The White House has instructed the State Department to freeze over $200 million in funds earmarked for "recovery efforts" in Syria, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday.

The report -- which came a day after Trump declared in a speech that the US would be quitting Syria "very soon" -- is another indication the president wants to disengage from the country.

Officials told AFP that Trump's aside in his speech was not a slip, but that for several weeks he had been pushing back against the idea of a long or medium term US commitment to stabilizing eastern Syria.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Trump called for the spending freeze after reading a news report that said the US had committed the funds for recovery efforts in Syria, which has been wracked by a more than seven-year civil war.

The US has more than 2,000 military personnel in eastern Syria as part of international efforts to defeat the Islamic State group, an extremist organization that once controlled swathes of Syria and neighboring Iraq.

Speaking in Ohio on Thursday, Trump indicated that with the war against IS winding down, he wants American involvement in Syria to do likewise.

"We'll be coming out of Syria, like, very soon. Let the other people take care of it now," he promised.

Trump did not say who the others were who might take care of Syria, but Russia and Iran have sizable forces in the country to support President Bashar al-Assad's regime.

His eagerness to quit the conflict flies in the face of a new US Syria strategy announced in January by then secretary of state Rex Tillerson -- who has since been sacked.

Tillerson argued that US forces must remain engaged in Syria to prevent IS and Al-Qaeda from returning and to deny Iran a chance "to further strengthen its position in Syria."

In a speech at Stanford University, he also warned that "a total withdrawal of American personnel at this time would restore Assad and continue his brutal treatment against his own people."

But Tillerson has gone after being dismissed in a tweet. And Trump, who increasingly makes foreign policy announcements without seeking the advice of US generals or diplomats, wants out.

"We spent $7 trillion in the Middle East. And you know what we have for it? Nothing," Trump declared, promising to focus future US spending on building jobs and infrastructure at home.

The report is another indication the president wants to disengage from the country

The White House has instructed the State Department to freeze over $200 million in funds earmarked for "recovery efforts" in Syria, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday. The report -- which came a day after Trump declared in a speech that the US would be quitting Syria "very soon" -- is another indication the president wants to disengage from the country. Officials told AFP that Trump's aside in his speech was not a slip, but that for several weeks he had been pushing back against the idea of a long or medium term US commitment to stabilizing eastern Syria. According to The Wall Street Journal, Trump called for the spending freeze after reading a news report that said the US had committed the funds for recovery efforts in Syria, which has been wracked by a more than seven-year civil war. The US has more than 2,000 military personnel in eastern Syria as part of international efforts to defeat the Islamic State group, an extremist organization that once controlled swathes of Syria and neighboring Iraq. Speaking in Ohio on Thursday, Trump indicated that with the war against IS winding down, he wants American involvement in Syria to do likewise. "We'll be coming out of Syria, like, very soon. Let the other people take care of it now," he promised. Trump did not say who the others were who might take care of Syria, but Russia and Iran have sizable forces in the country to support President Bashar al-Assad's regime. His eagerness to quit the conflict flies in the face of a new US Syria strategy announced in January by then secretary of state Rex Tillerson -- who has since been sacked. Tillerson argued that US forces must remain engaged in Syria to prevent IS and Al-Qaeda from returning and to deny Iran a chance "to further strengthen its position in Syria." In a speech at Stanford University, he also warned that "a total withdrawal of American personnel at this time would restore Assad and continue his brutal treatment against his own people." But Tillerson has gone after being dismissed in a tweet. And Trump, who increasingly makes foreign policy announcements without seeking the advice of US generals or diplomats, wants out. "We spent $7 trillion in the Middle East. And you know what we have for it? Nothing," Trump declared, promising to focus future US spending on building jobs and infrastructure at home.

Trump freezes over $200 million allocated for Syria's 'recovery fund'

<a href="http://cmsuat.wionews.com/world/russian-action-to-expel-60-us-diplomats-marks-further-deterioration-in-bilateral-ties-white-house-127156">Russian action to expel 60 US diplomats marks further deterioration in bilateral ties: White House</a>

Russia's decision to&nbsp;expel 60 American diplomats and order closer to the US Consulate&nbsp;in St Petersburg marks a further deterioration in bilateral ties, the White House said today.

<a href="http://cmsuat.wionews.com/world/magnitude-69-quake-off-papua-new-guinea-tsunami-danger-passes-127158">Magnitude 6.9 quake off Papua New Guinea, tsunami danger passes</a>

A magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck off the southern coast of Papua New Guinea`s New Britain island on Friday, initially triggering a tsunami warning for surrounding coastlines, but there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.

<a href="http://cmsuat.wionews.com/world/us-withdrawing-from-syria-very-soon-donald-trump-127159">US</a><a href="http://cmsuat.wionews.com/world/us-withdrawing-from-syria-very-soon-donald-trump-127159"> withdrawing from Syria 'very soon': Donald Trump</a>

US President Donald Trump insisted Thursday that US forces would pull out of Syria "very soon" and lamented what he said was Washington`s waste of $7 trillion in Middle East wars.

<a href="http://cmsuat.wionews.com/world/8-killed-in-suicide-attack-in-eastern-libya-security-officer-127168">8 killed in suicide attack in eastern Libya: Security officer</a>

At least eight people, including civilians, were killed late Thursday in a suicide car bombing of a security barricade in the east of Libya, the second such attack in less than a month, local security and hospital sources said.

<a href="http://cmsuat.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-tv-actor-siddharth-sagar-missing-for-four-months-parents-untraceable-too-127167">TV actor Siddharth Sagar missing for the past four months, parents untraceable too</a>

Comedian Siddharth Sagar has been missing for the past four months. The actor,&nbsp;who has appeared in several comedy shows on TV including The Kapil Sharma show,&nbsp;has been untraceable since November 2017, a friend has alleged.&nbsp;

Russian action to expel 60 US diplomats marks further deterioration in bilateral ties: White House Russia's decision to expel 60 American diplomats and order closer to the US Consulate in St Petersburg marks a further deterioration in bilateral ties, the White House said today. Magnitude 6.9 quake off Papua New Guinea, tsunami danger passes A magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck off the southern coast of Papua New Guinea`s New Britain island on Friday, initially triggering a tsunami warning for surrounding coastlines, but there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage. US withdrawing from Syria 'very soon': Donald Trump US President Donald Trump insisted Thursday that US forces would pull out of Syria "very soon" and lamented what he said was Washington`s waste of $7 trillion in Middle East wars. 8 killed in suicide attack in eastern Libya: Security officer At least eight people, including civilians, were killed late Thursday in a suicide car bombing of a security barricade in the east of Libya, the second such attack in less than a month, local security and hospital sources said. TV actor Siddharth Sagar missing for the past four months, parents untraceable too Comedian Siddharth Sagar has been missing for the past four months. The actor, who has appeared in several comedy shows on TV including The Kapil Sharma show, has been untraceable since November 2017, a friend has alleged.

News Brief: Big stories of the day

US President Donald Trump insisted Thursday that US forces would pull out of Syria "very soon" and lamented what he said was Washington`s waste of $7 trillion in Middle East wars.

In a populist address to industrial workers in Ohio, Trump said US forces were close to securing all of the territory that the Islamic State jihadist group once claimed.

"We`ll be coming out of Syria, like, very soon. Let the other people take care of it now," he promised, to applause.&nbsp;

Trump did not say who the others were who might take care of Syria, but Russia and Iran have sizable forces in the country to support Bashar al-Assad`s regime.&nbsp;

"Very soon -- very soon we`re coming out. We`re going to have 100 percent of the caliphate, as they call it -- sometimes referred to as `land` -- taking it all back quickly, quickly," he said.&nbsp;

"But we`re going to be coming out of there real soon. Going to get back to our country, where we belong, where we want to be."

The United States has more than 2,000 military personnel in eastern Syria, working with local militia groups to defeat the extremist Islamic State group while trying to keep out of Syria`s broader civil war.

Trump`s eagerness to quit the conflict flies in the face of a new US Syria strategy announced in January by then secretary of state Rex Tillerson -- who has since been sacked.

Tillerson argued that US forces must remain engaged in Syria to prevent IS and Al-Qaeda from returning and to deny Iran a chance "to further strengthen its position in Syria."

In a speech at Stanford University, he also warned that "a total withdrawal of American personnel at this time would restore Assad and continue his brutal treatment against his own people."

But Tillerson has gone after being dismissed in a tweet and Trump, who increasingly makes foreign policy announcements without seeking the advice of US generals or diplomats, wants out.

"We spent $7 trillion in the Middle East. And you know what we have for it? Nothing," Trump declared, promising to focus future US spending on building jobs and infrastructure at home.

'We spent $7 trillion in the Middle East. And you know what we have for it? Nothing,' Trump declared, promising to focus future US spending on building jobs and infrastructure at home

US President Donald Trump insisted Thursday that US forces would pull out of Syria "very soon" and lamented what he said was Washington`s waste of $7 trillion in Middle East wars. In a populist address to industrial workers in Ohio, Trump said US forces were close to securing all of the territory that the Islamic State jihadist group once claimed. "We`ll be coming out of Syria, like, very soon. Let the other people take care of it now," he promised, to applause. Trump did not say who the others were who might take care of Syria, but Russia and Iran have sizable forces in the country to support Bashar al-Assad`s regime. "Very soon -- very soon we`re coming out. We`re going to have 100 percent of the caliphate, as they call it -- sometimes referred to as `land` -- taking it all back quickly, quickly," he said. "But we`re going to be coming out of there real soon. Going to get back to our country, where we belong, where we want to be." The United States has more than 2,000 military personnel in eastern Syria, working with local militia groups to defeat the extremist Islamic State group while trying to keep out of Syria`s broader civil war. Trump`s eagerness to quit the conflict flies in the face of a new US Syria strategy announced in January by then secretary of state Rex Tillerson -- who has since been sacked. Tillerson argued that US forces must remain engaged in Syria to prevent IS and Al-Qaeda from returning and to deny Iran a chance "to further strengthen its position in Syria." In a speech at Stanford University, he also warned that "a total withdrawal of American personnel at this time would restore Assad and continue his brutal treatment against his own people." But Tillerson has gone after being dismissed in a tweet and Trump, who increasingly makes foreign policy announcements without seeking the advice of US generals or diplomats, wants out. "We spent $7 trillion in the Middle East. And you know what we have for it? Nothing," Trump declared, promising to focus future US spending on building jobs and infrastructure at home.

US withdrawing from Syria 'very soon': Donald Trump

Hundreds more Syrian rebels and civilians prepared Friday to leave Eastern Ghouta under a negotiated withdrawal, as Russia unilaterally announced a similar deal to empty the final pocket of the battered enclave.

The former rebel bastion on the outskirts of Damascus has been drained by a nearly six-week Syrian government assault and a pair of evacuation deals brokered by regime ally Moscow.

Under such agreements, rebels agree to hand over territory in exchange for safe passage for them and civilians to opposition zones in northwest Syria.

More than 36,000 people have already been bussed out of the enclave, and fresh evacuations were underway on Friday.

Around 1,000 people, a quarter of them fighters, were boarding buses in a pocket of Ghouta held by the Faylaq al-Rahman rebel faction, according to Syrian state media.

That agreement, reached last week, left the overpopulated, devastated town of Douma as the final rebel holdout in the region.

Russia's defence ministry on Friday said it had brokered a deal that would see rebels abandon Douma "shortly", but the fighters there quickly denied it.

"We categorically refuse leaving or being displaced," said Jaish al-Islam's spokesman Hamza Bayraqdar.&nbsp

"That's an essential demand of the negotiations. We have not reached an agreement yet," he told AFP, adding that talks were ongoing.&nbsp

Eastern Ghouta was the armed opposition's last stronghold around Damascus, which groups regularly targeted with rockets and mortar rounds.

