A Russian transport plane crashed on landing at an airbase in Syria Tuesday, the defence ministry said, killing all 39 people on board in one of the deadliest incidents since Moscow&#39;s intervention in the country&#39;s war.

The ministry said the 33 passengers and six crew members were all military personnel, in a statement carried by news agencies, revising up an earlier toll of 32.

&quot;The reason for the crash according to preliminary information could have been a technical fault,&quot; the ministry said, adding that the plane had not come under fire according to a report from the ground.&nbsp;

The transporter was around 500 metres (yards) from the runway at the Hmeimim airbase in western Syria, according to the defence ministry.

President Vladimir Putin expressed &quot;deep condolences to the families and loved ones of those killed in the crash and also to all of the military over the loss of their comrades&quot;.&nbsp;

Putin, who is on a trip in the Urals region, spoke to Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu on the phone about the accident, according to the Kremlin.

A commission will investigate the causes of the crash, the defence ministry said.

The Investigative Committee, which covers major incidents, also announced a probe into possible safety breaches, saying the plane was carrying out a planned flight.

- Red Army Choir - 
The accident is the second greatest loss of life for Russia since Moscow&#39;s intervention in the war.

In December 2016, a military plane carrying the famed Red Army Choir to Syria crashed after taking off from Sochi, killing all 92 people on board.

Moscow began conducting air strikes in Syria in September 2015, and its intervention has swung the nearly seven-year conflict firmly in favour of the forces of President Bashar al-Assad.&nbsp;

Putin made a surprise visit to Hmeimim in December where he ordered the start of a pullout of Russian troops, saying their task in the war-torn country had been largely completed.

Three battalions of military police and officers of the Russian Centre for Reconciliation would remain in Syria, as well as two Russian bases, Shoigu said on a subsequent trip.

Antonov-26 planes are used by the military in Syria for internal flights transporting troops and supplies between provinces, Kommersant business daily reported.

The planes have also been used on press tours.

&#39;Black boxes found&#39; 
The transport plane crashed and burst into flames near the highway that connects Damascus to Latakia on Tuesday, the pro-Kremlin daily newspaper Izvestiya reported, adding that the black box flight recorders had been found.

Tuesday&#39;s crash brings Russia&#39;s official military losses in the Syrian war to 84.&nbsp;

The most recent officially acknowledged military loss in battle in Syria was last month when a Russian pilot was killed after his plane was downed over Idlib province.

Russia has also acknowledged that five of its citizens were killed in a US-led coalition bombing in the eastern Deir Ezzor province on February 7, in the first admission of non-military Russian personnel killed in combat.

Moscow also said &quot;several dozen&quot; were wounded in the coalition strike.

The United States said its strike killed at least 100 regime and allied fighters and various reports indicated a death toll of up to several hundred Russians from the strike.

Russian nationals are regularly reported to be serving as paid mercenaries in Syria and taking on dangerous missions that often lead to casualties.

However, officials deny this and serving as a mercenary is illegal under Russian law. &nbsp;

Moscow&#39;s Syrian air base Hmeimim has been targeted in several attacks.

The military said that two drones carrying explosives attacked the base in January without causing any casualties.

On New Year&#39;s Eve last year, a mortar attack on the base killed two Russian soldiers.

In the most recent accident at the base, a Sukhoi military jet crashed while trying to take off in October, killing two crew members.

The defence ministry said the 33 passengers and six crew members were all military personnel, in a statement carried by news agencies, revising up an earlier toll of 32

A Russian transport plane crashed on landing at an airbase in Syria Tuesday, the defence ministry said, killing all 39 people on board in one of the deadliest incidents since Moscow's intervention in the country's war. The ministry said the 33 passengers and six crew members were all military personnel, in a statement carried by news agencies, revising up an earlier toll of 32. "The reason for the crash according to preliminary information could have been a technical fault," the ministry said, adding that the plane had not come under fire according to a report from the ground. The transporter was around 500 metres (yards) from the runway at the Hmeimim airbase in western Syria, according to the defence ministry. President Vladimir Putin expressed "deep condolences to the families and loved ones of those killed in the crash and also to all of the military over the loss of their comrades". Putin, who is on a trip in the Urals region, spoke to Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu on the phone about the accident, according to the Kremlin. A commission will investigate the causes of the crash, the defence ministry said. The Investigative Committee, which covers major incidents, also announced a probe into possible safety breaches, saying the plane was carrying out a planned flight. - Red Army Choir - The accident is the second greatest loss of life for Russia since Moscow's intervention in the war. In December 2016, a military plane carrying the famed Red Army Choir to Syria crashed after taking off from Sochi, killing all 92 people on board. Moscow began conducting air strikes in Syria in September 2015, and its intervention has swung the nearly seven-year conflict firmly in favour of the forces of President Bashar al-Assad. Putin made a surprise visit to Hmeimim in December where he ordered the start of a pullout of Russian troops, saying their task in the war-torn country had been largely completed. Three battalions of military police and officers of the Russian Centre for Reconciliation would remain in Syria, as well as two Russian bases, Shoigu said on a subsequent trip. Antonov-26 planes are used by the military in Syria for internal flights transporting troops and supplies between provinces, Kommersant business daily reported. The planes have also been used on press tours. 'Black boxes found' The transport plane crashed and burst into flames near the highway that connects Damascus to Latakia on Tuesday, the pro-Kremlin daily newspaper Izvestiya reported, adding that the black box flight recorders had been found. Tuesday's crash brings Russia's official military losses in the Syrian war to 84. The most recent officially acknowledged military loss in battle in Syria was last month when a Russian pilot was killed after his plane was downed over Idlib province. Russia has also acknowledged that five of its citizens were killed in a US-led coalition bombing in the eastern Deir Ezzor province on February 7, in the first admission of non-military Russian personnel killed in combat. Moscow also said "several dozen" were wounded in the coalition strike. The United States said its strike killed at least 100 regime and allied fighters and various reports indicated a death toll of up to several hundred Russians from the strike. Russian nationals are regularly reported to be serving as paid mercenaries in Syria and taking on dangerous missions that often lead to casualties. However, officials deny this and serving as a mercenary is illegal under Russian law. Moscow's Syrian air base Hmeimim has been targeted in several attacks. The military said that two drones carrying explosives attacked the base in January without causing any casualties. On New Year's Eve last year, a mortar attack on the base killed two Russian soldiers. In the most recent accident at the base, a Sukhoi military jet crashed while trying to take off in October, killing two crew members.

39 dead in Russian plane crash at Syria base: Kremlin

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar&#39;s Syria remark over Ram temple issue on Monday was slammed by the leaders from different political parties, calling it &quot;provocative&quot;.

&quot;Sri Sri Ravi Shankar should refrain from giving out such provocative statements,&quot; senior Janata Dal (United) leader KC Tyagi told ANI.

Echoing the same, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Majid Memon termed the Art of Living (AoL) founder&#39;s remarks sad.

&quot;I am sad to hear this comment from Sri Sri Ravi Shankar ji. I did not expect him to give a statement that could increase violence,&quot; said Memon.

He further questioned the reason behind Ravi Shankar&#39;s intervention, &quot;I would also very respectfully like to ask that the intervention you are doing, where were you from the past 25 years? He is coming out and talking about the issue just when the time when the Supreme Court is about to announce its decision.&quot;

Meanwhile, Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit called the AOL&#39;s statement a &quot;good entertainment value&quot;.

On Monday, the Art of Living founder, in an interview with a leading television channel, had said that any delay in resolving the Ram temple issue could result in a Syria-like situation in India.

&quot;If the Ram Mandir issue is not solved, we will have a Syria in India,&quot; Ravi Shankar said during the interview.&nbsp;

On Monday, the Art of Living founder had said that any delay in resolving the Ram temple issue could result in a Syria-like situation in India

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's Syria remark over Ram temple issue on Monday was slammed by the leaders from different political parties, calling it "provocative". "Sri Sri Ravi Shankar should refrain from giving out such provocative statements," senior Janata Dal (United) leader KC Tyagi told ANI. Echoing the same, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Majid Memon termed the Art of Living (AoL) founder's remarks sad. "I am sad to hear this comment from Sri Sri Ravi Shankar ji. I did not expect him to give a statement that could increase violence," said Memon. He further questioned the reason behind Ravi Shankar's intervention, "I would also very respectfully like to ask that the intervention you are doing, where were you from the past 25 years? He is coming out and talking about the issue just when the time when the Supreme Court is about to announce its decision." Meanwhile, Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit called the AOL's statement a "good entertainment value". On Monday, the Art of Living founder, in an interview with a leading television channel, had said that any delay in resolving the Ram temple issue could result in a Syria-like situation in India. "If the Ram Mandir issue is not solved, we will have a Syria in India," Ravi Shankar said during the interview.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar faces backlash over Syria remark

The Russian military said Tuesday that rebels were being allowed to leave Syria&#39;s Eastern Ghouta enclave via a humanitarian corridor together with their families and firearms, news agencies reported.

&quot;This time the humanitarian corridor was open not just for Eastern Ghouta&#39;s civilians but for fighters with their families,&quot; Russian military officer Vladimir Zolotukhin in Eastern Ghouta was quoted as saying.

&quot;Members of illegal armed groups are allowed to carry personal weapons,&quot; he added, without clarifying what options would be available to any rebels who arrived in the government-controlled zone.

Moscow has been managing a corridor out of the besieged Eastern Ghouta region for eight days, with a daily &quot;humanitarian pause&quot; between 9:00 am and 2:00 pm meant to encourage civilians to leave the zone.

But the plan, which was also supposed to give a chance for aid and medical supplies to reach those in need, has mostly failed to work as the region outside Damascus remains under continued regime bombardment.

Moscow has accused the rebels in Eastern Ghouta of blocking civilians from using the corridor. On Monday, only 13 people were able to exit the enclave together with a UN convoy, the Russian military said.&nbsp;

Zolotukhin said fire from rebel-controlled areas in the enclave hit a hospital in a Damascus suburb Monday but that attacks on the corridor subsided on Tuesday.

More than 780 civilians including 170 children have been killed since the Syrian regime launched the assault on Eastern Ghouta on February 18.

By early Tuesday, government troops controlled 40 percent of the enclave, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Fighters were allowed to leave with their families and firearms

The Russian military said Tuesday that rebels were being allowed to leave Syria's Eastern Ghouta enclave via a humanitarian corridor together with their families and firearms, news agencies reported. "This time the humanitarian corridor was open not just for Eastern Ghouta's civilians but for fighters with their families," Russian military officer Vladimir Zolotukhin in Eastern Ghouta was quoted as saying. "Members of illegal armed groups are allowed to carry personal weapons," he added, without clarifying what options would be available to any rebels who arrived in the government-controlled zone. Moscow has been managing a corridor out of the besieged Eastern Ghouta region for eight days, with a daily "humanitarian pause" between 9:00 am and 2:00 pm meant to encourage civilians to leave the zone. But the plan, which was also supposed to give a chance for aid and medical supplies to reach those in need, has mostly failed to work as the region outside Damascus remains under continued regime bombardment. Moscow has accused the rebels in Eastern Ghouta of blocking civilians from using the corridor. On Monday, only 13 people were able to exit the enclave together with a UN convoy, the Russian military said. Zolotukhin said fire from rebel-controlled areas in the enclave hit a hospital in a Damascus suburb Monday but that attacks on the corridor subsided on Tuesday. More than 780 civilians including 170 children have been killed since the Syrian regime launched the assault on Eastern Ghouta on February 18. By early Tuesday, government troops controlled 40 percent of the enclave, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Russia says rebels allowed to leave Syria's Eastern Ghouta: Agencies

A Russian military transport aeroplane has crashed during landing at Khmeimim Airbase in Syria, the Russian Defense Ministry has said.&nbsp;

Six crew members, as well as 26 passengers, were killed in the crash, it added.

