Maldivians are in the thick of action in the Syrian theatre of war. They swell the ranks of both the Islamic State and Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, formerly al-Nusra Front, the al-Qaeda branch in Syria.&nbsp;

Yes, there are citizens leaving one of the most beautiful places on earth to fight and often die in the harsh deserts of West&nbsp;Asia, thousands of kilometres from home. &nbsp;

There are no official figures, but according to former Maldivian President Nasheed, now living in exile in London, there could be as many as 200 Maldivians fighting in Syria. The figure is also cited in a report that appeared on the Jamestown Foundation&#39;s Terrorism Monitor.&nbsp;If this number is true, the Maldives turns out to be the largest per capita contributor of foreign fighters to the Syrian jihad. &nbsp;

The current government, after avoiding the issue for quite some time, was forced to admit during a parliament session in 2014 that there were surely more than seven Maldivians who are fighting in Syria of which strong proofs exist.&nbsp;Six of them have already died. &nbsp;

In April 2015, the Maldives&#39; Counter-Terrorism Centre said the figure was most likely in double digits.&nbsp;

The contention over numbers could be attributed to political rivalries.&nbsp;But what is absolutely certain is that some Maldivians are fighting in foreign terrorist organisations and that these groups think that the archipelago is a land for recruitment and possible action in future. This is a&nbsp;threat the paradise islands have&nbsp;never experienced before.&nbsp;

A recent propaganda video, published by the Jabat al-Nusra&#39;s BiladAlSham media arm, shows flames burning prominent Maldivian statesmen and a man shooting at pictures of the last three presidents of the country. &nbsp;

&nbsp;

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Former Maldives&#39; president is shown burning in a Jabat al-Nusra propaganda video. (Others)
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Another BiladAlSham video shows a man in Syria&#39;s Idlib province who recalls the stories of fighters and thanks&nbsp;them for their contribution&nbsp;to jihad - the holy war.

&quot;And from them particularly we will remember our brother Abdul Hassan al Maldifi (Rahimahullah),&quot; shows the subtitle in English. The Maldivian terrorist is portrayed as a hero for blowing himself up in an explosive-laden vehicle. His action helped the terrorists enter Idlib.&nbsp;

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Maldives national Abdul Hassan al Maldifi appearing in an al-Nusra propaganda video. (Others)
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Abdul Hassan al Maldifi appears also in a second propaganda video in the company of other Maldivian nationals.&nbsp;

Both videos are translated into English and Dhivehi, the official Maldivian language.&nbsp;

On The Ground media, an organisation managed by controversial Syria-based American journalist Bilal Abdul Kareem, also shows&nbsp;the presence of Maldivians within the al-Nusra ranks. He was able to spend time with some Maldivians fighting in Syria, exploring their motivations and daily lives. One of the series of videos show&nbsp;Abu Younes&nbsp;with his one-year-old daughter.&nbsp;

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Maldivian foreign fighter Abu Younes in Syria with his one-year-old daughter. (Others)
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&nbsp;

While the majority of Maldivian terrorists seems to be fighting for the Jabhat Fateh al-Sham (formerly al-Nusra), there are evidences of at least one of them fighting with the Islamic State. He appears on an obituary published by Haqqu&nbsp;media centre which describes him as &quot;the first among the few Maldivian muhajideen (one who fights the holy war) to Dawlat Al-Islam (IS).&quot;&nbsp;

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Screenshot of Haqqu Media Center showing a young Maldivians fighting for the Islamic State. (Others)
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&nbsp;

The presence of young Maldivians within terrorist ranks is probably linked to a wave of radicalisation that the country is undergoing.&nbsp;

There is an increasing presence of small religious organisations and radical preachers, mostly educated in Saudi Arabia, who are spreading a Wahhabi version of Islam in the archipelago. &nbsp;

Wahhabism, a school of Sunni Islam, whether one shares its views or not, may not necessarily be a problem per se. It is one of the different interpretations of Islam and any Muslim is free to decide to embrace it. But&nbsp;while one can not say that Wahhabism is the source of terrorism, it is difficult to deny that all main terrorist Islamist organisations draw extensively from its doctrine, especially when it comes to justifying and legitimising violence in the name of jihad.&nbsp;

But what did pave&nbsp;the way for Wahabbism, a foreign import, in the traditionally tolerant and moderate Maldives?&nbsp;

&quot;One of the main reasons behind radicalisation is that there is no religious alternative,&quot; says Azra Naseem, radicalisation expert and postdoctoral research fellow at Dublin City University. &nbsp;

The country does not have different Islamic schools debating and challenging each other&#39;s interpretations, there is no religious confrontation. This adds to the fact that the population follows Sunni Islam entirely, a common ground which helps the many Saudi or Saudi-educated Wahhabi preachers to gain ground.&nbsp;

Saudi Arabia is also the present Maldivian government&#39;s major ally in preserving the archipelago&#39;s Sunni identity: the Kingdom is funding mosques, distributing massive quantities of dates during Ramzan, sending scholars for conferences and providing scholarships to students from Maldives. It has also become the biggest economic partner and is pouring millions of dollars into Male&#39;s coffers. &nbsp;