Stalling talks&nbsp

To secure Damascus, President Bashar al-Assad launched a ferocious air and ground assault on February 18 to oust rebels from their perch in Ghouta.

More than 1,600 civilians have been killed in the onslaught, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group.

Troops pursued a divide-and-conquer strategy, seizing most of the enclave then breaking up what was left of it into three isolated pockets.

Moscow stepped in and swiftly announced two withdrawal agreements with rebels, the first of which saw more than 4,500 fighters and civilians bussed out of the town of Harasta.

The second deal, reached with Faylaq al-Rahman one week ago, has seen more than 31,000 people quit the towns of Arbin and Zamalka and the Jobar district.&nbsp

In the first two deals, rebels caved in to Russia's "leave or die" approach but negotiations for the Douma pocket, held by Jaish al-Islam, has looked more arduous.

Douma's population has swelled to an estimated 200,000 with people displaced from other bombed-out districts. &nbsp

Jaish al-Islam had been in talks with Russia to reach a settlement whereby they could stay, instead of being bused out like other rebels.&nbsp

But negotiations faltered over the group's demands of a general amnesty and safe passage for Douma residents to move freely across the country, a source with knowledge of the talks told AFP.&nbsp

Moscow threatened Jaish al-Islam with a renewed blitz on the town if they did not agree to withdraw, and Syrian troops have amassed around the holdout.&nbsp

'Nearly wiped out'

The rebel movement have also come under growing pressure from Douma's residents, hundreds of whom have organised demonstrations demanding a status update on the talks.

On Thursday, Russia's foreign minister said Syrian forces had ousted nearly all rebels from Ghouta.&nbsp

"As a result of this anti-terrorism operation in Eastern Ghouta, terrorist elements have nearly been wiped out of this suburb of the Syrian capital," Sergei Lavrov said.&nbsp

Syria's state news agency SANA said around 29,000 civilians had fled Douma in recent days, using a "corridor" opened up by advancing Syrian troops.

SANA said a total of 143,000 people in total had streamed out of Ghouta along such corridors and as part of the evacuation deals.

It did not confirm the agreement with Jaish al-Islam, but its correspondent said "preliminary information" indicated a deal was close to being reached.&nbsp

The rebels evacuated so far were bussed to the northwestern province of Idlib and one of the sticking points in the Douma talks appears to be the destination.

"The problem with Jaish al-Islam is that it's quite big, very cohesive, very organised, but it doesn't go well with anyone else," said Thomas Pierret, an analyst at the National Center for Scientific Research in Paris.

The former rebel bastion on the outskirts of Damascus has been drained by a nearly six-week Syrian government assault and a pair of evacuation deals brokered by regime ally Moscow

Hundreds more Syrian rebels and civilians prepared Friday to leave Eastern Ghouta under a negotiated withdrawal, as Russia unilaterally announced a similar deal to empty the final pocket of the battered enclave. The former rebel bastion on the outskirts of Damascus has been drained by a nearly six-week Syrian government assault and a pair of evacuation deals brokered by regime ally Moscow. Under such agreements, rebels agree to hand over territory in exchange for safe passage for them and civilians to opposition zones in northwest Syria. More than 36,000 people have already been bussed out of the enclave, and fresh evacuations were underway on Friday. Around 1,000 people, a quarter of them fighters, were boarding buses in a pocket of Ghouta held by the Faylaq al-Rahman rebel faction, according to Syrian state media. That agreement, reached last week, left the overpopulated, devastated town of Douma as the final rebel holdout in the region. Russia's defence ministry on Friday said it had brokered a deal that would see rebels abandon Douma "shortly", but the fighters there quickly denied it. "We categorically refuse leaving or being displaced," said Jaish al-Islam's spokesman Hamza Bayraqdar. "That's an essential demand of the negotiations. We have not reached an agreement yet," he told AFP, adding that talks were ongoing. Eastern Ghouta was the armed opposition's last stronghold around Damascus, which groups regularly targeted with rockets and mortar rounds. Stalling talks To secure Damascus, President Bashar al-Assad launched a ferocious air and ground assault on February 18 to oust rebels from their perch in Ghouta. More than 1,600 civilians have been killed in the onslaught, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group. Troops pursued a divide-and-conquer strategy, seizing most of the enclave then breaking up what was left of it into three isolated pockets. Moscow stepped in and swiftly announced two withdrawal agreements with rebels, the first of which saw more than 4,500 fighters and civilians bussed out of the town of Harasta. The second deal, reached with Faylaq al-Rahman one week ago, has seen more than 31,000 people quit the towns of Arbin and Zamalka and the Jobar district. In the first two deals, rebels caved in to Russia's "leave or die" approach but negotiations for the Douma pocket, held by Jaish al-Islam, has looked more arduous. Douma's population has swelled to an estimated 200,000 with people displaced from other bombed-out districts. Jaish al-Islam had been in talks with Russia to reach a settlement whereby they could stay, instead of being bused out like other rebels. But negotiations faltered over the group's demands of a general amnesty and safe passage for Douma residents to move freely across the country, a source with knowledge of the talks told AFP. Moscow threatened Jaish al-Islam with a renewed blitz on the town if they did not agree to withdraw, and Syrian troops have amassed around the holdout. 'Nearly wiped out' The rebel movement have also come under growing pressure from Douma's residents, hundreds of whom have organised demonstrations demanding a status update on the talks. On Thursday, Russia's foreign minister said Syrian forces had ousted nearly all rebels from Ghouta. "As a result of this anti-terrorism operation in Eastern Ghouta, terrorist elements have nearly been wiped out of this suburb of the Syrian capital," Sergei Lavrov said. Syria's state news agency SANA said around 29,000 civilians had fled Douma in recent days, using a "corridor" opened up by advancing Syrian troops. SANA said a total of 143,000 people in total had streamed out of Ghouta along such corridors and as part of the evacuation deals. It did not confirm the agreement with Jaish al-Islam, but its correspondent said "preliminary information" indicated a deal was close to being reached. The rebels evacuated so far were bussed to the northwestern province of Idlib and one of the sticking points in the Douma talks appears to be the destination. "The problem with Jaish al-Islam is that it's quite big, very cohesive, very organised, but it doesn't go well with anyone else," said Thomas Pierret, an analyst at the National Center for Scientific Research in Paris.

Syrians quit Ghouta as talks for last pocket stutter

Russia's defence ministry said&nbsp;on Thursday&nbsp;nearly 5,300 rebels and members of their families left Syria's eastern Ghouta enclave&nbsp;on Wednesday, news agencies reported.

Rebels left the town of Arbeen for the northern province of Idlib, according to the Centre for Reconciliation in Syria, a body run by the ministry.

The rebels left on Wednesday, Russia's defence ministry said Thursday

Russia's defence ministry said on Thursday nearly 5,300 rebels and members of their families left Syria's eastern Ghouta enclave on Wednesday, news agencies reported. Rebels left the town of Arbeen for the northern province of Idlib, according to the Centre for Reconciliation in Syria, a body run by the ministry.

Russia says nearly 5,300 rebels have left Syria's Ghouta for Idlib: Reports

A total of 3,708 rebels and their family members evacuated Syria's Eastern Ghouta area on Sunday, as the second batch to leave areas under the control of Failaq al-Rahman militia, news reports said.

The first pocket, in and around the city of Harasta, was surrendered by the rebels on Thursday, with evacuations beginning then and carrying on through Friday.

Syrian state media reported on Saturday that approximately 7,000 fighters, their family members and other civilians were expected to leave the towns of Zamalka, Arbin and Jobar in the second pocket of eastern Ghouta. The evacuation is the result of an agreement reached between Russia and the Syrian army, and the Islamist rebel group Faylaq al-Rahman, which has been operating in the area.

The Syrian army and its Russian allies have now recovered 90 percent of eastern Ghouta. The third and last pocket still held by the opposition is located in the area surrounding the city of Douma. Negotiations on the evacuation of Douma are ongoing.

The first pocket, in and around the city of Harasta, was surrendered by the rebels on Thursday, with evacuations beginning then and carrying on through Friday

A total of 3,708 rebels and their family members evacuated Syria's Eastern Ghouta area on Sunday, as the second batch to leave areas under the control of Failaq al-Rahman militia, news reports said. The first pocket, in and around the city of Harasta, was surrendered by the rebels on Thursday, with evacuations beginning then and carrying on through Friday. Syrian state media reported on Saturday that approximately 7,000 fighters, their family members and other civilians were expected to leave the towns of Zamalka, Arbin and Jobar in the second pocket of eastern Ghouta. The evacuation is the result of an agreement reached between Russia and the Syrian army, and the Islamist rebel group Faylaq al-Rahman, which has been operating in the area. The Syrian army and its Russian allies have now recovered 90 percent of eastern Ghouta. The third and last pocket still held by the opposition is located in the area surrounding the city of Douma. Negotiations on the evacuation of Douma are ongoing.

Hundreds of rebels, families leave Syria's Ghouta

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More than a million Americans flooded the streets of cities nationwide for emotional protests demanding tighter gun control on Saturday, protests spearheaded by teenagers from a Florida high school where 17 people were shot dead last month.

 
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Nearly 90 per cent of the Rajya Sabha MPs are crorepatis while the average of total assets Upper House parliamentarians is Rs 55 crore, says a report.

 
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The granddaughter of the late civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. energised the crowd in Washington on Saturday (March 24) during the March For Our Lives Rally demanding tighter gun laws, led by survivors of last month&#39;s Florida school massacre which reignited public anger over mass shootings.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-takes-full-control-of-syrias-afrin-military-source-36971" target="_blank">Turkey takes full control of Syria&#39;s Afrin: Military source</a>

Turkey&rsquo;s military and its Syrian rebel allies have taken full control of northwest Syria&rsquo;s Afrin region, a Turkish army source said on Saturday, as aid workers distributed food to people in the area.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/australia-captain-smith-fights-for-job-as-ca-announce-ball-tamper-probe-36980" target="_blank">Australia captain Steve Smith fights for job</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/australia-captain-smith-fights-for-job-as-ca-announce-ball-tamper-probe-36980" target="_blank"> as CA announce </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/australia-captain-smith-fights-for-job-as-ca-announce-ball-tamper-probe-36980" target="_blank">ball-tampering</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/australia-captain-smith-fights-for-job-as-ca-announce-ball-tamper-probe-36980" target="_blank"> probe</a>

Australia captain Steve Smith was fighting to save his job and reputation on Sunday after admitting he was the chief plotter in the ball-tampering scandal which has plunged the game into crisis and sparked a Cricket Australia probe.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Over 1 million Americans pour out onto streets, demand tighter gun control More than a million Americans flooded the streets of cities nationwide for emotional protests demanding tighter gun control on Saturday, protests spearheaded by teenagers from a Florida high school where 17 people were shot dead last month. 90% Rajya Sabha MPs are crorepatis: Report Nearly 90 per cent of the Rajya Sabha MPs are crorepatis while the average of total assets Upper House parliamentarians is Rs 55 crore, says a report. US protests: Martin Luther King's granddaughter leads crowd calling for gun reform The granddaughter of the late civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. energised the crowd in Washington on Saturday (March 24) during the March For Our Lives Rally demanding tighter gun laws, led by survivors of last month's Florida school massacre which reignited public anger over mass shootings. Turkey takes full control of Syria's Afrin: Military source Turkey’s military and its Syrian rebel allies have taken full control of northwest Syria’s Afrin region, a Turkish army source said on Saturday, as aid workers distributed food to people in the area. Australia captain Steve Smith fights for job as CA announce ball-tampering probe Australia captain Steve Smith was fighting to save his job and reputation on Sunday after admitting he was the chief plotter in the ball-tampering scandal which has plunged the game into crisis and sparked a Cricket Australia probe.