The defence ministry was cited as saying that the plane crashed at Russia&rsquo;s Hmeymim air base in Latakia Province and that initial information suggested the crash may have been caused by a technical fault.

&nbsp;

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File Photo: Khmeimim Air Base, Jableh, Syria. (Photo courtesy: Google Maps) (Others)
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The plane apparently crashed while attempting to land at a Russian airbase, but hit the ground just short of the runway.

The aeroplane hit the ground some 500 meters from the runway. It did not come under fire before the incident, the Russian military said.

&nbsp;

The plane apparently crashed while attempting to land at a Russian airbase, but hit the ground just short of the runway.

A Russian military transport aeroplane has crashed during landing at Khmeimim Airbase in Syria, the Russian Defense Ministry has said. Six crew members, as well as 26 passengers, were killed in the crash, it added. The defence ministry was cited as saying that the plane crashed at Russia’s Hmeymim air base in Latakia Province and that initial information suggested the crash may have been caused by a technical fault. File Photo: Khmeimim Air Base, Jableh, Syria. (Photo courtesy: Google Maps) (Others) × The plane apparently crashed while attempting to land at a Russian airbase, but hit the ground just short of the runway. The aeroplane hit the ground some 500 meters from the runway. It did not come under fire before the incident, the Russian military said.

Russian transport plane crashes in Syria killing all 32 on board

On Mondy,&nbsp;French President Emmanuel Macron urged his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to ensure that Syria respects implementation of the ceasefire accord in Eastern Ghouta.&nbsp;

According to reports, Macron, in a telephonic conversation, asked Putin to take stringent measures to push the Syrian government to implement the UN Security Council Resolution 2401 without any further delay.&nbsp;

The French President also urged Kremlin to assume all its responsibilities to show &quot;full credibility of its commitments,&quot; toward the welfare of the war-torn country and help Syria receive access to humanitarian aid in the rebel-held enclave.

On February 24, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution to achieve a 30-day humanitarian ceasefire in Syria in the wake of a deadly Syrian conflict that killed hundreds in Eastern Ghouta.

The offensive was carried out by forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to eliminate Al Qaeda linked groups in rebel-held zones.

On February 24, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution to achieve a 30-day humanitarian ceasefire in Syria

On Mondy, French President Emmanuel Macron urged his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to ensure that Syria respects implementation of the ceasefire accord in Eastern Ghouta. According to reports, Macron, in a telephonic conversation, asked Putin to take stringent measures to push the Syrian government to implement the UN Security Council Resolution 2401 without any further delay. The French President also urged Kremlin to assume all its responsibilities to show "full credibility of its commitments," toward the welfare of the war-torn country and help Syria receive access to humanitarian aid in the rebel-held enclave. On February 24, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution to achieve a 30-day humanitarian ceasefire in Syria in the wake of a deadly Syrian conflict that killed hundreds in Eastern Ghouta. The offensive was carried out by forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to eliminate Al Qaeda linked groups in rebel-held zones.

Macron urges Putin to ensure Syrian implementation of UN ceasefire accord

&nbsp;Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, who has been trying hard to resolve the Ayodhya Babri dispute outside the Supreme Court has said on Monday that situations like Syria should not arise in the country.

According to media reports, the spiritual leader said that&nbsp;Ayodhya is not the religious place of Muslim community and therefore they should not stake claim over it.&nbsp;

He also added that Islam never allows the building of a mosque on a conflicted land.&nbsp;

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar said&nbsp;that the issue will not be resolved even after the Supreme court delivers its&nbsp;verdict, as no group will&nbsp;be ready to accept its loss.&nbsp;

The founder of &quot;Art of Living&quot;&nbsp;has been involved in solving the disputed Ram Mandir and Ayodhya issue since the past one year. The spiritual guru personally met with over 500 leaders in Ayodhya, Bangalore,&nbsp;&nbsp;Lucknow, Delhi, Hyderabad and Chennai.

The leader also met with the member of the AIMPLB Salman Nadvi.&nbsp;

Ravi Shankar&nbsp;had said earlier that there&nbsp;was a good cooperation in resolving the Ayodhya case from the Muslim community of the country.&nbsp;

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Is desh ke bhavishya ko aise chand log jo sangarsh par hi apna astitva samajhte hain, unke hawale mat kariye. Yahan shanti rehne dijiye. Hamare desh ko Syria jaise nahi banana chahiye. Aisi harkat yahan ho jaaye to satyanash ho jaayega: Sri Sri Ravishankar <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ayodhya?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Ayodhya</a> <a href="https://t.co/kTrsbbXt54">pic.twitter.com/kTrsbbXt54</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/970566992192327680?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, who has been trying hard to resolve the Ayodhya Babri dispute outside the Supreme Court has said on Monday that situations like Syria should not arise in the country

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, who has been trying hard to resolve the Ayodhya Babri dispute outside the Supreme Court has said on Monday that situations like Syria should not arise in the country. According to media reports, the spiritual leader said that Ayodhya is not the religious place of Muslim community and therefore they should not stake claim over it. He also added that Islam never allows the building of a mosque on a conflicted land. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar said that the issue will not be resolved even after the Supreme court delivers its verdict, as no group will be ready to accept its loss. The founder of "Art of Living" has been involved in solving the disputed Ram Mandir and Ayodhya issue since the past one year. The spiritual guru personally met with over 500 leaders in Ayodhya, Bangalore, Lucknow, Delhi, Hyderabad and Chennai. The leader also met with the member of the AIMPLB Salman Nadvi. Ravi Shankar had said earlier that there was a good cooperation in resolving the Ayodhya case from the Muslim community of the country. Is desh ke bhavishya ko aise chand log jo sangarsh par hi apna astitva samajhte hain, unke hawale mat kariye. Yahan shanti rehne dijiye. Hamare desh ko Syria jaise nahi banana chahiye. Aisi harkat yahan ho jaaye to satyanash ho jaayega: Sri Sri Ravishankar #Ayodhya pic.twitter.com/kTrsbbXt54 — ANI (@ANI) March 5, 2018 × .

Our country should not become like Syria: Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

The United States on Sunday made its strongest accusation to date of Moscow&#39;s complicity in civilian deaths in Syria, saying Russian aircraft flew bombing missions over the besieged eastern Ghouta region in defiance of a United Nations ceasefire.

The White House said Russian military aircraft took off from Humaymim Airfield in Syria and carried out at least 20 daily bombing missions in Damascus and eastern Ghouta between February 24 and February 28.

It did not say whether the jets dropped ordinance, which could be harder to determine than tracking the flight paths of Russian aircraft on US&nbsp;radar. But the United States directly accused Russia of killing civilians.&nbsp;

&quot;Russia has gone on to ignore (a UN&nbsp;ceasefire&#39;s) terms and to kill innocent civilians under the false auspices of counter-terrorism operations,&quot; the White House said in a statement.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad vowed on Sunday to continue the offensive in eastern Ghouta, one of the deadliest in the war. A local insurgent group called it a &quot;scorched earth&quot; campaign.

With the war entering its eighth year, capturing eastern Ghouta would be a major victory for Assad, who has steadily regained control of rebel areas with Russian and Iranian support.

Government shelling and air strikes have killed 659 people in eastern Ghouta since February 18, while rebel shelling of Damascus has killed 27, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said on Friday that Syrian government air-strikes on eastern Ghouta and shelling from the rebel-held zone into Damascus probably constitute war crimes.

The White House called on pro-Assad forces to &quot;immediately cease targeting medical infrastructure and civilians.&quot;

In a separate statement later on Sunday, the White House said President Donald Trump and Egypt&#39;s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi &quot;discussed Russia and Iran&#39;s irresponsible support of the Assad regime&#39;s brutal attacks against innocent civilians.&quot;

&quot;President Trump and President al-Sisi agreed to work together on ending the humanitarian crisis in Syria and achieving Arab unity and security in the region,&quot; the White House statement said.

Russia and Damascus have accused rebels of preventing civilians from leaving eastern Ghouta during daily ceasefires. Rebels have consistently denied the accusation and say people will not leave because they fear the government.

The multi-sided war has killed hundreds of thousands of people since 2011. 
&nbsp;

The White House said Russian military aircraft took off from Humaymim Airfield in Syria and carried out at least 20 daily bombing missions in Damascus

The United States on Sunday made its strongest accusation to date of Moscow's complicity in civilian deaths in Syria, saying Russian aircraft flew bombing missions over the besieged eastern Ghouta region in defiance of a United Nations ceasefire. The White House said Russian military aircraft took off from Humaymim Airfield in Syria and carried out at least 20 daily bombing missions in Damascus and eastern Ghouta between February 24 and February 28. It did not say whether the jets dropped ordinance, which could be harder to determine than tracking the flight paths of Russian aircraft on US radar. But the United States directly accused Russia of killing civilians. "Russia has gone on to ignore (a UN ceasefire's) terms and to kill innocent civilians under the false auspices of counter-terrorism operations," the White House said in a statement. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad vowed on Sunday to continue the offensive in eastern Ghouta, one of the deadliest in the war. A local insurgent group called it a "scorched earth" campaign. With the war entering its eighth year, capturing eastern Ghouta would be a major victory for Assad, who has steadily regained control of rebel areas with Russian and Iranian support. Government shelling and air strikes have killed 659 people in eastern Ghouta since February 18, while rebel shelling of Damascus has killed 27, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said on Friday that Syrian government air-strikes on eastern Ghouta and shelling from the rebel-held zone into Damascus probably constitute war crimes. The White House called on pro-Assad forces to "immediately cease targeting medical infrastructure and civilians." In a separate statement later on Sunday, the White House said President Donald Trump and Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi "discussed Russia and Iran's irresponsible support of the Assad regime's brutal attacks against innocent civilians." "President Trump and President al-Sisi agreed to work together on ending the humanitarian crisis in Syria and achieving Arab unity and security in the region," the White House statement said. Russia and Damascus have accused rebels of preventing civilians from leaving eastern Ghouta during daily ceasefires. Rebels have consistently denied the accusation and say people will not leave because they fear the government. The multi-sided war has killed hundreds of thousands of people since 2011.

White House accuses Russia of killing civilians in Syria

Turkey neutralised at least 2,434 terrorists belonging to the Kurdistan Workers&#39; Party (PYD/PKK) and Islamic State (IS) group in a military operation in Syria&#39;s Afrin region, the Turkish general staff said in a statement on Saturday.

The Turkish army took control of the outer edge of Syria&#39;s Afrin region, state media said, as Ankara said it was readying for a &quot;new battle&quot; by deploying police special forces.&nbsp;

A total of 2,222 militants have been &quot;neutralized&quot; since the commencement of Turkey&#39;s &quot;Operation Olive Branch&quot; in Syria&#39;s Afrin region, the military said in a statement Thursday.&nbsp;

The word &quot;neutralised&quot; is used to imply that the terrorists in question either surrendered or were killed or captured.

