Assad regime violates Sochi agreement in Syria's Idlib
Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria and Iranian-supported terror groups violated Sochi agreement by attacking civilians in Idlib de-escalation zone on Friday.
A total of seven civilians, three of them children, were killed by the artillery and rocket strikes by the regime and the terror groups targeting Raffa village in Idlib de-escalation zone in violation of the Sept. 17 Sochi agreement between Turkey and Russia, according to White Helmets civil defense agency.
Mustafa Haj Yusuf, the local head of the White Helmets in Idlib, told Anadolu Agency that 10 civilians were also injured in the attacks.
In the last 10 days, the regime forces had also carried out attacks on the opposition-held region.
The Assad regime and allied terrorist groups have continued shelling the Idlib de-escalation zone, killing one civilian and injuring three others on Thursday, the White Helmets civil-defense agency said.The regime and Iran-backed terrorist groups have recently fired more than 100 artillery barrages into the Kafr Hamrah and Rashedeen regions, both of which are located within the de-escalation zone, the parameters of which were laid down in a Sept. 17 agreement between Turkey and Russia.The National Liberation Front, an umbrella group of opposition movements based in the region, has attempted to counter the attacks by striking regime forces deployed in central Aleppo.Amir al-Haj, director of the White Helmets’ Aleppo chapter, told Anadolu Agency that at least one civilian had been killed -- and three more injured -- in overnight raids by the regime and its allies.Turkish envoy hails Canada for hosting Syrian refugeesDespite the Sept. 17 agreement (signed in the Russian resort city of Sochi), regime forces have also continued to target rural areas of Latakia province, southern Idlib, western Aleppo and northern and western Hama.In line with the Sochi deal, opposition groups withdrew their heavy weaponry from specified regions of Idlib earlier this month.The regime appears to have stepped up its attacks ahead of an upcoming quadrilateral Syria summit to be held in Istanbul this Saturday.US-led coalition strikes mosque, kills 7 in east SyriaIt is expected that the German, French and Russian heads of state will attend the high-profile event.Syria has only just begun to emerge from a devastating conflict that began in 2011 when the Assad regime cracked down on demonstrators with unexpected ferocity.Since then, tens of thousands of people have been killed in the conflict while millions more have been forced to flee their homes.Video: Young girl pulled from rubble in SyriaKremlin alarmed by report that US led drone attack on Russian base in Syria
Syria regime violating Turkey-Russia Idlib deal: White Helmets
Kremlin on Wednesday circulated a proposal to hold a new round of a summit meeting on Syria between Russian, Turkish and Iranian presidents.The leaders of the three countries met before in trilateral summit meetings, in Russia's Sochi, in Istanbul, and in Tehran.Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced the proposal during a meeting Wednesday with Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Onal and Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Ansari.Turkey-US joint patrols in Syria's Manbij to start soon: DefMin"The Astana format is the most objective structure for moving forward on all tracks to overcome the Syrian crisis," Lavrov said.Lavrov was referring to a peace initiative known as the Astana process -- a tripartite effort to secure peace and stability in Syria -- which began in 2017. It was brokered by Turkey, Russia, and Iran.On Saturday, the leaders of Turkey, Germany, France, and Russia are set to meet in Istanbul in a quadrilateral summit to discuss Syrian refugees and the situation in Idlib.Syria has only just begun to emerge from a devastating conflict that began in 2011 when the Assad regime cracked down on demonstrators with unexpected ferocity.Russia, US agree to expand coordination in Syria
Russia planning Syria summit with Turkey, Iran: Lavrov
Russia and the U.S. agreed to expand the coordination in Syria on all issues, U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton said on Tuesday. Speaking at a news conference following his two-day visit to Moscow, he said Syria was a key topic of discussion.Commenting on organizing a demilitarized zone in the Syrian province of Idlib, he said a memorandum between Russia and Turkey is being implemented."As for Idlib, we discussed this topic. I repeated what President Trump said about the need to avoid a humanitarian disaster there.Putin, Erdoğan to hold bilateral meeting in Istanbul"The agreement between Russia, Syria and Turkey is being implemented, although many unresolved issues remain. Idlib is one of the issues in the Syrian conflict," he said.Following a meeting in Sochi last month between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, the two countries agreed to establish the Idlib demilitarized zone.Ankara and Moscow also signed a memorandum of understanding calling for the “stabilization” of Idlib's de-escalation zone, in which acts of aggression are expressly prohibited.Putin, Trump to meet in Paris on Nov. 11Under the deal, opposition groups in Idlib will remain in areas in which they are already present, while Russia and Turkey will conduct joint patrols in the area with a view to preventing renewed fighting.Syria has only just begun to emerge from a devastating conflict that began in 2011 when the Assad regime cracked down on demonstrators with unexpected ferocity.
Russia, US agree to expand coordination in Syria
After a Sept. 17 meeting in Sochi between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, the two sides agreed to set up a demilitarized zone -- in which acts of aggression are expressly prohibited -- in Syria’s Idlib province.
