(Zaman Al Wasl)- Syrian rebels fought back against an offensive by regime forces near a supply route into the city of Aleppo on Monday and said there had been no letup in Russian air strikes, despite a promise of goodwill moves by Damascus to spur peace talks, Reuters said.
U.N. envoy Staffan de Mistura was due later on Monday to meet Syrian opposition groups in Geneva, hoping to launch indirect peace talks after five years of war that has killed 250,000 people. A meeting with the government delegation was postponed because de Mistura had first to meet the opposition.
The Saudi-backed opposition agreed late on Friday to travel to Geneva after saying they had received guarantees to improve the situation on the ground, such as a detainee release and a halt to attacks on civilian areas.
But the opposition says there has been no easing of the conflict since then, with government and allied forces including Iranian militias pressing offensives across important areas of western Syria, most recently north of Aleppo.
It is the first big government offensive for nearly a year in the Aleppo area, which controls access to opposition-held areas of the city from Turkey, a sponsor of the insurgency.
"The attack started at 2 a.m., with air strikes and missiles," said rebel commander Ahmed al-Seoud, describing the situation near Aleppo, parts of which are controlled by the government and parts are in opposition hands.
Seoud told Reuters his Free Syrian Army group had sent reinforcements to the area near the village of Bashkoy.
"We took guarantees from America and Saudi to enter the negotiations ... (but) the regime has no goodwill and has not shown us any goodwill," he said from nearby Idlib province.
The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said regime forces were gaining ground in the area, and had captured most of the village of Duweir al-Zeitoun near Bashkoy.
Rebels thwarted Sunday regime attack on al-Hersh district, leaving 11 soldiers killed, according to the local reporter.
Rebels have also thwarted ISIS attack on Braghida town in northern countryside.
On Sunday, the Russian aerial bombing on Marea town in the northern countryside of Aleppo has killed three people while 14 more have been killed and wounded in cluster bombs attack on al-Saliheen neighborhood, residents told Zaman al-Wasl.
Since Russia's intervention on Sep.30, to support Bashar al-Assad, regime forces have stepped up offensives in the west and north of the country.
Russian airstrikes have claimed the lives of at least 1,815 civilians in Syria’s opposition-held areas since air strikes began 4 months ago, according to new Syrian Civil Defense Authority statistics. (With Reuters)
U.N. envoy Staffan de Mistura was due later on Monday to meet Syrian opposition groups in Geneva, hoping to launch indirect peace talks after five years of war that has killed 250,000 people. A meeting with the government delegation was postponed because de Mistura had first to meet the opposition.
The Saudi-backed opposition agreed late on Friday to travel to Geneva after saying they had received guarantees to improve the situation on the ground, such as a detainee release and a halt to attacks on civilian areas.
But the opposition says there has been no easing of the conflict since then, with government and allied forces including Iranian militias pressing offensives across important areas of western Syria, most recently north of Aleppo.
It is the first big government offensive for nearly a year in the Aleppo area, which controls access to opposition-held areas of the city from Turkey, a sponsor of the insurgency.
"The attack started at 2 a.m., with air strikes and missiles," said rebel commander Ahmed al-Seoud, describing the situation near Aleppo, parts of which are controlled by the government and parts are in opposition hands.
Seoud told Reuters his Free Syrian Army group had sent reinforcements to the area near the village of Bashkoy.
"We took guarantees from America and Saudi to enter the negotiations ... (but) the regime has no goodwill and has not shown us any goodwill," he said from nearby Idlib province.
The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said regime forces were gaining ground in the area, and had captured most of the village of Duweir al-Zeitoun near Bashkoy.
Rebels thwarted Sunday regime attack on al-Hersh district, leaving 11 soldiers killed, according to the local reporter.
Rebels have also thwarted ISIS attack on Braghida town in northern countryside.
On Sunday, the Russian aerial bombing on Marea town in the northern countryside of Aleppo has killed three people while 14 more have been killed and wounded in cluster bombs attack on al-Saliheen neighborhood, residents told Zaman al-Wasl.
Since Russia's intervention on Sep.30, to support Bashar al-Assad, regime forces have stepped up offensives in the west and north of the country.
Russian airstrikes have claimed the lives of at least 1,815 civilians in Syria’s opposition-held areas since air strikes began 4 months ago, according to new Syrian Civil Defense Authority statistics. (With Reuters)
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