All factors come together to help&nbsp;the Saudi Wahhabi doctrine to penetrate and become an authoritative voice in the Maldivian society. &nbsp;

This does not mean that the archipelago has suddenly become an intolerant, extremist and unsafe country.&nbsp;But it is surely going through a churn. A significant part of the population remains open and keeps practising a tolerant version of Islam.&nbsp;

The shift is clearly visible though.&nbsp;Walking on the street of Mal&eacute;, one can nowadays see shops selling so called &#39;halal&#39; perfumes, &#39;halal&#39; literature, all sort of &#39;halal&#39; goods which have never been there before. Speaking to WION, a Maldivian in his thirties,&nbsp;who prefers to remain anonimous for safety concerns, recalled how, during his school days, the word &#39;Wahhabi&#39;&nbsp;was often used as an insult.&nbsp;Now it is used as a norm, as a common word which describes a category of believers.

The Maldivian government takes little action to tackle radicalisation. Neither does it encourage a culture of debate. For instance, inviting prominent Muslim scholars promoting other versions of Islam could be one of the many ways to counter the problem. &nbsp;

Instead, the government often dismisses radicalisation as a mere political accusation levelled at Male by foreign powers to discourage tourists from visiting. The real aim, apparently, is to topple current President&nbsp;Abdulla Yameen. &nbsp;

Living in denial means letting the problem grow.&nbsp;More young Maldivians risk the prospect of being lured by Islamist terrorist groups. This is not just a threat for Maldives but also the lands where these misguided young men may travel to.&nbsp;

(WION)

Certain reports place their number at 200, making the Maldives the largest per capita contributor of foreign fighters to the Syrian jihad

Maldivians are in the thick of action in the Syrian theatre of war. They swell the ranks of both the Islamic State and Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, formerly al-Nusra Front, the al-Qaeda branch in Syria. Yes, there are citizens leaving one of the most beautiful places on earth to fight and often die in the harsh deserts of West Asia, thousands of kilometres from home. There are no official figures, but according to former Maldivian President Nasheed, now living in exile in London, there could be as many as 200 Maldivians fighting in Syria. The figure is also cited in a report that appeared on the Jamestown Foundation's Terrorism Monitor. If this number is true, the Maldives turns out to be the largest per capita contributor of foreign fighters to the Syrian jihad. The current government, after avoiding the issue for quite some time, was forced to admit during a parliament session in 2014 that there were surely more than seven Maldivians who are fighting in Syria of which strong proofs exist. Six of them have already died. In April 2015, the Maldives' Counter-Terrorism Centre said the figure was most likely in double digits. The contention over numbers could be attributed to political rivalries. But what is absolutely certain is that some Maldivians are fighting in foreign terrorist organisations and that these groups think that the archipelago is a land for recruitment and possible action in future. This is a threat the paradise islands have never experienced before. A recent propaganda video, published by the Jabat al-Nusra's BiladAlSham media arm, shows flames burning prominent Maldivian statesmen and a man shooting at pictures of the last three presidents of the country. Former Maldives' president is shown burning in a Jabat al-Nusra propaganda video. (Others) × Another BiladAlSham video shows a man in Syria's Idlib province who recalls the stories of fighters and thanks them for their contribution to jihad - the holy war. "And from them particularly we will remember our brother Abdul Hassan al Maldifi (Rahimahullah)," shows the subtitle in English. The Maldivian terrorist is portrayed as a hero for blowing himself up in an explosive-laden vehicle. His action helped the terrorists enter Idlib. Maldives national Abdul Hassan al Maldifi appearing in an al-Nusra propaganda video. (Others) × Abdul Hassan al Maldifi appears also in a second propaganda video in the company of other Maldivian nationals. Both videos are translated into English and Dhivehi, the official Maldivian language. On The Ground media, an organisation managed by controversial Syria-based American journalist Bilal Abdul Kareem, also shows the presence of Maldivians within the al-Nusra ranks. He was able to spend time with some Maldivians fighting in Syria, exploring their motivations and daily lives. One of the series of videos show Abu Younes with his one-year-old daughter. Maldivian foreign fighter Abu Younes in Syria with his one-year-old daughter. (Others) × While the majority of Maldivian terrorists seems to be fighting for the Jabhat Fateh al-Sham (formerly al-Nusra), there are evidences of at least one of them fighting with the Islamic State. He appears on an obituary published by Haqqu media centre which describes him as "the first among the few Maldivian muhajideen (one who fights the holy war) to Dawlat Al-Islam (IS)." Screenshot of Haqqu Media Center showing a young Maldivians fighting for the Islamic State. (Others) × The presence of young Maldivians within terrorist ranks is probably linked to a wave of radicalisation that the country is undergoing. There is an increasing presence of small religious organisations and radical preachers, mostly educated in Saudi Arabia, who are spreading a Wahhabi version of Islam in the archipelago. Wahhabism, a school of Sunni Islam, whether one shares its views or not, may not necessarily be a problem per se. It is one of the different interpretations of Islam and any Muslim is free to decide to embrace it. But while one can not say that Wahhabism is the source of terrorism, it is difficult to deny that all main terrorist Islamist organisations draw extensively from its doctrine, especially when it comes to justifying and legitimising violence in the name of jihad. But what did pave the way for Wahabbism, a foreign import, in the traditionally tolerant and moderate Maldives? "One of the main reasons behind radicalisation is that there is no religious alternative," says Azra Naseem, radicalisation expert and postdoctoral research fellow at Dublin City University. The country does not have different Islamic schools debating and challenging each other's interpretations, there is no religious confrontation. This adds to the fact that the population follows Sunni Islam entirely, a common ground which helps the many Saudi or Saudi-educated Wahhabi preachers to gain ground. Saudi Arabia is also the present Maldivian government's major ally in preserving the archipelago's Sunni identity: the Kingdom is funding mosques, distributing massive quantities of dates during Ramzan, sending scholars for conferences and providing scholarships to students from Maldives. It has also become the biggest economic partner and is pouring millions of dollars into Male's coffers. All factors come together to help the Saudi Wahhabi doctrine to penetrate and become an authoritative voice in the Maldivian society. This does not mean that the archipelago has suddenly become an intolerant, extremist and unsafe country. But it is surely going through a churn. A significant part of the population remains open and keeps practising a tolerant version of Islam. The shift is clearly visible though. Walking on the street of Malé, one can nowadays see shops selling so called 'halal' perfumes, 'halal' literature, all sort of 'halal' goods which have never been there before. Speaking to WION, a Maldivian in his thirties, who prefers to remain anonimous for safety concerns, recalled how, during his school days, the word 'Wahhabi' was often used as an insult. Now it is used as a norm, as a common word which describes a category of believers. The Maldivian government takes little action to tackle radicalisation. Neither does it encourage a culture of debate. For instance, inviting prominent Muslim scholars promoting other versions of Islam could be one of the many ways to counter the problem. Instead, the government often dismisses radicalisation as a mere political accusation levelled at Male by foreign powers to discourage tourists from visiting. The real aim, apparently, is to topple current President Abdulla Yameen. Living in denial means letting the problem grow. More young Maldivians risk the prospect of being lured by Islamist terrorist groups. This is not just a threat for Maldives but also the lands where these misguided young men may travel to. (WION)

