyed many times during the shelling, and I haven`t been able to get new deliveries,&quot; he told AFP. 
Before Syria`s war erupted in March 2011, a square metre of glass cost 425 Syrian pounds (70 cents) -- but it now fetches about 3,300 ($6).&nbsp; 
 
Aleppo`s desperate residents -- many of whom have been left jobless since war came to their city in 2012 -- opt for the much cheaper plastic at a maximum of 500 Syrian pounds per square metre.&nbsp; 
 
But for Umm Ahmad`s conservative Muslim family, no proper windows means no privacy. 
Synthetic canvas billows in the wind, &quot;so my daughters and I can only change our clothes in the bathroom or in the hallways so our neighbours don`t see us&quot;, the 52-year-old woman said. 
 
Privacy &quot;is something really sacred for Aleppan families&quot;. 
 
Across the frontline in Aleppo`s rebel-held east, shopkeeper Ali Makansi recounts sitting in his grocery store one day &quot;when a mortar shell crashed into the roof of a nearby building&quot;.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Because the explosion was so powerful, an entire window pane fell on me and cut the main nerve in my hand,&quot; said the 32-year-old whose shop is in the Al-Shaar neighbourhood. 
&quot;All the houses and commercial buildings in Aleppo are using plastic now instead of glass,&quot; he said. &quot;Plastic is cheap and won`t hurt anyone if there`s an explosion nearby.&quot; 
 
Mohammed Jokhdar, a 29-year-old Arabic language teacher, sent his family to Turkey after his brother was killed in shelling last year.&nbsp; 
He lives alone in his apartment in Bustan al-Qasr district where he has covered the windows with sheets of transparent plastic.&nbsp; 
&quot;But the plastic doesn`t protect from the weather and sometimes water leaks through. It doesn`t block the noise either -- I feel like I`m in the street.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
Abu Omar, 69, who lives in Tariq al-Bab neighbourhood, also complains about the noise and water leaks. 
But &quot;the biggest problem is the street cats... They tear the plastic and come into my home looking for food.&quot;

In a city whose windows have been blasted from their frames, remaining residents of Syria`s war-torn Aleppo go about their daily lives behind gaping holes covered with plastic. For inhabitants of the battle-scarred and divided city, glass windows have become more of a liability than a luxury.

In a city whose windows have been blasted from their frames, remaining residents of Syria`s war-torn Aleppo go about their daily lives behind gaping holes covered with plastic. For inhabitants of the battle-scarred and divided city, glass windows have become more of a liability than a luxury. "Every window pane we have has been shattered by shelling," said Ammar Wattar, an English teacher, as he fitted a hard plastic sheet into the window frame of his home in the government-held district of Al-Midan. "We changed it the first time, then the second time, the third time -- until this time, we decided not to change it anymore." The windows are regularly blown out in the frequent rocket attacks and air strikes on Aleppo city, turning the shards into dangerous projectiles. Replacing them is also prohibitively expensive - so residents have been opting to cover the empty frames with sheets of plastic. In many neighbourhoods, children can be seen slipping behind white tarpaulin hanging like curtains from the doorways of their apartments. Abandoned apartment buildings are often identified by the partly-smashed glass windows protruding like jagged teeth from the metal frames. Clashes and bombardment have carried on in Aleppo despite a February 27 truce across parts of Syria and multiple attempts to secure a local freeze on fighting in the city. Asraa al-Masri, a teacher in a regime-held district of the city, said a shard of glass flew into her daughter`s leg during a rocket attack. She has since stopped replacing her windows with glass, but she now faces a new set of worries. "Bugs, dust, soot, loud noises, the burning smell of the generators, which are bad for your health and negatively affect our children while they`re studying," she listed. Perhaps no one has seen as much shattered glass as Mohammed Bouz, who used to sell it in a shop in Al-Midan. "My stockpile has been destroyed many times during the shelling, and I haven`t been able to get new deliveries," he told AFP. Before Syria`s war erupted in March 2011, a square metre of glass cost 425 Syrian pounds (70 cents) -- but it now fetches about 3,300 ($6). Aleppo`s desperate residents -- many of whom have been left jobless since war came to their city in 2012 -- opt for the much cheaper plastic at a maximum of 500 Syrian pounds per square metre. But for Umm Ahmad`s conservative Muslim family, no proper windows means no privacy. Synthetic canvas billows in the wind, "so my daughters and I can only change our clothes in the bathroom or in the hallways so our neighbours don`t see us", the 52-year-old woman said. Privacy "is something really sacred for Aleppan families". Across the frontline in Aleppo`s rebel-held east, shopkeeper Ali Makansi recounts sitting in his grocery store one day "when a mortar shell crashed into the roof of a nearby building". "Because the explosion was so powerful, an entire window pane fell on me and cut the main nerve in my hand," said the 32-year-old whose shop is in the Al-Shaar neighbourhood. "All the houses and commercial buildings in Aleppo are using plastic now instead of glass," he said. "Plastic is cheap and won`t hurt anyone if there`s an explosion nearby." Mohammed Jokhdar, a 29-year-old Arabic language teacher, sent his family to Turkey after his brother was killed in shelling last year. He lives alone in his apartment in Bustan al-Qasr district where he has covered the windows with sheets of transparent plastic. "But the plastic doesn`t protect from the weather and sometimes water leaks through. It doesn`t block the noise either -- I feel like I`m in the street." Abu Omar, 69, who lives in Tariq al-Bab neighbourhood, also complains about the noise and water leaks. But "the biggest problem is the street cats... They tear the plastic and come into my home looking for food."

