(Zaman Al Wasl)- At least 30 people have been killed on Thursday in northern Aleppo province as regime forces backed by Russian air strikes conduct the fiercest offensive on the rebel-held areas since the revolution erupted in March 2011, activists and monitoring groups said.
This week, three days of intensive Russian bombing helped the regime army and allied fighters to severe a major supply line to the northwest of the city, in the process reaching two Shi'ite towns of Nubul and Zahraa for the first time in 3-1/2 years.
An army source told Reuters that the operations to fully encircle Aleppo from the west would happen soon.
A senior, non-Syrian security source close to Damascus said Iranian fighters had played a crucial role in the latest breakthrough. "Qassem Soleimani is there in the same area," said the source, referring to the head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' elite Quds force responsible for overseas operations.
With the help of Russian air power and allies including Lebanon's Hezbollah and Iranian fighters on the ground, the Syrian army is regaining areas on key fronts in the west, where Syria's most important cities are located.
But swathes of the country are in the hands of armed rebels, including Islamic State in the east, Kurdish militia in the north, and a mosaic of groups in the west who have been the target of many of the Russian air strikes.
Since the start of Russia's bombing campaign on Sept. 30, the Syrian army and its allies have launched major offensives to the south of Aleppo against rebels, and to the east against Islamic State.
Aleppo, just 50 km (30 miles) south of the Turkish border, is a major strategic prize in the war and is currently divided into areas of government and opposition control. Many of the rebels fighting in and around Aleppo have close ties to Turkey.
Meanwhile, Russia said on Thursday it had serious grounds to suspect Turkey was preparing a military incursion in Syria.
Turkey, which has backed the Syrian rebellion, meanwhile called for the United States to take a more decisive stance against Russia over its intervention in Syria, and said there was no point to peace talks while Russia carried out attacks.
Any Turkish incursion would be a major escalation in a war that has already drawn in neighboring, regional and international governments, and would risk direct confrontation between Russia and a NATO member.
Russia's defense ministry said it had registered "a growing number of signs of hidden preparation of the Turkish Armed Forces for active actions on the territory of Syria". There was no immediate comment from Turkey.
The refugee crisis created by the five-year-long war moved back into focus as donors convened in London on Thursday, with countries pledging billions of dollars in aid to help the victims of a conflict that has forced millions from their homes.
Turkey said at the conference up to 70,000 refugees from Aleppo were moving toward the border due to air strikes. Rebels meanwhile said they hoped the failure of peace talks would encourage their foreign sponsors to send them better weapons. (With Reuters)
This week, three days of intensive Russian bombing helped the regime army and allied fighters to severe a major supply line to the northwest of the city, in the process reaching two Shi'ite towns of Nubul and Zahraa for the first time in 3-1/2 years.
An army source told Reuters that the operations to fully encircle Aleppo from the west would happen soon.
A senior, non-Syrian security source close to Damascus said Iranian fighters had played a crucial role in the latest breakthrough. "Qassem Soleimani is there in the same area," said the source, referring to the head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' elite Quds force responsible for overseas operations.
With the help of Russian air power and allies including Lebanon's Hezbollah and Iranian fighters on the ground, the Syrian army is regaining areas on key fronts in the west, where Syria's most important cities are located.
But swathes of the country are in the hands of armed rebels, including Islamic State in the east, Kurdish militia in the north, and a mosaic of groups in the west who have been the target of many of the Russian air strikes.
Since the start of Russia's bombing campaign on Sept. 30, the Syrian army and its allies have launched major offensives to the south of Aleppo against rebels, and to the east against Islamic State.
Aleppo, just 50 km (30 miles) south of the Turkish border, is a major strategic prize in the war and is currently divided into areas of government and opposition control. Many of the rebels fighting in and around Aleppo have close ties to Turkey.
Meanwhile, Russia said on Thursday it had serious grounds to suspect Turkey was preparing a military incursion in Syria.
Turkey, which has backed the Syrian rebellion, meanwhile called for the United States to take a more decisive stance against Russia over its intervention in Syria, and said there was no point to peace talks while Russia carried out attacks.
Any Turkish incursion would be a major escalation in a war that has already drawn in neighboring, regional and international governments, and would risk direct confrontation between Russia and a NATO member.
Russia's defense ministry said it had registered "a growing number of signs of hidden preparation of the Turkish Armed Forces for active actions on the territory of Syria". There was no immediate comment from Turkey.
The refugee crisis created by the five-year-long war moved back into focus as donors convened in London on Thursday, with countries pledging billions of dollars in aid to help the victims of a conflict that has forced millions from their homes.
Turkey said at the conference up to 70,000 refugees from Aleppo were moving toward the border due to air strikes. Rebels meanwhile said they hoped the failure of peace talks would encourage their foreign sponsors to send them better weapons. (With Reuters)
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