Exclusive: From the white sand beaches to the arid Syrian desert, young Maldivians swell the ranks of Islamist terrorists

&quot;We reached a point where we are nearly forced to swear we exist. We exist, I swear,&rdquo; quips&nbsp;Yassin al Haj Saleh, a Syrian writer and dissident now living in exile in Turkey. One can&#39;t miss the bitter laugh that he breaks into.

&nbsp;&ldquo;Our struggle is not new. We have been fighting the Assads since two generations. I was arrested as a young man during my university years and I have spent 16 years in jail. We have always refused to be humiliated, to be treated as second-class human beings. And&nbsp;we paid for this. We have been tortured and many of us are forced to live in exile,&rdquo; he goes on.

&nbsp;&ldquo;For the first two years of&nbsp;protests in Syria, we were part of&nbsp;those peaceful demonstrations. We created coordinating committees, it is because of us that people took to the streets. Secular organisations are still present&nbsp;but they have been sidelined by the war.&rdquo;

&nbsp;Yassin is a native of Raqqah, the current capital city of the Islamic State. He is part of the leftwing secular section of the Syrian society who started demonstrating against President Bashar Al Assad in 2011, asking for greater&nbsp;democracy and more freedom. His wife Samira Khalil is also a political dissident and is missing since December 2013&nbsp;when a group of Islamists abducted her along with human right activists Razan Zaitouneh, Wael Hamada and Nazem Hammadi. &ldquo;Samira was my beloved and also my assistant and our destiny, along with the one of our friends, represents the tragedy of being Syrian today and&nbsp;living in a society built on political genocide.&rdquo;&nbsp;

The mainstream narrative seems to have forgotten the role of secular and pro-democracy moderate groups in the Syrian uprising. The narrative is now majorly flattered on the war on terror: sovereign nations on one side and the Islamic State and Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, formerly al-Nusra, the Syrian branch of Al Qaeda on the other. There is no space for liberal, progressive, pro-democracy dissidents who risk&nbsp;being labelled&nbsp;terrorists. &nbsp;&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
2012 is when the situation started getting militarised in Syria. More and more weapons started arriving&nbsp;on the streets&nbsp;on both&nbsp;sides. The main armed anti-Assad group, the Free Syrian Army where many former military personnel fight, was involved in a fullscale fight against regular troops. It was a civil war, Syrians against Syrians.&nbsp;

In this environment, terrorist organisations started gaining ground. &ldquo;Since August 2011, Syrians asked for international protection&nbsp;but nothing happened. Day by day, people started feeling&nbsp;they were left to their fate. We felt left alone, without any protection,&rdquo; recalls Yassin but &ldquo;nobody wanted to passively suffer another Hama massacre.&rdquo; &nbsp;&nbsp;

He refers to what happened in the city of Hama in 1982. Under the order of then president Hafez Al Assad, the Syrian Army attacked the town to stop an uprising by the Muslim Brotherhood, killing thousands of citizens.&nbsp;