Life behind plastic in Syria`s window-less city

&nbsp;Fourteen government soldiers were killed on Sunday in a push to retake a southern Yemeni city from the Iran-allied Houthi group in one of the deadliest days since a shaky ceasefire tentatively took hold last month, military officials said.

Yemen&#39;s exiled government has been fighting a war backed by Saudi-led air strikes and ground forces to win back the capital of Sanaa from the Houthis, whom it views as a proxy of Tehran.

Backed up by local tribes and militias, army forces attacked the city of Beihan in southeastern Shabwa province which sits on a main road leading to Sanaa some 100 km (62 miles) away.

Military and local officials said several fighters on the Houthi side were killed and injured in the battle adding that government forces were advancing deeper into the town.

The Shi&#39;ite Muslim Houthis, who took power in late 2014, deny they are puppets of Iran and say their armed fight is a revolution against corruption officials.

Home to Yemen&#39;s largest industrial project, a now-shut liquefied natural gas export facility at Belhaf, Shabwa is divided among Al-Qaeda, government troops loyal to President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, Houthi forces and armed tribes.

Clashes have repeatedly broken out there between Houthi and pro-Hadi forces despite a ceasefire which began on April 10, which has mostly stopped fighting and buttressed weeks of inconclusive U.N.-backed peace talks in Kuwait.

Clashes between the Houthi group--the Shi'ite rebels-- and pro-Hadi forces broke out in an attempt to retake the southern Yemeni city from the former.

Fourteen government soldiers were killed on Sunday in a push to retake a southern Yemeni city from the Iran-allied Houthi group in one of the deadliest days since a shaky ceasefire tentatively took hold last month, military officials said. Yemen's exiled government has been fighting a war backed by Saudi-led air strikes and ground forces to win back the capital of Sanaa from the Houthis, whom it views as a proxy of Tehran. Backed up by local tribes and militias, army forces attacked the city of Beihan in southeastern Shabwa province which sits on a main road leading to Sanaa some 100 km (62 miles) away. Military and local officials said several fighters on the Houthi side were killed and injured in the battle adding that government forces were advancing deeper into the town. The Shi'ite Muslim Houthis, who took power in late 2014, deny they are puppets of Iran and say their armed fight is a revolution against corruption officials. Home to Yemen's largest industrial project, a now-shut liquefied natural gas export facility at Belhaf, Shabwa is divided among Al-Qaeda, government troops loyal to President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, Houthi forces and armed tribes. Clashes have repeatedly broken out there between Houthi and pro-Hadi forces despite a ceasefire which began on April 10, which has mostly stopped fighting and buttressed weeks of inconclusive U.N.-backed peace talks in Kuwait.

Fourteen soldiers killed in Southern Yemen clashes

The Japanese government said today that&nbsp;it was doing all it could to secure the release of a Japanese journalist being held hostage by an Al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria, after an apparent photograph of the man was posted on the Internet.

The photograph, apparently uploaded to the Internet late on Sunday, showed a bearded man dressed in orange holding a hand-written sign in Japanese.

&quot;Please help me. This is my last chance,&quot; said the sign, written in shaky characters and signed &quot;Jumpei Yasuda.&quot;

Yasuda&#39;s plight came to attention in March, when a video surfaced showing him reading a message to his country and his family. Japanese media said he was capture by a group called Nusra Front after entering Syria from Turkey last June.

Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said the government was analysing the new photo and believed it was Yasuda, while Chief Cabinet Spokesman Yoshihide Suga said the government was doing what it could.

&quot;Since preserving the safety of Japanese citizens is our most important duty, we are making use of a broad net of information and doing everything we can to respond,&quot; Suga told a news conference.

Asked if this meant contacting the Nusra Front, Suga said &quot;that sort of thing was included&quot; but declined to give further details.

Early in 2015, the Islamic State militant group beheaded two Japanese nationals - a self-styled security consultant and a veteran war reporter. The gruesome executions captured the attention of Japan but the government at that time had said that&nbsp;it would not negotiate with the militants for their release.

Yasuda, a freelance journalist since 2003, was held in Baghdad in 2004 and drew criticism for drawing the Japanese government into negotiations for his release.