On January 20, Turkey began an air and ground offensive supporting Syrian rebels against the US-backed YPG in its western enclave of Afrin. The main aim of the Turkish forces is to establish security and stability along Turkey&#39;s borders as well as to protect Syrians from terrorist oppression and cruelty.

&quot;The operation is being carried out under the framework of Turkey&#39;s rights based on international law, United Nations Security Council resolutions, its self-defence rights under the UN charter, and respect for Syria&#39;s territorial integrity,&quot; the Turkish military added.

Also, 924 terror targets have been destroyed ever since the military operations began in January.

In January 2018, the Turkish military began an operation in the Kurdish-majority Afrin Canton and the Tel Rifaat Area of Shahba Canton in Northern Syria.&nbsp;

The PKK, which is based in Turkey, Iraq and parts of Syria, has been involved in an armed conflict with Turkey for the past few years. Its aim is to achieve the objective of creating an independent Kurdish state.

It has been listed as a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the United States and the European Union.

The PKK is responsible for the deaths of more than 1,200 Turkish security personnel and civilians.

The Turkish army took control of the outer edge of Syria's Afrin region, state media said, as Ankara said it was readying for a 'new battle' by deploying police special forces

Turkey neutralised at least 2,434 terrorists belonging to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PYD/PKK) and Islamic State (IS) group in a military operation in Syria's Afrin region, the Turkish general staff said in a statement on Saturday. The Turkish army took control of the outer edge of Syria's Afrin region, state media said, as Ankara said it was readying for a "new battle" by deploying police special forces. A total of 2,222 militants have been "neutralized" since the commencement of Turkey's "Operation Olive Branch" in Syria's Afrin region, the military said in a statement Thursday. The word "neutralised" is used to imply that the terrorists in question either surrendered or were killed or captured. On January 20, Turkey began an air and ground offensive supporting Syrian rebels against the US-backed YPG in its western enclave of Afrin. The main aim of the Turkish forces is to establish security and stability along Turkey's borders as well as to protect Syrians from terrorist oppression and cruelty. "The operation is being carried out under the framework of Turkey's rights based on international law, United Nations Security Council resolutions, its self-defence rights under the UN charter, and respect for Syria's territorial integrity," the Turkish military added. Also, 924 terror targets have been destroyed ever since the military operations began in January. In January 2018, the Turkish military began an operation in the Kurdish-majority Afrin Canton and the Tel Rifaat Area of Shahba Canton in Northern Syria. The PKK, which is based in Turkey, Iraq and parts of Syria, has been involved in an armed conflict with Turkey for the past few years. Its aim is to achieve the objective of creating an independent Kurdish state. It has been listed as a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the United States and the European Union. The PKK is responsible for the deaths of more than 1,200 Turkish security personnel and civilians.

Turkey neutralised at least 2,434 terrorists belonging to PKK, IS

US President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel believe that the Syrian regime must take the accountability for the East Ghouta attacks.&nbsp;

The two leaders noted on Friday that Bashar al-Assad&#39;s regime must be held accountable for the humanitarian crisis in the rebel-held enclave.

&quot;This applies both to the Assad regime&#39;s deployment of chemical weapons and for its attacks against civilians and the blockade of humanitarian support,&quot; the leaders noted the statement released by Merkel&#39;s office.

According to reports, apart from the ongoing unrest in Syria, Merkel and Trump also discussed Russia&#39;s recent announcement of new weapons systems and its possible repercussions.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

The two leaders noted on Friday that Bashar al-Assad's regime must be held accountable for the humanitarian crisis in the rebel-held enclave

US President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel believe that the Syrian regime must take the accountability for the East Ghouta attacks. The two leaders noted on Friday that Bashar al-Assad's regime must be held accountable for the humanitarian crisis in the rebel-held enclave. "This applies both to the Assad regime's deployment of chemical weapons and for its attacks against civilians and the blockade of humanitarian support," the leaders noted the statement released by Merkel's office. According to reports, apart from the ongoing unrest in Syria, Merkel and Trump also discussed Russia's recent announcement of new weapons systems and its possible repercussions. (With inputs from agencies)

Syrian regime must be held accountable for Ghouta attacks: Merkel, Trump

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The boy with left-handed bowling action is seen in the video bowling with such pace and venom that even Pakistani bowling legend Wasim Akram couldn&#39;t resist

Amid cross-border firing, Pakistan summons India's deputy high commissioner Pakistan today summoned India's deputy high commissioner J P Singh for the second consecutive day over "unprovoked firing by Indian troops" along the Line of Control(LoC). Israeli police question Netanyahu in telecoms corruption case Israeli police questioned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday for the first time in a corruption case that involves the country's largest telecommunications company, Israel Radio said. Syrian regime must be held accountable for Ghouta attacks: Merkel, Trump The two leaders noted on Friday that Bashar al-Assad's regime must be held accountable for the humanitarian crisis in the rebel-held enclave Ranveer Singh is killing it with Pharrell Williams at his Holi party, we have proof! Ranveer Singh had earlier shared a photo on Instagram that read: 'Join Pharrell in India. Streaming live from the Holi festival hosted by Ranveer Singh'. The post goes on to reveal that the party will take place on March 2, 2018, starting from 6 pm and the best part if you have noticed, is that it be live for all of us to watch! Watch: 'Who is this boy,' asks Wasim Akram, video goes viral The boy with left-handed bowling action is seen in the video bowling with such pace and venom that even Pakistani bowling legend Wasim Akram couldn't resist

WION Evening News Brief, March 2, 2018

North Korea denied reports it had cooperated with Syria on chemical weapons, dismissing them as a fabrication by the United States to pressure the country, state media reported late Thursday (March 1).

The state-run television KRT cited a spokesman at the foreign ministry&#39;s research institute of American studies arguing that the United States made a &quot;nonsensical argument&quot; that it helped Syria produce chemical weapons.

&quot;As we have clearly said several times, our republic does not develop, produce and stockpile chemical weapons and opposes chemical weapons themselves,&quot; KRT quoted its foreign ministry.

Two North Korean shipments to a Syrian government agency responsible for the country&#39;s chemical weapons program were intercepted in the past six months, according to a confidential U.N. report on North Korea sanctions violations.

The state-run television KRT cited a spokesman at the foreign ministry's research institute of American studies arguing that the United States made a "nonsensical argument" that it helped Syria produce chemical weapons

North Korea denied reports it had cooperated with Syria on chemical weapons, dismissing them as a fabrication by the United States to pressure the country, state media reported late Thursday (March 1). The state-run television KRT cited a spokesman at the foreign ministry's research institute of American studies arguing that the United States made a "nonsensical argument" that it helped Syria produce chemical weapons. "As we have clearly said several times, our republic does not develop, produce and stockpile chemical weapons and opposes chemical weapons themselves," KRT quoted its foreign ministry. Two North Korean shipments to a Syrian government agency responsible for the country's chemical weapons program were intercepted in the past six months, according to a confidential U.N. report on North Korea sanctions violations.

North Korea denies chemical weapons link with Syria

A senior US&nbsp;disarmament official said on Wednesday that Russia has violated its commitments as guarantor of the destruction of Syria&#39;s chemical weapons stockpile and preventing the Assad government from using them.

Robert Wood, US&nbsp;disarmament ambassador to the Conference on Disarmament, told reporters in Geneva shortly before Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov addressed the forum: &quot;Russia is is on the wrong side of history with regard to chemical weapons use in Syria.&quot;

Wood, asked about a reported nexus of cooperation between North Korea and Syria, replied: &quot;Clearly there has been a history of a relationship between North Korea and Syria with regard to missile activity, chemical weapons components.&quot;

'Russia is on the wrong side of history with regard to chemical weapons use in Syria,' Robert Wood, US disarmament ambassador to the Conference on Disarmament

A senior US disarmament official said on Wednesday that Russia has violated its commitments as guarantor of the destruction of Syria's chemical weapons stockpile and preventing the Assad government from using them. Robert Wood, US disarmament ambassador to the Conference on Disarmament, told reporters in Geneva shortly before Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov addressed the forum: "Russia is is on the wrong side of history with regard to chemical weapons use in Syria." Wood, asked about a reported nexus of cooperation between North Korea and Syria, replied: "Clearly there has been a history of a relationship between North Korea and Syria with regard to missile activity, chemical weapons components."

US says Russia violating duty to rein in Syria's use of chemical weapons

North Korea has been sending equipment to Syria that could be used in chemical weapons manufacturing, US media report, citing findings by UN experts.

The materials include acid-resistant tiles, valves and pipes, reports say.

An as-yet-unreleased UN report also says Pyongyang&#39;s missile specialists have been seen at Syrian weapon-making facilities, the New York Times says.

The allegations come after fresh reports of chlorine gas being used by Syrian forces, which the regime denies.

North Korea is under international sanctions over its nuclear programme.

The supplies reported to have been illicitly sent to Syria by North Korea included high-heat, acid-resistant tiles, corrosion-resistant valves and thermometers. The tiles are said to be used to construct facilities where chemical weapons are produced.

Five shipments were sent to Syria via a Chinese trading firm during late 2016 and early 2017, the Wall Street Journal says. They are allegedly part of dozens of shipments over several years.

The Scientific Studies and Research Center (SSRC) - a Syrian government agency - is said to have paid North Korea via a number of front companies, the newspaper reports.

The report - also seen by the Washington Post - was compiled by the UN Panel of Experts, which assesses North Korea&#39;s compliance with UN resolutions.

The allegations come after fresh reports of chlorine gas being used by Syrian forces, which the regime denies.

North Korea has been sending equipment to Syria that could be used in chemical weapons manufacturing, US media report, citing findings by UN experts. The materials include acid-resistant tiles, valves and pipes, reports say. An as-yet-unreleased UN report also says Pyongyang's missile specialists have been seen at Syrian weapon-making facilities, the New York Times says. The allegations come after fresh reports of chlorine gas being used by Syrian forces, which the regime denies. North Korea is under international sanctions over its nuclear programme. The supplies reported to have been illicitly sent to Syria by North Korea included high-heat, acid-resistant tiles, corrosion-resistant valves and thermometers. The tiles are said to be used to construct facilities where chemical weapons are produced. Five shipments were sent to Syria via a Chinese trading firm during late 2016 and early 2017, the Wall Street Journal says. They are allegedly part of dozens of shipments over several years. The Scientific Studies and Research Center (SSRC) - a Syrian government agency - is said to have paid North Korea via a number of front companies, the newspaper reports. The report - also seen by the Washington Post - was compiled by the UN Panel of Experts, which assesses North Korea's compliance with UN resolutions.

North Korea 'providing materials to Syria chemical weapons factories': UN experts

The world&#39;s chemical weapons watchdog is investigating recent attacks in the besieged, rebel-held Syrian region of eastern Ghouta to determine whether banned munitions were used, sources told Reuters.

The Hague-based Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) opened an investigation on Sunday into reports of the repeated use of chlorine bombs this month in the district near the Syrian capital, diplomatic sources told Reuters.

Political leaders in France, the United States and the United Kingdom said this month they would back targeted military action against Damascus if there were proof of chemical weapons use by forces under President Bashar al-Assad.

The investigation comes as Russia ordered the establishment of an evacuation corridor and five-hour daily truce to allow residents to leave eastern Ghouta, where 400,000 people are living under siege and bombardment.