According to the terms of the deal, opposition groups in Idlib will remain in areas in which they are already present, while Russia and Turkey will conduct joint patrols in the area with a view to preventing a resumption of fighting.
Syria has only just begun to emerge from a devastating conflict that began in 2011 when the Assad regime cracked down on demonstrators with unexpected ferocity.
Refugee camps in Syria's northwestern Idlib province near the Turkish border are struggling with heavy flooding after several days of torrential rainfall, according to an Anadolu Agency correspondent based in the region.Many of the flimsy tents erected in Idlib’s Al-Ihsan refugee camp -- currently home to some 1,000 people -- have been inundated by floodwater, rendering blankets and bedding completely unusable.Eleven-year-old Ali Izziyah told Anadolu Agency that he and his family had been forced to seek refuge at the camp after Assad regime forces had entered their village in Hama province’s rural countryside.UN body welcomes upcoming Istanbul Summit on Syria"We need tents, stoves and coal,” he said. “It’s very difficult living here, especially when it’s cold.”Ittihad Ali, a mother of five who has lived at the camp for over a year, said she and her children were desperate for heating equipment with winter just around the corner.“Life is really harsh here; the conditions we face are almost unlivable,” she said. “We will be left out in the cold, then starve. This place lacks the most basic amenities.”“My children have been chronically ill since we arrived here,” the struggling mother lamented. “Now the heavy rains have turned everything into mud.”Summit on Syria to explore ways for political solutionAzzam Oleywi, another camp resident, recalled his dismay upon waking up for dawn prayers -- along with his companions -- to discover the camp inundated with rainwater."The rain was pouring down on our sleeping children,” he said.Noting that most camp residents were deep in debt, Oleywi told Anadolu Agency: “There are no beds, pillows or tarpaulins. We have nothing. There are no employment opportunities here.”“Living in the camp is really difficult. There are just too many people here,” he added. “I hope those who imposed these conditions on us share the same fate.”
Refugees in Syria’s Idlib struggle with rains, flooding
A graffiti artist in Syria’s Idlib is painting the walls of buildings damaged by airstrikes to show solidarity with murdered Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi and other reporters who have shared the same fate.For the past two years, Aziz Asmar, a 35-year-old resident of Idlib’s Binnish district, has also painted images of the years-long Syria conflict, Palestine, and other issues of regional and international concern.Asmar’s latest mural depicts the death of Khashoggi, who was last seen alive after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2.Since then, the Saudi authorities have admitted that the journalist was killed inside the consulate building.Video: Syrian graffiti artist pays tribute to slain journalistAsmar has also painted murals depicting U.S. President Donald Trump and Syrian regime leader Bashar al-Assad.In one painting, al-Assad points to Mohamad bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s high-profile crown prince, saying, “A good student of mine.”Asmar told Anadolu Agency that the paintings were his way of showing solidarity with Khashoggi and the many journalists killed by the Assad regime.“I don't want to see opposition figures or journalists share Khashoggi’s fate -- death at the hands of a tyrannical regime,” he said.Turkish FM discusses Khashoggi case with Saudi counterpartThe artist urged such regimes to engage in dialogue rather than simply murdering those with different opinions.A columnist for the Washington Post, Khashoggi was last seen on Oct. 2 when he entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.After days of denying any knowledge of his whereabouts, Saudi officials last week admitted that Khashoggi had died inside the consulate building.Amid an ongoing international media outcry, world leaders have called on the Saudi government to “clarify” the circumstances of the journalist’s death.Call by Khashoggi’s fiancée caused Saudi hit squad to panic, dump journo’s remains in wellErdoğan asks Saudi Arabia to reveal whereabouts of Khashoggi's body
Syrian graffiti artist pays tribute to slain journalist
The four-way Syria summit to be held in Istanbul on Saturday is set to focus on finding new ways to reach a political solution in Syria, Turkey's presidential aide said on Friday. Speaking at an international congress in southeastern Diyarbakir province, Ibrahim Kalın said: “Our priority at this summit will be focusing on what kind of new ways could be found based on not military, but a political solution in Syria.”The meeting to be hosted by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will see the participation of Russian President Vladimir Putin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and French President Emmanuel Macron.Erdoğan will address preserving the Idlib deal and preventing violations by the Bashar al-Assad regime in particular at the summit, Kalın said. Syria regime violating Turkey-Russia Idlib deal: White HelmetsTurkey expects the summit in Istanbul to help form a constitutional committee, the presidential aide added. Ankara and Moscow agreed in September to establish a demilitarized zone in Syria's northwestern province of Idlib.Under the deal, opposition groups in Idlib are to remain in areas where they are already present, while Russia and Turkey carry out joint patrols in the area with a view to preventing a resumption of fighting.On Oct. 10, the Turkish Defense Ministry announced that the Syrian opposition and other anti-regime groups had completed the withdrawal of heavy weapons from the Idlib demilitarized zone.Syria has only just begun to emerge from a devastating conflict that began in 2011 when the Assad regime cracked down on demonstrators with unexpected ferocity.Turkish envoy hails Canada for hosting Syrian refugees
Summit on Syria to explore ways for political solution