WION Morning News Brief, March 25, 2018

Turkey&rsquo;s military and its Syrian rebel allies have taken full control of northwest Syria&rsquo;s Afrin region, a Turkish army source said on Saturday, as aid workers distributed food to people in the area.&nbsp;

Turkish forces and the Syrian fighters swept into the main Afrin town last Sunday after an eight-week campaign to drive out the Kurdish YPG militia, which Ankara regards as a terrorist group.

A military source said the last remaining villages had been seized and control established overnight.&nbsp;

&ldquo;Control has been completely achieved in the Afrin region and searches operations are continuing so that local people can return safely to their houses,&rdquo; the source said.

State-run Anadolu news agency carried a similar report.&nbsp;

In Afrin, people queued to receive hot food which was being distributed by the Turkish Red Crescent while Turkish soldiers kept security and armoured vehicles moved along the streets.

&ldquo;We are trying to bring back life to normal in the short and medium term here.&rdquo; the aid group&rsquo;s president Kerem Kinik told Reuters. &ldquo;Our mobile kitchens are here, and our crews are in the villages.&rdquo;&nbsp;

&ldquo;We want everything to be alright. We want our women and children to come back. They could not come back to their homeland,&rdquo; said Afrin resident Abdurrahman Nahsen Suleymanoglu.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan rejected criticism of the Afrin campaign in a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday, according to a Turkish presidential source.

Among Turkey&rsquo;s Western allies, France has been one of the biggest critics of the Turkish military operation, with its foreign minister saying concerns for its border security did not justify the incursion.

A military source said the last remaining villages had been seized and control established overnight.

Turkey’s military and its Syrian rebel allies have taken full control of northwest Syria’s Afrin region, a Turkish army source said on Saturday, as aid workers distributed food to people in the area. Turkish forces and the Syrian fighters swept into the main Afrin town last Sunday after an eight-week campaign to drive out the Kurdish YPG militia, which Ankara regards as a terrorist group. A military source said the last remaining villages had been seized and control established overnight. “Control has been completely achieved in the Afrin region and searches operations are continuing so that local people can return safely to their houses,” the source said. State-run Anadolu news agency carried a similar report. In Afrin, people queued to receive hot food which was being distributed by the Turkish Red Crescent while Turkish soldiers kept security and armoured vehicles moved along the streets. “We are trying to bring back life to normal in the short and medium term here.” the aid group’s president Kerem Kinik told Reuters. “Our mobile kitchens are here, and our crews are in the villages.” “We want everything to be alright. We want our women and children to come back. They could not come back to their homeland,” said Afrin resident Abdurrahman Nahsen Suleymanoglu. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan rejected criticism of the Afrin campaign in a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday, according to a Turkish presidential source. Among Turkey’s Western allies, France has been one of the biggest critics of the Turkish military operation, with its foreign minister saying concerns for its border security did not justify the incursion.

Turkey takes full control of Syria's Afrin: Military source

Syrian rebels began evacuating a second part of Syria&#39;s Eastern Ghouta on Saturday, state media said, in the latest such deal this week for the former opposition bastion.&nbsp;

&quot;Several buses carrying 500 fighters and their families have reached the Arbin crossing, in preparation for their departure from Ghouta,&quot; state news agency SANA reported.&nbsp;

Once more buses gather at the Arbin crossing, the full convoy is expected to cross to opposition zones in northern Syria.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Syrian rebels began evacuating a second part of Syria's Eastern Ghouta on Saturday, state media said, in the latest such deal this week for the former opposition bastion

Syrian rebels began evacuating a second part of Syria's Eastern Ghouta on Saturday, state media said, in the latest such deal this week for the former opposition bastion. "Several buses carrying 500 fighters and their families have reached the Arbin crossing, in preparation for their departure from Ghouta," state news agency SANA reported. Once more buses gather at the Arbin crossing, the full convoy is expected to cross to opposition zones in northern Syria.

Syria rebels begin evacuating penultimate Ghouta zone: State media

Syrian rebels withdrew in busloads from a town in eastern Ghouta on Thursday and handed it over to the army, the first such surrender since one of the fiercest campaigns of the seven-year war began more than a month ago.

The Ahrar al-Sham group`s decision to accept the army`s terms and abandon the town of Harasta puts the government on course for its biggest victory over rebels since the battle of Aleppo in 2016.

And in another part of the same region, the controlling rebel group, Failaq al-Rahman, said a ceasefire had been agreed, to start within hours at midnight local time (2200 GMT), to allow a &quot;final negotiating session&quot; to take place.&nbsp;

After dark fell on Thursday, around 30 buses carrying rebel fighters and their families left Harasta. Syrian state media said the buses carried 1,580 people, including 413 rebel fighters given safe passage to northwestern Syria.

A military media unit run by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad`s ally Hezbollah said 1,500 fighters and 6,000 family members had agreed to leave.

An army officer interviewed on state television said rebels who had not yet negotiated similar deals to evacuate from other towns in eastern Ghouta must quit or die.

&quot;Death is coming for you if you do not surrender,&quot; he said.

The army`s assault on eastern Ghouta, the last major rebel bastion near the capital, has been one of the most intense in Syria`s seven-year-old war, killing more than 1,500 people in a relentless bombardment with warplanes, rockets and shells.&nbsp;

Before boarding the buses out of Harasta, a small group were shown on television in the fading light kneeling in a line for Islam`s sunset prayer - perhaps the last they would perform in their hometown. Children ran among the adults waiting to board.&nbsp;

Between 18,000 and 20,000 people were expected to stay in Harasta under government rule, a military source said.

Proven tactics

The eastern Ghouta campaign has seen Syria and its Russian allies use the tactics that proved successful in other parts of the country since Moscow joined the war in 2015: lay siege to an area, bombard it, launch a ground assault and finally offer safe passage out to rebels who agree to leave with their families.

The government`s control of Harasta leaves eastern Ghouta`s rebels in control only of the town of Douma -- under the control of Jaish al-Islam -- and another pocket that includes the towns of Jobar, Ein Terma, Arbin and Zamalka -- under the control of Failaq al-Rahman.&nbsp;

State television reported that more than 6,000 people had fled Douma since Wednesday, crossing over into government-held territory.

Government air strikes pummelled parts of the region on Thursday morning, striking Arbin and Zamalka and killing 19 people, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitoring group.&nbsp;

Failaq al-Rahman`s Istanbul-based spokesman Wael Alwan said it had contacted the United Nations to mediate a ceasefire with Russian forces &quot;in order to negotiate with the Russian side about finding a solution to guarantee the safety of civilians and to guarantee that their suffering stops&quot;.

State media said rebels fired rockets from eastern Ghouta into Damascus on Thursday, killing two people. Television showed burning projectile parts on streets and in parks.&nbsp;

Surrender

On Sunday, Assad drove himself to a newly captured battlefront in eastern Ghouta, a demonstration of his seemingly unassailable position in a war that has been going his way since Russia sent its air force to help him in 2015.

The deal to surrender Harasta began on Thursday with a prisoner swap. In an interview with state television, a Syrian soldier freed by rebels wept and thanked God and the army for his release.

The Russian Defence Ministry website showed what it said was live footage from the al-Wafideen crossing point from Douma into government areas. Over a period of several minutes, it showed dozens of people in small groups coming around a corner and trekking along the dirt road past armed soldiers.&nbsp;

Some bore bundles of possessions, others carried small children or pushed prams.

Douma is the most populous area in eastern Ghouta, and for more than a week, it has been entirely surrounded by the government. Jaish al-Islam has said it is determined to fight on. However, the Observatory said people leaving the area were doing so under an agreement between the group and Russia.&nbsp;

Ferocity

The Syrian government and Russia accuse rebels in eastern Ghouta of preventing civilians from leaving to use them as human shields, which the rebels deny.

Moscow and Damascus say their campaign is needed to end rebel shelling of the capital and other nearby areas.

On Tuesday, a rocket struck a marketplace in a government-held town, killing dozens.&nbsp;

However, the ferocity of the Syrian army`s offensive in eastern Ghouta has prompted Western condemnation and urgent pleas from United Nations humanitarian agencies for a ceasefire.&nbsp;

Russia`s Defence Ministry said that, since Russia began imposing &quot;humanitarian pauses&quot; almost a month ago, some 95,000 people had left eastern Ghouta for government territory.

The Harasta rebels will be taken to Idlib province in the northwest, which has become the main sanctuary for insurgents who agree to quit territory under deals with the government.

The northwestern province is the biggest remaining area under rebel control in Syria and its population has been doubled by refugees fleeing other areas.

But it too is a target for forces loyal to Assad, who vows he will reassert control over the entire country. The Observatory said that, over the previous 48 hours, air strikes on Idlib had killed at least 63 people.

The Ahrar al-Sham group`s decision to accept the army`s terms and abandon the town of Harasta puts the government on course for its biggest victory over rebels since the battle of Aleppo in 2016

Syrian rebels withdrew in busloads from a town in eastern Ghouta on Thursday and handed it over to the army, the first such surrender since one of the fiercest campaigns of the seven-year war began more than a month ago. The Ahrar al-Sham group`s decision to accept the army`s terms and abandon the town of Harasta puts the government on course for its biggest victory over rebels since the battle of Aleppo in 2016. And in another part of the same region, the controlling rebel group, Failaq al-Rahman, said a ceasefire had been agreed, to start within hours at midnight local time (2200 GMT), to allow a "final negotiating session" to take place. After dark fell on Thursday, around 30 buses carrying rebel fighters and their families left Harasta. Syrian state media said the buses carried 1,580 people, including 413 rebel fighters given safe passage to northwestern Syria. A military media unit run by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad`s ally Hezbollah said 1,500 fighters and 6,000 family members had agreed to leave. An army officer interviewed on state television said rebels who had not yet negotiated similar deals to evacuate from other towns in eastern Ghouta must quit or die. "Death is coming for you if you do not surrender," he said. The army`s assault on eastern Ghouta, the last major rebel bastion near the capital, has been one of the most intense in Syria`s seven-year-old war, killing more than 1,500 people in a relentless bombardment with warplanes, rockets and shells. Before boarding the buses out of Harasta, a small group were shown on television in the fading light kneeling in a line for Islam`s sunset prayer - perhaps the last they would perform in their hometown. Children ran among the adults waiting to board. Between 18,000 and 20,000 people were expected to stay in Harasta under government rule, a military source said. Proven tactics The eastern Ghouta campaign has seen Syria and its Russian allies use the tactics that proved successful in other parts of the country since Moscow joined the war in 2015: lay siege to an area, bombard it, launch a ground assault and finally offer safe passage out to rebels who agree to leave with their families. The government`s control of Harasta leaves eastern Ghouta`s rebels in control only of the town of Douma -- under the control of Jaish al-Islam -- and another pocket that includes the towns of Jobar, Ein Terma, Arbin and Zamalka -- under the control of Failaq al-Rahman. State television reported that more than 6,000 people had fled Douma since Wednesday, crossing over into government-held territory. Government air strikes pummelled parts of the region on Thursday morning, striking Arbin and Zamalka and killing 19 people, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitoring group. Failaq al-Rahman`s Istanbul-based spokesman Wael Alwan said it had contacted the United Nations to mediate a ceasefire with Russian forces "in order to negotiate with the Russian side about finding a solution to guarantee the safety of civilians and to guarantee that their suffering stops". State media said rebels fired rockets from eastern Ghouta into Damascus on Thursday, killing two people. Television showed burning projectile parts on streets and in parks. Surrender On Sunday, Assad drove himself to a newly captured battlefront in eastern Ghouta, a demonstration of his seemingly unassailable position in a war that has been going his way since Russia sent its air force to help him in 2015. The deal to surrender Harasta began on Thursday with a prisoner swap. In an interview with state television, a Syrian soldier freed by rebels wept and thanked God and the army for his release. The Russian Defence Ministry website showed what it said was live footage from the al-Wafideen crossing point from Douma into government areas. Over a period of several minutes, it showed dozens of people in small groups coming around a corner and trekking along the dirt road past armed soldiers. Some bore bundles of possessions, others carried small children or pushed prams. Douma is the most populous area in eastern Ghouta, and for more than a week, it has been entirely surrounded by the government. Jaish al-Islam has said it is determined to fight on. However, the Observatory said people leaving the area were doing so under an agreement between the group and Russia. Ferocity The Syrian government and Russia accuse rebels in eastern Ghouta of preventing civilians from leaving to use them as human shields, which the rebels deny. Moscow and Damascus say their campaign is needed to end rebel shelling of the capital and other nearby areas. On Tuesday, a rocket struck a marketplace in a government-held town, killing dozens. However, the ferocity of the Syrian army`s offensive in eastern Ghouta has prompted Western condemnation and urgent pleas from United Nations humanitarian agencies for a ceasefire. Russia`s Defence Ministry said that, since Russia began imposing "humanitarian pauses" almost a month ago, some 95,000 people had left eastern Ghouta for government territory. The Harasta rebels will be taken to Idlib province in the northwest, which has become the main sanctuary for insurgents who agree to quit territory under deals with the government. The northwestern province is the biggest remaining area under rebel control in Syria and its population has been doubled by refugees fleeing other areas. But it too is a target for forces loyal to Assad, who vows he will reassert control over the entire country. The Observatory said that, over the previous 48 hours, air strikes on Idlib had killed at least 63 people.