Among the attacks the OPCW`s fact-finding team will examine is one on Sunday which local health authorities said killed a child and caused symptoms consistent with exposure to chlorine gas, the sources said.

The OPCW did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The sources spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not permitted to discuss the operation in public.&nbsp;

Use of chlorine as a chemical weapons is prohibited under the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention. If inhaled, chlorine gas turns into hydrochloric acid in the lungs and the build-up of fluids can drown victims.

The latest OPCW mission is seeking to determine whether chemical weapons were used in violation of the international weapons convention which Syria signed in 2013 after hundreds died in a massive sarin gas attack in Ghouta.&nbsp;

The OPCW will not assign blame.

The team does not intend to travel to Ghouta because of safety concerns - two previous visits by inspectors in 2013 and 2014 were ambushed - but will gather witness testimony, photographic and video evidence, and interview medical experts.

The United States fired 59 cruise missiles at Syria&#39;s Shayrat airbase in April, saying it had been used by Assad&#39;s forces to carry out a sarin attack on Khan Sheikhoun that killed more than 80 people, many of them women and children.

Syria and its close ally Russia, which provides military support to Assad&#39;s forces, deny using chemical weapons and blame insurgents.

A U.N.-OPCW Joint Investigative Mechanism, established by the United Nations to identify those responsible for chemical weapons attacks, concluded in 2016 that Syrian government forces had used chlorine as a chemical weapon in three cases.&nbsp;

It concluded last year that Syrian government forces were also behind the sarin nerve agent attack on Khan Sheikhoun. A renewal of the mission&#39;s mandate was vetoed by Moscow at the UN&nbsp;Security Council.

The use of chemical weapons has become systematic in Syria&#39;s seven-year war, but political rifts between Western powers and Russia have hamstrung the United Nations and the OPCW, leaving them unable to act against violations of international law.

The Hague-based Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) opened an investigation on Sunday

The world's chemical weapons watchdog is investigating recent attacks in the besieged, rebel-held Syrian region of eastern Ghouta to determine whether banned munitions were used, sources told Reuters. The Hague-based Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) opened an investigation on Sunday into reports of the repeated use of chlorine bombs this month in the district near the Syrian capital, diplomatic sources told Reuters. Political leaders in France, the United States and the United Kingdom said this month they would back targeted military action against Damascus if there were proof of chemical weapons use by forces under President Bashar al-Assad. The investigation comes as Russia ordered the establishment of an evacuation corridor and five-hour daily truce to allow residents to leave eastern Ghouta, where 400,000 people are living under siege and bombardment. Among the attacks the OPCW`s fact-finding team will examine is one on Sunday which local health authorities said killed a child and caused symptoms consistent with exposure to chlorine gas, the sources said. The OPCW did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The sources spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not permitted to discuss the operation in public. Use of chlorine as a chemical weapons is prohibited under the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention. If inhaled, chlorine gas turns into hydrochloric acid in the lungs and the build-up of fluids can drown victims. The latest OPCW mission is seeking to determine whether chemical weapons were used in violation of the international weapons convention which Syria signed in 2013 after hundreds died in a massive sarin gas attack in Ghouta. The OPCW will not assign blame. The team does not intend to travel to Ghouta because of safety concerns - two previous visits by inspectors in 2013 and 2014 were ambushed - but will gather witness testimony, photographic and video evidence, and interview medical experts. The United States fired 59 cruise missiles at Syria's Shayrat airbase in April, saying it had been used by Assad's forces to carry out a sarin attack on Khan Sheikhoun that killed more than 80 people, many of them women and children. Syria and its close ally Russia, which provides military support to Assad's forces, deny using chemical weapons and blame insurgents. A U.N.-OPCW Joint Investigative Mechanism, established by the United Nations to identify those responsible for chemical weapons attacks, concluded in 2016 that Syrian government forces had used chlorine as a chemical weapon in three cases. It concluded last year that Syrian government forces were also behind the sarin nerve agent attack on Khan Sheikhoun. A renewal of the mission's mandate was vetoed by Moscow at the UN Security Council. The use of chemical weapons has become systematic in Syria's seven-year war, but political rifts between Western powers and Russia have hamstrung the United Nations and the OPCW, leaving them unable to act against violations of international law.

Chemical weapons watchdog investigates Ghouta attacks

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Bollywood actor Sridevi died of accidental drowning in her hotel bathtub after losing consciousness, the Dubai government said today, giving a dramatic twist to her sudden death that has stunned legions of fans and industry colleagues.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/meghalaya-nagaland-to-go-to-polls-today-34157">Voting begins in Meghalaya and Nagaland</a>

Voting for the 60-member assemblies will be held from 7 am till 4 pm, except in some polling stations of the interior districts of Nagaland, where the process is scheduled to conclude at 3 pm.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/syrias-ghouta-russia-orders-daily-5-hour-truce-34166">Syria&#39;s Ghouta: Russia orders daily 5-hour truce</a>

Russia said on Monday it would establish an evacuation corridor and implement a five-hour daily truce to allow people to leave Syria&#39;s eastern Ghouta, after a UN&nbsp;Security Council resolution demanding a 30-day ceasefire across the entire country.

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President Donald Trump said Monday he would have rushed unarmed into the Florida school targeted by a mass shooter, as student survivors of the slaughter brought their campaign for gun control to Congress.

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Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar suffered a sprained ankle and a fractured metatarsal when he was stretchered off in Sunday&#39;s win over Marseille, the Ligue 1 leaders announced on Monday.

Sridevi died due to accidental drowning, Dubai Police say another 'clearance' required before body can be released Bollywood actor Sridevi died of accidental drowning in her hotel bathtub after losing consciousness, the Dubai government said today, giving a dramatic twist to her sudden death that has stunned legions of fans and industry colleagues. Voting begins in Meghalaya and Nagaland Voting for the 60-member assemblies will be held from 7 am till 4 pm, except in some polling stations of the interior districts of Nagaland, where the process is scheduled to conclude at 3 pm. Syria's Ghouta: Russia orders daily 5-hour truce Russia said on Monday it would establish an evacuation corridor and implement a five-hour daily truce to allow people to leave Syria's eastern Ghouta, after a UN Security Council resolution demanding a 30-day ceasefire across the entire country. Trump says would have run unarmed into Florida school President Donald Trump said Monday he would have rushed unarmed into the Florida school targeted by a mass shooter, as student survivors of the slaughter brought their campaign for gun control to Congress. PSG's Neymar suffers metatarsal fracture Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar suffered a sprained ankle and a fractured metatarsal when he was stretchered off in Sunday's win over Marseille, the Ligue 1 leaders announced on Monday.

WION Morning News Brief, February 27, 2018

Russia said on Monday it would establish an evacuation corridor and implement a five-hour daily truce to allow people to leave Syria&#39;s eastern Ghouta, after a U.N. Security Council resolution demanding a 30-day ceasefire across the entire country.

It appeared to make no mention, however, of allowing relief supplies to enter the territory, where 400,000 people are living under siege and bombardment.

Over the past week, Syria&#39;s army and its allies have subjected the rebel-held enclave near Damascus to one of the heaviest bombardments of the seven-year war, killing hundreds.

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<h5>Eastern Ghouta cannot wait, it is high time to stop this hell on earth,&#39; UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, calling for implementation of a ceasefire</h5>
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On Sunday, health authorities there said several people had symptoms consistent with chlorine gas exposure. On Monday, rescue workers and a monitoring group said seven small children had been killed by air and artillery strikes in one town.

&quot;Eastern Ghouta cannot wait, it is high time to stop this hell on earth,&quot; U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva, calling for implementation of the ceasefire.

Fighting has raged across Syria since Saturday&#39;s resolution, as Turkey presses its offensive against a Kurdish militia in Afrin, rival rebel groups fight each other in Idlib and a U.S.-led coalition targets Islamic State in the east..

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu was cited by the RIA news agency as saying President Vladimir Putin had ordered a ceasefire in eastern Ghouta from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day, and the creation of a &quot;humanitarian corridor&quot;.

RED CROSS CALLS FOR MORE

Major-General Yuri Yevtushenko, head of the Russian peace and reconciliation centre in Syria, said the measures, decided in agreement with Syrian forces, were intended to help civilians leave and to evacuate the sick and wounded.

RIA&#39;s report of his remarks made no direct mention of letting relief supplies in, but quoted Yevtushenko accusing militants of &quot;holding hundreds hostage, including women and children, and victimising residents, refusing to allow them to leave&quot;.

The International Committee of the Red Cross in Geneva said it welcomed any measure that allowed &quot;those who wish to leave to do so, of their free will&quot;, as well as medical evacuations.

But spokeswoman Iolanda Jaquemet said much more was required: &quot;The need remains for humanitarian convoys to move in with vital supplies: medicines, medical supplies, food, material to purify the water. This is a place with up to 400,000 people and humanitarian needs are huge.&quot;

Linda Tom, a U.N. humanitarian spokeswoman in Damascus, called for the Council resolution to be fully implemented &quot;so that the U.N. and its partners can deliver humanitarian assistance to those in need, particularly to those in eastern Ghouta&quot;.

She said at least 30 people had been killed in Ghouta in the previous 48 hours.

Russia, along with Iran and Shi&#39;ite militias, is a major backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and it joined the war on his side in 2015, helping him claw back important areas.

Mohamad Alloush, political chief of one of eastern Ghouta&#39;s biggest rebel factions, said the Syrian army and its allies had launched &quot;a sweeping ground assault&quot; after the U.N. resolution.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said allegations that the Syrian government was responsible for any chemical attack were aimed at sabotaging the truce.

The Syrian government has consistently denied using chemical weapons in the war, which will soon enter its eighth year having killed hundreds of thousands of people and forced half of Syria&#39;s pre-war population of about 23 million from their homes.

DEAD CHILDREN

A picture issued by Civil Defence rescue workers, which Reuters could not independently verify, showed seven small bodies lying beside each other, wrapped in white and blue sheets, after air and artillery strikes on the town of Douma in eastern Ghouta.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, said four of them were among a single family of nine killed by an air strike. The other three were among seven killed by shelling in the same town, it said.

The bombardment of eastern Ghouta over the past week has been one of the heaviest of the war, killing at least 556 people in eight days, according to the Syrian Observatory.

It said the intensity of the bombardment had diminished since the U.N. resolution, but that 21 people had been killed in eastern Ghouta on Monday.

Rebel shelling has caused 36 deaths and a number of injuries in Damascus and nearby rural areas in the last four days, Zaher Hajjo, a government health official, told Reuters.

The deputy director general of the World Health Organisation, Peter Salama, said the WHO urgently needed to evacuate 750 medical cases from eastern Ghouta, as well as &quot;sustained access for medical equipment and for medical drugs and commodities&quot;.

RELATIVE LULL

In eastern Ghouta, people were using the relative lull to find provisions, said Moayad Hafi, a rescue worker based there.

&quot;Civilians rushed from their shelters to get food and return quickly since the warplanes are still in the sky and can hit at any moment,&quot; he told Reuters in a voice message.

Lavrov said the ceasefire would not cover either the Ahrar al-Sham or the Jaish al-Islam factions, describing them as partners of the former al Qaeda affiliate the Nusra Front.

The two major rebel factions in eastern Ghouta are Jaish al-Islam and Failaq al-Rahman. Tahrir al-Sham, an alliance of jihadists including Nusra, also has a small presence there.

