The Latest: Russia says will consider UN cease-fire in Syria

BEIRUT — The Latest on Syria related developments (all times local):

2:40 p.m.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says Moscow will consider supporting a U.N. Security Council resolution calling for a cease-fire in Syria if it does not cover fighters from the Islamic State group and the al-Qaida-linked Levant Liberation Committee.

Lavrov’s Thursday statement comes amid a dire humanitarian crisis in the eastern suburbs of the Syrian capital Damascus. Syrian opposition activists and paramedics on Thursday reported a fresh round of violence as bombing in rebel-held eastern Ghouta left 13 people dead.

Lavrov said in comments relayed by Russian news agencies on Thursday that Russia is proposing the wording for the U.N. resolution that would exclude the IS, the al-Qaida linked group as well as unspecified “groups that cooperate with them and systematically shell residential areas of Damascus.”

___

2 p.m.

Hundreds of people have gathered in the main square in the northern Syrian town of Afrin celebrating the arrival of hundreds of pro-government fighters into the area.

TV footage showed fighters in camouflage uniforms standing among scores of men who gathered in the main square waving posters of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

During Thursday’s gathering, Turkish warplanes could be heard flying overhead making some of those gathering to flee the area.

The pro-government Syrian daily Al-Watan said that some 500 fighters from the so-called Popular Forces have entered the Afrin region since Tuesday.

Al-Watan said the fighters came to Afrin to defend it against Turkey’s military operations there that have been ongoing since Jan. 20.

Turkey launched the military operations to uproot the main Kurdish militia known as the YPG, from Afrin. It says the group is linked to a Kurdish insurgency inside its own borders

__

1:55 p.m.

Scores of people have gathered outside the Russian consulate in Istanbul to protest attacks on the rebel-held suburb of eastern Ghouta in Syria’s capital.

The group, including prominent Syrian opposition figures, on Thursday chanted Syrian songs and slogans denouncing a Syrian government forces’ bombing campaign that has targeted hospitals, apartment blocks and other civilian sites.

Hundreds of people have been killed or wounded in the campaign in recent days.

The protesters chanted: “Russia get out of Syria” and “Iran get out of Syria” in Turkish and Arabic.

Former Syrian opposition leader George Sabra and former Syrian cosmonaut Mohammed Faris took part in the demonstration.

___

1:10 p.m.

Russian news reports say Moscow has beefed up its forces in Syria with several warplanes, including its latest fighter jets.

Russian news outlets on Thursday carried pictures of a pair of Su-57 fighters heading to land at Hemeimeem air base in Syria’s coastal province of Latakia that serves as the main hub for Russian operations in Syria. An early warning A-50 plane, four Su-35 fighters and four Su-25 ground attack jets also arrived at the base Wednesday.

The Kremlin on Thursday wouldn’t comment on the reports, referring the questions to the military that remained mum about the deployment.

The new warplanes’ arrival comes amid the Syrian government’s offensive on eastern outskirts of Damascus. Russia has rejected allegations it was responsible for the mounting civilian casualties in eastern Ghouta.

___

1 p.m.

A Syrian, state-affiliated newspaper says a new deployment of pro-government fighters have arrived in the Kurdish-run region of Afrin in northern Syria to defend against Turkey’s military operations there.

Al-Watan reported Thursday that 500 pro-government militiamen have been deployed to Afrin, including a group sent Wednesday night. The paper says they have taken positions along the region’s borders.

A spokesman for the Kurdish YPG militia that controls the area says the pro-government fighters have armored vehicles with them.

Nuri Mehmud says the fighters entered Afrin at the request of Kurdish authorities “to defend Syrian lands.”

Turkey launched military operations earlier this month to uproot the YPG from Afrin. It says the group is linked to a Kurdish insurgency inside its own borders.

___

12:35 p.m.

Syrian opposition activists and paramedics are reporting a fresh round of disaster as bombing in the rebel-held eastern suburbs of the capital Damascus has left 13 people dead.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and activist collective Ghouta Media Center say the bombings targeted areas including Arbeen, Douma, Kfar Batna and Saqba.

The Syrian Civil Defense, also known as White Helmets, that works in opposition-held areas said its paramedics have rushed to several areas after the shelling.

The Observatory said at least 13 people, including three children and three women, were killed in Arbeen on Thursday.

Syrian government forces have been pounding rebel-held eastern suburbs of Damascus, also known as eastern Ghouta, for weeks.

The Observatory said that since the latest wave began on Sunday, 335 people have been killed.

___

11:59 a.m.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is calling for the European Union to step up pressure on Russia and Iran to end the violence in Syria.

Hundreds have been killed amid increased bombardments in recent days and Merkel told Parliament on Thursday: “The regime is not fighting against terrorists, but against its own people, killing children, destroying hospitals, and this is a massacre to be condemned.”

Besides President Bashar Assad, himself, Merkel says “Iran and Russia have a particular responsibility,” as they are both supporting the government forces.

She says Germany’s foreign minister plans to talk directly with his Russian counterpart and called for other EU nations to also do what they can.

Merkel says “we need to do everything in our power to put an end to this massacre.”

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

Read Again https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/the-latest-new-bombardment-kills-13-syrian-capital-suburb/2018/02/22/c2143676-17bc-11e8-930c-45838ad0d77a_story.html

Bagikan Berita Ini