Syria rebels depart eastern Ghouta town on government buses in first surrender

Syrian rebels and their families began leaving Syria&#39;s Eastern Ghouta on Thursday under the first evacuation deal in the shrinking opposition enclave outside Damascus.

The agreement announced on Wednesday and brokered by regime ally Russia, could empty one of three rebel-held pockets in the region and mark a major advance in government efforts to secure the nearby capital.

It could also increase pressure on rebels to follow suit in the two other opposition-held pockets of the besieged enclave, where tens of thousands of civilians remain trapped under relentless bombardment.

State television said around 1,824 people -- including 319 fighters -- had boarded buses from the Eastern Ghouta town of Harasta until now held by the Ahrar al-Sham rebel group.&nbsp;

A military source said that the rebels and accompanying civilians had boarded buses and were in a buffer zone, waiting to cross into regime-controlled territory.

Another military source said around 2,000 people are expected to leave in total, including around 700 fighters on Thursday.

Ahrar al-Sham spokesman Munzer Fares said the evacuations could last several days.&nbsp;

They followed renewed air strikes in Ghouta early on Thursday which killed 20 civilians, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.&nbsp;

Since February 18, a devastating Russian-backed offensive on Eastern Ghouta has sliced the shrinking enclave into three isolated pockets.

Rebels cut off

Central Damascus lies within mortar range of Eastern Ghouta, and the evacuation deal came after the deadliest rebel rocket attack on the capital in months killed 44 civilians on Tuesday.

Rebel fire on Thursday killed four people in Damascus, state television said.

The regime&#39;s offensive on Ghouta has killed more than 1,500 civilians since February 18, according to Observatory.

The rebels and their families will be transported to the northwestern province of Idlib, which is held by a myriad of jihadist, Islamist and secular groups, many with links to Turkey.

The evacuation from Harasta will further isolate the rebel groups that control the remaining two pockets of Eastern Ghouta and pile pressure on them to accept similar deals.

Syrian Reconciliation Minister Ali Haidar told AFP that Ahrar al-Sham had negotiated with the Russian Centre for Reconciliation and that Damascus was not directly involved.

Nawar Oliver, an analyst at the Turkey-based Omran Centre, said fighters in Harasta &quot;were not able to impose a single one of their conditions&quot;.

&#39;Tragic&#39; conditions

Opposition figures in Ghouta said talks were underway for a deal to evacuate rebels from the enclave&#39;s main town, Douma.

Douma is controlled by the Jaish al-Islam group, while a pocket of territory around the town of Zamalka, closer to the capital, is held by Faylaq al-Rahman with a small jihadist presence.

Air strikes on Zamalka killed 16 civilians on Thursday, the Observatory said.

An AFP reporter in Douma said hundreds of civilians were fleeing the town.

Similar evacuation deals have seen the government retake a string of former rebel bastions.

A May 2014 deal saw rebels pull out of the third city Homs, once labelled the &quot;capital of the revolution&quot; that sparked Syria&#39;s seven-year civil war.

In December 2016, the army retook the whole of the second city Aleppo as rebels withdrew in one of their worst defeats of the war.

Those agreements also followed devastating bombardments that took a heavy toll on trapped civilians.

The assault on Ghouta has sparked a mass exodus of civilians from the shrinking rebel enclave.

Some 50,000 people have reached shelters in the government-controlled territory in the past week, according to the United Nations.

On Wednesday, the UN&#39;s humanitarian coordinator in Syria said those displaced were living in &quot;tragic&quot; conditions.

&quot;People may have escaped fighting, fear and insecurity but they find themselves in a place without anywhere to wash themselves,&quot; Ali al-Zaatari said.

Syrian rebels and their families began leaving Syria's Eastern Ghouta on Thursday under the first evacuation deal in the shrinking opposition enclave outside Damascus

Syrian rebels and their families began leaving Syria's Eastern Ghouta on Thursday under the first evacuation deal in the shrinking opposition enclave outside Damascus. The agreement announced on Wednesday and brokered by regime ally Russia, could empty one of three rebel-held pockets in the region and mark a major advance in government efforts to secure the nearby capital. It could also increase pressure on rebels to follow suit in the two other opposition-held pockets of the besieged enclave, where tens of thousands of civilians remain trapped under relentless bombardment. State television said around 1,824 people -- including 319 fighters -- had boarded buses from the Eastern Ghouta town of Harasta until now held by the Ahrar al-Sham rebel group. A military source said that the rebels and accompanying civilians had boarded buses and were in a buffer zone, waiting to cross into regime-controlled territory. Another military source said around 2,000 people are expected to leave in total, including around 700 fighters on Thursday. Ahrar al-Sham spokesman Munzer Fares said the evacuations could last several days. They followed renewed air strikes in Ghouta early on Thursday which killed 20 civilians, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Since February 18, a devastating Russian-backed offensive on Eastern Ghouta has sliced the shrinking enclave into three isolated pockets. Rebels cut off Central Damascus lies within mortar range of Eastern Ghouta, and the evacuation deal came after the deadliest rebel rocket attack on the capital in months killed 44 civilians on Tuesday. Rebel fire on Thursday killed four people in Damascus, state television said. The regime's offensive on Ghouta has killed more than 1,500 civilians since February 18, according to Observatory. The rebels and their families will be transported to the northwestern province of Idlib, which is held by a myriad of jihadist, Islamist and secular groups, many with links to Turkey. The evacuation from Harasta will further isolate the rebel groups that control the remaining two pockets of Eastern Ghouta and pile pressure on them to accept similar deals. Syrian Reconciliation Minister Ali Haidar told AFP that Ahrar al-Sham had negotiated with the Russian Centre for Reconciliation and that Damascus was not directly involved. Nawar Oliver, an analyst at the Turkey-based Omran Centre, said fighters in Harasta "were not able to impose a single one of their conditions". 'Tragic' conditions Opposition figures in Ghouta said talks were underway for a deal to evacuate rebels from the enclave's main town, Douma. Douma is controlled by the Jaish al-Islam group, while a pocket of territory around the town of Zamalka, closer to the capital, is held by Faylaq al-Rahman with a small jihadist presence. Air strikes on Zamalka killed 16 civilians on Thursday, the Observatory said. An AFP reporter in Douma said hundreds of civilians were fleeing the town. Similar evacuation deals have seen the government retake a string of former rebel bastions. A May 2014 deal saw rebels pull out of the third city Homs, once labelled the "capital of the revolution" that sparked Syria's seven-year civil war. In December 2016, the army retook the whole of the second city Aleppo as rebels withdrew in one of their worst defeats of the war. Those agreements also followed devastating bombardments that took a heavy toll on trapped civilians. The assault on Ghouta has sparked a mass exodus of civilians from the shrinking rebel enclave. Some 50,000 people have reached shelters in the government-controlled territory in the past week, according to the United Nations. On Wednesday, the UN's humanitarian coordinator in Syria said those displaced were living in "tragic" conditions. "People may have escaped fighting, fear and insecurity but they find themselves in a place without anywhere to wash themselves," Ali al-Zaatari said.

First rebels quit Syria enclave under Russia-brokered deal

The US government today identified a Frenchman named Joe Asperman as a &quot;global terrorist&quot; accusing him of helping the Islamic State.

&quot;French national Joe Asperman is a senior chemical weapons expert for ISIS,&quot; the US State Department said in a statement.

The US listed Asperman as a &quot;Specially Designated Global Terrorist&quot; for overseeing chemical operations production in Syria.

&quot;Asperman oversaw chemical operations production within Syria for ISIS and the deployment of these chemical weapons at the battlefront,&quot; the statement said.

The US Treasury&#39;s list of sanctioned terrorists said Asperman is believed to have been born in Cannes, France between 1986 and 1988.

Along with Asperman, the State Department also designated the Katibat al-Imam al-Bukhari, an armed group as an &quot;al Qaeda ally&quot; and &quot;the largest Uzbek fighting force in Syria.&quot;

Along with Asperman, the State Department also designated the Katibat al-Imam al-Bukhari, an armed group as an "al Qaeda ally"

The US government today identified a Frenchman named Joe Asperman as a "global terrorist" accusing him of helping the Islamic State. "French national Joe Asperman is a senior chemical weapons expert for ISIS," the US State Department said in a statement. The US listed Asperman as a "Specially Designated Global Terrorist" for overseeing chemical operations production in Syria. "Asperman oversaw chemical operations production within Syria for ISIS and the deployment of these chemical weapons at the battlefront," the statement said. The US Treasury's list of sanctioned terrorists said Asperman is believed to have been born in Cannes, France between 1986 and 1988. Along with Asperman, the State Department also designated the Katibat al-Imam al-Bukhari, an armed group as an "al Qaeda ally" and "the largest Uzbek fighting force in Syria."

IS link in Syria: US names Frenchman Joe Asperman as 'global terrorist'

An air strike hit near a school in Syria&#39;s northwestern province of Idlib today, killing at least 16 children, a monitoring organisation said.

&quot;Twenty civilians, including 16 children, were killed in an air strike in Kafr Batikh in Idlib province,&quot; the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Rami Abdel Rahman, the head of the Britain-based monitor, said the strike hit near a checkpoint held by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a jihadist group that consists largely of ex-members of a former Al-Qaeda affiliate.

It was not clear whether the air strike was carried out by the Syrian regime or its Russian ally.

Abdel Rahman said the strike hit children coming out of a nearby school.

&quot;The oldest among them is 11,&quot; he said.

In Kafr Batikh, the children&#39;s devastated families wrapped the tiny bodies of their children in thick wool blankets.

They adorned their makeshift shrouds with olive branches and other greenery from trees in the village orchard before lowering them into graves deep in the red earth.

A teacher said he was in the school with pupils when a Russian war plane launched strikes.

Abdulrahman al-Omar said the students were hurrying home when more bombing raids hit.

&quot;Some elderly people brought them into a cave to take shelter,&quot; Omar told AFP.

As rescue workers rushed to help the victims and clear away the bodies of the first strike, the warplane hit yet again, he said.

It was the second time in a week that schoolchildren were killed in bombing raids in Syria.

On Friday, an air strike on a school in a rebel-held town outside Damascus killed 15 children and two women who were taking shelter in its basement.