In Idlib, Ahrar al-Sham and Tahrir al-Sham have been fighting each other in recent days, rather than cooperating.

Syrian state television reported that army units had advanced against militants near Harasta in eastern Ghouta. The state news agency SANA also reported that the army had stopped a car bomb being driven into Damascus.

The Nusra Front has consistently been excluded from ceasefires in Syria, and the opposition says the government has used this as an excuse to keep up its bombardments.

Over the past week, Syria's army and its allies have subjected the rebel-held enclave near Damascus to one of the heaviest bombardments of the seven-year war, killing hundreds

Russia said on Monday it would establish an evacuation corridor and implement a five-hour daily truce to allow people to leave Syria's eastern Ghouta, after a U.N. Security Council resolution demanding a 30-day ceasefire across the entire country. It appeared to make no mention, however, of allowing relief supplies to enter the territory, where 400,000 people are living under siege and bombardment. Over the past week, Syria's army and its allies have subjected the rebel-held enclave near Damascus to one of the heaviest bombardments of the seven-year war, killing hundreds. Eastern Ghouta cannot wait, it is high time to stop this hell on earth,' UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, calling for implementation of a ceasefire × On Sunday, health authorities there said several people had symptoms consistent with chlorine gas exposure. On Monday, rescue workers and a monitoring group said seven small children had been killed by air and artillery strikes in one town. "Eastern Ghouta cannot wait, it is high time to stop this hell on earth," U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva, calling for implementation of the ceasefire. Fighting has raged across Syria since Saturday's resolution, as Turkey presses its offensive against a Kurdish militia in Afrin, rival rebel groups fight each other in Idlib and a U.S.-led coalition targets Islamic State in the east.. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu was cited by the RIA news agency as saying President Vladimir Putin had ordered a ceasefire in eastern Ghouta from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day, and the creation of a "humanitarian corridor". RED CROSS CALLS FOR MORE Major-General Yuri Yevtushenko, head of the Russian peace and reconciliation centre in Syria, said the measures, decided in agreement with Syrian forces, were intended to help civilians leave and to evacuate the sick and wounded. RIA's report of his remarks made no direct mention of letting relief supplies in, but quoted Yevtushenko accusing militants of "holding hundreds hostage, including women and children, and victimising residents, refusing to allow them to leave". The International Committee of the Red Cross in Geneva said it welcomed any measure that allowed "those who wish to leave to do so, of their free will", as well as medical evacuations. But spokeswoman Iolanda Jaquemet said much more was required: "The need remains for humanitarian convoys to move in with vital supplies: medicines, medical supplies, food, material to purify the water. This is a place with up to 400,000 people and humanitarian needs are huge." Linda Tom, a U.N. humanitarian spokeswoman in Damascus, called for the Council resolution to be fully implemented "so that the U.N. and its partners can deliver humanitarian assistance to those in need, particularly to those in eastern Ghouta". She said at least 30 people had been killed in Ghouta in the previous 48 hours. Russia, along with Iran and Shi'ite militias, is a major backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and it joined the war on his side in 2015, helping him claw back important areas. Mohamad Alloush, political chief of one of eastern Ghouta's biggest rebel factions, said the Syrian army and its allies had launched "a sweeping ground assault" after the U.N. resolution. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said allegations that the Syrian government was responsible for any chemical attack were aimed at sabotaging the truce. The Syrian government has consistently denied using chemical weapons in the war, which will soon enter its eighth year having killed hundreds of thousands of people and forced half of Syria's pre-war population of about 23 million from their homes. DEAD CHILDREN A picture issued by Civil Defence rescue workers, which Reuters could not independently verify, showed seven small bodies lying beside each other, wrapped in white and blue sheets, after air and artillery strikes on the town of Douma in eastern Ghouta. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, said four of them were among a single family of nine killed by an air strike. The other three were among seven killed by shelling in the same town, it said. The bombardment of eastern Ghouta over the past week has been one of the heaviest of the war, killing at least 556 people in eight days, according to the Syrian Observatory. It said the intensity of the bombardment had diminished since the U.N. resolution, but that 21 people had been killed in eastern Ghouta on Monday. Rebel shelling has caused 36 deaths and a number of injuries in Damascus and nearby rural areas in the last four days, Zaher Hajjo, a government health official, told Reuters. The deputy director general of the World Health Organisation, Peter Salama, said the WHO urgently needed to evacuate 750 medical cases from eastern Ghouta, as well as "sustained access for medical equipment and for medical drugs and commodities". RELATIVE LULL In eastern Ghouta, people were using the relative lull to find provisions, said Moayad Hafi, a rescue worker based there. "Civilians rushed from their shelters to get food and return quickly since the warplanes are still in the sky and can hit at any moment," he told Reuters in a voice message. Lavrov said the ceasefire would not cover either the Ahrar al-Sham or the Jaish al-Islam factions, describing them as partners of the former al Qaeda affiliate the Nusra Front. The two major rebel factions in eastern Ghouta are Jaish al-Islam and Failaq al-Rahman. Tahrir al-Sham, an alliance of jihadists including Nusra, also has a small presence there. In Idlib, Ahrar al-Sham and Tahrir al-Sham have been fighting each other in recent days, rather than cooperating. Syrian state television reported that army units had advanced against militants near Harasta in eastern Ghouta. The state news agency SANA also reported that the army had stopped a car bomb being driven into Damascus. The Nusra Front has consistently been excluded from ceasefires in Syria, and the opposition says the government has used this as an excuse to keep up its bombardments.

Syria's Ghouta: Russia orders daily 5-hour truce

Regime airstrikes and shell-firing continued in Eastern Ghouta in Syria with no signs of stoppage despite United Nations Security Council&#39;s call for a 30-day ceasefire, according to Syrian civil defense sources, the White Helmets.

One civilian was killed and scores were injured when the fresh airstrikes and artillery shells loyal to Syria&#39;s Russian-backed president Bashar al-Assad regime were fired into Eastern Ghouta&#39;s Douma, Bayt Sava, and al-Marj regions at around 10.30 a.m. (local time) on Tuesday, the White Helmets said in a statement.

A <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/air-strike-kills-syrian-family-of-nine-in-rebel-held-ghouta-monitor-34139">family of nine</a> was killed in a Syrian government strike on eastern Ghouta, a war monitor said on Monday, as Russia said a truce demanded by the United Nations Security Council would only take effect when all sides agreed how to implement it.&nbsp;

Fighting has continued in Syria since Saturday&#39;s Security Council resolution calling for a 30-day ceasefire. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said it would not apply to the army&#39;s battle with &quot;terrorists&quot; in eastern Ghouta.&nbsp;

Health authorities in eastern Ghouta said several people had suffered symptoms consistent with chlorine gas exposure, killing one child. Lavrov said allegations the Syrian government was responsible for any chemical attack were aimed at sabotaging the truce.

He said Russia would introduce a daily humanitarian pause in Eastern Ghouta from February 27 by the order of President Vladimir Putin for the citizens to leave the war-ravaged Syria.

&quot;A humanitarian corridor will be open for civilians to exit the region every day from 9 am till 2 pm&quot;, Shoigu said.

Meanwhile, Russia said on Monday it would establish an evacuation corridor and implement a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/syrias-ghouta-russia-orders-daily-5-hour-truce-34166">five-hour daily truce </a>to allow people to leave Syria&#39;s eastern Ghouta, after a U.N. Security Council resolution demanding a 30-day ceasefire across the entire country.

It appeared to make no mention, however, of allowing relief supplies to enter the territory, where 400,000 people are living under siege and bombardment.

In the past eight months, regime forces have intensified their siege of Eastern Ghouta, making it nearly impossible for food or medicine to get into the district and leaving thousands of patients in need of treatment.

Since February 19, escalating hostilities have resulted in 500 deaths and some 1,500 injuries in Eastern Ghouta, with 24 health facilities impacted by shelling and airstrikes, according to UN officials.

Fighting has continued in Syria since Saturday's Security Council resolution calling for a 30-day ceasefire. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said it would not apply to the army's battle with 'terrorists' in eastern Ghouta

Regime airstrikes and shell-firing continued in Eastern Ghouta in Syria with no signs of stoppage despite United Nations Security Council's call for a 30-day ceasefire, according to Syrian civil defense sources, the White Helmets. One civilian was killed and scores were injured when the fresh airstrikes and artillery shells loyal to Syria's Russian-backed president Bashar al-Assad regime were fired into Eastern Ghouta's Douma, Bayt Sava, and al-Marj regions at around 10.30 a.m. (local time) on Tuesday, the White Helmets said in a statement. A family of nine was killed in a Syrian government strike on eastern Ghouta, a war monitor said on Monday, as Russia said a truce demanded by the United Nations Security Council would only take effect when all sides agreed how to implement it. Fighting has continued in Syria since Saturday's Security Council resolution calling for a 30-day ceasefire. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said it would not apply to the army's battle with "terrorists" in eastern Ghouta. Health authorities in eastern Ghouta said several people had suffered symptoms consistent with chlorine gas exposure, killing one child. Lavrov said allegations the Syrian government was responsible for any chemical attack were aimed at sabotaging the truce. He said Russia would introduce a daily humanitarian pause in Eastern Ghouta from February 27 by the order of President Vladimir Putin for the citizens to leave the war-ravaged Syria. "A humanitarian corridor will be open for civilians to exit the region every day from 9 am till 2 pm", Shoigu said. Meanwhile, Russia said on Monday it would establish an evacuation corridor and implement a five-hour daily truce to allow people to leave Syria's eastern Ghouta, after a U.N. Security Council resolution demanding a 30-day ceasefire across the entire country. It appeared to make no mention, however, of allowing relief supplies to enter the territory, where 400,000 people are living under siege and bombardment. In the past eight months, regime forces have intensified their siege of Eastern Ghouta, making it nearly impossible for food or medicine to get into the district and leaving thousands of patients in need of treatment. Since February 19, escalating hostilities have resulted in 500 deaths and some 1,500 injuries in Eastern Ghouta, with 24 health facilities impacted by shelling and airstrikes, according to UN officials.

Airstrikes continue in Syria despite UN's ceasefire call

UN rights chief Antonio Guterres urged <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/strikes-clashes-hit-syrias-ghouta-despite-ceasefire-call-34026">US, China, and Russia to end &quot;pernicious&quot;</a> Security Council vetoes while condemning the &quot;prolific slaughterhouses&quot; in Syria and other conflicts

The UN secretary-general also demanded that a Security Council resolution for a 30-day ceasefire in Syria be &quot;immediately implemented and sustained.&quot;&nbsp;

The UN chief stressed that &quot;Security Council resolutions are only meaningful if they are effectively implemented, and that is why I expect the resolution to be immediately implemented and sustained.&quot;

UN members approved a ceasefire in Syria on Saturday after weeks of wrangling over the issue. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had earlier called the conflict &nbsp;&quot;Hell on Earth&quot;.

The resolution was stuck after Russia demanded that the rebel group fighting President Bashar al-Assad&#39;s forces also comply with the resolution. After protracted talks, the resolution was finally passed unanimously ensuring a 30-day ceasefire in the war-torn country.

The Syrian military forces have not commented on the resolution so far.

In November, Russia had used its veto to end a UN-backed investigation of chemical weapons in Syria.

In May last year, Russia, Iran and Turkey had signed an agreement to set up de-escalation zones, in order to prevent airstrike-related incidents in some parts of Syria.

