(Zaman Al Wasl)- Clashes renewed between Syria's rebels and a U.S.-backed alliance of Kurds and Arabs in northern Aleppo province as Russia extends its aerial bombing after bloody day left 50 people dead.
Rebels of al-Hulk neighborhood on Tuesday have taken captive 6 fighters operating in Jaish al-Thuwar, a key unit in the Syrian Democratic Forces that have been achieving rapid advances north and east Syria.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said SDF- of which the YPG is a part - took a village near the town of Marea. That is the last major settlement before territory held by the radical militants stretching into Iraq.
The regime army also made advances, with state media saying it had taken two villages north of Aleppo near the town of Tal Rifaat, which fell to the SDF on Monday. With the help of Russian air strikes it also advanced from the coastal city of Latakia, fighting to take the town of Kansaba.
With hundreds of thousands trapped in areas the regime aims to seize, Turkey and others accuse Moscow of deliberately firing on civilian targets such as hospitals to force residents to flee and depopulate territory, Reuters said.
Almost 50 civilians were killed when missiles hit at least five medical facilities and two schools in rebel-held areas on Monday, according to the United Nations, which called the attacks a blatant violation of international law.
At least 14 were killed in the northern town of Azaz, the last rebel stronghold before the border with Turkey north of Aleppo. Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said a Russian missile was responsible and vowed that Turkey would not let Azaz fall into YPG hands.
MILITARY CONFRONTATION
The advances have increased the risk of a military confrontation between Russia and Turkey. Turkish artillery returned fire into Syria for a fourth straight day on Tuesday, targeting YPG which Ankara says is being backed by Moscow.
"Some countries like us, Saudi Arabia and some other Western European countries have said that a ground operation is necessary," Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told Reuters in an interview.
However, this kind of action could not be left to regional powers alone. "To expect this only from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar is neither right nor realistic. If such an operation is to take place, it has to be carried out jointly, like the (coalition) air strikes," he said.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said the "brutal operation" by Russian and Syrian forces was aimed at forging a YPG corridor along Turkey's border, something Ankara has long feared would fuel Kurdish separatist ambition on its own soil.
World powers meeting in Munich last week agreed to a pause in the fighting, but that is not set to begin until the end of this week and was not signed by the warring Syrian parties.
The U.N. Syria envoy, Staffan de Mistura, held talks with Syria's foreign minister on Tuesday aimed at securing a cessation of hostilities and said Damascus had a duty to let the world body bring in humanitarian aid. (With Reuters)
Rebels of al-Hulk neighborhood on Tuesday have taken captive 6 fighters operating in Jaish al-Thuwar, a key unit in the Syrian Democratic Forces that have been achieving rapid advances north and east Syria.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said SDF- of which the YPG is a part - took a village near the town of Marea. That is the last major settlement before territory held by the radical militants stretching into Iraq.
The regime army also made advances, with state media saying it had taken two villages north of Aleppo near the town of Tal Rifaat, which fell to the SDF on Monday. With the help of Russian air strikes it also advanced from the coastal city of Latakia, fighting to take the town of Kansaba.
With hundreds of thousands trapped in areas the regime aims to seize, Turkey and others accuse Moscow of deliberately firing on civilian targets such as hospitals to force residents to flee and depopulate territory, Reuters said.
Almost 50 civilians were killed when missiles hit at least five medical facilities and two schools in rebel-held areas on Monday, according to the United Nations, which called the attacks a blatant violation of international law.
At least 14 were killed in the northern town of Azaz, the last rebel stronghold before the border with Turkey north of Aleppo. Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said a Russian missile was responsible and vowed that Turkey would not let Azaz fall into YPG hands.
MILITARY CONFRONTATION
The advances have increased the risk of a military confrontation between Russia and Turkey. Turkish artillery returned fire into Syria for a fourth straight day on Tuesday, targeting YPG which Ankara says is being backed by Moscow.
"Some countries like us, Saudi Arabia and some other Western European countries have said that a ground operation is necessary," Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told Reuters in an interview.
However, this kind of action could not be left to regional powers alone. "To expect this only from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar is neither right nor realistic. If such an operation is to take place, it has to be carried out jointly, like the (coalition) air strikes," he said.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said the "brutal operation" by Russian and Syrian forces was aimed at forging a YPG corridor along Turkey's border, something Ankara has long feared would fuel Kurdish separatist ambition on its own soil.
World powers meeting in Munich last week agreed to a pause in the fighting, but that is not set to begin until the end of this week and was not signed by the warring Syrian parties.
The U.N. Syria envoy, Staffan de Mistura, held talks with Syria's foreign minister on Tuesday aimed at securing a cessation of hostilities and said Damascus had a duty to let the world body bring in humanitarian aid. (With Reuters)
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