More than 350,000 people have been killed since Syria&#39;s civil war started in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-government protest.&nbsp;

'Twenty civilians, including 16 children, were killed in an air strike in Kafr Batikh in Idlib province,' the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said

An air strike hit near a school in Syria's northwestern province of Idlib today, killing at least 16 children, a monitoring organisation said. "Twenty civilians, including 16 children, were killed in an air strike in Kafr Batikh in Idlib province," the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Rami Abdel Rahman, the head of the Britain-based monitor, said the strike hit near a checkpoint held by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a jihadist group that consists largely of ex-members of a former Al-Qaeda affiliate. It was not clear whether the air strike was carried out by the Syrian regime or its Russian ally. Abdel Rahman said the strike hit children coming out of a nearby school. "The oldest among them is 11," he said. In Kafr Batikh, the children's devastated families wrapped the tiny bodies of their children in thick wool blankets. They adorned their makeshift shrouds with olive branches and other greenery from trees in the village orchard before lowering them into graves deep in the red earth. A teacher said he was in the school with pupils when a Russian war plane launched strikes. Abdulrahman al-Omar said the students were hurrying home when more bombing raids hit. "Some elderly people brought them into a cave to take shelter," Omar told AFP. As rescue workers rushed to help the victims and clear away the bodies of the first strike, the warplane hit yet again, he said. It was the second time in a week that schoolchildren were killed in bombing raids in Syria. On Friday, an air strike on a school in a rebel-held town outside Damascus killed 15 children and two women who were taking shelter in its basement. More than 350,000 people have been killed since Syria's civil war started in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-government protest.

Strike near school in Syria's Idlib kills 16 children: Monitor

Israel&#39;s military admitted for the first time Wednesday it was responsible for a 2007 air raid against a suspected Syrian nuclear reactor, a strike it was long believed to have carried out.

The admission along with the release of newly declassified material related to the raid comes as Israel intensifies its warnings over the presence of its main enemy Iran in neighbouring Syria.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also repeatedly called for the nuclear deal between world powers and Iran to be changed or eliminated.

US President Donald Trump, who met Netanyahu at the White House this month, has said that the nuclear deal must be &quot;fixed&quot; by May 12 or the United States will walk away.

An Israeli military spokesman declined to respond to questions related to the admission and the release of the documents, including over the timing, which could be seen as a warning regarding Iran&#39;s activities.

The declassified material includes footage of the strike, video of a speech by military chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot on the operation and pictures of secret army intelligence communiques about the site.

A military statement summarising the operation lays out the case for why Israel carried out the strike at the desert site in the Deir Ezzor region of eastern Syria on what it says was a nuclear reactor under construction.

It has long been widely assumed that Israel carried out the strike. Syria has meanwhile denied it was building a nuclear reactor.

&quot;On the night between September 5th-6th, 2007, Israeli Air Force fighter jets successfully struck and destroyed a Syrian nuclear reactor in development,&quot; the Israeli statement says.

&quot;The reactor was close to being completed. The operation successfully removed an emerging existential threat to Israel and to the entire region -- Syrian nuclear capabilities.&quot;

&#39;Strategic implications&#39; 
Israel&#39;s admission is by no means the first time its military has been identified as the source of the attack.

In 2008, less than a year after the strike, US officials accused Syria of having sought to build a secret nuclear reactor and acknowledged Israel destroyed it in the raid.

The UN atomic watchdog declared in 2011 that the Syrian site was &quot;very likely&quot; to have been a nuclear reactor, adding that information provided to it suggested that it was being built with North Korean assistance.

Israel said in its new disclosures that secrecy surrounding the strike was necessary due to the sensitive security situation.

In defending the strike, it notes that Islamic State group jihadists later overran much of Deir Ezzor during Syria&#39;s civil war, while also saying that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad &quot;in the past used chemical weapons against his own citizens.&quot;

&quot;The nuclear reactor being held by Assad would have had severe strategic implications on the entire Middle East as well as Israel and Syria,&quot; it said.

While Israel&#39;s admission will come as little surprise, the declassified material provides new details on what is widely known as &quot;Operation Orchard.&quot;

The material speaks of an ultra-secretive operation, with very few knowing details of the strike and a cover story provided.

Israeli intelligence had picked up on what it determined was the construction of the nuclear reactor and followed its development, it says.

Four F-16s and four F-15s were involved in the strike, with the operation beginning at 10:30 pm on September 5 and the planes returning at 2:30 am the following day.

Grainy footage of the strike included in the material shows a target locking on to a building that is blown apart shortly afterward.

Israel determined that the alleged reactor was &quot;totally disabled, and that the damage done was irreversible.&quot;

Israeli military chief of staff Lieutenant General Gadi Eisenkot, who was northern commander at the time, recalled in a video in the material meeting with his officers shortly before the raid.

&quot;I don&#39;t give them the exact details of the target and its essence, but I say that there&#39;s going to be a significant attack in the upcoming 24-48 hours, an event that in low likeliness could lead to war,&quot; he said.

&quot;Low, to me, is even 15 or 20 percent, which is a lot.&quot;

&#39;Message&#39; sent? 
Syria and Israel have fought in repeated wars since the Jewish state&#39;s founding in 1948. The two countries are still technically at war.

Israel has sought to avoid direct involvement in the Syrian civil war that broke out in 2011, but it acknowledges carrying out dozens of air strikes there to stop what it says are advanced arms deliveries to Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah.

Hezbollah is fighting alongside Assad&#39;s regime, like Iran and Russia.

Israel has expressed growing concern over what it sees as Iran&#39;s attempts to entrench itself militarily in Syria.

It also accuses Iran of seeking to build factories to construct precision-guided missiles in Syria and Lebanon that could be used against Israel.

Beyond that, Netanyahu has warned that Israel will &quot;never let Iran develop nuclear weapons.&quot;

Eisenkot spoke of the &quot;message&quot; of the 2007 strike, while making reference to a 1981 Israeli raid against a nuclear reactor in Iraq.

&quot;The message from the 2007 reactor attack was that Israel won&#39;t accept the construction of abilities that could constitute an existential threat to the state of Israel,&quot; he said in the video.

&quot;That&#39;s the message from &#39;81, that&#39;s the message from 2007 and that&#39;s our future message to our enemies.&quot;

It has long been widely assumed that Israel carried out the strike. Syria has meanwhile denied it was building a nuclear reactor

Israel's military admitted for the first time Wednesday it was responsible for a 2007 air raid against a suspected Syrian nuclear reactor, a strike it was long believed to have carried out. The admission along with the release of newly declassified material related to the raid comes as Israel intensifies its warnings over the presence of its main enemy Iran in neighbouring Syria. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also repeatedly called for the nuclear deal between world powers and Iran to be changed or eliminated. US President Donald Trump, who met Netanyahu at the White House this month, has said that the nuclear deal must be "fixed" by May 12 or the United States will walk away. An Israeli military spokesman declined to respond to questions related to the admission and the release of the documents, including over the timing, which could be seen as a warning regarding Iran's activities. The declassified material includes footage of the strike, video of a speech by military chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot on the operation and pictures of secret army intelligence communiques about the site. A military statement summarising the operation lays out the case for why Israel carried out the strike at the desert site in the Deir Ezzor region of eastern Syria on what it says was a nuclear reactor under construction. It has long been widely assumed that Israel carried out the strike. Syria has meanwhile denied it was building a nuclear reactor. "On the night between September 5th-6th, 2007, Israeli Air Force fighter jets successfully struck and destroyed a Syrian nuclear reactor in development," the Israeli statement says. "The reactor was close to being completed. The operation successfully removed an emerging existential threat to Israel and to the entire region -- Syrian nuclear capabilities." 'Strategic implications' Israel's admission is by no means the first time its military has been identified as the source of the attack. In 2008, less than a year after the strike, US officials accused Syria of having sought to build a secret nuclear reactor and acknowledged Israel destroyed it in the raid. The UN atomic watchdog declared in 2011 that the Syrian site was "very likely" to have been a nuclear reactor, adding that information provided to it suggested that it was being built with North Korean assistance. Israel said in its new disclosures that secrecy surrounding the strike was necessary due to the sensitive security situation. In defending the strike, it notes that Islamic State group jihadists later overran much of Deir Ezzor during Syria's civil war, while also saying that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad "in the past used chemical weapons against his own citizens." "The nuclear reactor being held by Assad would have had severe strategic implications on the entire Middle East as well as Israel and Syria," it said. While Israel's admission will come as little surprise, the declassified material provides new details on what is widely known as "Operation Orchard." The material speaks of an ultra-secretive operation, with very few knowing details of the strike and a cover story provided. Israeli intelligence had picked up on what it determined was the construction of the nuclear reactor and followed its development, it says. Four F-16s and four F-15s were involved in the strike, with the operation beginning at 10:30 pm on September 5 and the planes returning at 2:30 am the following day. Grainy footage of the strike included in the material shows a target locking on to a building that is blown apart shortly afterward. Israel determined that the alleged reactor was "totally disabled, and that the damage done was irreversible." Israeli military chief of staff Lieutenant General Gadi Eisenkot, who was northern commander at the time, recalled in a video in the material meeting with his officers shortly before the raid. "I don't give them the exact details of the target and its essence, but I say that there's going to be a significant attack in the upcoming 24-48 hours, an event that in low likeliness could lead to war," he said. "Low, to me, is even 15 or 20 percent, which is a lot." 'Message' sent? Syria and Israel have fought in repeated wars since the Jewish state's founding in 1948. The two countries are still technically at war. Israel has sought to avoid direct involvement in the Syrian civil war that broke out in 2011, but it acknowledges carrying out dozens of air strikes there to stop what it says are advanced arms deliveries to Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah. Hezbollah is fighting alongside Assad's regime, like Iran and Russia. Israel has expressed growing concern over what it sees as Iran's attempts to entrench itself militarily in Syria. It also accuses Iran of seeking to build factories to construct precision-guided missiles in Syria and Lebanon that could be used against Israel. Beyond that, Netanyahu has warned that Israel will "never let Iran develop nuclear weapons." Eisenkot spoke of the "message" of the 2007 strike, while making reference to a 1981 Israeli raid against a nuclear reactor in Iraq. "The message from the 2007 reactor attack was that Israel won't accept the construction of abilities that could constitute an existential threat to the state of Israel," he said in the video. "That's the message from '81, that's the message from 2007 and that's our future message to our enemies."

Israel admits 2007 Syrian 'nuclear reactor' strike for first time

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday criticised Turkey&#39;s military offensive in Syria&#39;s Afrin. Merkel also condemned the ongoing attacks by Syrian forces in eastern Ghouta, near Damascus.

The German government condemned the air strikes on eastern Ghouta &quot;in the strongest terms&quot;, Merkel spoke in the Bundestag lower house of parliament. She lashed out at the Bashar al-Assad-led forces and blamed Russia for &quot;just watching&quot; the events unfold.

She described Turkey&#39;s actions as unacceptable despite its security interests. &quot;I&#39;m also condemning this in the strongest terms,&quot; Merkel added.

Meanwhile, Turkey and the United States have reached an understanding, but not full agreement, about stabilising the town of Manbij and other areas of Kurdish-controlled northern Syria, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Wednesday.

Turkey, which on Sunday stormed the northern Syrian town of Afrin after a two-month offensive against the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia, has repeatedly threatened to push its operations further east to Manbij where US troops are stationed.

