G7 foreign ministers will attempt to agree a common position on the Syrian conflict, before the US secretary of state flies to Russia to try to persuade it to abandon its Syrian ally. Rex Tillerson will also meet officials from allied Middle Eastern countries before heading to Moscow. The UK has suggested threatening tightly-focused sanctions on Russian and… Read More »
Syrian government forces have advanced towards so-called Islamic State’s last major stronghold in Aleppo province, cutting off the main supply route into al-Bab, a monitoring group reports. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said troops had captured Tal Uwayshiya, a hill 9km (6 miles) to the south-east. It overlooks a key road linking al-Bab to the IS-controlled city… Read More »
The Syrian government has suspended the evacuation of civilians and fighters from eastern Aleppo, accusing rebels of breaking terms of the ceasefire. Government sources said rebels had blocked the evacuation of civilians from two pro-government towns elsewhere in Syria, agreed under the deal. Meanwhile buses carrying people from eastern Aleppo were fired upon. At least 6,000 people have… Read More »
The Syrian government has suspended the evacuation of civilians and fighters from eastern Aleppo, accusing rebels of breaking terms of the ceasefire. Government sources said rebels had blocked the evacuation of civilians from two pro-government towns elsewhere in Syria, agreed under the deal. Meanwhile buses carrying people from eastern Aleppo were fired upon. At least 6,000 people have… Read More »
Syria’s leader has said he hopes US President-elect Donald Trump will be an ally in fighting terrorism but remains “cautious in judging him”. Bashar al-Assad said Mr Trump would be a “natural ally” if he fulfilled a campaign pledge to fight terrorism. But he said it was “dubious” whether Mr Trump could “live up to his promises”. Mr… Read More »
Syria’s leader has said he hopes US President-elect Donald Trump will be an ally in fighting terrorism but remains “cautious in judging him”. Bashar al-Assad said Mr Trump would be a “natural ally” if he fulfilled a campaign pledge to fight terrorism. But he said it was “dubious” whether Mr Trump could “live up to his promises”. Mr… Read More »
The United Nation’s envoy to Syria sounded out the opposition at talks in Geneva on the idea that President Bashar al-Assad could stay on in power symbolically, two opposition sources said on Saturday, but they both had summarily dismissed it. U.N. mediator Staffan de Mistura reconvened indirect talks on Wednesday saying a political transition would be the main… Read More »
The US has announced that it has killed a number of leading Islamic State (IS) militants in the past week, including the purported second-in-command. Defence Secretary Ashton Carter said the deaths of Abdul Rahman Mustafa al-Qaduli and other members of the group’s “cabinet” would hamper its operations. He gave no details about how Qaduli, an Iraqi also known… Read More »
Moscow denies it is hitting civilian areas – but rescue workers, and footage obtained by Sky News, suggests this is not the case. By Alex Rossi, Middle East Correspondent Amnesty International has told Sky News that Russia is guilty of some the most “egregious” war crimes it has seen in decades. The human rights organisation claims Moscow’s warplanes… Read More »