 
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The UN secretary-general also demanded that a Security Council resolution for a 30-day ceasefire in Syria be "immediately implemented and sustained."

UN rights chief Antonio Guterres urged US, China, and Russia to end "pernicious" Security Council vetoes while condemning the "prolific slaughterhouses" in Syria and other conflicts The UN secretary-general also demanded that a Security Council resolution for a 30-day ceasefire in Syria be "immediately implemented and sustained." The UN chief stressed that "Security Council resolutions are only meaningful if they are effectively implemented, and that is why I expect the resolution to be immediately implemented and sustained." UN members approved a ceasefire in Syria on Saturday after weeks of wrangling over the issue. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had earlier called the conflict "Hell on Earth". The resolution was stuck after Russia demanded that the rebel group fighting President Bashar al-Assad's forces also comply with the resolution. After protracted talks, the resolution was finally passed unanimously ensuring a 30-day ceasefire in the war-torn country. The Syrian military forces have not commented on the resolution so far. In November, Russia had used its veto to end a UN-backed investigation of chemical weapons in Syria. In May last year, Russia, Iran and Turkey had signed an agreement to set up de-escalation zones, in order to prevent airstrike-related incidents in some parts of Syria.

US, China and Russia should end 'pernicious' Security Council vetoes: UN chief

Air strikes on the last pocket of Islamic State jihadists in eastern Syria have killed at least 25 civilians, including seven children, a monitor said Monday.

The strikes were conducted on Sunday on and around the village of Al-Shaafah, north of the former IS bastion of Albu Kamal near the border with Iraq, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The strikes were conducted on Sunday on and around the village of Al-Shaafah, north of the former IS bastion of Albu Kamal near the border with Iraq

Air strikes on the last pocket of Islamic State jihadists in eastern Syria have killed at least 25 civilians, including seven children, a monitor said Monday. The strikes were conducted on Sunday on and around the village of Al-Shaafah, north of the former IS bastion of Albu Kamal near the border with Iraq, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Strikes on east Syria's last IS pocket kill 25 civilians

A family of nine was killed in a Syrian government strike on eastern Ghouta, a war monitor said on Monday, as Russia said a truce demanded by the United Nations Security Council would only take effect when all sides agreed how to implement it.&nbsp;

Fighting has continued in Syria since Saturday&#39;s Security Council resolution calling for a 30-day ceasefire. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said it would not apply to the army&#39;s battle with &quot;terrorists&quot; in eastern Ghouta.&nbsp;

Health authorities in eastern Ghouta said several people had suffered symptoms consistent with chlorine gas exposure, killing one child. Lavrov said allegations the Syrian government was responsible for any chemical attack were aimed at sabotaging the truce.

&quot;Eastern Ghouta cannot wait, it is high time to stop this hell on earth,&quot; UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, calling for implementation of the 30-day ceasefire.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, backed by Russia and Iran, has steadily clawed back control of areas where his opponents rose up against his rule in 2011. Eastern Ghouta is the last major insurgent stronghold near Damascus, the seat of his power.

Fighting is raging elsewhere in Syria too, as Turkey presses its offensive against a Kurdish militia in Afrin, rival rebel groups fight each other in Idlib and a US-led coalition targets Islamic State in the east.

The bombardment of eastern Ghouta over the past week has been one of the heaviest of Syria&#39;s seven-year war, killing at least 556 people in eight days, according to a toll compiled by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based war monitor.

It said two bodies had been pulled from the rubble of a home destroyed by an air strike in the Ghouta town of Douma, with seven others from the same family dead underneath.

The UN&nbsp;Security Council, including Russia, approved the resolution demanding a 30-day truce on Saturday. The intensity of the bombardment has diminished since then but has still killed more than two dozen people, the Observatory said.&nbsp;

Rebel shelling has caused 36 deaths and a number of injuries in Damascus and nearby rural areas in the last four days, Zaher Hajjo, a government health official, told Reuters.

A Western diplomat in Geneva said it was &quot;not clear if (the truce) will be implemented today or tomorrow, or at all&quot;, adding: &quot;The situation is catastrophic if not out of control.&quot;&nbsp;

Relative lull

In eastern Ghouta, people were making use of a relative lull in the bombardment to find provisions, said Moayad Hafi, a rescue worker based there.

&quot;Civilians rushed from their shelters to get food and return quickly since the warplanes are still in the sky and can hit at any moment,&quot; he told Reuters in a voice message.&nbsp;

Iran`s military chief of staff said on Sunday that pro-Damascus forces would press ahead with the offensive in the Damascus suburbs, saying the ceasefire did not cover parts of the Damascus suburbs &quot;held by the terrorists&quot;.

Lavrov said the ceasefire would not cover either the Ahrar al-Sham or the Jaish al-Islam factions, describing them as partners of the former al Qaeda affiliate, the Nusra Front.&nbsp;

The two major rebel factions in eastern Ghouta are Jaish al-Islam and Failaq al-Rahman. Tahrir al-Sham, an alliance of jihadists including Nusra, also has a small presence there.

&quot;Partners of al-Nusra are not protected by the ceasefire regime. They are also subject to the legitimate actions of Syrian armed forces and all those who support the Syrian army,&quot; said Lavrov.&nbsp;

In Idlib, Ahrar al-Sham and Tahrir al-Sham have been battling each other in recent days, rather than working in partnership.&nbsp;

Syrian state television reported that army units had advanced against militants near Harasta in eastern Ghouta. State news agency SANA also reported that the army had stopped a car bomb being driven into Damascus.

The Nusra Front has consistently been excluded from ceasefires in Syria, and the opposition says the government has used this as an excuse to keep up its bombardments.&nbsp;

Chemical weapons

The Syrian government has consistently denied using chemical weapons in the war, which will soon enter its eighth year having killed hundreds of thousands of people and forced half of Syria`s pre-war population of about 23 million from their homes.&nbsp;

Russia accused rebels of preparing to use toxic agents in eastern Ghouta so they could later accuse Damascus of employing chemical weapons.

In recent weeks, the United States has accused Syria of repeatedly using chlorine gas as a weapon. Rebel-held areas of the Ghouta region were hit in a major chemical attack in 2013.

Last year, a joint inquiry by the United Nations and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) found the Syrian government was responsible for an April 4, 2017, attack using the banned nerve agent sarin in the opposition-held town of Khan Sheikhoun, killing dozens.

The inquiry had previously found that Syrian government forces were responsible for three chlorine gas attacks in 2014 and 2015 and that Islamic State militants had used mustard gas.

 
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A family of nine was killed in a Syrian government strike on eastern Ghouta, a war monitor said on Monday, as Russia said a truce demanded by the United Nations Security Council would only take effect when all sides agreed how to implement it

A family of nine was killed in a Syrian government strike on eastern Ghouta, a war monitor said on Monday, as Russia said a truce demanded by the United Nations Security Council would only take effect when all sides agreed how to implement it. Fighting has continued in Syria since Saturday's Security Council resolution calling for a 30-day ceasefire. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said it would not apply to the army's battle with "terrorists" in eastern Ghouta. Health authorities in eastern Ghouta said several people had suffered symptoms consistent with chlorine gas exposure, killing one child. Lavrov said allegations the Syrian government was responsible for any chemical attack were aimed at sabotaging the truce. "Eastern Ghouta cannot wait, it is high time to stop this hell on earth," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, calling for implementation of the 30-day ceasefire. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, backed by Russia and Iran, has steadily clawed back control of areas where his opponents rose up against his rule in 2011. Eastern Ghouta is the last major insurgent stronghold near Damascus, the seat of his power. Fighting is raging elsewhere in Syria too, as Turkey presses its offensive against a Kurdish militia in Afrin, rival rebel groups fight each other in Idlib and a US-led coalition targets Islamic State in the east. The bombardment of eastern Ghouta over the past week has been one of the heaviest of Syria's seven-year war, killing at least 556 people in eight days, according to a toll compiled by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based war monitor. It said two bodies had been pulled from the rubble of a home destroyed by an air strike in the Ghouta town of Douma, with seven others from the same family dead underneath. The UN Security Council, including Russia, approved the resolution demanding a 30-day truce on Saturday. The intensity of the bombardment has diminished since then but has still killed more than two dozen people, the Observatory said. Rebel shelling has caused 36 deaths and a number of injuries in Damascus and nearby rural areas in the last four days, Zaher Hajjo, a government health official, told Reuters. A Western diplomat in Geneva said it was "not clear if (the truce) will be implemented today or tomorrow, or at all", adding: "The situation is catastrophic if not out of control." Relative lull In eastern Ghouta, people were making use of a relative lull in the bombardment to find provisions, said Moayad Hafi, a rescue worker based there. "Civilians rushed from their shelters to get food and return quickly since the warplanes are still in the sky and can hit at any moment," he told Reuters in a voice message. Iran`s military chief of staff said on Sunday that pro-Damascus forces would press ahead with the offensive in the Damascus suburbs, saying the ceasefire did not cover parts of the Damascus suburbs "held by the terrorists". Lavrov said the ceasefire would not cover either the Ahrar al-Sham or the Jaish al-Islam factions, describing them as partners of the former al Qaeda affiliate, the Nusra Front. The two major rebel factions in eastern Ghouta are Jaish al-Islam and Failaq al-Rahman. Tahrir al-Sham, an alliance of jihadists including Nusra, also has a small presence there. "Partners of al-Nusra are not protected by the ceasefire regime. They are also subject to the legitimate actions of Syrian armed forces and all those who support the Syrian army," said Lavrov. In Idlib, Ahrar al-Sham and Tahrir al-Sham have been battling each other in recent days, rather than working in partnership. Syrian state television reported that army units had advanced against militants near Harasta in eastern Ghouta. State news agency SANA also reported that the army had stopped a car bomb being driven into Damascus. The Nusra Front has consistently been excluded from ceasefires in Syria, and the opposition says the government has used this as an excuse to keep up its bombardments. Chemical weapons The Syrian government has consistently denied using chemical weapons in the war, which will soon enter its eighth year having killed hundreds of thousands of people and forced half of Syria`s pre-war population of about 23 million from their homes. Russia accused rebels of preparing to use toxic agents in eastern Ghouta so they could later accuse Damascus of employing chemical weapons. In recent weeks, the United States has accused Syria of repeatedly using chlorine gas as a weapon. Rebel-held areas of the Ghouta region were hit in a major chemical attack in 2013. Last year, a joint inquiry by the United Nations and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) found the Syrian government was responsible for an April 4, 2017, attack using the banned nerve agent sarin in the opposition-held town of Khan Sheikhoun, killing dozens. The inquiry had previously found that Syrian government forces were responsible for three chlorine gas attacks in 2014 and 2015 and that Islamic State militants had used mustard gas.

Air strike kills Syrian family of nine in rebel-held Ghouta: Monitor

Heavy clashes and air strikes shook Syria&#39;s rebel enclave of Eastern Ghouta on Sunday despite a UN call for a ceasefire to end one of the most ferocious assaults of Syria&#39;s civil war.

After days of diplomatic wrangling, the Security Council on Saturday adopted a resolution calling for a 30-day ceasefire in Syria without delay, to allow for aid deliveries and medical evacuations.

President Bashar al-Assad&#39;s forces launched a major bombing campaign against the enclave on the edge of Damascus a week ago, with over 500 people killed so far.

However, the UN resolution remains unclear as to when and how broadly the ceasefire could be implemented.