(With inputs from Reuters)&nbsp;

Merkel described Turkey's actions as unacceptable despite its security interests.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday criticised Turkey's military offensive in Syria's Afrin. Merkel also condemned the ongoing attacks by Syrian forces in eastern Ghouta, near Damascus. The German government condemned the air strikes on eastern Ghouta "in the strongest terms", Merkel spoke in the Bundestag lower house of parliament. She lashed out at the Bashar al-Assad-led forces and blamed Russia for "just watching" the events unfold. She described Turkey's actions as unacceptable despite its security interests. "I'm also condemning this in the strongest terms," Merkel added. Meanwhile, Turkey and the United States have reached an understanding, but not full agreement, about stabilising the town of Manbij and other areas of Kurdish-controlled northern Syria, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Wednesday. Turkey, which on Sunday stormed the northern Syrian town of Afrin after a two-month offensive against the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia, has repeatedly threatened to push its operations further east to Manbij where US troops are stationed. (With inputs from Reuters)

Merkel 'strongly condemns' Turkish military offensive in Afrin

Turkey and the United States have reached an understanding, but not full agreement, about stabilising the town of Manbij and other areas of Kurdish-controlled northern Syria, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Wednesday.

Turkey, which on Sunday stormed the northern Syrian town of Afrin after a two-month offensive against the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia, has repeatedly threatened to push its operations further east to Manbij where US&nbsp;troops are stationed.

Expanding Turkey&#39;s military campaign into the much larger Kurdish-held territory further east, which President Tayyip Erdogan has vowed to do, would risk confrontation between the NATO allies who have been at loggerheads over the US&nbsp;policy in Syria and other issues.

Speaking at a news conference in Ankara, Cavusoglu denied media reports that Ankara and Washington had agreed a deal on the fate of Manbij, 100 km (60 miles) east of Afrin.

&quot;We said we reached an understanding, which is mainly that Syria&#39;s Manbij and the east of the Euphrates be stabilised. We said we reached an understanding, not an agreement,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

Ankara was seeking an agreement with Washington over who will secure Manbij after the YPG, which Turkey considers a terrorist organisation, withdraws from the area. Pulling out only from Manbij would not be enough, Cavusoglu said.

&quot;The YPG will withdraw from these areas, like Manbij for example. We will work together for the security of these areas.

&quot;Manbij is, of course, not enough. First, the YPG will leave and the people of Manbij will govern it. The security of the area will be ensured. We will apply the Manbij model to other areas controlled by the YPG as well,&quot; he said.

Turkey considers the YPG to be an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has waged a decades-long insurgency against the state, and has been infuriated by the support Washington has provided the Syrian Kurdish fighters.

The issue caused a crisis between the NATO allies. Outgoing US&nbsp;Secretary of State Rex Tillerson had taken a leading role in recent weeks to resolve the dispute, promising to find a solution for Manbij during a visit to Turkey last month.

However Turkey said US&nbsp;President Donald Trump&#39;s announcement that he was removing Tillerson from office may delay a potential deal between Ankara and Washington. 
&nbsp;

Ankara was seeking an agreement with Washington over who will secure Manbij after the YPG

Turkey and the United States have reached an understanding, but not full agreement, about stabilising the town of Manbij and other areas of Kurdish-controlled northern Syria, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Wednesday. Turkey, which on Sunday stormed the northern Syrian town of Afrin after a two-month offensive against the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia, has repeatedly threatened to push its operations further east to Manbij where US troops are stationed. Expanding Turkey's military campaign into the much larger Kurdish-held territory further east, which President Tayyip Erdogan has vowed to do, would risk confrontation between the NATO allies who have been at loggerheads over the US policy in Syria and other issues. Speaking at a news conference in Ankara, Cavusoglu denied media reports that Ankara and Washington had agreed a deal on the fate of Manbij, 100 km (60 miles) east of Afrin. "We said we reached an understanding, which is mainly that Syria's Manbij and the east of the Euphrates be stabilised. We said we reached an understanding, not an agreement," he said. Ankara was seeking an agreement with Washington over who will secure Manbij after the YPG, which Turkey considers a terrorist organisation, withdraws from the area. Pulling out only from Manbij would not be enough, Cavusoglu said. "The YPG will withdraw from these areas, like Manbij for example. We will work together for the security of these areas. "Manbij is, of course, not enough. First, the YPG will leave and the people of Manbij will govern it. The security of the area will be ensured. We will apply the Manbij model to other areas controlled by the YPG as well," he said. Turkey considers the YPG to be an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has waged a decades-long insurgency against the state, and has been infuriated by the support Washington has provided the Syrian Kurdish fighters. The issue caused a crisis between the NATO allies. Outgoing US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson had taken a leading role in recent weeks to resolve the dispute, promising to find a solution for Manbij during a visit to Turkey last month. However Turkey said US President Donald Trump's announcement that he was removing Tillerson from office may delay a potential deal between Ankara and Washington.

Reached understanding but no deal with US: Turkey on Syria's Manbij

Russia will remain a &quot;difficult partner&quot; after President Vladimir Putin&#39;s re-election but will be needed to help resolve international tensions, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Monday, questioning the vote&#39;s fairness.&nbsp;

&quot;The result of the election in Russia did not surprise us any more than the circumstances of this election,&quot; Maas told reporters in Brussels before talks with his European Union counterparts.

&quot;We certainly cannot talk in all respects about a fair political contest as we know it,&quot; he said.

It was &quot;unacceptable&quot; that the Russian election also took place in Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine four years ago in breach of international law, the minister said.&nbsp;

&quot;In this respect, we assume that Russia will remain a difficult partner,&quot; Maas added.

&quot;But Russia is also needed when it comes to resolving the major international conflicts and that is why we want to remain in dialogue,&quot; the minister said.

Russia is a key player in Ukraine, but also in the civil war in Syria and in the nuclear standoff on the Korean peninsula.

&quot;We also expect Russia to make constructive contributions, more so than has been the case in the recent past,&quot; he said.

Maas said the ministers will discuss the situation in the Ukraine where the EU accuses Moscow of supporting a rebellion in the east.

The foreign ministers&#39; meeting will focus on British allegations that Russia used a nerve agent to poison a former Russian spy in Britain, charges Moscow denies.&nbsp;

'The result of the election in Russia did not surprise us any more than the circumstances of this election,' German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said

Russia will remain a "difficult partner" after President Vladimir Putin's re-election but will be needed to help resolve international tensions, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Monday, questioning the vote's fairness. "The result of the election in Russia did not surprise us any more than the circumstances of this election," Maas told reporters in Brussels before talks with his European Union counterparts. "We certainly cannot talk in all respects about a fair political contest as we know it," he said. It was "unacceptable" that the Russian election also took place in Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine four years ago in breach of international law, the minister said. "In this respect, we assume that Russia will remain a difficult partner," Maas added. "But Russia is also needed when it comes to resolving the major international conflicts and that is why we want to remain in dialogue," the minister said. Russia is a key player in Ukraine, but also in the civil war in Syria and in the nuclear standoff on the Korean peninsula. "We also expect Russia to make constructive contributions, more so than has been the case in the recent past," he said. Maas said the ministers will discuss the situation in the Ukraine where the EU accuses Moscow of supporting a rebellion in the east. The foreign ministers' meeting will focus on British allegations that Russia used a nerve agent to poison a former Russian spy in Britain, charges Moscow denies.

Russia will remain 'difficult partner' after Putin re-election: Germany

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday vowed to expand Turkey&#39;s Syria campaign to other Kurdish-held areas up to the Iraqi border, a day after ousting Kurdish militia from their former enclave of Afrin.

Indicating there was no plan for the Turkish army to call off offensive, Erdogan described the taking of Afrin as merely a &quot;comma&quot; and also warned Turkey could launch a surprise attack on Kurdish rebel strongholds in Iraq.

He said the Turkish campaign in Syria, conducted in tandem with allied Syrian forces, could now extend up to Qamishli, the most easterly Syrian town held by the Kurdish People&#39;s Protection Units (YPG) before the Iraqi border.

&quot;Now we will continue this process until we entirely eliminate this corridor, including in Manbij, Ayn al-Arab, Tel-Abyad, Ras al-Ayn and Qamishli,&quot; Erdogan said in a speech in Ankara.

Manbij, the next main YPG-held town east of Afrin is a particular flashpoint as there is a US military presence there, raising the risk of confrontation between the NATO allies.

Ayn al-Arab is the border town known as Kobane in Kurdish, of symbolic importance as it was the epicentre of a struggle with Islamic State (IS) jihadists.The YPG is seen by the United States as a key player in the fight against Islamic State jihadists. But Turkey brands it a terrorist group.

Turkey sees the YPG as a Syrian offshoot of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers&#39;&nbsp;Party (PKK), which has waged a bloody insurgency against the Turkish state since 1984.

Most of Afrin&#39;s 350,000 residents have fled since Turkey and allied Syrian rebels launched an air and ground offensive on January 20 to root out the YPG.

The capture of the city is seen a major step forwards for Turkey as it seeks to bolster its control along the border in northern Syria.

Erdogan described Afrin&#39;s capture after almost two months as a &quot;major stage&quot; of the operation, codenamed Olive Branch. But he said more would come.

&quot;We marked a comma. God willing a full stop will come next.&quot;&nbsp;

But he insisted that Turkey &quot;has no intention of being occupiers&quot; in Syria and only wanted to remove the threat posed by the &quot;terrorists.&quot;

He also evoked a possible operation against PKK camps in Iraq&#39;s Sinjar region, saying this could come any time.

Erdogan said he had told the Iraqi authorities in Baghdad to deal with PKK camps there, warning Sinjar risked becoming one of the group&#39;s strongholds, like the Qandil mountain area.&nbsp;

&quot;If (Baghdad) cannot, we may turn up in Sinjar suddenly one night and clean up the PKK there.&quot;

Most of Afrin's 350,000 residents have fled since Turkey and allied Syrian rebels launched an air and ground offensive on January 20 to root out the YPG

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday vowed to expand Turkey's Syria campaign to other Kurdish-held areas up to the Iraqi border, a day after ousting Kurdish militia from their former enclave of Afrin. Indicating there was no plan for the Turkish army to call off offensive, Erdogan described the taking of Afrin as merely a "comma" and also warned Turkey could launch a surprise attack on Kurdish rebel strongholds in Iraq. He said the Turkish campaign in Syria, conducted in tandem with allied Syrian forces, could now extend up to Qamishli, the most easterly Syrian town held by the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) before the Iraqi border. "Now we will continue this process until we entirely eliminate this corridor, including in Manbij, Ayn al-Arab, Tel-Abyad, Ras al-Ayn and Qamishli," Erdogan said in a speech in Ankara. Manbij, the next main YPG-held town east of Afrin is a particular flashpoint as there is a US military presence there, raising the risk of confrontation between the NATO allies. Ayn al-Arab is the border town known as Kobane in Kurdish, of symbolic importance as it was the epicentre of a struggle with Islamic State (IS) jihadists.The YPG is seen by the United States as a key player in the fight against Islamic State jihadists. But Turkey brands it a terrorist group. Turkey sees the YPG as a Syrian offshoot of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has waged a bloody insurgency against the Turkish state since 1984. Most of Afrin's 350,000 residents have fled since Turkey and allied Syrian rebels launched an air and ground offensive on January 20 to root out the YPG. The capture of the city is seen a major step forwards for Turkey as it seeks to bolster its control along the border in northern Syria. Erdogan described Afrin's capture after almost two months as a "major stage" of the operation, codenamed Olive Branch. But he said more would come. "We marked a comma. God willing a full stop will come next." But he insisted that Turkey "has no intention of being occupiers" in Syria and only wanted to remove the threat posed by the "terrorists." He also evoked a possible operation against PKK camps in Iraq's Sinjar region, saying this could come any time. Erdogan said he had told the Iraqi authorities in Baghdad to deal with PKK camps there, warning Sinjar risked becoming one of the group's strongholds, like the Qandil mountain area. "If (Baghdad) cannot, we may turn up in Sinjar suddenly one night and clean up the PKK there."

Turkey 'to expand Syria op' to other Kurdish-held towns

Turkey&#39;s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that Turkish troops and the Syrian rebel fighter allies have seized control of the town center of Afrin from Kurdish YPG fighters.

A spokesman for the rebel fighters said they entered Afrin before dawn from three fronts, meeting no resistance.