Frustration, mistrust, anger and constant war served as lifeline for hardline Islamists. &ldquo;These organisations are nihilist, they want to destroy everything in the world who is against them. They are a minority, but they have a lot of visibility. It is the dynamic of the production of the &lsquo;desired enemy&rsquo; and it helped the regime and its allies: you need terrorists to justify the war on terror,&rdquo; says Yassin.&nbsp;

The 2013 open intervention of Lebanese Hezbollah forces played an important role and started a new phase of the Syrian crisis&nbsp;which started to be increasingly described as a conflict between Shia countries against Sunni radical groups. &nbsp;

&ldquo;Sectarianism is a strategy of control: it is the old &lsquo;divide and rule&rsquo; colonial principle. It is one of the ways elites used to stay in power,&rdquo; says Yassin. &ldquo;If Kurds do not like Arabs who do not trust Christians who are suspicious of Muslims or Sunnis do not like Shias and so on, a regime becomes the solution instead of the problem. As long as you rely on sectarianism, you can stay in power forever. The war in Syria has nothing to do with primordial identities or religion, the regime just wants power and resources. Their project is to stay in power forever.&rdquo; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Sectarianism in West&nbsp;Asia&#39;s societies is a dangerous element, often used in an opportunistic way to hide political and economic interests. Iran and Saudi Arabia are valuable examples of this strategy. Tehran openly funds Shia paramilitary groups fighting both in Iraq and Syria with the aim of protecting Shiite&nbsp;followers and shrines from Sunni terrorists&nbsp;but this is also a way to expand their regional influence. Saudi Arabia plays the same game and funds Salafi organisations in order to penetrate societies and expand its influence.&nbsp;

&ldquo;When Russia stepped in, an imperialist phase of the war started,&rdquo; says Yassin. &ldquo;We (the leftwing) became invisible, we came to the point that our very existence was a controversial issue,&rdquo; says Yassin. &nbsp;

The US, who armed several anti-Assad groups since the very beginning without taking enough care of who they were, accused Russia of war crimes due to their heavy bombings. The Kremlin replied this is how they fight the terrorists Washington armed. &nbsp;

Five years of conflict have led to&nbsp;more than 4,00,000&nbsp;deaths, 13.5 million refugees, destroyed cities and have seen different countries involved.&nbsp;The Syrian civil war is not about Syria anymore. It has become a power struggle between regional and international actors who are fighting for&nbsp;political hegemony in&nbsp;West&nbsp;Asia.&nbsp;

&ldquo;We the people of Syria live in an impossible situation. We are attacked from every front, we are killed in hundreds of thousands, we are displaced in millions and we are blamed at the same time. We do not even have on our side the concept of sacrifice, of dying for a reason.&rdquo;&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

(WION)

He spent 16 years in jail for opposing Assad's father and is part of the secular left wing which organised the 2011 pro-democracy protests

"We reached a point where we are nearly forced to swear we exist. We exist, I swear,” quips Yassin al Haj Saleh, a Syrian writer and dissident now living in exile in Turkey. One can't miss the bitter laugh that he breaks into. “Our struggle is not new. We have been fighting the Assads since two generations. I was arrested as a young man during my university years and I have spent 16 years in jail. We have always refused to be humiliated, to be treated as second-class human beings. And we paid for this. We have been tortured and many of us are forced to live in exile,” he goes on. “For the first two years of protests in Syria, we were part of those peaceful demonstrations. We created coordinating committees, it is because of us that people took to the streets. Secular organisations are still present but they have been sidelined by the war.” Yassin is a native of Raqqah, the current capital city of the Islamic State. He is part of the leftwing secular section of the Syrian society who started demonstrating against President Bashar Al Assad in 2011, asking for greater democracy and more freedom. His wife Samira Khalil is also a political dissident and is missing since December 2013 when a group of Islamists abducted her along with human right activists Razan Zaitouneh, Wael Hamada and Nazem Hammadi. “Samira was my beloved and also my assistant and our destiny, along with the one of our friends, represents the tragedy of being Syrian today and living in a society built on political genocide.” The mainstream narrative seems to have forgotten the role of secular and pro-democracy moderate groups in the Syrian uprising. The narrative is now majorly flattered on the war on terror: sovereign nations on one side and the Islamic State and Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, formerly al-Nusra, the Syrian branch of Al Qaeda on the other. There is no space for liberal, progressive, pro-democracy dissidents who risk being labelled terrorists. 2012 is when the situation started getting militarised in Syria. More and more weapons started arriving on the streets on both sides. The main armed anti-Assad group, the Free Syrian Army where many former military personnel fight, was involved in a fullscale fight against regular troops. It was a civil war, Syrians against Syrians. In this environment, terrorist organisations started gaining ground. “Since August 2011, Syrians asked for international protection but nothing happened. Day by day, people started feeling they were left to their fate. We felt left alone, without any protection,” recalls Yassin but “nobody wanted to passively suffer another Hama massacre.” He refers to what happened in the city of Hama in 1982. Under the order of then president Hafez Al Assad, the Syrian Army attacked the town to stop an uprising by the Muslim Brotherhood, killing thousands of citizens. Frustration, mistrust, anger and constant war served as lifeline for hardline Islamists. “These organisations are nihilist, they want to destroy everything in the world who is against them. They are a minority, but they have a lot of visibility. It is the dynamic of the production of the ‘desired enemy’ and it helped the regime and its allies: you need terrorists to justify the war on terror,” says Yassin. The 2013 open intervention of Lebanese Hezbollah forces played an important role and started a new phase of the Syrian crisis which started to be increasingly described as a conflict between Shia countries against Sunni radical groups. “Sectarianism is a strategy of control: it is the old ‘divide and rule’ colonial principle. It is one of the ways elites used to stay in power,” says Yassin. “If Kurds do not like Arabs who do not trust Christians who are suspicious of Muslims or Sunnis do not like Shias and so on, a regime becomes the solution instead of the problem. As long as you rely on sectarianism, you can stay in power forever. The war in Syria has nothing to do with primordial identities or religion, the regime just wants power and resources. Their project is to stay in power forever.” Sectarianism in West Asia's societies is a dangerous element, often used in an opportunistic way to hide political and economic interests. Iran and Saudi Arabia are valuable examples of this strategy. Tehran openly funds Shia paramilitary groups fighting both in Iraq and Syria with the aim of protecting Shiite followers and shrines from Sunni terrorists but this is also a way to expand their regional influence. Saudi Arabia plays the same game and funds Salafi organisations in order to penetrate societies and expand its influence. “When Russia stepped in, an imperialist phase of the war started,” says Yassin. “We (the leftwing) became invisible, we came to the point that our very existence was a controversial issue,” says Yassin. The US, who armed several anti-Assad groups since the very beginning without taking enough care of who they were, accused Russia of war crimes due to their heavy bombings. The Kremlin replied this is how they fight the terrorists Washington armed. Five years of conflict have led to more than 4,00,000 deaths, 13.5 million refugees, destroyed cities and have seen different countries involved. The Syrian civil war is not about Syria anymore. It has become a power struggle between regional and international actors who are fighting for political hegemony in West Asia. “We the people of Syria live in an impossible situation. We are attacked from every front, we are killed in hundreds of thousands, we are displaced in millions and we are blamed at the same time. We do not even have on our side the concept of sacrifice, of dying for a reason.” (WION)