Russia is a key ally of Assad&#39;s regime and in a phone call on Sunday German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron urged President Vladimir Putin to use his influence. &nbsp;

They called on Russia to exercise maximum pressure on the Syrian regime to achieve an immediate suspension of air raids and fighting, Merkel&#39;s office said in a statement.

Reportedly, seven civilians were killed in strikes on Sunday, bringing the total number of dead in the week to 527, including 129 children.

Although there appeared to be fewer air strikes, Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman said, fighting had intensified on the ground.

Heavy clashes erupted in southern areas of Eastern Ghouta, he said, with at least 13 members of pro-regime forces and six fighters from the Jaish al-Islam rebel group killed.

Heavy clashes and air strikes shook Syria's rebel enclave of Eastern Ghouta

Heavy clashes and air strikes shook Syria's rebel enclave of Eastern Ghouta on Sunday despite a UN call for a ceasefire to end one of the most ferocious assaults of Syria's civil war. After days of diplomatic wrangling, the Security Council on Saturday adopted a resolution calling for a 30-day ceasefire in Syria without delay, to allow for aid deliveries and medical evacuations. President Bashar al-Assad's forces launched a major bombing campaign against the enclave on the edge of Damascus a week ago, with over 500 people killed so far. However, the UN resolution remains unclear as to when and how broadly the ceasefire could be implemented. Russia is a key ally of Assad's regime and in a phone call on Sunday German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron urged President Vladimir Putin to use his influence. They called on Russia to exercise maximum pressure on the Syrian regime to achieve an immediate suspension of air raids and fighting, Merkel's office said in a statement. Reportedly, seven civilians were killed in strikes on Sunday, bringing the total number of dead in the week to 527, including 129 children. Although there appeared to be fewer air strikes, Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman said, fighting had intensified on the ground. Heavy clashes erupted in southern areas of Eastern Ghouta, he said, with at least 13 members of pro-regime forces and six fighters from the Jaish al-Islam rebel group killed.

Strikes, clashes hit Syria's Ghouta despite ceasefire call

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Saturday unanimously backed a 30-day ceasefire resolution in Syria to allow for humanitarian aid deliveries and medical evacuations.

The vote comes in response to the seven-day airstrikes and bombings in the war-torn country that has claimed over 500 lives so far.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed on Wednesday for an immediate end to &quot;war activities&quot; there and had referred to the Syrians living in the Eastern Ghouta enclave near Damascus as &quot;Hell on Earth&quot;, according to media reports.

Earlier, the UNSC was supposed to vote on the ceasefire in Syria on Thursday, which is seeing a bloody six-year-old civil war.

Negotiations stumbled over Russian demands that the rebel groups fighting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad&#39;s forces should comply with the resolution.

Russia, which is also a permanent member of the Security Council vetoed 11 times to protect the Syrian government.

The draft resolution put forward by Kuwait and Sweden, earlier called for a nationwide resolution to go into effect within 72 hours after the resolution is passed. Medical evacuations and aid deliveries would start 48 hours after adopting the resolution. However, the plan did not materialise.

The Bashar-led Syrian government and its close ally Russia have repeatedly said that the motive of airstrikes is to target militants.

They have said that they seek to stop mortar attacks injuring dozens in Damascus, and have accused the militants in Eastern Ghouta of capturing and holding people as &quot;human shields&quot;.

Moscow, which intervened militarily in support of its Damascus ally in 2015, has denied any direct involvement in the Eastern Ghouta bombardment.

The Syrian military forces have not commented on the resolution so far.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday called on the Russian President Vladimir Putin to back the ceasefire resolution.

In November last year, Russia used its veto power to end a UN-led investigation of chemical weapons attacks in Syria.

Nearly 500 people, including 100 children, have died and hundreds more injured in the last seven days, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).

At least 35 civilians were killed in Saturday&#39;s strikes, including eight children. A night of heavy bombardment sparked fires in residential districts, the SOHR said in a statement.

Eastern Ghouta, which houses around 400,000 residents, has remained under a crippling regime siege for the last five years.

In May last year, Russia, Iran and Turkey signed an agreement to set up de-escalation zones, in order to prevent airstrike-related incidents in some parts of Syria.

The de-escalation zones include- Idlib province, some parts of Latakia province, Hama and Aleppo provinces, Homs, Eastern Ghouta, Daraa and al-Quneitra provinces in southern Syria.

Syria has been embroiled in a civil war since 2011. Protesters have been long demanding the resignation of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad over his autocratic rule.

The UN Security Council has unanimously approved a resolution demanding a 30-day ceasefire in Syria to allow aid deliveries and medical evacuations

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Saturday unanimously backed a 30-day ceasefire resolution in Syria to allow for humanitarian aid deliveries and medical evacuations. The vote comes in response to the seven-day airstrikes and bombings in the war-torn country that has claimed over 500 lives so far. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed on Wednesday for an immediate end to "war activities" there and had referred to the Syrians living in the Eastern Ghouta enclave near Damascus as "Hell on Earth", according to media reports. Earlier, the UNSC was supposed to vote on the ceasefire in Syria on Thursday, which is seeing a bloody six-year-old civil war. Negotiations stumbled over Russian demands that the rebel groups fighting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces should comply with the resolution. Russia, which is also a permanent member of the Security Council vetoed 11 times to protect the Syrian government. The draft resolution put forward by Kuwait and Sweden, earlier called for a nationwide resolution to go into effect within 72 hours after the resolution is passed. Medical evacuations and aid deliveries would start 48 hours after adopting the resolution. However, the plan did not materialise. The Bashar-led Syrian government and its close ally Russia have repeatedly said that the motive of airstrikes is to target militants. They have said that they seek to stop mortar attacks injuring dozens in Damascus, and have accused the militants in Eastern Ghouta of capturing and holding people as "human shields". Moscow, which intervened militarily in support of its Damascus ally in 2015, has denied any direct involvement in the Eastern Ghouta bombardment. The Syrian military forces have not commented on the resolution so far. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday called on the Russian President Vladimir Putin to back the ceasefire resolution. In November last year, Russia used its veto power to end a UN-led investigation of chemical weapons attacks in Syria. Nearly 500 people, including 100 children, have died and hundreds more injured in the last seven days, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR). At least 35 civilians were killed in Saturday's strikes, including eight children. A night of heavy bombardment sparked fires in residential districts, the SOHR said in a statement. Eastern Ghouta, which houses around 400,000 residents, has remained under a crippling regime siege for the last five years. In May last year, Russia, Iran and Turkey signed an agreement to set up de-escalation zones, in order to prevent airstrike-related incidents in some parts of Syria. The de-escalation zones include- Idlib province, some parts of Latakia province, Hama and Aleppo provinces, Homs, Eastern Ghouta, Daraa and al-Quneitra provinces in southern Syria. Syria has been embroiled in a civil war since 2011. Protesters have been long demanding the resignation of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad over his autocratic rule.

Syria war: UN Security Council approves 30-day ceasefire as death toll in rebel enclave tops 500

New air strikes on the Syrian rebel enclave of Eastern Ghouta on Saturday took the civilian death toll from seven days of devastating bombardment to more than 500 after the United Nations again delayed a vote on a ceasefire. 
 
A total of 127 children figure among the 510 dead in the bombing campaign that the regime launched last Sunday on the enclave just outside Damascus, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. 
 
The Britain-based monitor of the war said at least 32 civilians were killed in Saturday&#39;s strikes, including eight children. A night of heavy bombardment sparked fires in residential districts, it said. 
 
The Observatory has said the air strikes are being carried out by Syrian and Russian forces. Moscow, which intervened militarily in support of its Damascus ally in 2015, has denied any direct involvement in the Eastern Ghouta bombardment. 
 
US President Donald Trump on Friday said Russia&#39;s recent actions in Syria were a &quot;disgrace&quot;.

The UN Security Council on Friday&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/un-security-council-to-vote-on-syria-ceasefire-today-33806">delayed to 19:30 GMT</a>&nbsp;a vote on a draft resolution demanding a 30-day ceasefire in Syria, diplomats said.

Negotiations were continuing to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/russia-blocks-un-resolution-on-ceasefire-in-syria-33759">avoid a Russia veto of the text&nbsp;</a>that would establish a truce to allow humanitarian aid deliveries and medical evacuations.

Turkey urged the international community to end the bloodshed in Eastern Ghouta. &quot;The world should say stop to this massacre,&quot; Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan&#39;s spokesman said on Twitter. 
 
Control of Eastern Ghouta is shared between two main Islamist factions, while Syria&#39;s former Al-Qaeda affiliate is also present, and Russia insists there can be no ceasefire with the jihadists or their allies. 
 
Russia has been pressing for a negotiated withdrawal of rebel fighters and their families like the one that saw the government retake full control of second city Aleppo in December 2016. But all three rebel groups have refused.

During a council meeting called by Russia, Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia presented a new raft of amendments to a draft resolution that would allow deliveries of humanitarian aid and medical evacuations during the pause.

Negotiations on the draft presented by Sweden and Kuwait on February 9 have dragged on as hundreds of Syrians have died in a fierce government air campaign in the rebel-held enclave of Eastern Ghouta.

World leaders have expressed outrage at the plight of civilians in Eastern Ghouta, which UN chief Antonio Guterres called &quot;hell on earth&quot;, but have so far been powerless to halt the bloodshed. 
 
The enclave is completely surrounded by government-controlled territory and its 400,000 residents are unwilling or unable to flee the deadly siege. 
 
In one of the many unfolding dramas at a Douma field hospital, a young woman amputated from the knee breastfed a 40-day-old infant who had lost his entire family in the bombings. 
 
&quot;She doesn&#39;t know yet that her own daughter has been killed,&quot; a nurse said. 
 
Food supplies have been running dry, with bread no longer available on local markets. 
 
&quot;I haven&#39;t eaten since the day before yesterday,&quot; said a mother in a shelter with her two children in Douma, Eastern Ghouta&#39;s main town. &quot;They haven&#39;t stopped crying for three days.&quot; 
 
The cornered rebels in Eastern Ghouta have been firing back into Damascus, where six civilians were wounded on Saturday, state media said. 
 
Around 20 people have been killed in eastern districts of the capital since Sunday, according to state media, and many residents have sought temporary accommodation elsewhere for fear of a further intensification of the fighting. 
 
At the United Nations, US ambassador Nikki Haley expressed dismay as negotiations dragged on to secure Russian approval for a ceasefire resolution. 
 
&quot;Unbelievable that Russia is stalling a vote on a ceasefire allowing humanitarian access in Syria,&quot; Haley posted on Twitter. 
 
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron wrote to Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Friday to ask him to back the ceasefire. 
 
Negotiations have stumbled over a key provision of the draft resolution that specifies when the ceasefire will begin. 
 
Following hours of tough negotiations, an amended draft was circulated that demands a 30-day ceasefire &quot;without delay,&quot; while stopping short of specifying the timing. &nbsp; 
 
A previous draft had said the ceasefire would go into force 72 hours after the adoption, but that was dropped from the text in a bid to reach compromise with Russia. 
 
In another concession to Russia, the draft also specifies that the ceasefire will not apply to operations against the Islamic State group or Al-Qaeda, along with &quot;individuals, groups, undertakings and entities associated&quot; with the blacklisted terror groups. 
 
The text would demand the immediate lifting of all sieges in Syria, including that on Eastern Ghouta, and order all sides to &quot;cease depriving civilians of food and medicine indispensable to their survival&quot;.

