(The wall Street Journal)- Russian special-operations forces have played a pivotal part in the Syrian ground offensive to retake Aleppo, a role shielded by secrecy about their operations there. In the wake of Russia’s punishing aerial bombardment, Russian special forces have been operating...

"It was the final time I saw Aleppo." Among a sea of sobbing men and hungry children Friday, Mohammad mourned his evacuation from his home town and Syria's second city. "It was catastrophic... I was kicked out of my homeland," the university professor told AFP in English at a staging ground...

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday urged Syrian parties to resume the evacuation of civilians from Aleppo after operations were suspended in the battered city. "Aleppo is now a synonym for hell," Ban said in his final news conference before he steps down as U.N. chief on Dec. 31....

Iran's foreign ministry has summoned the British envoy in Tehran after the U.K. accused Iran of playing a role in the "suffering" of the people of Syria's Aleppo. The semi-official Tasnim news agency is reporting that the foreign ministry spokesman, Bahram Ghasemi, says Iran's foreign...