Exclusive: Syrians living a political genocide, says writer and dissident Yassin al-Haj Saleh

Russia&#39;s defence ministry said Thursday it was working with the Syrian authorities to prepare the evacuation of the remaining rebels in war-torn eastern Aleppo.

&quot;On the order of Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Russian ceasefire monitoring centre, in cooperation with Syrian authorities, is preparing the evacuation of the remaining rebels and members of their families from the eastern neighbourhoods of Aleppo,&quot; a ministry statement said.&nbsp;

The rebels would be evacuated toward the northwestern Syrian city of Idlib in 20 buses and 10 ambulances, it said.&nbsp;

The International Committee of the Red Cross will help with transporting injured rebels out of the eastern part of Syria&rsquo;s war-torn city of Aleppo, Russia`s defence ministry said on Thursday,Interfax news agency reported, according to Reuters.&nbsp;

The announcement comes as a new agreement was reached for the evacuation of rebel fighters remaining in Aleppo, according to a senior Syrian military source.

The Russian defence ministry said that Syrian authorities had guaranteed the safety of the rebels leaving the city.&nbsp;

A similar evacuation which had been due to take place on Wednesday morning fell apart, with Russia saying the Syrian army had resumed its assault on eastern Aleppo after rebels broke a truce intended to allow them to leave.&nbsp;

The rebels&#39; evacuation would mark a major victory for President Bashar al-Assad over the opposition forces who rose up against him in March 2011.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Wednesday that Moscow expected rebel resistance in Aleppo to end in the next &quot;two to three days.&quot;

Moscow is backing staunch ally Assad&#39;s forces with a bombing campaign, while Washington has supported rebel forces battling the regime.

The fall of Aleppo would be the worst rebel defeat since the start of the conflict, leaving the regime in control of Syria`s five major cities.

More than 300,000 people have been killed and over half of the population displaced in nearly six years of deadly fighting. Millions have also fled the country.

(AFP) 
&nbsp;

The announcement comes as a new agreement was reached for the evacuation of rebels remaining in Aleppo, a senior military source said

