Syrian government forces backed by Russian soldiers advanced Wednesday to the outskirts of ancient Palmyra after battles with the Islamic State group, a monitor and a military source said. “Regime forces and Russian troops are about one kilometre from the city,” said Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. After seizing … Read more
Worried over Turkish advances in Syria’s north, the Damascus regime has formed an alliance of convenience with the country’s Kurds to prevent their common enemy from gaining ground. President Bashar al-Assad’s government has repeatedly criticised Turkey’s operation in Syria, which saw Ankara in late August send troops across the border where they are working with … Read more
All Syrian sides that fought in the battle for Aleppo committed war crimes and the deal to evacuate civilians following the rebel defeat was a “crime of forced displacement’, a UN probe said Wednesday. The United Nations Commission of Inquiry (COI) for Syria documented violations including chemical attacks and civilian executions perpetrated during the Damascus … Read more
Russia has now blocked seven UN resolutions regarding Syria since unrest erupted there in 2011, almost always with support from China. Moscow is an unconditional supporter of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Damascus, and its latest veto adds to the six previous ones listed below. Six months after the Syrian conflict begins, Russia and China on … Read more
Russia and China on Tuesday vetoed a UN resolution backed by Western powers that would have imposed sanctions on Syria over chemical weapons use. The measure drafted by Britain, France and the United States won nine votes in favor at the Security Council while three countries opposed it — China, Russia and Bolivia. Kazakhstan, Ethiopia … Read more
The head of Al-Qaeda’s former Syrian branch said weekend suicide attacks in third city Homs were a message for opposition figures engaged in peace talks in Geneva to “step aside”. In a rare video address released late Monday, the head of Fateh al-Sham Front reiterated his group’s responsibility for the bombings, which killed dozens of … Read more
Russia and the United States were headed for a clash at the UN Security Council on Monday as Moscow prepared to veto a draft resolution that would impose sanctions on Syria. The council will vote Tuesday on the text drafted by the United States, Britain and France that would punish 11 Syrians and 10 entities … Read more
Syria’s opposition on Monday urged Russia, a key ally of President Bashar al-Assad, to put pressure on Damascus to help kickstart sputtering peace talks in Geneva. The High Negotiations Committee (HNC), the main opposition group at the UN-sponsored talks, said it expects to meet a Russian delegation Tuesday in the Swiss city. “We sincerely hope … Read more
A ban on mobile phones, recording devices and “offensive language”: the ground rules handed out at Syrian talks reflect the high tension in the corridors of Geneva, where peace is a long way from anyone’s lips. UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura issued the orders to Syrian government and opposition negotiators gathered for talks which … Read more
The main Syrian opposition group at peace talks in Geneva accused Damascus on Sunday of “stalling”, after its chief envoy demanded all sides condemn the deadly suicide assault in Homs this weekend. The High Negotiations Committee (HNC) made the charge after the Syrian regime’s chief negotiator Bashar al-Jaafari said any opposition delegates who refused to … Read more
Several more rounds of Syrian peace talks will be needed to reach any accord, the UN envoy bidding to kickstart the sputtering process has told the rival sides, setting out three key discussion areas. In a paper given to both sides, and seen by AFP Sunday, he said that by the end of the current … Read more
Israel’s army dispersed dozens of Lebanese demonstrators Saturday after they crossed the border protesting against the alleged installation of spying equipment in their village, the Israeli army and media said. “Dozens of people gathered at the border between Lebanon and Israel,” a military spokeswoman said. “Upon the group crossing of the international border, IDF forces … Read more
Rescue workers from Syria’s White Helmets group — the subject of an Oscar-nominated documentary — will not attend this weekend’s Academy Awards ceremony because of intensified regime bombing, their leader said Saturday. “I am not going because of our workload due to intensified regime strikes on the provinces of Damascus, Daraa and Homs,” Raed Saleh … Read more
UN efforts to launch a new round of Syria peace talks sputtered Saturday as suicide attacks killed dozens of people, raising the death toll from two days of violence to more than 80. The blasts which targeted two security service bases in Homs, Syria’s third city, killed a top intelligence chief and close confidant of … Read more
When his family’s restaurant in Aleppo was crushed by bombs, Anas Qaterji had no choice but to flee war-torn Syria. He made his way to Turkey, then Egypt, before slipping into the Israeli-blockaded Gaza Strip though a tunnel under the border. Since his arrival in 2013, he has attempted to recreate life in the formerly … Read more
The UN Security Council is likely to vote next week on a draft resolution that would slap sanctions on Syria over the use of chemical weapons but Russia is almost certain to veto the measure, a senior diplomat said Thursday. Britain, France and the United States are pushing for a ban on the sale of … Read more
The UN’s Syria envoy launched consultations Thursday with rival sides in the six-year conflict, but hopes of breakthrough are clouded by persistent violence and deadlock over the country’s political future. Staffan de Mistura began separate meetings with Syrian regime and opposition delegates in Geneva, notably to discuss the agenda and the format for the negotiations … Read more
UN-brokered Syrian peace talks resume in Geneva on Thursday, but hopes of a breakthrough are dim, clouded by persistent violence and deadlock over the country’s political future. On the eve of the talks, 10 months after the last round of negotiations in the Swiss city, Russia called on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to stop his … Read more
Rival Syrian camps were due in Geneva Wednesday for UN-brokered talks to end the six-year conflict with persistent violence and deadlock over the country’s political future dampening hopes of a breakthrough. President Bashar al-Assad’s negotiators and opposition delegations were expected to arrive in the Swiss city a day before talks resume following a 10-month hiatus. … Read more
Since the start of Syria’s war in 2011, several diplomatic initiatives have stumbled over the future of President Bashar al-Assad. Here is a recap: In January 2012, two months after an initial bid to end the violence, leading Arab diplomats adopt a fresh plan that would transfer power from Assad to a coalition cabinet. The … Read more