&ldquo;Afrin city centre is under control as of 8:30 this morning,&rdquo; Erdogan told a rally marking the 103rd anniversary of the World War One Gallipoli campaign. Turkish and Free Syrian Army flags had been raised in Afrin, Erdogan said.

&ldquo;Most of the terrorists have already fled with tails between their legs. Our special forces and members of the Free Syrian Army are cleaning the remains and the traps they left behind,&rdquo; Erdogan said. &ldquo;In the centre of Afrin, symbols of trust and stability are waving instead of rags of terrorists.&rdquo;

But a war monitor said clashes continued in parts of Afrin, the main town of the Afrin region which has been under Kurdish control for years. Afrin is one of three Kurdish cantons in northern Syria on the border with Turkey.

Turkey launched its military offensive against US-backed Kurdish YPG militia in Afrin on January 20, supported by FSA rebel factions. Further, it says it will extend the offensive to other Kurdish regions where US forces are stationed alongside the YPG, an ally against Islamic State.

The fighting in a once stable pocket of northwest Syria has opened a new front in the country&rsquo;s multi-sided civil war, highlighting the ever greater role of foreign powers in the seven-year-old conflict.

More than 150,000 people have been displaced in the last few days from Afrin town, a senior Kurdish official and a monitoring group said Saturday.

A spokesman for the rebel fighters said they entered Afrin before dawn from three fronts, meeting no resistance

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that Turkish troops and the Syrian rebel fighter allies have seized control of the town center of Afrin from Kurdish YPG fighters. A spokesman for the rebel fighters said they entered Afrin before dawn from three fronts, meeting no resistance. “Afrin city centre is under control as of 8:30 this morning,” Erdogan told a rally marking the 103rd anniversary of the World War One Gallipoli campaign. Turkish and Free Syrian Army flags had been raised in Afrin, Erdogan said. “Most of the terrorists have already fled with tails between their legs. Our special forces and members of the Free Syrian Army are cleaning the remains and the traps they left behind,” Erdogan said. “In the centre of Afrin, symbols of trust and stability are waving instead of rags of terrorists.” But a war monitor said clashes continued in parts of Afrin, the main town of the Afrin region which has been under Kurdish control for years. Afrin is one of three Kurdish cantons in northern Syria on the border with Turkey. Turkey launched its military offensive against US-backed Kurdish YPG militia in Afrin on January 20, supported by FSA rebel factions. Further, it says it will extend the offensive to other Kurdish regions where US forces are stationed alongside the YPG, an ally against Islamic State. The fighting in a once stable pocket of northwest Syria has opened a new front in the country’s multi-sided civil war, highlighting the ever greater role of foreign powers in the seven-year-old conflict. More than 150,000 people have been displaced in the last few days from Afrin town, a senior Kurdish official and a monitoring group said Saturday.

Syrian rebel fighters enter Afrin town, Kurdish forces pull out

Turkey&#39;s flag was flying in Afrin on Sunday after its troops and Ankara-backed rebels chased out Kurdish militia forces to seize control of the Syrian city.

In a major victory for Ankara&#39;s two-month operation against the Kurdish People&#39;s Protection Units (YPG) in northern Syria, Turkish-led forces pushed into Afrin apparently unopposed, taking up positions across the city.

The advance came as Syria&#39;s civil war entered its eighth year this week with heavy fighting on two fronts -- around Afrin and in the rebel enclave of Eastern Ghouta near Damascus.

Hundreds have been killed and thousands forced from their homes by the ferocious assault in Ghouta, where President Bashar al-Assad on Sunday visited troops battling to retake the last rebel enclave close to the capital.

In Afrin, AFP correspondents saw Turkish forces and their Syrian allies in all neighbourhoods of the city after they made a lightning advance inside on Sunday. 
Rebels fanned out across the city, giving victory signs and taking pictures with Turkish tanks parked outside official buildings.&nbsp;

The flags of Turkey and Syrian rebel groups were raised in the city and a statue of Kurdish hero Kawa, a symbol of resistance against oppressors, was torn down.

Civilians were seen fleeing the city and plumes of smoke rose into the sky as mines exploded.Around 250,000 civilians had left in recent days after pro-Ankara fighters took the surrounding region and all but encircled the city, fleeing southwards to territory still held by the YPG or controlled by the Syrian regime.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that Turkish-backed fighters had taken control of the city centre and said a &quot;large number&quot; of Kurdish fighters had &quot;fled with their tails between their legs&quot;.

The Turkish leader has said the operation could move on to other Kurdish-controlled areas of northern Syria.

&quot;Our work is not finished.... but terrorism is finished in Afrin,&quot; Turkish government spokesman Bekir Bozdag said.&nbsp;

Residents said it appeared that YPG units had withdrawn from the city without a fight.&nbsp;

But Kurdish authorities vowed to retake Afrin, one of three semi-autonomous Kurdish &quot;cantons&quot; in northern Syria.&nbsp;

&quot;Resistance... will continue until every inch of Afrin is liberated,&quot; authorities representing the Afrin canton said in a statement.

&quot;In all of Afrin&#39;s sectors, our forces will become a permanent nightmare&quot; for pro-Ankara fighters, the statement said, promising &quot;a switch from direct confrontation to hit-and-run attacks.&quot;&nbsp;

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, says more than 280 civilians have been killed since the campaign began on January 20.&nbsp; Ankara has denied the reports and said it takes the &quot;utmost care&quot; to avoid civilian casualties.

The Observatory said Sunday that more than 1,500 Kurdish fighters had been killed since the start of the offensive, most of them in air strikes and artillery fire.More than 400 pro-Ankara rebels have also been killed, it said. The Turkish military says 46 Turkish soldiers have died.

Turkey sees the YPG as a &quot;terrorist&quot; offshoot of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers&#39;&nbsp;Party (PKK), which has waged a decades-long insurgency against the Turkish state.

But the Kurdish militia has also formed the backbone of a US-backed alliance that successfully expelled the Islamic State jihadist group from large parts of Syria.

On another front near Damascus, thousands of civilians continued to stream out of Eastern Ghouta for a fourth day as the regime&#39;s Russian-backed air and ground assault appeared to have eased up.&nbsp;

Regime fighters have retaken more than 80 percent of the former rebel bastion since the offensive was launched on February 18, the Observatory says, slicing what remains into three pockets each held by different rebel groups.

More than 1,400 civilians have been killed in the offensive and at least 65,000 civilians are reported to have fled the area in recent days.

Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said there had not been any air strikes on Sunday and only sporadic mortar fire into a southern pocket of the enclave held by the Faylaq al-Rahman rebel group.

&quot;The area is awaiting the announcement of a deal between Faylaq al-Rahman and Russia on an evacuation of rebels to northern Syria,&quot; Abdel Rahman told AFP. Assad met with soldiers in Eastern Ghouta on Sunday, the presidency said, in the leader&#39;s first trip to the region in years.

Syria state television broadcast photos of the president dressed in a shirt and jacket surrounded by soldiers, some perched on a tank behind him, in an unspecified part of Eastern Ghouta.

Syria&#39;s conflict broke out in 2011 with protests against Assad.

He has maintained his grip on power despite global calls to step down and outrage at the brutal offensives he has waged to retake towns and cities from rebel fighters.

Syria's conflict broke out in 2011 with protests against Assad

Turkey's flag was flying in Afrin on Sunday after its troops and Ankara-backed rebels chased out Kurdish militia forces to seize control of the Syrian city. In a major victory for Ankara's two-month operation against the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) in northern Syria, Turkish-led forces pushed into Afrin apparently unopposed, taking up positions across the city. The advance came as Syria's civil war entered its eighth year this week with heavy fighting on two fronts -- around Afrin and in the rebel enclave of Eastern Ghouta near Damascus. Hundreds have been killed and thousands forced from their homes by the ferocious assault in Ghouta, where President Bashar al-Assad on Sunday visited troops battling to retake the last rebel enclave close to the capital. In Afrin, AFP correspondents saw Turkish forces and their Syrian allies in all neighbourhoods of the city after they made a lightning advance inside on Sunday. Rebels fanned out across the city, giving victory signs and taking pictures with Turkish tanks parked outside official buildings. The flags of Turkey and Syrian rebel groups were raised in the city and a statue of Kurdish hero Kawa, a symbol of resistance against oppressors, was torn down. Civilians were seen fleeing the city and plumes of smoke rose into the sky as mines exploded.Around 250,000 civilians had left in recent days after pro-Ankara fighters took the surrounding region and all but encircled the city, fleeing southwards to territory still held by the YPG or controlled by the Syrian regime. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that Turkish-backed fighters had taken control of the city centre and said a "large number" of Kurdish fighters had "fled with their tails between their legs". The Turkish leader has said the operation could move on to other Kurdish-controlled areas of northern Syria. "Our work is not finished.... but terrorism is finished in Afrin," Turkish government spokesman Bekir Bozdag said. Residents said it appeared that YPG units had withdrawn from the city without a fight. But Kurdish authorities vowed to retake Afrin, one of three semi-autonomous Kurdish "cantons" in northern Syria. "Resistance... will continue until every inch of Afrin is liberated," authorities representing the Afrin canton said in a statement. "In all of Afrin's sectors, our forces will become a permanent nightmare" for pro-Ankara fighters, the statement said, promising "a switch from direct confrontation to hit-and-run attacks." The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, says more than 280 civilians have been killed since the campaign began on January 20. Ankara has denied the reports and said it takes the "utmost care" to avoid civilian casualties. The Observatory said Sunday that more than 1,500 Kurdish fighters had been killed since the start of the offensive, most of them in air strikes and artillery fire.More than 400 pro-Ankara rebels have also been killed, it said. The Turkish military says 46 Turkish soldiers have died. Turkey sees the YPG as a "terrorist" offshoot of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has waged a decades-long insurgency against the Turkish state. But the Kurdish militia has also formed the backbone of a US-backed alliance that successfully expelled the Islamic State jihadist group from large parts of Syria. On another front near Damascus, thousands of civilians continued to stream out of Eastern Ghouta for a fourth day as the regime's Russian-backed air and ground assault appeared to have eased up. Regime fighters have retaken more than 80 percent of the former rebel bastion since the offensive was launched on February 18, the Observatory says, slicing what remains into three pockets each held by different rebel groups. More than 1,400 civilians have been killed in the offensive and at least 65,000 civilians are reported to have fled the area in recent days. Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said there had not been any air strikes on Sunday and only sporadic mortar fire into a southern pocket of the enclave held by the Faylaq al-Rahman rebel group. "The area is awaiting the announcement of a deal between Faylaq al-Rahman and Russia on an evacuation of rebels to northern Syria," Abdel Rahman told AFP. Assad met with soldiers in Eastern Ghouta on Sunday, the presidency said, in the leader's first trip to the region in years. Syria state television broadcast photos of the president dressed in a shirt and jacket surrounded by soldiers, some perched on a tank behind him, in an unspecified part of Eastern Ghouta. Syria's conflict broke out in 2011 with protests against Assad. He has maintained his grip on power despite global calls to step down and outrage at the brutal offensives he has waged to retake towns and cities from rebel fighters.

Turkish-led forces oust Kurds from Syria's Afrin

More than 200,000 civilians have fled the city of Afrin in northern Syria in less than three days to escape a Turkish-led military offensive against a Kurdish militia, a war monitor said today.

&quot;There was fierce fighting throughout the night on the northern outskirts of the city as the Turkish forces and their Syrian allies tried to break into the city,&quot; the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The exodus continued today with at least 50,000 civilians fleeing the city since the early hours of the morning, according to the Britain-based monitoring group, which relies on sources inside Syria for its information.

&quot;The situation is terrifying,&quot; said Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman.

Turkey and its Syrian Arab rebel allies have waged a nearly two-month offensive on the Afrin enclave, which is held by the Kurdish People&#39;s Protection Units (YPG).