Russia's defence ministry said Thursday it was working with the Syrian authorities to prepare the evacuation of the remaining rebels in war-torn eastern Aleppo. "On the order of Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Russian ceasefire monitoring centre, in cooperation with Syrian authorities, is preparing the evacuation of the remaining rebels and members of their families from the eastern neighbourhoods of Aleppo," a ministry statement said. The rebels would be evacuated toward the northwestern Syrian city of Idlib in 20 buses and 10 ambulances, it said. The International Committee of the Red Cross will help with transporting injured rebels out of the eastern part of Syria’s war-torn city of Aleppo, Russia`s defence ministry said on Thursday,Interfax news agency reported, according to Reuters. The announcement comes as a new agreement was reached for the evacuation of rebel fighters remaining in Aleppo, according to a senior Syrian military source. The Russian defence ministry said that Syrian authorities had guaranteed the safety of the rebels leaving the city. A similar evacuation which had been due to take place on Wednesday morning fell apart, with Russia saying the Syrian army had resumed its assault on eastern Aleppo after rebels broke a truce intended to allow them to leave. The rebels' evacuation would mark a major victory for President Bashar al-Assad over the opposition forces who rose up against him in March 2011. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Wednesday that Moscow expected rebel resistance in Aleppo to end in the next "two to three days." Moscow is backing staunch ally Assad's forces with a bombing campaign, while Washington has supported rebel forces battling the regime. The fall of Aleppo would be the worst rebel defeat since the start of the conflict, leaving the regime in control of Syria`s five major cities. More than 300,000 people have been killed and over half of the population displaced in nearly six years of deadly fighting. Millions have also fled the country. (AFP)

Russia, Syria preparing rebels' evacuation from Aleppo: Ministry

One civilian has been killed and at least four injured -- they were&nbsp;being evacuated from the war-ravaged city of Aleppo --&nbsp;after they came under attack from gunmen loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

(Pro-government fighters) fired at us and at ambulance vehicles and those people opening up the road,&quot; a rescue service spokesman told Reuters.

However, the evacuation process, which began on Thursday morning, continues unhindered, Al Jazeera reported.

As part of the peace agreement, 5,000 rebels and civilians were due to evacuate Aleppo on Wednesday. But deadly fighting blew holes in the agreement. A renewed deal was agreed upon on Thursday morning.

People who were holed up in the rebel-held areas of eastern Aleppo will be evacuated for at least the next three days, as part of the ceasefire.

The rescued will be transported to the neighbouring province of Idlib, and the injured would be sent over the Turkish border.

The evacuation of Aleppo&#39;s last rebel enclave would end years of fighting for the city and mark a major victory for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

There are about 50,000 people who continue to be holed up in the city, BBC understands, which include 4,000 rebels and 10,000 family members of the fighters.

At 1330 GMT, a Syrian military source said that nearly 1,000 people have been evacuated from Aleppo, AFP reported.

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

At least one civilian was shot dead by gunmen loyal to the Syrian regime while being exiting Syria's second city

One civilian has been killed and at least four injured -- they were being evacuated from the war-ravaged city of Aleppo -- after they came under attack from gunmen loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. (Pro-government fighters) fired at us and at ambulance vehicles and those people opening up the road," a rescue service spokesman told Reuters. However, the evacuation process, which began on Thursday morning, continues unhindered, Al Jazeera reported. As part of the peace agreement, 5,000 rebels and civilians were due to evacuate Aleppo on Wednesday. But deadly fighting blew holes in the agreement. A renewed deal was agreed upon on Thursday morning. People who were holed up in the rebel-held areas of eastern Aleppo will be evacuated for at least the next three days, as part of the ceasefire. The rescued will be transported to the neighbouring province of Idlib, and the injured would be sent over the Turkish border. The evacuation of Aleppo's last rebel enclave would end years of fighting for the city and mark a major victory for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. There are about 50,000 people who continue to be holed up in the city, BBC understands, which include 4,000 rebels and 10,000 family members of the fighters. At 1330 GMT, a Syrian military source said that nearly 1,000 people have been evacuated from Aleppo, AFP reported. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Fatal firing blows holes into fragile Aleppo evacuation deal

At least 32 people, including five children, were killed on Thursday as the Syrian regime continued to pound the rebel-held parts of Aleppo.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which is based in Britain, said the air strikes and artillery bombardment was&nbsp;one of the heaviest since the regime resumed its offensive on eastern Aleppo on November 15.

&quot;There was an escalation in the evening, with successive bombardments,&quot; Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP, adding that many people were trapped under rubble.

The eastern half of Aleppo is held by rebel groups who are supported by the United States and its allies.&nbsp;

At least 188 civilians, including 27 children, have been killed since the Syrian regime loyal to President Bashar al-Assad resumed its onslaught on eastern Aleppo.

Meanwhile, rebel fire has killed 16 civilians in the government-held west, including 10 children.

Aleppo has been a crucible of deadly bombings ever since the rebels took over the city. The situation in the city is dire as more than 250,000 are currently trapped with diminishing supply of essential commodities and ravaged medical services.

Over 300,000 people have been killed since war in Syria broke out in March 2011 in the aftermath of the Arab Spring.&nbsp;&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from AFP)

Thursday's bombardment was one of the heaviest since the government resumed the offensive on eastern Aleppo on November 15

At least 32 people, including five children, were killed on Thursday as the Syrian regime continued to pound the rebel-held parts of Aleppo. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which is based in Britain, said the air strikes and artillery bombardment was one of the heaviest since the regime resumed its offensive on eastern Aleppo on November 15. "There was an escalation in the evening, with successive bombardments," Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP, adding that many people were trapped under rubble. The eastern half of Aleppo is held by rebel groups who are supported by the United States and its allies. At least 188 civilians, including 27 children, have been killed since the Syrian regime loyal to President Bashar al-Assad resumed its onslaught on eastern Aleppo. Meanwhile, rebel fire has killed 16 civilians in the government-held west, including 10 children. Aleppo has been a crucible of deadly bombings ever since the rebels took over the city. The situation in the city is dire as more than 250,000 are currently trapped with diminishing supply of essential commodities and ravaged medical services. Over 300,000 people have been killed since war in Syria broke out in March 2011 in the aftermath of the Arab Spring. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Syrian regime's blitz kills 32 civilians in Aleppo

