Syrian rebels, including jihadists, seized the last government-held town on the main highway between second city Aleppo and the city of Hama to the south, a monitoring group said. “First, Russian Federation would turn its guns on ISIL and stop the carnage in and around Syria’s western cities”, said Nuland, Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs.
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Syria has been mired in a civil war since 2011, with the government forces fighting a number of opposition groups and radicals from organisations like the Islamic State and the Nusra Front.
Bayoush said the town was strategically important. He said fighting was continuing inside parts of the town.
Syrian state media made no immediate mention of Morek’s capture.
“The whole countryside of Hama is aflame…” Jund al-Aqsa hailed the victory on its Twitter account.
USA officials say despite the Russian air strikes, the offensives have failed to make significant advances.
The capture comes after months of fighting between the insurgents and fighters from the National Defence Force and other militia, said the Observatory, which tracks the conflict using sources on the ground.
Russian Federation has recently stepped up efforts to broker a peace deal between Syrian government officials and members of the country’s splintered opposition.
A Free Syrian Army delegation has agreed to meet Russian officials in Abu Dhabi late next week to discuss the Syrian crisis, a Russian news agency said on Thursday, but representatives of four FSA rebel groups dismissed the report.
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“They are meeting with Syrians who do not represent anyone, and claim they met representatives of the Free Army”, he said.