Earlier this week, they largely surrounded the enclave&#39;s sole city, which was home to some 350,000 people, including people displaced from other parts of the enclave already overrun.

A single escape route remains open to the south to territory still held by the YPG or controlled by the Damascus government.

&quot;Civilians are fleeing through the southern corridor,&quot; Abdel Rahman said.

The YPG has been a vital partner for a US-backed coalition against the Islamic State jihadist group.

But it is seen by Ankara as a &quot;terrorist&quot; offshoot of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers&#39; Party (PKK), which has been waging an insurgency inside Turkey since 1984.

Afrin has come under heavy air and artillery bombardment by the Turkish army.

Last evening, a Turkish bombing raid struck the city&#39;s main hospital, killing 16 civilians, a monitor said.

Turkey&#39;s military denied hitting the hospital, saying that its operation in Afrin &quot;is carried out in such a way as to not cause any harm to civilians&quot;.

Hospital director Jiwan Mohammed told state news agency SANA that the strikes had severely damaged the facility and put it out of service.

Serwan Bery, co-chair of the Kurdish Red Crescent, said earlier it had been the city&#39;s only functioning hospital.

Turkey and its Syrian Arab rebel allies have waged a nearly two-month offensive on the Afrin enclave

More than 200,000 civilians have fled the city of Afrin in northern Syria in less than three days to escape a Turkish-led military offensive against a Kurdish militia, a war monitor said today. "There was fierce fighting throughout the night on the northern outskirts of the city as the Turkish forces and their Syrian allies tried to break into the city," the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The exodus continued today with at least 50,000 civilians fleeing the city since the early hours of the morning, according to the Britain-based monitoring group, which relies on sources inside Syria for its information. "The situation is terrifying," said Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman. Turkey and its Syrian Arab rebel allies have waged a nearly two-month offensive on the Afrin enclave, which is held by the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG). Earlier this week, they largely surrounded the enclave's sole city, which was home to some 350,000 people, including people displaced from other parts of the enclave already overrun. A single escape route remains open to the south to territory still held by the YPG or controlled by the Damascus government. "Civilians are fleeing through the southern corridor," Abdel Rahman said. The YPG has been a vital partner for a US-backed coalition against the Islamic State jihadist group. But it is seen by Ankara as a "terrorist" offshoot of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has been waging an insurgency inside Turkey since 1984. Afrin has come under heavy air and artillery bombardment by the Turkish army. Last evening, a Turkish bombing raid struck the city's main hospital, killing 16 civilians, a monitor said. Turkey's military denied hitting the hospital, saying that its operation in Afrin "is carried out in such a way as to not cause any harm to civilians". Hospital director Jiwan Mohammed told state news agency SANA that the strikes had severely damaged the facility and put it out of service. Serwan Bery, co-chair of the Kurdish Red Crescent, said earlier it had been the city's only functioning hospital.

More than 200,000 civilians flee Syria's Afrin in three days: Monitor

The Red Crescent prepared to evacuate people in desperate need of medical care from Syria's battered rebel enclave of Eastern Ghouta on Tuesday, multiple sources said.

The expected evacuations come in the fourth week of a blistering Russia-backed government assault on the last rebel bastion near Damascus.

The rebel faction controlling Eastern Ghouta's main town of Douma and a military source said patients would be evacuated on Tuesday.

"A group of critical medical cases will be evacuated with those accompanying them via the Wafideeen" checkpoint into government-held territory, the head of Jaish al-Islam's political office, Yasser Delwan, said. On Monday, the group announced an agreement "via the United Nations with Russia... for the evacuation of the wounded in several waves to be treated outside Ghouta".

At the Wafideen checkpoint, an AFP reporter saw Syrian Arab Red Crescent ambulances on standby. The reporter saw the the UN humanitarian coordinator in Syria, Ali al-Zaatari, arrive.

A military source at the checkpoint confirmed "an evacuation today of wounded and grave medical cases along with a number of civilians".

But "no fighters will leave today", he added, without elaborating. On Monday, the United Nations said more than 1,000 people, mostly women and children, were in urgent need of medical evacuations from Eastern Ghouta.

It said they included around 80 priority cases.

More than 1,180 civilians have been killed since government forces launched an air and ground assault on the enclave on February 18, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Eastern Ghouta's 400,000 residents have been living under government siege since 2013, facing severe shortages of food and medicines shortages even before the latest assault.

The Red Crescent prepared to evacuate people in desperate need of medical care from Syria's battered rebel enclave of Eastern Ghouta on Tuesday

The Red Crescent prepared to evacuate people in desperate need of medical care from Syria's battered rebel enclave of Eastern Ghouta on Tuesday, multiple sources said. The expected evacuations come in the fourth week of a blistering Russia-backed government assault on the last rebel bastion near Damascus. The rebel faction controlling Eastern Ghouta's main town of Douma and a military source said patients would be evacuated on Tuesday. "A group of critical medical cases will be evacuated with those accompanying them via the Wafideeen" checkpoint into government-held territory, the head of Jaish al-Islam's political office, Yasser Delwan, said. On Monday, the group announced an agreement "via the United Nations with Russia... for the evacuation of the wounded in several waves to be treated outside Ghouta". At the Wafideen checkpoint, an AFP reporter saw Syrian Arab Red Crescent ambulances on standby. The reporter saw the the UN humanitarian coordinator in Syria, Ali al-Zaatari, arrive. A military source at the checkpoint confirmed "an evacuation today of wounded and grave medical cases along with a number of civilians". But "no fighters will leave today", he added, without elaborating. On Monday, the United Nations said more than 1,000 people, mostly women and children, were in urgent need of medical evacuations from Eastern Ghouta. It said they included around 80 priority cases. More than 1,180 civilians have been killed since government forces launched an air and ground assault on the enclave on February 18, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Eastern Ghouta's 400,000 residents have been living under government siege since 2013, facing severe shortages of food and medicines shortages even before the latest assault.

Medical evacuations expected out of Syria's battered Ghouta

Thousands of civilians could be seen leaving Syria&#39;s Eastern Ghouta at the Hammouriyah crossing point on Saturday (March 17) in footage broadcast by Syrian state television.

Air strikes killed scores of people in eastern Ghouta, a war monitor said, and weary residents streamed out on foot for a second day, as Russian-backed government forces pressed their campaign to capture the last big rebel bastion near Damascus.

On another front, Turkish and allied rebel forces struck the northern Kurdish-held town of Afrin, killing more than 40 people including children,&nbsp;Syrian Kurdish forces and a monitor said.

Young children were carried on suitcases and bicycles, while the elderly were offered assistance along the dusty road.

More than 7,000 people left Syria&#39;s Eastern Ghouta on Saturday morning, the TASS news agency reported, citing the Centre for Reconciliation in Syria, a body run by Russia&#39;s defence ministry.&nbsp;

The UK-based war monitoring group said a new wave of 10,000 people had left the besieged insurgent pocket to army positions in Ghouta, where the government has waged a fierce month-long offensive.

Backed by Russia and Iran, government forces have thrust deep into eastern Ghouta on the capital&#39;s outskirts, splintering the rebel enclave into three separate zones. The United Nations believes up to 400,000 people have been trapped in the Ghouta satellite towns and farmland, short of food and medicine.

The&nbsp;Syrian war entered its eighth year this week having killed half a million people and driven more than 11 million from their homes, including nearly 6 million who have fled abroad in one of the worst refugee crises of modern times.

The government launched its offensive on eastern Ghouta a month ago, and Turkey began its cross-border assault in Afrin in January. In both cases, hundreds of thousands of civilians have been trapped inside encircled pockets on the battlefield.

An estimated 12,000-16,000 people left Ghouta in recent days, while fighting in the Afrin region has reportedly displaced more than 48,000, said Linda Tom, a U.N. humanitarian spokeswoman in&nbsp;Syria.

Young children were carried on suitcases and bicycles, while the elderly were offered assistance along the dusty road

Thousands of civilians could be seen leaving Syria's Eastern Ghouta at the Hammouriyah crossing point on Saturday (March 17) in footage broadcast by Syrian state television. Air strikes killed scores of people in eastern Ghouta, a war monitor said, and weary residents streamed out on foot for a second day, as Russian-backed government forces pressed their campaign to capture the last big rebel bastion near Damascus. On another front, Turkish and allied rebel forces struck the northern Kurdish-held town of Afrin, killing more than 40 people including children, Syrian Kurdish forces and a monitor said. Young children were carried on suitcases and bicycles, while the elderly were offered assistance along the dusty road. More than 7,000 people left Syria's Eastern Ghouta on Saturday morning, the TASS news agency reported, citing the Centre for Reconciliation in Syria, a body run by Russia's defence ministry. The UK-based war monitoring group said a new wave of 10,000 people had left the besieged insurgent pocket to army positions in Ghouta, where the government has waged a fierce month-long offensive. Backed by Russia and Iran, government forces have thrust deep into eastern Ghouta on the capital's outskirts, splintering the rebel enclave into three separate zones. The United Nations believes up to 400,000 people have been trapped in the Ghouta satellite towns and farmland, short of food and medicine. The Syrian war entered its eighth year this week having killed half a million people and driven more than 11 million from their homes, including nearly 6 million who have fled abroad in one of the worst refugee crises of modern times. The government launched its offensive on eastern Ghouta a month ago, and Turkey began its cross-border assault in Afrin in January. In both cases, hundreds of thousands of civilians have been trapped inside encircled pockets on the battlefield. An estimated 12,000-16,000 people left Ghouta in recent days, while fighting in the Afrin region has reportedly displaced more than 48,000, said Linda Tom, a U.N. humanitarian spokeswoman in Syria.

Civilians stream out of Ghouta as crisis intensifies

A Turkish bombing raid struck the main hospital in the Kurdish-controlled Syrian town of Afrin, killing sixteen civilians, a monitor said.

The Kurdish Red Crescent medical service, which supports the hospital, confirmed that the hospital was hit but did not give a toll.

According to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the Turkish air strike &quot;directly&quot; hit the medical facility.

&quot;Sixteen civilians were killed, including two pregnant women,&quot; said Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman.

No medical staff were among the dead, he said.

Serwan Bery, co-chair of the Kurdish Red Crescent and based in the northeast Syria town of Qamishli, also said no hospital staff were known to have died.

&quot;There was bombing on the city during the day that got close to the hospital, but this evening it was directly hit,&quot; said Bery.

&quot;It was the only functioning hospital in Afrin city,&quot; he said.

Turkey and allied rebels have waged a nearly two-month offensive on the Afrin region, which is held by the Kurdish People&#39;s Protection Units (YPG).

Pro-Ankara forces were now on the verge of besieging Afrin, and terrified civilians have poured out of the city.

At least 15,000 people left Afrin on Friday, according to the Observatory.

A Turkish bombing raid struck the main hospital in the Kurdish-controlled Syrian town of Afrin, killing sixteen civilians, a monitor said. The Kurdish Red Crescent medical service, which supports the hospital, confirmed that the hospital was hit but did not give a toll. According to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the Turkish air strike "directly" hit the medical facility. "Sixteen civilians were killed, including two pregnant women," said Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman. No medical staff were among the dead, he said. Serwan Bery, co-chair of the Kurdish Red Crescent and based in the northeast Syria town of Qamishli, also said no hospital staff were known to have died. "There was bombing on the city during the day that got close to the hospital, but this evening it was directly hit," said Bery. "It was the only functioning hospital in Afrin city," he said. Turkey and allied rebels have waged a nearly two-month offensive on the Afrin region, which is held by the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG). Pro-Ankara forces were now on the verge of besieging Afrin, and terrified civilians have poured out of the city. At least 15,000 people left Afrin on Friday, according to the Observatory.

Turkish air strike hits hospital in Syria's Afrin: Monitor, medics

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