The Syrian forces and their Russian allies have intensified a renewed offensive which began on Tuesday, in one of the most intense bombardments in the rebel-held east.&nbsp;

The Britain-based monitoring group said at least 65 civilians have been killed since the offensive resumed on Tuesday, after Russia declared an end to a month-long humanitarian pause.&nbsp;

For the fourth straight day the government aircraft and artillery pounded areas of Aleppo early Friday. More than 250,000 civilians that lived under siege spent the night in basements and bomb shelters.&nbsp;

An AFP correspondent reported that barrel bombs and other ordnance rained down on the city until midnight only to resume in the early hours, as part of the government assault on the southern neighbourhood of Sheikh Said.&nbsp;

The rebels retailiated by firing more than a dozen rockets into government-held areas of the city. The rebels have been besieged by the army since July and aid agencies say food stocks in the sector are virtually exhausted.

(WION with inputs from AFP) 
&nbsp;

Observers said at least 65 civilians have been killed in the rebel-held east Aleppo since the offensive resumed on Tuesday

The Syrian forces and their Russian allies have intensified a renewed offensive which began on Tuesday, in one of the most intense bombardments in the rebel-held east. The Britain-based monitoring group said at least 65 civilians have been killed since the offensive resumed on Tuesday, after Russia declared an end to a month-long humanitarian pause. For the fourth straight day the government aircraft and artillery pounded areas of Aleppo early Friday. More than 250,000 civilians that lived under siege spent the night in basements and bomb shelters. An AFP correspondent reported that barrel bombs and other ordnance rained down on the city until midnight only to resume in the early hours, as part of the government assault on the southern neighbourhood of Sheikh Said. The rebels retailiated by firing more than a dozen rockets into government-held areas of the city. The rebels have been besieged by the army since July and aid agencies say food stocks in the sector are virtually exhausted. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Syrian army steps up bombardment of east Aleppo after Russia declares end to month-long humanitarian pause

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

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

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

Russia extends moratorium on Aleppo air strikes

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

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

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

Turkey-backed rebels capture Syrian town from Islamic State

The largest hospital in rebel-held east Aleppo was bombed for the second time in days as Syrian government forces pressed a Russian-backed offensive to retake the entire city.

As the situation for civilians in Aleppo grows increasingly dire, the hospital was hit by barrel bombs on Saturday.

The medical organisation that supports it said, &quot;Two barrel bombs hit the M10 hospital and there were reports of a cluster bomb as well.&quot;&nbsp;

Adham Sahloul of the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) said a small group of patients and doctors &quot;were inside the hospital for basic triage, bandaging, and cleaning services for emergency cases&quot; when the bombardment began.

In an audio message that was distributed to journalists, a hospital administrator could be heard making an urgent call for help from inside M10. &quot;The hospital is being destroyed! SOS, everyone!&quot;&nbsp;

The hospital had come under attack earlier on Wednesday, along with the second largest hospital in the area, M2.&nbsp;

Doctors said the new bombing in front of the hospital has forced the staff to evacuate all patients to another hospital.&nbsp;

The bombardment badly damaged the two facilities and left only six fully-functional hospitals in east Aleppo, according to SAMS.

The Doctors Without Borders (MSF) medical charity warned Friday that &quot;bombs are raining&quot; over the city, turning east Aleppo into &quot;a giant kill box&quot;.&nbsp;

The World Health Organization has called Syria the world&#39;s most dangerous place for health workers, and Aleppo, in particular, has seen much of its medical infrastructure destroyed or heavily damaged.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from AFP) 
&nbsp;

The latest bombardment badly damaged east Aleppo's largest medical facility, leaving only six fully-functional hospitals in the area

The largest hospital in rebel-held east Aleppo was bombed for the second time in days as Syrian government forces pressed a Russian-backed offensive to retake the entire city. As the situation for civilians in Aleppo grows increasingly dire, the hospital was hit by barrel bombs on Saturday. The medical organisation that supports it said, "Two barrel bombs hit the M10 hospital and there were reports of a cluster bomb as well." Adham Sahloul of the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) said a small group of patients and doctors "were inside the hospital for basic triage, bandaging, and cleaning services for emergency cases" when the bombardment began. In an audio message that was distributed to journalists, a hospital administrator could be heard making an urgent call for help from inside M10. "The hospital is being destroyed! SOS, everyone!" The hospital had come under attack earlier on Wednesday, along with the second largest hospital in the area, M2. Doctors said the new bombing in front of the hospital has forced the staff to evacuate all patients to another hospital. The bombardment badly damaged the two facilities and left only six fully-functional hospitals in east Aleppo, according to SAMS. The Doctors Without Borders (MSF) medical charity warned Friday that "bombs are raining" over the city, turning east Aleppo into "a giant kill box". The World Health Organization has called Syria the world's most dangerous place for health workers, and Aleppo, in particular, has seen much of its medical infrastructure destroyed or heavily damaged. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Aleppo hospital bombed for second time in days as Syrian army presses assault

Russia-backed Syrian forces&#39; aerial strikes have killed 9,300 people, including 3,800 civilians, in the last one year, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The Britain-based monitoring group had initially pegged the death toll at 10,000 but later revised it to 9,300.