A total of 127 children figure among the 510 dead in the bombing campaign that the regime launched last Sunday on the enclave just outside Damascus, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said

New air strikes on the Syrian rebel enclave of Eastern Ghouta on Saturday took the civilian death toll from seven days of devastating bombardment to more than 500 after the United Nations again delayed a vote on a ceasefire. A total of 127 children figure among the 510 dead in the bombing campaign that the regime launched last Sunday on the enclave just outside Damascus, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The Britain-based monitor of the war said at least 32 civilians were killed in Saturday's strikes, including eight children. A night of heavy bombardment sparked fires in residential districts, it said. The Observatory has said the air strikes are being carried out by Syrian and Russian forces. Moscow, which intervened militarily in support of its Damascus ally in 2015, has denied any direct involvement in the Eastern Ghouta bombardment. US President Donald Trump on Friday said Russia's recent actions in Syria were a "disgrace". The UN Security Council on Friday delayed to 19:30 GMT a vote on a draft resolution demanding a 30-day ceasefire in Syria, diplomats said. Negotiations were continuing to avoid a Russia veto of the text that would establish a truce to allow humanitarian aid deliveries and medical evacuations. Turkey urged the international community to end the bloodshed in Eastern Ghouta. "The world should say stop to this massacre," Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's spokesman said on Twitter. Control of Eastern Ghouta is shared between two main Islamist factions, while Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate is also present, and Russia insists there can be no ceasefire with the jihadists or their allies. Russia has been pressing for a negotiated withdrawal of rebel fighters and their families like the one that saw the government retake full control of second city Aleppo in December 2016. But all three rebel groups have refused. During a council meeting called by Russia, Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia presented a new raft of amendments to a draft resolution that would allow deliveries of humanitarian aid and medical evacuations during the pause. Negotiations on the draft presented by Sweden and Kuwait on February 9 have dragged on as hundreds of Syrians have died in a fierce government air campaign in the rebel-held enclave of Eastern Ghouta. World leaders have expressed outrage at the plight of civilians in Eastern Ghouta, which UN chief Antonio Guterres called "hell on earth", but have so far been powerless to halt the bloodshed. The enclave is completely surrounded by government-controlled territory and its 400,000 residents are unwilling or unable to flee the deadly siege. In one of the many unfolding dramas at a Douma field hospital, a young woman amputated from the knee breastfed a 40-day-old infant who had lost his entire family in the bombings. "She doesn't know yet that her own daughter has been killed," a nurse said. Food supplies have been running dry, with bread no longer available on local markets. "I haven't eaten since the day before yesterday," said a mother in a shelter with her two children in Douma, Eastern Ghouta's main town. "They haven't stopped crying for three days." The cornered rebels in Eastern Ghouta have been firing back into Damascus, where six civilians were wounded on Saturday, state media said. Around 20 people have been killed in eastern districts of the capital since Sunday, according to state media, and many residents have sought temporary accommodation elsewhere for fear of a further intensification of the fighting. At the United Nations, US ambassador Nikki Haley expressed dismay as negotiations dragged on to secure Russian approval for a ceasefire resolution. "Unbelievable that Russia is stalling a vote on a ceasefire allowing humanitarian access in Syria," Haley posted on Twitter. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron wrote to Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Friday to ask him to back the ceasefire. Negotiations have stumbled over a key provision of the draft resolution that specifies when the ceasefire will begin. Following hours of tough negotiations, an amended draft was circulated that demands a 30-day ceasefire "without delay," while stopping short of specifying the timing. A previous draft had said the ceasefire would go into force 72 hours after the adoption, but that was dropped from the text in a bid to reach compromise with Russia. In another concession to Russia, the draft also specifies that the ceasefire will not apply to operations against the Islamic State group or Al-Qaeda, along with "individuals, groups, undertakings and entities associated" with the blacklisted terror groups. The text would demand the immediate lifting of all sieges in Syria, including that on Eastern Ghouta, and order all sides to "cease depriving civilians of food and medicine indispensable to their survival".

Death toll in Syria enclave tops 500 after UN delays truce vote

Deadly air strikes hit the Syrian rebel enclave of Eastern Ghouta for a seventh straight day on Saturday after the United Nations again delayed a vote on a ceasefire. 
 
The Damascus government launched a devastating bombardment of the area just outside the capital last Sunday that has now killed nearly 500 civilians including more than 100 children, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. 
 
The Britain-based monitor of the war said at least 21 civilians were killed in fresh strikes on Eastern Ghouta on Saturday, including 12 in the main town of Douma. 
 
It has said the strikes are being carried out by Syrian and Russian forces. Moscow, which intervened militarily in support of its Damascus ally in 2015, has denied any direct involvement in the Eastern Ghouta bombardment. 
 
US President Donald Trump on Friday said Russia&#39;s recent actions in Syria were a &quot;disgrace&quot;. 
 
Friday&#39;s civilian death toll in the enclave -- under siege by the Syrian army since 2013 -- totalled 41, including 17 children, according to the Observatory. 
 
The UN Security Council had been due to hold a vote on Friday on a resolution calling for a month-long ceasefire to allow aid deliveries and the evacuation of seriously wounded civilians. 
 
But the vote was postponed until 1700 GMT on Saturday as Western powers bickered with Russia over the wording. 
 
Rebel fire on Damascus

Control of Eastern Ghouta is shared between two Islamist factions and Syria&#39;s former Al-Qaeda affiliate, and Russia insists there can be no ceasefire with the jihadists or their allies. 
 
Russia has been pressing for a negotiated withdrawal of rebel fighters and their families like the one that saw the government retake full control of second city Aleppo in December 2016. 
 
But all three rebel groups have refused. 
 
World leaders have expressed outrage at the plight of civilians in Eastern Ghouta, which UN chief Antonio Guterres called &quot;hell on earth&quot;, but have so far been powerless to halt the bloodshed. 
 
The enclave is completely surrounded by government-controlled territory and its 400,000 residents are unwilling or unable to flee the deadly siege. 
 
The rebels have been firing back into Damascus, where a hospital was hit on Friday, state news agency SANA reported.&nbsp; 
 
At least 16 civilians have been killed in eastern districts of the capital since Sunday, according to state media, and many residents have sought temporary accommodation elsewhere for fear of a further intensification of the fighting. 
 
&nbsp;&#39;Unbelievable&#39;&nbsp;

At the United Nations, US ambassador Nikki Haley expressed dismay as negotiations dragged on to secure Russian approval for a ceasefire resolution. 
 
&quot;Unbelievable that Russia is stalling a vote on a ceasefire allowing humanitarian access in Syria,&quot; Haley posted on Twitter. 
 
&quot;How many more people will die before the Security Council agrees to take up this vote?&nbsp;Let&#39;s do this tonight.&nbsp;The Syrian people can&#39;t wait.&quot; 
 
Russia has vetoed 11 draft resolutions on Syria to block action that targeted its ally. In November, it used its veto to end a UN-led investigation of chemical weapons attacks in Syria. 
 
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron wrote to Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Friday to ask him to back the ceasefire. 
 
Negotiations have stumbled over a key provision of the draft resolution that specifies when the ceasefire will begin.&nbsp; 
 
Following hours of tough negotiations, an amended draft was circulated that demands a 30-day ceasefire &quot;without delay,&quot; while stopping short of specifying the timing. &nbsp; 
 
A previous draft had said the ceasefire would go into force 72 hours after the adoption, but that was dropped from the text in a bid to reach compromise with Russia. 
 
In another concession to Russia, the draft also specifies that the ceasefire will not apply to operations against the Islamic State group or Al-Qaeda, along with &quot;individuals, groups, undertakings and entities associated&quot; with the blacklisted terror groups. 
 
The text would demand the immediate lifting of all sieges, including that on Eastern Ghouta, and order all sides to &quot;cease depriving civilians of food and medicine indispensable to their survival.&quot;

The Damascus government launched a devastating bombardment of the area just outside the capital last Sunday that has now killed nearly 500 civilians including more than 100 children, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights

Deadly air strikes hit the Syrian rebel enclave of Eastern Ghouta for a seventh straight day on Saturday after the United Nations again delayed a vote on a ceasefire. The Damascus government launched a devastating bombardment of the area just outside the capital last Sunday that has now killed nearly 500 civilians including more than 100 children, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The Britain-based monitor of the war said at least 21 civilians were killed in fresh strikes on Eastern Ghouta on Saturday, including 12 in the main town of Douma. It has said the strikes are being carried out by Syrian and Russian forces. Moscow, which intervened militarily in support of its Damascus ally in 2015, has denied any direct involvement in the Eastern Ghouta bombardment. US President Donald Trump on Friday said Russia's recent actions in Syria were a "disgrace". Friday's civilian death toll in the enclave -- under siege by the Syrian army since 2013 -- totalled 41, including 17 children, according to the Observatory. The UN Security Council had been due to hold a vote on Friday on a resolution calling for a month-long ceasefire to allow aid deliveries and the evacuation of seriously wounded civilians. But the vote was postponed until 1700 GMT on Saturday as Western powers bickered with Russia over the wording. Rebel fire on Damascus Control of Eastern Ghouta is shared between two Islamist factions and Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate, and Russia insists there can be no ceasefire with the jihadists or their allies. Russia has been pressing for a negotiated withdrawal of rebel fighters and their families like the one that saw the government retake full control of second city Aleppo in December 2016. But all three rebel groups have refused. World leaders have expressed outrage at the plight of civilians in Eastern Ghouta, which UN chief Antonio Guterres called "hell on earth", but have so far been powerless to halt the bloodshed. The enclave is completely surrounded by government-controlled territory and its 400,000 residents are unwilling or unable to flee the deadly siege. The rebels have been firing back into Damascus, where a hospital was hit on Friday, state news agency SANA reported. At least 16 civilians have been killed in eastern districts of the capital since Sunday, according to state media, and many residents have sought temporary accommodation elsewhere for fear of a further intensification of the fighting. 'Unbelievable' At the United Nations, US ambassador Nikki Haley expressed dismay as negotiations dragged on to secure Russian approval for a ceasefire resolution. "Unbelievable that Russia is stalling a vote on a ceasefire allowing humanitarian access in Syria," Haley posted on Twitter. "How many more people will die before the Security Council agrees to take up this vote? Let's do this tonight. The Syrian people can't wait." Russia has vetoed 11 draft resolutions on Syria to block action that targeted its ally. In November, it used its veto to end a UN-led investigation of chemical weapons attacks in Syria. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron wrote to Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Friday to ask him to back the ceasefire. Negotiations have stumbled over a key provision of the draft resolution that specifies when the ceasefire will begin. Following hours of tough negotiations, an amended draft was circulated that demands a 30-day ceasefire "without delay," while stopping short of specifying the timing. A previous draft had said the ceasefire would go into force 72 hours after the adoption, but that was dropped from the text in a bid to reach compromise with Russia. In another concession to Russia, the draft also specifies that the ceasefire will not apply to operations against the Islamic State group or Al-Qaeda, along with "individuals, groups, undertakings and entities associated" with the blacklisted terror groups. The text would demand the immediate lifting of all sieges, including that on Eastern Ghouta, and order all sides to "cease depriving civilians of food and medicine indispensable to their survival."

New strikes hit Syria enclave after UN delays truce vote, 21 civilians killed

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