In December, media freedom organization Reporters Without Borders retracted and apologized for a report it had issued that said Yasuda had been threatened with execution in Syria. The government said at the time it was seeking information.

Jumpei Yasuda, a freelance journalist since 2003 has been held captive in Baghdad since 2004. He had earlier pleaded for help by reading a message to his family in a video. The Japanese government is saying it is doing its best to get the victim released.

The Japanese government said today that it was doing all it could to secure the release of a Japanese journalist being held hostage by an Al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria, after an apparent photograph of the man was posted on the Internet. The photograph, apparently uploaded to the Internet late on Sunday, showed a bearded man dressed in orange holding a hand-written sign in Japanese. "Please help me. This is my last chance," said the sign, written in shaky characters and signed "Jumpei Yasuda." Yasuda's plight came to attention in March, when a video surfaced showing him reading a message to his country and his family. Japanese media said he was capture by a group called Nusra Front after entering Syria from Turkey last June. Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said the government was analysing the new photo and believed it was Yasuda, while Chief Cabinet Spokesman Yoshihide Suga said the government was doing what it could. "Since preserving the safety of Japanese citizens is our most important duty, we are making use of a broad net of information and doing everything we can to respond," Suga told a news conference. Asked if this meant contacting the Nusra Front, Suga said "that sort of thing was included" but declined to give further details. Early in 2015, the Islamic State militant group beheaded two Japanese nationals - a self-styled security consultant and a veteran war reporter. The gruesome executions captured the attention of Japan but the government at that time had said that it would not negotiate with the militants for their release. Yasuda, a freelance journalist since 2003, was held in Baghdad in 2004 and drew criticism for drawing the Japanese government into negotiations for his release. In December, media freedom organization Reporters Without Borders retracted and apologized for a report it had issued that said Yasuda had been threatened with execution in Syria. The government said at the time it was seeking information.

New photo of Japanese hostage in Syria appears, message reads "Please Help"

Heavy fighting between the Islamic State group and rebels gripped a town in northeastern Syria Saturday, a monitor and an activist said, after a lightning assault by the jihadists cut a main supply route. 
&quot;Heavy clashes took place overnight between IS fighters and rebels inside the walls of Marea town,&quot; the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. 
IS swept through rebel-held territory early Friday in a shock offensive in Aleppo province, cutting off the main road between Marea and Azaz, 20 kilometres (12 miles) to the northeast near the Turkish border.&nbsp; 
The surprise advance came as the jihadist group faced an offensive by a US-backed Kurdish-Arab alliance in its own heartland of Raqa province further east. 
Maamoun Khateeb, a journalist and activist from Azaz, told AFP that IS attacked Marea early Saturday mainly from the east and north using tanks and two car bombs. 
The advance has besieged around 15,000 residents remaining inside Marea, he said.&nbsp; 
Human rights groups have warned that the IS advance in Aleppo has left tens of thousands of displaced Syrians trapped along the closed Turkish border. 
To the east in Raqa province, warplanes from the US-led coalition conducted air strikes on IS positions north of Raqa city, Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman said. 
But the Kurdish-Arab alliance fighting the jihadist group north of its de facto Syrian capital had made no strategic progress on the ground, he said. 
Syria`s war has killed more than 280,000 people and displaced millions since it started with the brutal repression of anti-government protests in 2011.

Heavy fighting between the Islamic State group and rebels gripped a town in northeastern Syria Saturday, a monitor and an activist said, after a lightning assault by the jihadists cut a main supply route.

Heavy fighting between the Islamic State group and rebels gripped a town in northeastern Syria Saturday, a monitor and an activist said, after a lightning assault by the jihadists cut a main supply route. "Heavy clashes took place overnight between IS fighters and rebels inside the walls of Marea town," the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. IS swept through rebel-held territory early Friday in a shock offensive in Aleppo province, cutting off the main road between Marea and Azaz, 20 kilometres (12 miles) to the northeast near the Turkish border. The surprise advance came as the jihadist group faced an offensive by a US-backed Kurdish-Arab alliance in its own heartland of Raqa province further east. Maamoun Khateeb, a journalist and activist from Azaz, told AFP that IS attacked Marea early Saturday mainly from the east and north using tanks and two car bombs. The advance has besieged around 15,000 residents remaining inside Marea, he said. Human rights groups have warned that the IS advance in Aleppo has left tens of thousands of displaced Syrians trapped along the closed Turkish border. To the east in Raqa province, warplanes from the US-led coalition conducted air strikes on IS positions north of Raqa city, Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman said. But the Kurdish-Arab alliance fighting the jihadist group north of its de facto Syrian capital had made no strategic progress on the ground, he said. Syria`s war has killed more than 280,000 people and displaced millions since it started with the brutal repression of anti-government protests in 2011.

IS-rebel clashes rock northeast Syria town

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