The rest of the dead were fighters affiliated to Islamic State and various rebel factions. More than 2,700 jihadists belonged to IS and about 2,800 fighters were from US-backed rebel groups.

The monitoring group said at least 20,000 civilians were wounded in the Russia-backed onslaught.&nbsp;

The death toll could be higher as people might have died in air strikes by unidentified warplanes, Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman.

Medical crisis 
&nbsp;

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) have asked the Syrian forces to stop the heavy bombardment on eastern Aleppo, a territory held by the US-supported rebel groups.

&quot;Bombs are raining from Syria-led coalition planes and the whole of east Aleppo has become a giant kill box,&quot; MSF director of operations Xisco Villalonga said.

The crisis has worsened in Aleppo after two hospitals were bombed by the Syrian forces, leaving just six hospitals functional in the city.

The UN has said only 35 doctors remain in the area despite an estimated 250,000 civilians holed up there since early September.

The MNF said the functional hospitals in eastern Aleppo received 278 dead bodies, including 86 bodies of children, between September 21 and 26.&nbsp;

An estimated 822 people were wounded in the six-day period, which saw a wave of air strikes conducted by the Syrian forces.

World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Friday that 338 people, including 106 children, have been killed in east Aleppo since September 23.

&quot;All intensive care units are full. Patients have to wait for others to die so they can be moved to an available bed in intensive care,&quot; Abu Waseem, manager of an MSF-supported trauma hospital in east Aleppo, warned.

&quot;We only have three operating theatres and yesterday alone we had to do more than 20 major abdominal surgeries,&quot; he said, adding the hospital staff is working up to 20 hours a day.

&quot;Anything short of this is confirmation of what many are dreading, that the world has abandoned the people of Aleppo to a violent, agonising death,&quot; he said.

Moscow ignores US threat 
&nbsp;

Russia has said it will continue its bombing campaign in Syria despite US&#39; threat of walking away from holding peace talks.&nbsp;

The attacks will continue till Aleppo is reclaimed by the Syrian forces, Moscow said.

Syrian forces&#39; offensive in Aleppo escalated after a ceasefire brokered by Moscow and Washington collapsed earlier this month.&nbsp;

The countries had accused each other of being responsible for the crumbling of the peace deal.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

Russia however has said it will continue its bombing campaign in Syria despite US' threat of walking away from holding further peace talks

Russia-backed Syrian forces' aerial strikes have killed 9,300 people, including 3,800 civilians, in the last one year, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The Britain-based monitoring group had initially pegged the death toll at 10,000 but later revised it to 9,300. The rest of the dead were fighters affiliated to Islamic State and various rebel factions. More than 2,700 jihadists belonged to IS and about 2,800 fighters were from US-backed rebel groups. The monitoring group said at least 20,000 civilians were wounded in the Russia-backed onslaught. The death toll could be higher as people might have died in air strikes by unidentified warplanes, Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman. Medical crisis Doctors Without Borders (MSF) have asked the Syrian forces to stop the heavy bombardment on eastern Aleppo, a territory held by the US-supported rebel groups. "Bombs are raining from Syria-led coalition planes and the whole of east Aleppo has become a giant kill box," MSF director of operations Xisco Villalonga said. The crisis has worsened in Aleppo after two hospitals were bombed by the Syrian forces, leaving just six hospitals functional in the city. The UN has said only 35 doctors remain in the area despite an estimated 250,000 civilians holed up there since early September. The MNF said the functional hospitals in eastern Aleppo received 278 dead bodies, including 86 bodies of children, between September 21 and 26. An estimated 822 people were wounded in the six-day period, which saw a wave of air strikes conducted by the Syrian forces. World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Friday that 338 people, including 106 children, have been killed in east Aleppo since September 23. "All intensive care units are full. Patients have to wait for others to die so they can be moved to an available bed in intensive care," Abu Waseem, manager of an MSF-supported trauma hospital in east Aleppo, warned. "We only have three operating theatres and yesterday alone we had to do more than 20 major abdominal surgeries," he said, adding the hospital staff is working up to 20 hours a day. "Anything short of this is confirmation of what many are dreading, that the world has abandoned the people of Aleppo to a violent, agonising death," he said. Moscow ignores US threat Russia has said it will continue its bombing campaign in Syria despite US' threat of walking away from holding peace talks. The attacks will continue till Aleppo is reclaimed by the Syrian forces, Moscow said. Syrian forces' offensive in Aleppo escalated after a ceasefire brokered by Moscow and Washington collapsed earlier this month. The countries had accused each other of being responsible for the crumbling of the peace deal. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Syria: Russian offensive claims 3,800 civilians' lives as country hurtles towards medical doomsday

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